As with many artists, these extracurricular activities are just window dressing compared to his main focus: performing live. Typically traveling as duo (w/ acoustic piano), Redbone's musical repertoire can hover between Dylan's "Living the Blues," Jelly Roll Morton's "I Hate a Man Like You," Eddy Arnold's "Bouquet of Roses" and the childhood folk favorite "Polly Wolly Doodle." Known more for covering other artists' songs, the musician admits he comes up with a few tunes of his own every decade, but counters with a grin, "I think that they're all mine to begin with."
If there is one common element to Redbone's diverse music it's his mastery of his acoustic guitar. It is easy to get lost in his stage exploits (which often gravitate between vaudeville and performance art) and overlook what a truly fine player he is -- fingerpicking with a ragtime bounce or jumping between chords with the grace of a hurdler. (Maybe the analogy should be with the grace of a card shark, because he makes it look so effortless it can often be deceiving.)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010. 8pm. $20 advance / $25 day of show.
