Description
Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks release “Live at Davies”!!
The album is a fantastic collection of compelling and witty tunes that show why Tom Waits called him “fly, sly, wily, and dry!” In honor of the eternal hipster himself, dozens of stars appeared on stage to celebrate Dan Hicks’ 70th birthday! A sold-out crowd at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall enjoyed an incredible evening featuring guest appearances by Rickie Lee Jones, Harry Shearer, Maria Muldaur, Van Dyke Parks, Tuck and Patti, John Hammond, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and many others! We captured the best of the night with this live CD. It includes several of Dan’s biggest hits as well as some never before released live!
In vintage Dan Hicks form, Live at Davies mashes the outlaw swing music, insightful charm and commentary, and brilliant melodies that have endeared him to audiences and fellow artists for four decades with his signature understated melancholy that could only be born from a creative genius.
Tracklisting:
Overture Medley
By Hook or By Crook
Dan’s Welcome
Hummin’ to Myself
Driftin’
Evenin’ Breeze
He Don’t Care
Song For My Father
Take the ‘A’ Train
Beedle Um Bum
I Feel Like Singin’ w/ Chaser: Yardbird Suite
I Scare Myself
Live at Davies showcases cover art and packaging designed – as always – by Hicks himself. For forty years Dan has created all of his own album art and promotional materials – cutting and pasting and drawing and illustrating – all by hand. Hicks has always had a clear idea of the aesthetics that best compliment his music. In fact, the visuals are essential for Dan to further communicate the message of the songs, and he considers them an extension of the musical vision of each album. Family and friends who visit his home know this first hand, as remnants from magazine clippings, pieces of his drawings, old photographs, pages from books and atlases, and more can be found on his floors throughout; clippings that, more often than not, find their way into his work.
Live at Davies is a more-than-worthy addition to Hicks’ already massive body of work. It is an irresistible nod to Dan Hicks’ undeniable musical legacy, and a potent reminder of all of the musical inspiration that this Great American Songwriter has spawned. Revered by, and also having collaborated with, such legendary artists as Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Brian Setzer, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, and Rickie Lee Jones – Dan Hicks serves up his unique fashion, attitude, and swagger that are embodied in his eccentricity and totally unique sound. His counter-culture appeal, which has twice landed him on the cover of Rolling Stone, has always been rooted in his songwriting. His lyrics have been touted as some of the sharpest-tongued, driest-witted, and subtly hilarious bits of irreverence ever committed to rhyme. He sets these lyrical gems to quirky tunes that trade on a bagful of jazz chords and an irresistible rhythm.