Charles R. Cross http://charlesrcross.com Author • Writer • Speaker Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:35:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 8/2/15: Ernest Ranglin is a true legend in reggae, jazz, and world music http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/8215-ernest-ranglin-is-a-true-legend-in-reggae-jazz-and-world-music/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/8215-ernest-ranglin-is-a-true-legend-in-reggae-jazz-and-world-music/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:35:26 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=321 I’ve been a fan of Ernest Ranglin’s for years, but only got the chance to see him live last night. I talked with the legend for some time, and he could not have been more gracious. He told me stories of being the guitarist at Ronnie Scott’s in London in 1964 when that city was the music capital of the world. He laughed when I told him the story of how his album “In Search of the Lost Riddim” was the music I picked to play in the maternity ward 15 years ago when my son was born (it’s an incredible record). The album impressed the nurses, who cranked it up, and it was playing when my guy took his first breath. “I made that in Senegal,” Ranglin told me of the record. “A good place for birth.” Here’s my review of Ranglin’s show.

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/reggae-giant-ernest-ranglin-plays-rare-seattle-gig-concert-review/

]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/8215-ernest-ranglin-is-a-true-legend-in-reggae-jazz-and-world-music/feed/ 0 7/21/15 Morrissey came to town. No animals were harmed http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/72115-morrissey-came-to-town-no-animals-were-harmed/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/72115-morrissey-came-to-town-no-animals-were-harmed/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:33:49 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=318 Slaughterhouse 5: Mr. Morrissey came to Seattle last night or as he called it “the city.” I’ve never heard anyone refer to Seattle as “the city” so I’m not sure if he says that at every tour stop to not confuse Cleveland with Akron say, or if he’s confused Seattle for the downtown financial core of London. His show was at times wonderful (to hear him sing any Smiths song again was lovely), and at times very odd. But that is exactly what you’d expect from Mr. Morrissey. Here’s my review from the Seattle Times, and my preview of the show.

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/morrissey-concert-had-new-songs-and-old-plus-slaughterhouse-video/

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/morrisey-known-for-canceling-shows-is-benaroya-bound/

]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/72115-morrissey-came-to-town-no-animals-were-harmed/feed/ 0 7/12/15: I just wasn’t made for these times, nor was Brian Wilson http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/71215-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times-nor-was-brian-wilson/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/71215-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times-nor-was-brian-wilson/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:30:54 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=314 I have to admit the first time I ever truly got “into” the Beach Boys was after a bootleg of “Smile” came my way. Uncut magazine called this “the greatest bootleg” of all-time. Before that, the Beach Boys of my youth were a band that played state fairs that I reacted “against,” because they were oftentimes smaltzy, with sexist songs about “girls,” cars, boats, and other themes weren’t topics I was interested in. Then I finally discovered the internal world of Brian Wilson’s songwriting, deeper in that catalog, but an entirely different world than what I heard on the radio from them. Last night’s show at Benaroya had moments of glitz, but also was a remarkable look at one of pop’s most gifted — and troubled — songwriters: Wilson sitting stoic behind his grand piano, looking at his bandmates often for cues on where to sing on songs that he wrote. He appeared fragile, but also, at times, even happy, and seeing a smile on his face when Al Jardine’s son killed “Don’t Worry Baby” made the whole show worth it. Here’s my review in the Seattle Times. http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/brian-wilson-celebrates-legacy-at-benaroya-concert-review/ ]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/71215-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times-nor-was-brian-wilson/feed/ 0 6/15/15 CeDell Davis brings the delta to Seattle’s Croc http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/61515-cedell-davis-brings-the-delta-to-seattles-croc/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/61515-cedell-davis-brings-the-delta-to-seattles-croc/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:29:02 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=310 The CeDell Davis show last night at Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe was one I’m sure I will remember for some time. Some of the visual elements I couldn’t find room to describe in my review were the interaction between the musicians onstage. There was the laughter of Scott McCaughey as he realized an occasional cue was being missed; there was the incredulity of Mike McCready as he dueled with Ayron Jones, both of them stepping back as if from a burning flame; there was Barrett Martin subtly holding the acoustic portion of the set with Evan Flory-Barnes; and so much more. When I write in this review about Zakk Binns impressing everyone, this is understatement — this youngish kid not only knew this music better than anyone onstage (other than CeDell; he and his dad Big Papa Greg Binns back CeDell often), his guitar work left me convinced he’s got a stellar career ahead. And finally there was CeDell himself, not just the visuals of him singing, and sometimes ignoring the band when he wanted to forge ahead into a song, but also him sitting stoically between sets, with the audience, but also somehow apart from the audience. But maybe that “apart-ness,” that otherness, is one of the keys to great blues music. CeDell would know.

