Tesh Lets Everyone Shine, Even The Audience

John Tesh Friday, June 27, Opera House

So, say you’ve got a bit of talent, a measure of fame, some money and all the passion in the world to be a musical performer, what do you do?

Well, if you’re John Tesh, you surround yourself with gifted musicians. That was evident when Tesh, the former television sports and entertainment reporter, brought his “Avalon” show to a two-thirds-full Spokane Opera House on Friday.

How talented are Tesh’s co-stars?

Enough to stand out individually in any of Tesh’s sweeping compositions, whether it be the Irish-like “Emerald Bay” or the Spanish-sounding “Barcelona,” the lullaby/ballad “Song for Prima” or the rock-inspired “Road Made for Animals.”

Virtually every musician had a moment to shine individually, which says something about Tesh’s unselfishness. And enthusiasm? Tesh must pay these people by the smile.

Particularly energetic are the three performers who act like Tesh’s own personal Greek chorus - violinist (and co-composer) Charlie Bisharat, guitarist (and former Spokanite) Wayne Johnson and bass-player Tim Landers. Though Tesh and his giant Yamaha piano are always center-stage, these guys often take the spotlight - bouncing gymnastically and mugging cutely while still hitting the right notes.

In the end, though, this is Tesh’s show. He is a smooth, able emcee.

If you’ve never heard his music before, you’d probably be surprised by… well, not its upbeat nature (at times, Friday’ performance approached revival-meeting latitudes). But calling Tesh’s music New Age is deceiving; this certainly was no Windham Hill meditation.

It’s hard to imagine George Winston kicking back his piano bench, pounding his keyboard as if he were tenderizing abalone and then shooting a fist in the air at the crashing - there’s a Tesh-like word - climax of virtually every song.

And in between every two or three tunes, there’s no way Winston (or Yanni or Chuck Mangione or Vangelis) could relate to his audience as well as Tesh does. Friday night’s crowd was charmed by Tesh’s friendly, low-key, self-deprecatory remarks - which included lots of family commentary and a final thanks to the great musician up above.

“What we were thinking not coming to Spokane (before now)?” he asked at one point.

And the crowd roared its answer.

, DataTimes