Photo courtesy Blue Breeze
Harold Wherry returns to the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series with his Motown, R&B and soul band Blue Breeze.
A favorite of ISCS audiences, especially the dancing contingent, Blue Breeze sends up a high-energy mix of horn-infused, percussion-driven dance music.
If your ’60s and ’70s songbook includes hits of Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, and Sly and the Family Stone, Thursday, Aug. 23, should be a must-attend night at the concert site below the Idyllwild Brewpub.
Guitar statesman Wherry and the Breeze’s music remembers one of the most danceable eras in American pop music, when “times they were a changin’,” and music fans flooded dance floors to strut their stuff and get their grooves on. Even though headlines were turbulent, the music was positive — melodic, fun, and good for the soul and the soles. “We’ll bring our ‘A game’,” Wherry assured his Idyllwild fans.
Tunes like “Superstition,” “Dance to the Music,” “That’s the Way of the World,” “What’s Going On” and “Georgia on My Mind” were soundtracks to our lives. Wherry and the Breeze play funky nostalgia — and they play it brilliantly.
Electric- and nylon-string acoustic guitarist Wherry has worked with rock ’n roll and Motown greats, and leads a band of accomplished brothers. With him, as before, are Bob Henley III on vocals, Richard Moorings on keyboards, vocals and trombone, Darryl Bomar on bass guitar and vocals, Buster Harrell on drums and vocals, Tim Anderson on tenor sax and vocals, and Tyrone Griffin on trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals.
Together for many years, Breeze band members have performed with such prominent artists as Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Billy Preston.
Blue Breeze takes the stage at 7 p.m. Tricia Pilkington opens the evening’s music at 6:15 p.m.
But for the Cranston Fire, Blue Breeze’s performance on the 23rd would have been the final main-stage event of the season. However, series producer Ken Dahleen has extended the series.
The concert originally scheduled for Thursday, July 26, Ginger and Her Hoosier Daddys, canceled because of the fire, has been rescheduled for Thursday, Aug. 30. “We’ll call it ‘The Lost Concert’,” said Dahleen. Ginger and Her Hoosier Daddys’ music will be spirited, happy and healing.
Dahleen stressed that all purveyors and supporters of ISCS, including the Butterfields, the rescheduled band and all infrastructure suppliers, have agreed not to require any additional fees because of the rescheduling and series extension.
As an additional treat for the dancers, Dahleen and his board have booked local band Change Required for a Friday, Aug. 24, dance party at 6:30 p.m. Remember the two dates – Blue Breeze on Aug. 23 and Change Required on Aug. 24.
ISCS is considerably short of making budget this year. Your contributions help. Show up, dance, celebrate the first responders who once again saved the town and show your gratitude for the ISCS’s gift to Idyllwild in presenting this free concert series for residents.
