Larry McCray and the Joffrey, Too
It’s been a lively weekend so far. It started with my first ever visit to Buddy Guy’s Legends downtown on Friday evening. I saw a remarkable set by Michigan guitarist/singer Larry McCray. Too often nowadays, a blues show tries to get by on showboating and on the charisma of the front man. It was refreshing to see McCray’s sharp band bring down the house relying instead on sheer talent and creativity. He’s got a terrific style that contains elements of B.B. King and the Allman Brothers (both of whom McCray has worked with in the past), and he tosses off these little atomic guitar fills between vocal lines that leave you flabbergasted, the way John Lee Hooker used to do (though McCray sounds nothing like Hooker).
McCray also possesses a wonderful voice full of gravel (again, B.B. King comes to mind). In other words, he brings the full package. I have seen the future of the blues, and I’ve just ordered my copy of his 1993 album, Delta Hurricane.
Then, yesterday afternoon, we took Sonia to see the Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theater. It’s a nice holiday spectacle with amazing sets and costumes. The stage gets a little crowded during the first half, when narrative dominates. The second half, when the real dancing happens, was lovely (and the handful of crying children in matinee audience actually added to the atmosphere, I thought), though Sonia found it a bit boring. I always think the Arabian dance should be shorter and the Russian dance longer, but that’s probably a sign of my bad taste.
Now it’s back to grading for me. I hope you’re having a fine weekend, wherever you may be.
