Reserved Chapman Cuts Loose at the End

It was probably among the more unlikely sights and sounds at the Greek Theatre so far this season: Tracy Chapman not only singing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” for an encore, but dancing as she did so. And she even managed to get a little nice and rough with it.

Of course, Tina Turner’s still got nothing to worry about, but seeing Chapman liven up like that, bouncing in front of her five-piece band, was a bit of a revelation. Not only had she been pretty low-key through most of the show, she’s been pretty low-key through her career, from the slow-burn frustration of her 1988 “Fast Car” through the simple folk-blues of her current comeback hit, “Give Me One Reason.”

The latter, from her recent, appropriately titled album “New Beginnings,” can likely be credited for the spring in her step. The song returned Chapman--who with the poetic, aching “Fast Car” had been hailed as one of the most important new arrivals in pop of the late ‘80s--to the Top 10 charts for the first time in years.

Still, it was the more familiar reserve and taciturn shyness that marked the performance. At times Friday that matched with her distinctively dark, smoky voice to give her songs a sense of intimacy, though given the lack of emotional range (what- must- I- do- to- get-you- to- take- me- back songs relieved only by what-must-we-do-to-save-the-world songs), it also sometimes served as a barrier.

Even when she spoke at any length, it was only to read messages on cards filled out before the show by fans (mostly environmental pleas) rather than to give glimpses behind her plain lyrics and limited, though attractive, music.

Next to “Proud Mary,” the most unpredictable element of the evening was the opening act, the Charlie Hunter Quartet. Rather than the usual sensitive singer-songwriter fare you might expect to tour with Chapman, the Bay Area combo offers edgy, funky modern jazz. Anchored by leader Hunter’s drivingly rhythmic electric guitar (often made to sound more like an organ), the group’s brief set provided a preview of the spunk to come at evening’s end.