Upcoming pop shows: Smokey Robinson, Brad Mehldau, and Nick Lowe
Smokey Robinson As singer, songwriter, and producer, Smokey Robinson was one of the prime architects of Motown, and the title song of his 1975 album, A Quiet Storm, even begat a whole radio format by that name. At 74 he may be past his creative prime, but
Smokey Robinson
As singer, songwriter, and producer, Smokey Robinson was one of the prime architects of Motown, and the title song of his 1975 album, A Quiet Storm, even begat a whole radio format by that name. At 74 he may be past his creative prime, but he looks and sounds as good as ever, with a still-sweet voice and a twinkle in his eye that belie his years. Befitting his stature, his latest album, Smokey and Friends, is a duets set in which near-contemporaries such as Elton John and James Taylor and young stars including John Legend and Ledisi get to sing some of Robinson's best-known songs, which are among the most loved in all of pop music.
- Nick Cristiano
Brad Mehldau Trio
Early this year, the adventurous jazz pianist Brad Mehldau released Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, a duo project with drummer Mark Guiliana that featured Mehldau playing Fender Rhodes and synthesizers. It's one of Mehldau's regular experimental collaborations: He has worked with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, bluegrass mandolin player Chris Thile, and pop producer Jon Brion. But throughout his career, Mehldau's most consistent format has been the trio, and that's the configuration that comes to World Cafe Live Friday. With bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, Mehldau can be meditative and romantic, rhythmic and pointillistic, or fleet and urgent. His latest trio album, 2012's Where Do You Start, was typically eclectic, with exploratory versions of jazz standards from Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, and Chico Buarque alongside revelatory reimaginings of rock songs from Alice in Chains, Sufjan Stevens, and Nick Drake, plus one of his own fascinating compositions. Friday's setlist may be unpredictable, but the performance is sure to be engrossing.
- Steve Klinge
Nick Lowe
British pub-rock great and dry wit Nick Lowe got into the Christmas spirit with Quality Street, last year's excellent collection of unsentimental, wintry tunes. This year, he's touring behind it, leading Nick Lowe's Quality Holiday Revue with Mexican wrestling-mask-wearing instrumental outfit Los Straitjackets serving as his backup band. Webb Wilder is now the opening act. A sad note to go with the festive show: Ian McLagan, the former Small Faces and sometime Rolling Stones pianist slated to open the show, died last week in Austin, Texas, at age 69. - Dan DeLuca