C’mon people now, it’s Jesse Colin Young
Published 12:36 pm Thursday, July 5, 2007
Jesse Colin Young is living in paradise now, the family home perched on a Hawaiian mountain.
It’s a state that inspired Young’s “Living in Paradise” CD, songs that fuse folk, reggae, Latin rhythms and slack-key guitar in what Young calls Aloha Rock.
Young performs two 55-minute sets Sunday in Mount Vernon with Celtic Mambo, a full band of violin, bass, guitar, drums and congas.
The former lead singer of rock band The Youngbloods won fans with his folk-rock single “Get Together,” an international Top-10 hit and a prominent soundtrack for peace.
Young grew up surrounded by classical music and was sent to an all-boys prep school but was kicked out. Instead of college, he pursued the blues, released a couple of solo albums, then formed The Youngbloods.
They played together for several years before Young went solo.
“Get Together,” still being played on the radio, was heard on the “Forrest Gump” soundtrack; his rock anthem “Darkness Darkness” was the theme song for the movie “Ghosts of the Abyss”; and a cover sung by Robert Plant won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 2003.
Gretchen Wilson: The increasingly popular country star attributes some of her success to being genuine in her musical approach. Her first single, “Redneck Woman,” stayed at the top for six weeks; she’s since written “Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life,” which earned her a place on the New York Times best-seller list.
In a few years, Wilson has won CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year as well as that award’s counterpart from Billboard Music Awards, Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards, as well as a Grammy for Best County Female Vocal performance (“Redneck Woman”). Wednesday, Marysville
Outformation: Catch this band next week because when they return, it’ll most likely be at a larger and less-intimate venue. The Southern country-rock band was off to a good start on a part-time basis but with a more-committed Sam Holt (ex-Widespread Panic guitarist), they’re now a full-time band that won’t be ignored because of strong story-based songs, musicianship and some hypnotic playing by Holt. Wednesday, Seattle
Stephen Stills: Expect the best from his long career as a solo artist and part of Crosby, Stills &Nash; CSN&Y, Buffalo Springfield and Manassas, as well as new originals.
In a few days, the prolific songwriter will release a set of 12 demos long stuck on a shelf, including the first recordings of classic songs including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” and “Wooden Ships.”
Stills is the only musician to be inducted twice in one night (for two bands) to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is No. 28 on Rolling Stone’s 2003 “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Times” list. Tonight, Seattle
Kenny Chesney: The reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year can be introspective (ACM’s Country Music Single of the Year “The Good Stuff”) or just dig in his heels and apply power-country chords to his music. Of his 13 albums, including this year’s “Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates,” six topped the country album charts. He has had 22 singles in the top three on the country charts and has earned 12 major awards since 2002. Saturday, Seattle
Gatlin Brothers: Raised on gospel music, the three brothers have been harmonizing since they were children, the prelude to a four-decade career that has brought them Grammy Awards and country chart-toppers. Sunday, Bow
Stanley Jordan: He’s often called the first “touch virtuoso” for taking the guitar techniques of hammer-ons and pull-offs to a new level of touch and tapping. Jordan has been one of the most significant guitarists in the late 20th century. Tuesday though July 15, Seattle
Amber Rubarth, Joey Ryan: The acoustic singer-songwriters detoured off their career paths to follow their passions, Rubarth after spending three years in a wood-sculpting apprenticeship in Reno, Ryan passing on graduate school for a doctorate in neuroscience.
Ryan now has his music featured in the new film “Bella,” and Rubarth won the 2006 International Songwriting Competition for “Washing Day,” which she co-wrote with Adam Levy of Norah Jones’ band. Monday, Snohomish
The Tragically Hip: The Canadian rockers, playing off the “World Container” CD, recently toured and opened with The Who. Time spent in New Orleans led to the single “New Orleans is Sinking.” The Hip has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Wednesday, Redmond
Kenny Chesney performs Saturday in Seattle.
Stanley Jordan performs next week in Seattle.
Joey Ryan (left) and Amber Rubarth (below) perform Monday in Snohomish.
