Steve Miller Band with guests Los Lonely Boys April 2nd at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre!

  • by Greg Zecher
  • March 24, 2017
  • 1349 views

Steve Miller was a mainstay of the San Francisco music scene that upended American culture in the late ‘60s. with albums like Children of the FutureSailor and Brave New World, Miller perfected a psychedelic blues sound that drew on the deepest sources of American roots music and simultaneously articulated a compelling vision of what music - and society - could be in the years to come. Then, in the ‘70s, Miller crafted a brand of rock ‘n’ roll music that was polished, exciting and irresistible, and that has dominated radio through today. Hit followed hit in what seemed like an endless flow: “The Joker,” “Livin’ in the USA,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love,” and “Abracadabra” among them. To this day, these songs are instantly recognizable when they come on the radio – and impossible not to sing along with. Running through Miller’s catalogue is a combination of virtuosity and songcraft along with melodic vocals and signature guitar riffs. His parents were jazz aficionados – Les Paul was his godfather – so as a budding guitarist and singer, Miller absorbed valuable lessons from their musical tradition. When the family moved to Texas, Miller deepened his education in the blues, meeting T-Bone Walker and learning to sing and play listening to him and Jimmy Reed. Miller then moved to Chicago where he played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Buddy Guy and Paul Butterfield. Miller, who has just been voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after being nominated for the first time this year, keeps himself immersed in listening and playing all genres of blues and jazz and rock ‘n’ roll music – American music. Miller is also contributing his time to serving on the welcoming committee of the Department of Musical Instruments of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and as a board member of Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he curates and hosts shows at both institutions celebrating the bridge between blues and jazz music and early American Music. For additional news and information, and to learn about the history of the Steve Miller Band and all the musicians who have played and recorded with the band, please visit www.stevemillerband.com.

Los Lonely Boys is the beloved, close-knit Texan brother trio featuring Jojo Garza (vocals, bass), Henry Garza (vocals, guitar) and Ringo Garza (drums, vocals). Revelation, the band’s latest album, is a landmark release for the siblings. While maintaining the infectiously melodic mix of bluesy rock ’n’ roll and rootsy brown-eyed soul that’s long endeared Los Lonely Boys to its fiercely loyal fan base, Revelation adds an expansive range of new sonic elements. Revelation also marks Los Lonely Boys’ first recording work since Henry Garza sustained serious injuries in a fall from the stage during a February 2013 performance in Los Angeles, necessitating a lengthy and ongoing recovery period. The abiding sense of family unity and creative rapport that allowed the band to weather such a potentially devastating event has been built into Los Lonely Boys from the beginning. Indeed, Henry, Jojo and Ringo have been making music together for their entire lives. Their father, Ringo Garza Sr., was a member of another sibling band, the Falcones, which played throughout southern Texas in the ’70s and ’80s. When that group disbanded, Ringo Sr. went solo, and recruited his three young sons to back him. The family relocated to Nashville in the ’90s, and soon Henry, Jojo and Ringo Jr. began writing and performing their own material as a trio. After moving back to Texas, the brothers recorded their eponymous debut album in 2003 at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales studio in Austin, with Willie himself guesting on the sessions. The album quickly won the band a large national audience. Its lead single “Heaven” became a Top 20 pop hit, reached the #1 spot on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, and eventually won a GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Los Lonely Boys solidified their success with 2006’s Sacred, which brought two more GRAMMY nominations, and 2008’s Forgiven, as well as the holiday-themed Christmas Spirit.

 

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