Downtown Church with Patty Griffin

The closest I came to setting foot in a church yesterday was the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland. But, really, what better way to celebrate Easter Sunday than a concert featuring Patty Griffin with her amazing voice and a new playlist that included lots of selections from her new gospel-infused CD, "Downtown Church"?

Accompanied by her back-up band and Buddy Miller, veteran guitarist and producer of the CD, Patty played 20 songs over 90 minutes, including a three-song encore. She's impossible to categorize because her sound, on any given song, bounces from one genre to another -- country to folk to blues and, now, gospel.

Lori and I went with a friend, Molly, and by the time Patty finished, I had moved up to within 40 feet of her, with a direct view of the center stage. As a fan, it's a joy to see the joy on her face as she performs with an appealing mix of sincerity and humility.

"Thank you," she told the audience, "for making my job the best job in the world."

Wish I could post a couple of the loveliest new songs here, but her record label has disabled the embed code. So, here are a couple of links to give you a sense of the mellow, melodic Patty in contrast to the rawer sound you hear on the above clip, "Wade in the Water."

"Little Fire": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDJ_BTmBFtQ

The Making of "Downtown Church": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwlcDP-M2wI&feature=related