Danny Zelisko Presents an evening with Robin Trower at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2nd at the historic Celebrity Theatre. Reserved tickets are on sale at www.celebritytheatre.
The Robin Trower story started in the mid Sixties when he began his recording career in the Southend rhythm and blues bandThe Paramounts. But the first time Trower pinged on rock’n’roll’s radar was in 1967, with Procol Harum – house band of the Summer of Love. Though he did not play on their mega-hit ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’, he completed five albums and many tours with them before breaking away for a solo career in 1971.
Robin admits that ‘the big break for me was Gary Brooker getting me to join Procol. That opened up the whole world. Without that I would never been able to go on and do what I’ve done.’ He rates leaving PH ‘the best career decision I ever made.’
Trower modelled his own band on the power-trio blueprint of Cream and Taste, and, of course, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. His atmospheric, effects-laden Stratocastering brought inevitable initial comparisons with Hendrix, but he quickly made his own mark. Robin, along with the vocal talents of James Dewar, a hard-living Scot, whose voice will always be associated with the Robin Trower Band proved to be a musical powerhouse.
Trower soon found himself outselling Procol by a considerable factor as he tuned in to the heavier zeitgeist of a new decade, his second album, Bridge Of Sighs, reached the Top 10 in the States. This collection of songs is in every budding guitar slinger’s reference library, and has influenced a generation of musicians.
Trower approaches his finest hour with his new album Time and Emotion. His evocative note bends and signature tone along with his powerful lead vocals totally bring it. There are plenty of tightly knitted bass lines and drum grooves supporting RT’s gut lifting sound to titillate the listener’s ear. It is unadulterated combustion of rock, blues and soul, lots of what Strat-fans crave from this unique artist. With track highlights such as “The Land Of Plenty, “ “I’m Gone,“ “Bitten By The Snake,” “If You Believe In Me,” “You’re The One” and the title track “Time And Emotion” this CD exudes classic Robin Trower!
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Reserved tickets ($35, $55, $85) tickets are still available at Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., in Phoenix, or online at www.celebritytheatre.com. To charge by phone, call 602-267-1600 ext. 1. All tickets are subject to facility and ticketing surcharges. All ages welcome.
