B.B. King
“The 80th Birthday Celebration Tour”
7:30 PM
Saturday, August 19th
Ravinia Pavilion
200 Ravinia Park Road
$50, $15 (lawn)

Possibly the most renowned blues musician of the past 40 years, B.B. King mixes traditional blues, jazz, swing, and mainstream pop into his own, unique sound. His singing is deeply soulful and richly melodic, and is accented by his fat-toned guitar playing. In the 34-year period between 1951 and 1985, King introduced an amazing 74 entries onto the Billboard charts. Yes, B.B. King really is 80 years old. He was born in 1925 in Mississippi.

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Amazon.com:
It sounds like the beginning of a story: “So, Slowhand and the King of the Blues were riding in a car …” If this is a musical journey, it’s the kind that rolls down long, empty stretches of country highway at 80 miles an hour, with the top down and the stereo blasting. Clapton and King may be more city than country, but this collection has the relaxed, laid-back feel that only comes from a pair of veterans doing what they do best. What they do here is cover 12 classic blues songs, many of them staples of King’s repertoire, so the title of this album makes sense. Whether it’s the rollicking rock & roll of the title track, or the acoustic shuffle of “Key to the Highway,” or the sweet notes of “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer,” a real sense of pleasure comes through on this album, the kind of pleasure one gets from jamming late at night with a good friend. –Genevieve Williams

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Russian American Kids Circus
11 AM
Saturday, July 29th
Ravinia Pavilion
200 Ravinia Park Road
$10, $3 (lawn)

From www.rakidscircus.com:
“We are celebrating 10 successful years performing on top stages in the country and abroad combining the artistry and magic of the circus with the rich and time-treasured tradition of European theater and circus. Our circus is a unity and synthesis of circus arts, theater, dance, music, and comedy that gives birth to an entirely new genre of entertainment experience.

It’s Time for Circus Fun!!!
From our family to yours…We bring you a show…
Created from dreams…and Filled with the energy of children!!”

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Trisha Yearwood
Billy Currington
8 PM
Wenesday, August 2nd
Ravinia Pavilion
200 Ravinia Park Road
$40, $15 (lawn)

Georgia native Trisha Yearwood initially rose to fame as a protegee of Garth Brooks in the early 90’s, but quickly staked out her own identity as a rising pop/country star. Her music is influenced largely by Elvis Presley and choral groups, as well as Garth Brooks. 2001’s “Inside Out” included the hit single “I Would’ve Loved You Anyway.” Her newest album, entitled, “Jasper County,” came out in 2005.

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Amazon.com:
Trisha Yearwood’s fourth album leaves its often-spotty predecessors in the dust. After two lighter-weight opening tracks–the title cut and the smash “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl),” both of which topped the country charts–Yearwood settles into her moodiest set of songs yet. Most perfectly delivered is “You Can Sleep While I Drive”; here, Yearwood tones down the overkill of Melissa Etheridge’s original to stress the lyrics’ complex mesh of aching resignation. Similarly, “Those Words We Said” and her version of Tammy Wynette’s “Till I Get It Right” are near-great vocal performances–not just on the technical side, but in the arena where the subtleties of true emotion meet topflight material. Even the requisite tough-girl offerings, “The Restless Kind” and “I Wanna Go Too Far,” fit perfectly into this portrait of a smart, modern countrypolitan woman. –Rickey Wright

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