Ann Wilson’s soaring soprano was one of the voices that defined rock music through the 1970s, as her Seattle-spawned band Heart pre-dated that city’s heralded grunge movement by nearly two decades. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, Heart’s ’70s hits included “Crazy On You,?” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Heartless,” “Dog & Butterfly,” and “Straight On,” … [Read more...]
Muse brings powerful set to Perfect Vodka
British trio Muse has been a rarity since emerging from Teignmouth, England, in 1994 — and not just because they’ve kept the same personnel for 23 years. That country’s creative popular music influence from the 1960s and 1970s (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Yes, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, The Police, etc.) had previously been … [Read more...]
Guitarist Herring key to Widespread Panic’s impressive maturity
California may be the heavyweight champion of propelling prominent American bands and artists into popular music history (Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Little Feat, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, N.W.A., Joni Mitchell, The Doors, the Grateful Dead, Tower of Power, Rage Against the Machine, War, Stone Temple Pilots, Los … [Read more...]
Ben Harper’s powerful songs of protest, fine band make for memorable SunFest show
Most modern musical artists who also qualify as civil rights activists come from the hip-hop world, but Ben Harper has weaved humanitarian ideals into his complex web of blues, reggae, rock, gospel, folk and funk since starting his solo recording career nearly 25 years ago. And the 47-year-old California native, for the most part, let the music do the talking during a memorable … [Read more...]
Tower of Power truly may be the ‘Last Band Standing’
Formed in Oakland, Calif., in 1968, Tower of Power is one of the few groups ever set to celebrate a 50-year anniversary next year. Which makes the 10-piece act’s blend of funk, R&B, soul and jazz nearly as long-lasting as rock band the Rolling Stones — and with more original members (four) than its venerable British counterpart (three). That’s right, TOP still features … [Read more...]
Bluegrass wizards The HillBenders give Duncan crowd an exciting ‘Tommy’
Pete Townshend has proven a musical visionary since he penned The Who’s first of two rock opera releases, Tommy, in 1969 (the other being Quadrophenia, in 1973), but could the guitarist/vocalist have foreseen Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry, the 2015 Compass Records release by Springfield, Mo.-based quintet The HillBenders? Perhaps. Both the group’s latest recording and its … [Read more...]
Bennett Group plays impressive concert of jazz crossover
With brick-and-mortar retail music stores having mostly fallen by the wayside in our current, internet-driven musical reality, genres and stylistic labels have become less important for categorization — and the New York City-based Daniel Bennett Group is taking full advantage, with its namesake, multi-wind-instrumental leader having realized long ago that such tags weren’t all … [Read more...]
Jazz legend Corea to team with Rubacalba for night of piano-duet improv
Chick Corea. The name is as unique, identifiable and indelible as the sounds from the 75-year-old jazz pianist’s lengthy recording and touring career. From solo and duet to big band and orchestral projects, Corea has proven restless and amoebic for more than 50 years. His early classical and jazz training is most evident on his acoustic catalog, much of which ranges from … [Read more...]
Organist Smith heals his audience at Arts Garage
At age 74, Hammond organist Dr. Lonnie Smith still looks like a kid in the candy store every time he gets behind his keyboard. On Saturday, the kid from Lackawanna, N.Y., fed off of the energy of a sold-out crowd at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach. Those attending included some old friends from the 1990s, when the turban-topped keyboardist was part of the house band at … [Read more...]
Young band, old covers: Mainstreet Dreamers choose well-trod path
Many towns have a Main Street; a thoroughfare that links its other tributaries to keep drivers from getting lost. But West Palm Beach-based pop/rock band Mainstreet Dreamers was not named for any such predictability. Geographically, West Palm Beach is just listed on the quartet’s Web pages as a central location. Bassist Morgan Beers lives further north in Jupiter; guitarist … [Read more...]