When listening to the work of this accomplished acoustic guitarist, there is the clear impression that there are two musicians (or at least an overdubbed track) performing on the tunes, but by spending some time with his live clips on YouTube, you realize it’s just him—Ross’ sound comes from his signature right-hand technique which he achieves by hammering the bass strings as he goes through his chord progressions, using their resonance to fill his complicated riffs. Ross is well-known for using alternative guitar tunings on his songs—something he has been experimenting with since he first picked up the instrument before his early teens. Traveling with him on his current tour is his wife and label-mate Brooke Miller, a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist in her own right. Miller’s voice has an uncanny resemblance to former Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie, but her style goes more into a folksy mode, which has brought comparisons to the likes of Sheryl Crow and Natalie Merchant. (Ernest Barteldes)
December 10 at Space, 1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, (847)492-8860. 8pm. $15.
Brutal Finesse: A Preview of King Crimson at Ravinia There have been few new compositions from King Crimson these past two decades, but the live arrangements of songs from its catalog are often strikingly different than the recorded versions.
Cooling It: A Preview of Colleen Green at Cole’s Bar When Green strums power chords or chiming notes on top of her backing track, you might think you’re at Ramones karaoke night and Madonna is taking her turn.
For “Want” of a Change: A Preview of Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia Park Rufus Wainwright isn’t the first singer-songwriter to reinterpret earlier work through an orchestral lens. And much of Wainwright’s third and fourth albums, “Want One” and “Want Two”—whose twentieth anniversaries are the prompt for this new tour—is fully scored. But when Wainwright hits the Pavilion stage at Ravinia tonight, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be behind him.
Can’t-Miss Music Events (Fall Arts Preview 2023) This fall we get new albums and tours from iconic acts like Wilco and Kurt Elling, plus a Corrine Bailey Rae project inspired by Theaster Gates' Stony Island Arts Bank.
