Old School with Rickie Lee Jones
The style of singer-songwriter Ricky Lee Jones covers everything from jazz and R&B to pop and blues. And next month, she’ll be performing at The Birchmere in Arlington, Virginia.
Her “Old School” show brings her first two albums, Rickie Lee Jones (1979) and Pirates (2001) to the stage in their entirety.
Throughout her career, she’s recorded over a dozen CDs, some with original music, other being compilations of classic covers from legendary artists such as The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Steely Dan, and even a version of David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel.”
Her career took off in 1979 with her self-titled album Rickie Lee Jones and the bluesy acoustic guitar Top 10 hit “Chuck E.’s in Love. ” The tune helped redefine the music of the day into a new sound after an era of disco, punk and new wave. The album was filled with Jones’ heart-inspired storytelling tunes, all sung from the heart with emotion and with an occasional crack in her voice. That year, Rickie Lee Jones earned a Grammy award as the Best New Artist of the Year. Since then, female ballad singers from Nora Jones to Diana Krall have been influenced by her groundbreaking style.
Her downtown urban blues earned her 5-stars form 5 Stars from Rolling Stone magazine for her second album and a second cover.
In 1988 she was nominated for another Grammy, this time for Best Jazz Vocal for her version of “Autumn Leaves” on the “duets album featuring bassets Rob Wassermann. She took another Best Jazz Performance Grammy home for her duet of “Making Whoopee” with Dr. John.
Her Birchmere appearance is a rare opportunity to hear these two revolutionary albums performed live in their entirety.
Rickie Lee Jones – Old School – The Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Arlington, Virginia (map)
Dates and Times – Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets – $39.50. Tickets are available online or at the box office.
Nearest Metro Subway Station – Pentagon City – Blue and Yellow lines, then a 5-mile cab ride.
Parking – Free lot parking at the theater is available, as well as free street parking.
