St. Louis vocalist Brian Owens continues his Masters Series with the music of Ray Charles Friday, April 18 at the Sheldon.
“I’ve always been enamored with, not just covering certain musicians, but really preserving their music. Folks like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, I just don’t hear their music a lot performed live with original charts and different things like that anymore, so that … spawned the desire to want to cover these musicians in a setting that was more of a concert setting,” said Owens of the series.
It was the versatility of Ray Charles that inspired Owens to pay Charles tribute.
“He was able to cross so many different genres of music, and the way that he did it was authentic every time,” said Owens. “Ray Charles recording jazz was good, straight-ahead jazz. But Ray Charles recording country was good country. And when he did it, he found a way to take all of the elements and put it together with his voice and his interpretation.”
In Master Series concerts later this year, the music of Johnny Cash, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye will be performed. Rounding out the season will be a Motown holiday show. Joining Brian Owens on stage for the Ray Charles concert will be and eight piece band and singers Theresa Payne, Sarah Stephens, Tequila Henry and the quartet Double Date.
Related Event
The Masters Series Featuring Brian Owens Performing the music of Ray Charles
Friday, April 18, 2014
8:00 p.m.
Sheldon Concert Hall
3648 Washington Boulevard
For more information, visit the Sheldon Concert Hall website.
Cityscape is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer, hosted by Steve Potter and funded in part by the the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
