THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER
35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891 (Misquamicut) | (401) 315-5070
Open Today: Open
The club thrived as one of the leading entertainment centers in southern New England, hosting regional and national bands with an emphasis on the blues. Some of the greats that played on the Knickerbocker stage included, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Nicholas, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1967, Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, when guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds barred Chicago blues. Making the Knickerbocker Café their home club, it did not take long before they started exploring swinging, jumping blues and added a horn section. Roomful would pack the house every Sunday and still plays their great brand of blues today.
Fast forward and the Café has become the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The mission of the Knickerbocker Music Center is to preserve, cultivate and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expanding access to music of all genres, by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education.
An evening with Booker T Jones
8:30pm
Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 8:30pm
The Knickerbocker Music Center. 35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891
Live Music
Westerly Sound Presents
An evening with
Booker T Jones
with special guest Matt Dorrien
“This is an amazing album.”
– LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
“…Tight urgency that is the foundation of the entire album, driving the funky guitar and bass lines through a brilliant reinvention of the M.G.’s soul chemistry, ramped up for the 21st century.” – MOJO
“After all these years, he remains so soulful, and so good.” – NPR
“A showcase for Jones’ ever-sinuous way around his Hammond B-3, which sings, purrs, moans and shouts with often near-human expressivity, under his skilled touch.” – LOS ANGELES TIMES
“Transports listeners to the ’60s heyday of Stax, where [Jones] and the MGs defined soul music.” – USA TODAY
“Joyous a satisfying return to Booker T.’s classic instrumental soul and funk.” – BOSTON GLOBE
“The Road From Memphis shifts to funk and R&B, with Philly’s own the Roots as his backing band. It’s a perfect pairing stellar.” – PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
“The funk here is deep and solid. The punishingly unpredictable twists and turns all manage to punch your gut with a groove.” – PASTE MAGAZINE
Matt Dorrien audibly shifts in his chair, his feet pushing onto the pedals of a piano, as the opening chords of "Baby I'm So Lost" ring out. It's a simplistic, purposefully plodding introduction that's unusual in its total disregard of modern pop convention. But like most interesting things, patience is rewarded here. A beautifully broken love song slowly unfurls, complete with sad sack vocals and dueling clarinets that could close any dive-y lounge down.
"Cold and grey / I'm not okay, dear," Dorrien sings in a line that's half apology, half cry for help. You'd almost be worried for his hopeless protagonist if he didn't seem to enjoy wallowing in it so much.
Dorrien hasn't appeared completely out of the blue. The Portland-based songwriter previously released two sleepy folk records under the moniker Snowblind Traveler. But on his newest album, the aptly titled In The Key Of Grey, he's ditched his stage name and guitar. The new release is almost entirely performed on piano, a subtle ode to his songwriting heroes Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. And like those legendary musicians, Dorrien has a wry sense of humor, a solid grasp of songwriting fundamentals, and a deep love of melancholy, binge drinking, and rain.
By Jerad Walker
npr.org
Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p
Tickets: $45 advance | $50 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
