Here is an encapsulated version of a success story that comes full circle. When he turned 13, Earl Klugh committed himself to the study of acoustic guitar; 10 years later, the 23-year old got his first gig at Blues Alley, and tonight, he returns to Blues Alley for what has become an annual spring ritual. “That’s it in a nutshell,” Klugh said, in humble response to the litany of his professional life.
| ONSTAGE |
| Earl Klugh and Trio |
| » Where: Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW |
| » When: 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday to Sunday |
| » Info: $43; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com |
H was discovered giving guitar lessons at a music store in his hometown of Detroit in 1969 and soon collaborated with the likes of George Benson and Chick Corea. He released his first album in 1976 and in the 1980s formed the Earl Klugh Trio. He has appeared the world over ever since.
“I like being in Washington, D.C.,” he enthused. “We usually go in the spring [and] for the last nine years we’ve pretty much played the same weekend.”
He considers Blues Alley the perfect venue in which to have fun with the audience. “I love to take time between shows and talk to everybody — that’s a great time.”
With 41 albums to his credit, including “Magic in Your Eyes,” “Heartstring,” “Soda Fountain Shuffle,” and his most recent, “The Spice of Life,” Klugh refers to his music as very melodic. He has about 200 songs and laughs at the suggestion that he will perform all of them in his combined shows at Blues Alley.
“Over time, it builds up,” he noted. “I change the shows up a bit, otherwise it gets pretty boring.”
Klugh and his trio, Jeff Cox on bass, Yonrico Scott on drums and David Lee at the keyboards, plan on giving the audience a fair amount of variety as the evening goes on, not only with his own compositions but also playing standards from the American Songbook coupled with a hefty amount of improvisation.
To be sure, he strives to live up to the accolades placed upon him by his idol, Chet Atkins, who said, “Earl can wail with the best jazz players, but he prefers to touch people emotionally. He reaches your heart with that romantic special something, and he does it with taste and class.”
