Jim Brickman, the melody-mad pianist you've seen on PBS pledge-drive specials, that sort of thing, comes to the Savannah Civic Center Dec. 11. That's not news - we announced it a long time ago, and if you're a fan of Brickman, or his excellent new Beautiful World album, you know all about the Savannah show.
What you might not be aware of is Brickman's predilection for bringing guest performers along on his concert tours - musicians and singers who sit in for a song or two (Brickman does a lot of instrumentals, of course, but he's not really a singer, so he often taps great vocalists to do the job for him).
The Dec. 11 concert will feature Orla Fallon, the singer (and champion harp player) who spent four years with the Irish group Celtic Woman. That quartet of Emerald Isle lassies spent 95 consecutive weeks on top of Billboard's World Music chart.
Fallon has a new CD out, Distant Shore, and she sings a lovely tune called "My Land" on Brickman's Beautiful World.
By the way, even though this is Brickman's annual "holiday show," he promises us that it won't be all silent nights, jingle bells and resting ye merry gentlemen. He'll be playing his greatest hits as well.
Civic Center news
More info from the Savannah Civic Center: The touring production of Stomp, scheduled for next week, has been canceled. And David Copperfield's January appearance has been moved to May. Call the box office for refund information, et cetera.
Country singers Colt Ford, Rhett Akins and Lance Stinson will play the Civic Center Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 at etix.com.
Musical notes
It's tribute time, ladies and gentlemen: Nevermind, a Nirvana tribute band, is at Live Wire Music Hall; Murmur, an R.E.M. tribute band, plays Wild Wing Café Dec. 4; and the Jinx has Appetite For Destruction, which is of course a Guns ‘N Roses tribute act, booked for Jan. 15....
...Sooner than you think: The great Nashville-based jazz vocalist Annie Sellick is at the Jazz Corner in Hilton Head this Thanksgiving weekend; the Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love play the Thunderbolt Legion Hall Dec. 5; singer/guitarist Pamela Means shares the Sentient Bean stage with spoken word artist Corey E. Houlihan Dec. 13.
...Wait, there's more: Let's celebrate the Savannah return of environmentally friendly singer/songwriter and cellist Ben Sollee, the guy who tours by bicycle, to Blowin' Smoke Dec. 10; Lefty Williams, the great blues guitarist, has a Dec. 11 date at the Live Wire.
... and Happy Thanksging, one and all. See you next time.
