Matt Holmes

On Thursday evening, Red Butte was treated to a virtuoso performance of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez by guitar maestro Pablo Villegas.

It was a strange night at Red Butte, where a small but enthusiastic crowd had plenty of space to spread out and crack open their picnic baskets. The lady next to me had brought what appeared to be a small banquet, served on compact table complete with a tablecloth. “Ok, where’s the vodka?” asked one of her group as she handed out the ringed cloth napkins—Red Butte definitely makes for better people watching than Abravanel Hall.

In contrast to their audience, the symphony orchestra were positively cramped for space on the Red Butte stage as associate conductor Rei Hotoda lead them through a performance of Dvorak’s classical overture to kick off proceedings.

The charismatic Pablo Villegas then made his entrance for his debut performance in Utah and spoke at length to the crowd about the music he was about to play and why it’s so important to him. He explained that the music is about a conversation between a man who has recently lost an infant and god, with the guitar representing the man and the response from god being channeled through the orchestra. Heavy stuff indeed and, to my right in preparation for this intense musical journal, more vodka was opened at the banqueting table.

Rei Hotoda told us that she considers the second movement of Aranjeuz’s 1939 masterpiece to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music she has ever conducted. It’s difficult to argue with that statement, as the performance by both Villegas and the orchestra was immaculate. The first and third movements are much lighter and draw on flamenco and folk influences, and Villegas was able to hold the audience in rapt attention. Although returning to the stage for two encores after the performance of Concierto de Aranjuez did seem like overkill, especially as the temperature had started to drop.

Once Hotoda was convinced that Villegas had finally and permanently exited the stage, an intermission was called. Although the already small crowd dwindled further as scores of folks headed out of the exit in response to the falling temperatures. The orchestra, now under patio heaters, reemerged post intermission to perform some Strauss, Smetana and Tchaikovsky.

The fairly sparse crowd was probably due to a combination of the cooler weather and the fairly expensive tickets. After all, there are biweekly opportunities to see the orchestra at Deer Valley. But overall a it was pleasant evening, despite the cooler weather later on.

Thursday evening presents a rare opportunity to enjoy the Utah Symphony in an outdoor setting, as associate conductor Rei Hotoda leads the orchestra in a program of light classics and audience favorites at Red Butte on Thursday evening.

The orchestra will also be joined by self-styled classical guitar hero Pablo Villegas, as he performs Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Rodrigo once said that his concerto, inspired by the gardens at Palacio Real de Aranjuez near Madrid, “is meant to sound like the hidden breeze that stirs the treetops in the parks” – which sounds ideally suited to a Red Butte show.

Other pieces that will feature on the two hour, plus intermission, program will include Carnival Overture by Dvorák, Emperor Waltzes by Strauss, The Moldau by Smetana, Tchaikovsky’s
 Symphony No. 6, and “Pathétique,” Movements II. and III.

The forecast for Thursday is a little cooler, so it promises to be a lovely evening at Red Butte in the company of a world-class orchestra, who hope to “transport your mind to another place and evoke the sounds of nature.” Given that tomorrow is the first night of the Perseid meteor shower, there could well be a spectacular visual backdrop for the show.

Doors at 7pm, program begins at 8pm. Tickets still available from Red Butte Garden’s website – $32 Garden & USUO Members / $37 General Public / $15 Youth/Child

Red Butte favorites  Trucks Band rolled into town on Sunday for the last night of their Wheels of Soul tour; they did not disappoint.

The sold out crowd were presented with almost four hours of quality live music, between the three acts. The north Mississippi Allstars and Los Lobos were billed as “rock ‘n soul” collaborators, and it truly was an evening of collaboration. Meaningful collaboration is, to some extent, dependent on mutual appreciation and the ability to place ego to one side, and, in that spirit, one of the outstanding themes of the evening was the complete lack of ego on the stage. 

The North Mississippi Allstars kicked things off for a well received 40-minute set, with Luther Dickinson on guitar and vocals clearly enjoying himself. There were guest appearances during the set from Tedeschi Trucks backup singer Alecia Chakour, David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and Derek Trucks himself, joining in on a 12-bar blues that segued into Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Working.”

Then Los Lobos sauntered on stage fresh from their Saturday show at the State Room and proceeded to be brilliant. Opening with Evangeline and moving onto “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes,” before being joined by the aforementioned Luther Dickinson for “Don’t Worry Baby.” You’re at an excellent show when you can see many people backstage watching the show and dancing during the opener.

Alecia Chakour reappeared to sing on a Steve Winwood cover, before Susan Tedeschi bounded on stage to give a stellar performance of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s going on?” Trucks reappeared for the next number, before the finale of “La Bamba” which also included Susan Tedeschi who, in the spirit of collaboration, was content to sing backup, with her own backup singers, for her opening act.

Then, the Tedeschi Trucks Band began their almost two-hour set with an a cappella number from the backup singers, before the band let rip with “Anyhow” and “Midnight in Harlem.“ Highlights from the set were the moments of collaboration. César Rosas from Los Lobos joined in for the straight up blues Hendrix number “The Sky Is Crying,” with Tedeschi pulling off an outrageous solo to remind us that her guitar is not just there for show. David Hidalgo was brought back out for “Learning To Live Together,” with he and Derek trading back and forth on the solos.

