As a long-time fan of Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, I was very excited to see this event, The Old Rugged Cross, in Melbourne Recital Centre's 2025 programme.
I was curious to see Emma sing in a different context, exploring another side of her voice and spirit. Thus, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review the show (2 April). Bringing my grandma along as my date, we headed into the MRC on the train, picked up our tickets and swiftly found our seats in what was a very full house.
When the lights dimmed, Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji woman Emma Donovan emerged in a floor-length black satin dress, accessorised with a beautiful feather necklace and, of course, bare feet.
I have never seen Emma with shoes on at any of her shows, a sign she has solidified her musical identity. The rest of the band were dressed in the tasteful trappings of professional jazz musicians, sporting muted browns and blacks.
Without introduction, James Sherlock kicked the show off with a beautiful guitar intro, which gave way to the trombone (James Greening), the double bass (Sam Pankhurst), the drums (Dave Beck) and as Paul Grabowsky cued them, the two other horns (Eugene Ball on trumpet and Zac Hurran on saxophone).
As Paul brought the keys in and completed the band's pulsing feel, Emma began to sing the classic gospel tune 'I'll Fly Away'. Her voice, though, seemed a little strained at first, but began to show its power, and we all leaned in to catch as much of it as we could.
Hurran's sax solo really bent the line between jazz and gospel, and gave us a taste of the sounds to come. As the song came to an end, Donovan addressed the audience for the first time. "You can tell by the first few notes if we're gonna come out swinging," she joked. Her stage energy was great – really relaxed and open. This is no surprise given she was performing as a singer with her uncle's band The Donovans by the age of 11.
Moving onto a sauntering version of the show's title song, 'The Old Rugged Cross', Emma gave us a taste of her incredible vocal vibrato. With the help of a smoke machine, the stage was turned into a bluesy nightclub, complete with its resident soulstress. A beautiful trumpet solo from Ball, interspersed with experimental horn interludes, really made this song.
Talking about the spirituals chosen for the show, Donovan explained to us that she was "hand-fed these tunes" and was taught to find her own place in them – "I couldn't go stealing uncle's harmonies!"
It was clear from these anecdotes that her childhood had been filled with music and her family were an incredible creative force. As a nod to her family, the band played the tune 'Miracle Man', written by Emma's grandfather, Micko Donovan.
Hurran played a beautiful soprano saxophone introduction and as the rhythm section came in the tune took on a reggae feel. This song gave Emma the chance to show off her smooth and warm lower vocal range, a true balm for the ears. This tune expanded the range of dynamics, and allowed for some stylistic variation.
Heading back into the old spirituals, however, Donovan introduced 'Just A Closer Walk With Thee' as one of Archie Roach's favourite songs. Creating some space after the upbeat 'Miracle Man', the song started with a sparse piano and vocal intro.
The band then kicked into gear with a truly classy swing feel. This seemed to be the tune that really allowed Emma to come into her own, and this energy was felt in the audience. Paul's beautiful arrangements shone through, and even though it did seem like his cues occasionally confused Emma, she always found her way back into the song.
Going back into her family stories, Donovan talked about a precious cassette of tunes recorded by Uncle Roger Knox, or the 'the Black Elvis'. His version of Larry Gatlin's country-gospel tune 'Help Me' was one of her favourites, so she decided to perform her own version.
With a solemn bass and sax intro, this tune's pleading lyrics and melody showcased Donovan's soaring upper range. This range was also heard in Donovan's wonderful take on 'In The Sweet By And By', as she sang in her people's traditional language, dipping into English for one of the verses so we could recognise the song. Donovan's sparse vocal outro had a slight reverb effect over it which really added drama and weight to her words.
After the silence hung for a moment, the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause, many standing up out of their seats in respect and awe. After the applause finally died down, Emma sang a bluesy version of the classic tune 'One Day At A Time', a favourite song of her "bigmouth nanna".
By this time, Emma's vocals were really warmed up and she was starting to let loose, allowing emotion to overcome her and fuel her performance. As the song shifted into a soulful groove, Emma seemed even more comfortable, taking on a role more similar to her role with The Putbacks. There was a great energy in this tune as the gospel roots really started to show.
Going back into her grandfather Micko's repertoire, Donovan sang a song which I took to be titled 'Promiseland' or 'The Promised Land'. The tune was written in 1975 as Micko journeyed to the infamous Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.
This was probably the most upbeat tune of the whole set, with funky horns and great audience engagement despite the often rigid atmosphere of a recital centre. Grabowsky treated this song with a light touch, playing a lovely simple melodic piano solo which was perfect for the song's character.
For their last tune all together as a band, Emma asked Grabowsky to introduce Archie Roach's 'Place Of Fire', which he had helped write. Grabowsky talked about Roach's belief that we all came from the same place and would ultimately end up back there. This was a truly timeless performance dedicated to Roach, with beautiful chords and a lovely trombone solo from Greening. It was great to hear the trombone get some proper airtime, and Greening was the perfect man for the job.
Read our 2024 interview with Paul Grabowsky discussing The Old Rugged Cross concert.
The band walked off to immense applause and there was a pregnant pause before Emma and Paul came back on for their final tune, 'Amazing Grace'. Of all the songs we heard over the course of the night, this was by far the most powerful.
Having completely warmed up, both vocally and emotionally, Emma's delivery was astounding. With her deep, soulful expression, and Grabowsky's tasteful and refined piano accompaniment, I doubt if there was a truly dry eye in the house by the end.
They had planned the set out well, mingling heart-wrenching songs of despair and grief with those of hope and love. Emma's unique and experienced voice paired with the band's light touch and feel for the emotional terrain made for a once-in-a-lifetime show.
Throughout the set I often found myself closing my eyes, letting Emma's voice carry me through the spiritual worlds of the songs. Grabowsky's arrangements were beautiful, with a clear focus on thoughtful beginnings and strong endings.
Emma Donovan is truly a force in Australian music. With such a warm stage presence, soulful voice and true connection to music, she is an artist not to be missed, whether fronting her soul band or undertaking any number of other musical endeavours.
