Birchmere January Highlights
One of DC’s top casual music venues, the Birchmere, has some great artists this month.
Upbeat blues-rock singer and songwriter Delbert McClinton musical roots start in Texas, playing in a bar band called the Straightjackets. They backed up some of the biggest legends in blues including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Joe Turner, Sonny Boy Williams, B.B. King, and Bobby Blue Bland.
His distinctive voice and harmonica playing led him to win a Grammy for a duet with Bonnie Raitt on “Good Man, Good Woman”, and a Top Ten hit with Tanya Tucker, “Tell Me About It.” Emmylou Harris also covered Delbert’s “Two More Bottles of Wine,” which hit number 1 hit in 1978.
Much McClinton’s music speaks from the heart about love and lost love.
My favorite McClinton tune and his only Top 40 hit, “Givin’ It Up for Your Love” is from his 1980 album, The Jealous Kind.
Date and Time - Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets - $45.00 and are available online.
Trumpet player, Chris Botti honed his music working with in the studio with superstars such as Sting, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. He’s now highly recognized in the world of smooth or cool jazz and has been recently moving into more traditional jazz territory. Having been compared to Miles Davis or Chet Baker, his music ranges from pop-fusion to a more sophisticated classic smoky-lounge sound.
Date and Time - Three nights, Monday - Wednesday, Jan. 14–16, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets - $49.50 and are available online.
Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer, singer, songwriter, actor and former voice of Chef on South Park, Issac Hayes brings his soulful deep voice to the Birchmere.
Hayes’ background began at the Southern soul label, Stax Records in Memphis. He developed his songwriting skills while writing for Sam and Dave in the 1960s. With with lyricist David Porter, they collaborated on the mega soul hits “Hold On, I’m Coming,” “Soul Man” and “I Thank You.” His signature solo tune, a Top Ten hit, is the “Theme from Shaft”, which probably has one of the best wah wah peddle riffs in funk music history.
Date & Time - Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets - $65.00 and are available online.
First coming to national attention in the early 1960’s, Doc Watson’s influence on American blues, bluegrass, and country music has been felt ever since. With over 60 disks under his belt, resulting in 7 Grammys, and a National Medal of the Arts which he received from President Clinton, this should be a fantastic show for the lover of down home guitar “flatpicking”. Now in his early-80s, he’s still pickin’, with David Holt and Richard Watson, Doc’s grandson.
In the late 1970s, I saw Doc perform several times, and his music always made me smile.
Date and Time - Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets - $35.00 and are available online.
The Birchmere
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22305 (map it)
Nearest Metro subway station - Pentagon City - Blue and Yellow line, then a 5-mile cab ride.
Parking - Free lighted, secure parking is available at the theater.
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[...] In the Washington DC Traveller the amazing array of musical talent appearing at at just one venue is listed with video clips and links to purchase tickets in Birchmere January Highlights. [...]