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| That lil' guy can blow a trombone |
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| Heads down, an awesome keyboardist who even walked around it and played the thing backwards |
Don’t say that you love live music and have never seen a Brian Culbertson show. I saw a lot of shows this summer but none compare to the performance Culbertson put on at the Keswick.
I’m not much of a smooth jazz fan so I didn’t know who he was until a few years ago when he was one of maybe 20 acts at the Trenton Jazz Fest where he electrified the crowd in his short set. Last year he did the Keswick with AWB and put on a great show but this time the stage was all his...no opening act, no intermission...and he tore that place up.
Culbertson just released his 12th album (CD) and I picked up on him at CD #11, ‘Bring Back the Funk’, which had folks on it like Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, Ray Parker, Jr.. Musiq Soulchild, Larry Graham, Ledisi, and so on. His new CD, ‘XII’, has Brian McKnight, Kenny Lattimore, Faith Evans, Earl Klugh, Chuck Brown and a lot more R&B and funk than cool jazz.
Culbertson plays a mean electric keyboard and a powerful trombone which when joined with his sax and trumpet player rivaled those Tower of Power/Earth Wind and Fire jam sessions. Oh, and he jumped on the drums at one point.
As a treat, he brought out Avant to sing ‘Skies Wide Open’, a beautiful song they wrote together.
Culberston thanked us fans for coming out to support live music and shared that his father is still a band teacher in a California high school and stressed how tragic it is that so many schools are losing their music programs. We Chester folks can surely relate.
Here’s how I rank the shows I saw this summer...1) Brian Culbertson. 2) Wynton Marsalis’ Orchestra at the ‘Louie’ movie. 3) Brian McKnight. 4) Babyface. 5) Dave Koz, Jonathan Butler, Sheila E. 6) Whispers. (and great opening acts by Kindred Family Soul and Carol Riddick)
I was there and I totally agree. The air was electric and it never quit. You get way more than your money's worth at a BC show. To pigeonhole him in smooth jazz is like saying Aretha Franklin sings nice Gospel. He's an icon unto himself. If you can go to a BC show and not move, clap and howl, you are deaf or dead. Go see a show - you won't be disappointed!
ReplyDeleteI ATTENDED THIS CONCERT WITH MY NIECE WHO IS A HUGE BRIAN CULBERTSON FAN-I HAD NOT HEARD OF HIM UNTIL SHE RECENTLY TURNED ME ONTO HIM. SKIES WIDE OPEN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE MY EXCITEMENT WHEN AVANT HIMSELF CAME ONTO THE STAGE! MY ONLY WISH WAS TO BE THE WOMAN BRIAN CHOSE FOR HIM TO SING IT TO! THAT AND BRIAN PLAYING THE KEYBOARD BACKWARD/UPSIDE DOWN WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF AN ALREADY AMAZING SHOW! HE DEFINITELY HAS EARNED ME AS A FAN AND I'M SURE I'LL SEE HIM IN CONCERT AGAIN.
ReplyDeleteYou have a way of making these events sound so exciting when I know I would be bored to death. I would only be interested in #3 Brian McKnight and #4 Babyface.
ReplyDeleteBrian! Brian! Brian! What can I say! I've seen him no less than 5 times and every show he has given 110%. I must saying seeing him play the keyboard backwards was an unexpected treat!! He pounds that keyboard like no other. I appreciate every time he comes to the Keswick theater as I do not like going to the larger venues!!!
ReplyDeleteYou Go Boyyyy!!!! Much Love xoxo
Unless u see it, there's no way u can appreciate the amazing magic of BC wailing on that keyboard backwards. The only thing close is watching jimi Hendricks play guitar behind his head or while it's on fire and we can't see that ever again.
ReplyDelete