CONCERT REVIEW: Bryan Ferry keeps it cool in New Jersey concert

MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Bryan Ferry is a fabulous anomaly, even some 40 years after he first hit the scene with the legendary Roxy Music. He exudes a definitive coolness that is difficult to define and yet refreshingly honest. Sure, the charmer has paraded his fair share of long-legged models across his album covers over the years. Sure, he sings about getting close and dancing the night away with that one lovely lady. But this suaveness is also grounded in precise musical genius. His lyrics matter; his skill at hitting the right notes is evident.

He’s a showman, through and through. And on Tuesday, Oct. 4, he shook the rafters at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J., one of his first stops on an American tour that will take him to Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles and back to London. If you haven’t scored a ticket yet for this rare chance at seeing a veritable legend, consider yourself warned.

The two-part set featured well-known songs from Ferry’s solo career and Roxy Music’s extensive catalog. The packed house toe-tapped to the likes of “Avalon,” “Let’s Stick Together,” “Love is the Drug” and “The Main Thing.” As usual, Ferry proved to be an able interpreter of carefully selected cover songs. Many of his unique renditions are completely unrecognizable, and still winningly deep.

A highlight of the night had to be the additions from his most recent album, “Olympia,” which, since being released last year, has grown on the loyal ears of his eager fans. “Alphaville” is a perfect, almost noir-ish fable with dreamy vocals and a hypnotizing beat. Ditto for his other impressive songs: “Kiss and Tell,” “Boys and Girls” and the final encore, “Jealous Guy.”

Of the 19 selections, I was most partial to the effective intrepretation of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” which the crowd ate up with a spoon.

Ferry worked vocals for most of the night downstage center. He occassionally pulled out a harmonica, and also thumped a few rhythms at flanking pianos. His band was spot-on the entire concert, and Ferry was very allowing of wicked guitar solos and impressive saxophone playing. The four backup singers all filled in the beautiful blanks, while two go-go-like dancers added exclamation points to the evening’s performance.

At times, the sound of the instruments overpowered Ferry’s vocals, to the point where it was difficult to follow the lyrics. Still, the singer has a strong voice, and it continues to enchant with that smooth resonance.

Ferry is a master craftsman who dances his way to the microphone and simply jams. It’s blissful because it works so easily. He’s one of the most uncomplicated artists performing today, yet he never becomes a victim of safety. He challenges himself with beautiful lyrics, dance-inducing beats and overall musical effectiveness. It’s not easy to be seemingly easy.

The singer is a class act, one that continues to deliver for fans decades after his first entrance into our collective memory.

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• Set List: “The Main Thing,” “You Can Dance,” “Tom Thumbs Blues,” “If There Is Something,” “Make You Feel My Love,” “Boys and Girls,” “Kiss and Tell,” “Alphaville,” “Hurricane,” “Tara,” “Bittersweet,” “Slave to Love,” “Reason or Rhyme,” “Avalon,” “My Only Love,” “Love Is the Drug,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Let’s Stick Together” and “Jealous Guy”