CALGARY - The word legend has been associated with Van Morrison for a long time now.

And for the most part, it's a fair description of the man who is quite possibly the most soulful-sounding white man of all time.

But even a legend needs to connect with the little people once in a while. There wasn't a whole lot of connecting going on when Morrison performed in front of a near sold-out Jubilee Auditorium crowd Thursday night.

Wearing a black fedora and a pair of shades, the Irish singer walked on stage to cheers. And without barely a glance towards the audience, he sat down at a grand piano and began the show with a gorgeous, mellow version of Northern Muse (Solid Ground).

I'm not going to be the person who complains Morrison didn't come running down the aisle whooping and high-fiving fans.

And let's face it, a 'What's up Calgreeeee?!' would have just sounded weird and wrong coming from Morrison.

But a few acknowledgements would have helped close the chasm between Morrison and his dedicated fans. To be fair, he did say a quick 'thanks' about 35 minutes in after a very well-received rendition of Philosopher's Stone, but he spent more time facing his band than the crowd.

The 64-year-old performer chose to keep to himself and concentrate on delivering a professional and polished 90-minute set.

There was never a feeling the lack of audience interaction had anything to do with antagonism on Morrison's part. He's never been particularly comfortable being in the public eye, and getting the cold shoulder from him came to no surprise to longtime fans.

Still, there was little disconnect between the star and crowd, which seemed to grow as the concert progressed despite such an excellent set list.

The packed-out Jubilee crowd came to hear Morrison belt out such hits as Moondance, Gloria and the golden oldies staple, Brown Eyed Girl -- which he obliged -- but he made sure his crack band got ample time in the spotlight as well.

Guitarist Jay Berliner, who played on Morrison's classic Astral Weeks album, was perhaps the best-known musician in the Irish singer's six-piece band. His fluid playing was highlighted during solos and he complemented the rest of the band's intricate and solid musicianship, which in turn lifted Morrison's performance.

The quality of Morrison and his band's performance was formidable throughout so there were no real highlights, although Keep It Simple and Moondance were particularly well done.

The people's favourite, Brown Eyed Girl, came very early in the set and it was obvious Morrison was just going through the motions during that ditty. Yet he still managed to freshen it up with a slightly different arrangement.

Morrison may have played it cool, but he wasn't entirely infallible. He messed up lyrics during You Know What They're Writing About and laughed it off. It was probably the most charming moment of the show.

The use of cellphones, cameras and other recording devices are generally frowned upon during concerts, but a note -- signed by Morrison and posted at the entrances -- made it clear even fan photos would not be tolerated and that failure to adhere to that rule would result in ejection and confiscation. Or at least an annoyed glare from Van the Man.

While musical vibe was mellow, the restrictions and the fact a few people were given stern warnings from the Jubilee ushers for dancing, or getting too vocal about their excitement (one guy was even chucked out for being too exuberant) made things oddly tense.

Nevertheless, Morrison's music spoke for itself and he did not disappoint with his song choices.