The unique sound of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks is unforgettable. Add John Hammond and it is an event to experience and remember. Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts joins WFUV 90.7 in presenting these legendary musicians on Friday, April 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40, $35. Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks with John Hammond is an Arts & Minds presentation.

Hicks began his long career as a drummer in the seminal 60s San Francisco rock band The Charlatans and continued with his idiosyncratic and legendary group to become widely acknowledged as one of the defining figures in American roots music. Having earned a reputation as a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor, Hicks continues to carve his way through a number of genres from proto-psychedelia to western swing and jazz, from Tin Pan Alley to country blues - all the while cultivating his own distinctive sound.

Hammond, who will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame® in Mississippi this May, began his career 50 years ago and is one of a handful of white blues musicians who was on the scene at the beginning of the first blues renaissance of the mid-60s. That revival, brought on by renewed interest in folk music around the United States, became career boosts for many of the great classic blues players, including Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, and Skip James.

With complementary backgrounds such as Hicks' and Hammond's, both musicians relish the opportunity to perform together on this date.

As the folk revival started heating up in 1962, Hammond had attracted a following in the coffeehouse circuit, performing in the tradition of the classic country blues singers he loved so much. He continued his work during the 60s and 70s with electric blues ensembles, recording with people like Band guitarist Robbie Robertson, Duane Allman, Dr. John, harmonic wiz Charlie Musselwhite and Michael Bloomfield.

Hicks spent the 60s and 70s perfecting his signature sound and in 2000, the newest incarnation of Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks released the wildly successful "Beatin' the Heat." Equally acclaimed CDs and DVDs have followed its success over the last few years. His latest CD, "Tangled Tales" was produced by Grammy®-winner Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama) and it features all new Dan Hicks original songs, many of which Hicks is performing on this current tour.

Tickets are available at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Special offers and discounts are available through the Quick Center's e-mail list. Join, by contacting boxoffice@quickcenter.com . Become a fan of the Quick Center for the Arts on Facebook and keep up-to-date with the latest performance news, plus special offers and discounts. Find the Quick Center at www.facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter.

#

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Access to the Quick Center for the Arts is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Special note: From Oct. 4, 2010 through June 30, 2012, the southern end of North Benson Road (Rt. 135) will be closed to traffic on nights and weekends. Round Hill Road intersects with Barlow and provides access to the Quick Center for the Arts.

Images: top) Dan Hicks; bottom) John Hammond

Posted On: 03-25-2011 11:03 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 250