The collective effort to bring folk legend Linda Thompson’s ‘Proxy Music’ and this musical night saluting it to life was nothing short of magical.
Sal Cataldi July 10
For singer Teddy Thompson, it was the best of times and maybe the most awkward of times, too. The amiable scion of the turbulently majestic British folk-rock couple, Linda and Richard Thompson, hosted an all-star celebration of the new album by his mother, Proxy Music, at New York’s City Winery on 30 June. Due to an illness called spasmatic dysphonia, Linda can no longer sing. But in a way, this tragedy may have added even greater depth to her still somewhat underrated talents as a writer of harmonically and lyrically mature songs.
On the new album, Linda’s new compositions are voiced by an all-star cast, including Martha Wainwright and Rufus Wainwright, John Grant, Ren Harvieu, the Proclaimers, the Rails, Dori Freeman, the Unthanks, Eliza Carthy, and Kami and Teddy Thompson. The City Winery event included a few of the above and notables like Amy Helm, Jenni Muldaur, Syd Straw, Vicky Peterson, and Tammy Faye Starlite, New York City’s most entertaining cabaret chanteuse. The evening boasted performances of select songs from the new album and some of Linda’s best solo and duet classics with ex-husband Richard Thompson.
