THURSDAY, JAN. 11
MARIACHI LOS CAMPEROS DE NATI CANO Led by classically trained mariachi pioneer Natividad Cano, the Mariachi Los Camperos have been bringing their own zesty flavor of Mexican folk music to American audiences for more than four decades. The Los Angeles-based group delivers exuberant performances with rich, soaring vocals punctuated by trumpets, violins, harp and rhythm guitars. Cano is probably best known for his association with Linda Ronstadt (he appeared on 1987's double platinum Canciones de Mi Padre and toured with her in support of the album), but he's also credited with taking the mariachi form from the streets to prestigious concert halls throughout the world. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Leilani Polk
FRIDAY, JAN. 12
DENISE MOORE CD RELEASE PARTY The blond, blue-eyed Bay area vocalist was influenced by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, but also incorporates material by contemporary artists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones. No word on the makeup of the new CD, so the best play is to just show up and find out. (Grille 29 @ Channelside, Tampa)
ERIC JOHNSON His singing voice is thin, but the songs are essentially excuses to get to the guitar solos, which is where Eric Johnson and those of his ilk really shine (no matter how much they're hailed as more than just a guitar hero). If you like hair-raising six-string flights with a glossy, wailing tone and nods to jazz fusion and polished penthouse blues, you can hardly go wrong with this show. When Johnson's playing is at its most emotionally potent, he sounds like Eric Clapton in his Cream days. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
TAB BENOIT The singer-guitarist who bivouacs in the tiny town of Houma in coastal Louisiana is a bluesman with a broad taste for other roots styles, including, certainly, the Cajun and zydeco indigenous to his home state. Last year's Brother to the Blues (Telarc) showcased a more countrified Tab, singing Hank Williams' "Lonesome Whistle" and a few others. His rich, syrupy voice is suited to country, but his stinging guitar work hews much closer to the blues. Once marketed as something of a guitar-slinging pretty boy, Benoit's artistry continues to mature. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
LINDA EDER The chanteuse parlayed a 13-week run on Star Search in 1988 into a lasting and durable career, including starring roles in musicals by her now-ex-husband Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde.) Eder comes from the Streisand mold of lush, classic pop, but her biggest hero is Judy Garland. In '05, Eder paid homage to the late icon with an album titled By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland. That disc will be the focus of this evening's set. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
TCHAIKOVSKY'S PATHÉTIQUE Yes, they were both Russians, but the music of Igor Stravinsky and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is quite different. And yet this program — pairing Stravinsky's blazingly primordial Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) ballet score with the Nutcracker man's best-known (and final) romantic symphony, No. 6, the Pathétique — should hang together nicely. A short piece by local musician Rob Constable opens the program. (See the music feature for more on Constable.) The concert will also be presented at Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete on Sat., Jan. 13 and at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on Sun., Jan. 14. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa) —Wayne Garcia
SATURDAY, JAN. 13
CHRIS BOTTI The trumpeter with the blond coif and abundance of cuteness specializes in ladling his fat, echo-drenched sound over lush ballads. That beats playing shopworn licks over tepid funk grooves, which Botti does as well, but not quite to the nauseating effect of other smooth jazz artists. Those of you who've read my Music Menu/Music Week blurbs over the years will know that this is about as close to complimenting a smooth jazz artist as I'll ever get. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
MOONSHINE STILL I've had the opportunity to see the self-proclaimed "Frankenrockers" twice since drummer and founding member Will Robinson left the band last May, and I can reasonably say that they've not only improved, but become a driving force on the Southeastern jam scene circuit with their new jazz-influenced rhythm-maker, Jon Joiner. The grooves are tighter, the beats are more deliciously danceable, the song catalog has been beefed up with new tunes and fun covers ("Moving in Stereo," anyone?), and everyone in the band seems comfortable in their musical skins while demonstrating a newfound enthusiasm in their playing. The Macon, Ga.-based band returns to Tampa as part of Terrapin Beer's 2007 Winter Jamfest tour; Traveling North opens. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND Last year, the 61-year-old heartland rocker released Face the Promise, his first album in more than a decade. The songs I sampled carry strong echoes of past Seger hits, be it earnest, chugging rock numbers or earnest, acoustic-guitar-driven ballads. His warm-and-crusty voice sounds in solid shape. But we all know that a new album is not the primary reason to check out Seger and his Silver Bullet Band. It's about classic rock staples like "Night Moves," "Still the Same," "Against the Wind" and "Old Time Rock & Roll." (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
