Earl Klugh - Blues Alley: Washington, D.C.

I know a lot of people who know the name, know the music, and know the way it makes them feel when they hear the unmistakable soft touch that Earl Klugh adds to almost every song he embraces.  We think of our favorites like, Heart String, Living Inside Your Love, or Wishful Thinking. We place the cds in the changer, turn the lights down low, snuggle up with our sweethearts, and melt into the loveseat while the flames in the fireplace do an exotic dance to the gentle rhythms.  Not a thing wrong with that, right?

Right!  That’s just the point.  The only thing wrong about that, is that I have run into some fans who have this misguided idea that if they were to attend an Earl Klugh concert, they might expect to see a sleepy, lackluster, event that makes you think of being in bed on a rainy day with the covers pulled up over your head.  Here is the truth. When you go to an Earl Klugh event, you are going to have a good time.  A really good time.

First of all, we all know that the man has created some beautiful music with that guitar.  But after having put out thirty albums, you may have forgotten that Klugh possesses a full showcase of music that reveals some extraordinary creativity that fuses his melodic style with latin-oriented syncopation, reggae-based dance music, and songs that have a funk-tinged R&B flavor.   While it is always pleasant to hear him perform Dream Come True, the joint livens up when he launches into some of those songs that have attitude and sass like, Midnight in San Juan or Slo Boat to Rio. Remember, we’re talking about the same guy who has done stints with George Benson and Return to Forever. Heck, David Lee, who has played keyboards with him for the past fifteen years or more, was one of the original members of the Parliament-Funkadelic cast.  Remember the tune, Atomic Dog? David was the mastermind behind that monster hit. Listen, I’m not trying to tell you that when you attend one of Klugh’s concerts you’re going to see fog machines, strobe lights or spaceships landing on the stage, but I will tell you that at some point you will find yourself clapping and moving in your seat to the groove.

Earl Klugh will be at Blues Alley tonight and close things out tomorrow evening for the finale.  So if you’ve always been a fan, but never been to a concert, check him out and enjoy watching a true master at the acoustic guitar put on a display that will leave you totally satisfied, energized and saying “Wow, that was a great concert!”

G.