Sun Rising: The Songs That Made Memphis

The Songs That Made Memphis is a thoroughly entertaining musical journey that combines the much-loved music of the legendary Sun Records record label with musicians of boundless enthusiasm and talent.

 

Sun Records, the independent record label founded by Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952, was the first company to record Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash and it is renowned as one of the most influential and important recording studios of all time. Other recording artists who recorded at Sun include Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Howlin Wolf and Charlie Rich among many others.

 

Through excellent renditions of incredible music and an enjoyable historical narration, the story of this burgeoning music studio is told throughout the production. The show is clearly a labour of love for compere, vocalist and guitarist David Cosma and his co-creator multi-instrumentalist and wannabe-comedian Damon Smith. Guitarist and vocalist Adrian Whyte’s appreciation for Johnny Cash was evident in his superb recreations of some of Cash’s best-known tunes and the ever-smiling and bushy-bearded Adam Coad provided excellent support on drums.

 

Sun Rising has previously appeared in Adelaide as part of the 2015 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and a previous Fringe Festival. This new and improved (and longer) production includes a tribute to the many women who recorded with Sun Records. The supremely talented and beguiling Cookie Baker impressed singing Barbara Pittman’s fun, yet little known, 1956 single ‘I Need A Man’ and Maggie Sue’s odd little song about persimmons, ‘Rock And Roll Simmon Tree’ (which sounds like a fruity version of Al Dexter’s ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’).  Baker also channelled June Carter in a charming finale duet of ‘Jackson’ with the sublimely talented guitarist Adrian Whyte partnering her as Johnny Cash.

 

Damon Smith’s skill on the piano, demonstrated with several Jerry Lee Lewis hits including his synonymous ‘Great Balls of Fire’ was almost outshone by the quirky but entertaining comedic interludes that peppered this thoroughly entertaining, almost two-hour long performance.

 

Sun Rising is touring Perth in March.