After a stellar performance of “Had To Cry Today,” a Blind Faith cover and the second song performed during the evening written by the perennially under-appreciated Steve Winwood, the main set closed with “Let Me Get By,” the title track of their Tedeschi Trucks’ latest album. The encore comprised of a soul version of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” and a brilliant cover of “Let’s Go Get Stoned” from Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen album – they absolutely knocked the bollocks off it!

Derek Trucks is undoubtedly a world-class guitar player, and is recognized as such by his peers and critics. But what sets him apart from the few contemporary blues guitar players who are young and can play at his level, such as Joe Bonamassa and Gary Clark Jr, is that Trucks has paired himself, professionally and personally (they are married), with a truly exceptional vocalist in Susan Tedeschi.

When Derek Trucks lets loose with his Gibson SG guitar, it is a sound that few on the planet can replicate. It’s the same story when Susan Tedeschi opens her mouth to sing. When you see phenomenal guitar players who sing, such Bonamassa and Clark Jr, the show can often be disappointing to some degree as the incredible guitar playing writes checks that limited vocal ability simply can’t cash. There are exceptions of course, such as Buddy Guy whose vocals were astonishing at Red Butte earlier this summer; but the combination of Susan’s vocals and Derek’s guitar work is absolutely outstanding.

In summary, this was one of the best shows in terms of quality and, less importantly, value for money at Red Butte this summer. I’m sure most of those lucky enough to attend are hoping for a repeat performance in 2017.

Tedeschi Trucks Band bring their eagerly anticipated Wheels of Soul tour to Red Butte amphitheater this Sunday Evening, in support of their recent Let Me Get By album release.

Led by Derek Trucks, ranked number 16 of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine, and powerhouse vocalist Susan Tedeschi, the twelve-piece

group enlists two drummers, three vocalists, a three-piece horn section, bass, and a multi-instrumentalist keyboard player for what is a greater-than- the-sum- of-its-parts collective.

Touring with Tesdeschi Trucks Band are the North Mississippi Allstars and Los Lobos, billed as “rock ‘n soul” collaborators. Expect three sets from three outstanding bands, with collaboration between the three bands through the evening.

Sunday evening is the last stop on the current tour that has received outstanding reviews and promises to be an excellent evening of fantastic music. And with three high-quality bands sharing the stage over the course of the evening, it offers tremendous value for money.

Doors at 5.30pm, the sold out show begins at 6.30pm.

Sunday saw the return to Salt Lake of blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. in a show that had the Red Butte crowd on their feet from the moment he took the stage

Salt Lake based classic-rock aficionados The Weekenders had kicked things off earlier in the evening with a solid 35-minute set that was well received by the sold out crowd. 

Clark strolled on at 8:10 p.m., looking seriously cool. And as he began proceedings with a blistering version of “Bright Lights” it was clear he meant business. The exciting opener was followed by some impressive finger styling on “Next Door Neighbor Blues,” some rather lovely falsetto vocals on “Our Lady,” and an enjoyable mid tempo minor blues “When My Train Pulls In.” 

Midway through the show, a brief unplanned interlude occurred when Clark’s amplifier “blew up.” The Fender Vibro King amp in question was acquired from Who guitarist Pete Townshend during a European tour. It’s testament to how hard Gary plays that he managed to blow up an amp that once belonged to the loudest man in the history of rock.

The attention to detail with his choice of onstage equipment really helps Clark achieve a gorgeous tone from his rig. Using beautiful guitars such as modern custom shop reissues of 1963 Fender Strat, 1961 Gibson SG, and an Epiphone Casino, Gary is able play his own brand of blues that tips its hat to legends that include BB King, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, JJ Cale, and Frank Zappa.

But there’s more to Gary Clark Jr than shredding on the guitar and melting down amps. His soft ballads that were carefully positioned throughout the set were reminiscent of Dylan and Neil Young, particularly on the encore number “Church.” Like any good show, his setlist was a roller coaster and took the audience on a musical journey of highs and lows, fast and slow—but always nicely balanced.

At a June Red Butte concert, Buddy Guy spoke his concerns that blues music is dying out. Alongside Joe Bonnamassa and Derek Trucks (who plays Red Butte amphitheater with Susan Tedeschi, Aug. 7), Gary Clark Jr. is one of the most talented blues guitarists under the age of 40 playing today. If Sunday evening was anything to go by, Buddy can rest assured that the blues is alive and well and in very talented hands. At least one more generation will get to enjoy the blues.

This evening (Sunday) sees blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. pitching up at Red Butte Garden for a sold-out show to support his latest album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.

Clark certainly has some chops as a blues guitarist, honing his skills in the clubs of Austin with established players like Jimmie Vaughan (brother of Stevie Ray) and showing that he could hold his own at Eric Clapton’s Crossroad guitar festival; no mean feat.

But the smooth-voiced Clark is not your garden variety blues player. Clark has made it clear in his work that he wants to show you, that from hip hop to country—blues music is at the root of any contemporary musical genre you care to mention. Clark has also been active in celebrations of black musical innovation, performing at events such as Essence Fest, the BET Awards and Afropunk Festival.

Clarke has established an excellent reputation for being a terrific live act, and Sunday evening promises to be a compelling show.

Doors at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7, the opening act is self-styled rock-n-roll throwbacks the Weekenders.’