NIKITOV Straight outa Holland comes this ensemble that combines high-energy elements of Klezmer, Gypsy jazz and Eastern European folk. Fronted by vocalist Niki Jacobs, the band also includes violin, acoustic guitar and standup bass. (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center)
NADDY AND THE HANGOVERS From Longwood, this three-piece plays slam-dancing background music that is more melodic than most out there. Don't expect emo, though: The band's MySpace page is full of shots of the group with shirts off or birds flipped. No word yet on supporting bands, but I'd place my money on punk, punk and more punk. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) —Cooper Levey-Baker
SUNDAY, JAN. 14
GARY LEWIS & THE PLAYBOYS Picture, if you will, a young boy in 1965, flush with excitement over the recent cultural invasion of The Beatles. His mom has told him that his third cousin is going to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show with a … ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND, Gary Lewis & The Playboys. The boy has heard "This Diamond Ring," and … so it's not quite The Beatles … his COUSIN IS IN A ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND PLAYING ON ED SULLIVAN. The big Sunday night arrives, Ed does the introduction, and there they are: Gary Lewis & the Playboys. "Which one's my cousin?" the boy asks his mom. "That one there," she replies. And there stands his third cousin, on Ed Sullivan — playing the accordion. Imagine the boy's shame and dismay. That boy was me, folks. I don't know if my cousin, whose name neither Mom nor I can remember, still plays accordion in Gary Lewis & the Playboys, but I sincerely doubt it. (Largo Cultural Center)
BUJU BANTON & FRIENDS w/JAHFARI/RICHIE RICH/POISON DART It's quite a reggae week when two Bantons appear in the market. (See Pato.) The two aren't kinfolk, though. According to Wikipedia, "Banton" is a Jamaican word "referring to someone with a superior attitude and a gift with speech." And so, appropriately, Buju Banton is one of the top dancehall toasters to come out of Jamaica. He'll be supported by an array of local and regional reggae acts. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, JAN. 16
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA The swing-era icon ruled the pop charts from 1939 to 1942, but his career stalled during WWII. Miller died two years later at age 40, when the plane he was riding on disappeared over the English Channel while he was en route to Paris to entertain U.S. troops. Miller's legacy endures, in large part because longtime musical director Larry O'Brien keeps the orchestra's flame burning. Julia Rich handles the vocals, and such songs as "Tuxedo Junction," "Moonlight Serenade" and "In the Mood" will surely have the silver-haired set swinging and swooning during this matinee (1 p.m.). (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
FRED EAGLESMITH He was raised in rural Ontario and rode the rails as a teen, so it's no surprise that Fred Eaglesmith's music is tinted with plenty of wanderlust. His voice is weary and vulnerable, like a craggy version of Jeff Tweedy. You can hear plenty of Texas troubadour influence in his work — his latest album Milly's Café is peppered with Dobro and pedal steel — as well as vestiges of The Band. Eaglesmith has been lauded for his wit and storytelling prowess. One reviewer waxed, "It takes a jaded soul not to leave a Fred Eaglesmith show unaffected." This is yet another in a series of his shows for WMNF. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
LOVE AND REVERIE/MERCY MERCEDES Either soaring and life-altering or wimpy and watered-down, depending on your perspective, Love and Reverie's low-key indie-emo sound will no doubt divide their Suncoast audience. Diary-scribblers will love the solid, hum-worthy melodies and heartfelt lyrics, while the less sentimental will probably just scoff. Where do you fall? (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) —CLB
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17
JOHNNY MATHIS The silk-voiced crooner has been one of the most enduring traditional pop vocalists on the American scene since the mid '50s. And how 'bout that hair? (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
ROD STEWART At one time, in the late '60s/early '70s, he was among the most formidable singers and frontmen in rock. His Every Picture Tells a Story stands as a classic LP. Then came "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and a dalliance with disco-pop, followed by more and more trend-chasing, which culminated this decade in a three-album romance with the Great American Songbook. With last year's Still the Same: Great Rock Classics of Our Time, Stewart delivered another sort of museum piece, tackling material like CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" I can't say with certainty, but it appears as if this show will feature rockin' Rod rather than old-standards Rod. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2007.