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/cedell-davis-and-the-blues-are-alive-and-well/

]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/61515-cedell-davis-brings-the-delta-to-seattles-croc/feed/ 0 5/26/15 Sasquatch: I love St. Paul and the Broken Bones http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52615-sasquatch-i-love-st-paul-and-the-broken-bones/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52615-sasquatch-i-love-st-paul-and-the-broken-bones/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:27:06 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=307 It might be because I grew up in Eastern Washington, but music always sounds better east of the Columbia River. That was certainly true of this year’s Sasquatch Festival which knocked it out of the park. Here’s my review from the Seattle Times (and Paul DeBarros’s). Highlights that didn’t make print included:
— Talking with Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs who told me he played exactly the same set he would have played in a dark club, that’s commitment.
— An incredible set by St. Paul and the Broken Bones that probably is the closest thing to Otis at Monterrey I’ll ever get to see.
— Watching a shirtless Robert Plant chat with Lana Del Rey.
— Being wowed by Jose Gonzalez at sunset.
— And, more than anything else, watching my 15 year old Ashland experience his first Sasquatch, and hearing his review: “Dad, there are more creative, cool people here than anywhere I’ve ever been.” Yes, as typical his review is better, and more succinct, than mine. http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/lets-go-to-the-gorge-sasquatch-opens-friday/ ]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52615-sasquatch-i-love-st-paul-and-the-broken-bones/feed/ 0 5/20/15 Rhiannon Giddens was magnificent http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52015-rhiannon-giddens-was-magnificent/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52015-rhiannon-giddens-was-magnificent/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:24:59 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=304 This headline is not an oversell: Rhiannon Giddens truly was magnificent last night (5/20/15) at Meany Hall. Here’s my review. http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/rhiannon-giddens-magnificent-at-meany/ ]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/52015-rhiannon-giddens-was-magnificent/feed/ 0 5/15/15 U2 kicks off world tour in Vancouver, B.C. and the Edge falls off the stage http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/51515-u2-kicks-off-world-tour-in-vancouver-b-c-and-the-edge-falls-off-the-stage/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/51515-u2-kicks-off-world-tour-in-vancouver-b-c-and-the-edge-falls-off-the-stage/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:22:53 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=301 Here’s my take on U2’s tour debut in Vancouver in May 2015. It was one of the most visually stunning shows I have ever seen. And the Edge survived, unhurt.

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/u2-review1/

]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/08/02/51515-u2-kicks-off-world-tour-in-vancouver-b-c-and-the-edge-falls-off-the-stage/feed/ 0 Lambert & Stamp tells the story of the early Who with killer footage http://charlesrcross.com/2015/05/08/lambert-stamp-tells-the-story-of-the-early-who-with-killer-footage/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/05/08/lambert-stamp-tells-the-story-of-the-early-who-with-killer-footage/#respond Fri, 08 May 2015 16:27:55 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=297 “Lambert & Stamp,” a new documentary about the early days of British-Invasion rock band the Who, leaves out some important material, but it’s still a worthy film for any fan of the Who, or British rock. They also started a record label simply because they wanted to sign Jimi Hendrix, so the world is thankful for “Track Records” if nothing else.

 

 

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/lambert-stamp-tells-origin-story-of-the-who/

]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/05/08/lambert-stamp-tells-the-story-of-the-early-who-with-killer-footage/feed/ 0 Elvis Costello, and his dad, in a fabulous Seattle show http://charlesrcross.com/2015/04/27/elvis-costello-and-his-dad-in-a-fabulous-seattle-show/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/04/27/elvis-costello-and-his-dad-in-a-fabulous-seattle-show/#respond Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:33:25 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=292

4/27/15: If you missed Elvis Costello’s fabulous performance last night at the Seattle’s Paramount (“they don’t build palaces like this anymore”), here’s my review from the Seattle Times. I’ve seen Elvis a lot, in many incarnations, but this was the best show I’ve ever seen him put on. I think part of that is that he seemed more more into the idea of performing than he’s ever been, as if he wasn’t going to stop until he had won over everyone in the hall. The highlight of the show, though, was actually Elvis’s deceased father Ross, care of a video. Here’s a YouTube clip below that shows just a small part of the tremendous “If I Had a Hammer” performance by EC’s dad. I love seeing concerts where I come out singing a song — with my lovely son in tow — that I had no idea would be in my head before I went in. “If I Had a Hammer,” a killer rockin’ latin version, is that song today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az0HdhdqfNs

Elvis Costello delivers fabulous tour closer at the Paramount
Elvis Costello closed his ‘Detour’ solo tour Sunday at the Paramount Theatre with a fabulous night of music that included a rare film clip of his father, Ross McManus,…
seattletimes.com
]]> http://charlesrcross.com/2015/04/27/elvis-costello-and-his-dad-in-a-fabulous-seattle-show/feed/ 0 The Cost of Elvis Costello’s First Seattle Show: $1 http://charlesrcross.com/2015/04/25/the-cost-of-elvis-costellos-first-seattle-show-1/ http://charlesrcross.com/2015/04/25/the-cost-of-elvis-costellos-first-seattle-show-1/#respond Sat, 25 Apr 2015 17:03:36 +0000 http://charlesrcross.com/?p=286 Elvis Costello appears in Seattle on April 26, 2015. Here’s a preview, and a report back on his first show from several decades ago.

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/elvis-costello-makes-a-detour-to-seattle-concert-preview/

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