Berry Gordy may not have envisioned the intersection of Rock, Blues and Soul when he was drafting the Motown blueprint, but there can be little doubt that, when done right, that particular genre hybrid is among the most powerful forces in the musical world. The combination of blistering guitars, wailing harmonica, a smoking horn section and a smolderingly raw voice rising above it all is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds is that very thing, done right to the 10th power. Sister Sparrow is the Blues-shouting alter ego of Arleigh Kincheloe, who grew up in upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains and started singing with her parents’ band at age 9. Read more about the band in this week's Sound Advice.
See Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds with Smooth Hound Smith Thursday at the Taft Theatre (Ballroom). More info/tickets: tafttheatre.org .
