Tickets On Sale 8/4 at 10AM!

(Joliet, IL) – It’s been more than four decades since drummer/producer Bobby Colomby and friends assembled the first group to successfully blend rock and jazz into a genre-crossing sound and style. So successfully in fact, that the band’s second album, Blood Sweat & Tears, topped the Billboard charts for many weeks and beat out the Beatles’ Abbey Road for the prestigious Album of the Year Grammy award. That album produced three major hit singles: “You Made Me So Very Happy”, “Spinning Wheel”, and “And When I Die”.

But now Colomby is looking for much more as he develops Blood Sweat & Tears into a contemporary voice, one that reaches beyond a single, nostalgic audience. “I no longer want to target just one generation. That would be a mistake. With this updated version, I want this band to gain recognition with a wider audience. I want people of all ages to experience what this music has to offer.”

Will Blood Sweat & Tears have any of the original members? “Not a chance,” says Colomby. “I think of this band like baseball’s Yankees. When you’re at a Yankee game you’re not going to see Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle or Lou Gehrig. What you do come to expect is a team of top-notch players upholding a tradition of winning. That’s the Yankee legacy. It’s what people expect from BS&T as well…brilliant musicians, singers, songs and arrangements.”

Colomby also describes the instrumental players chosen for Blood Sweat & Tears in glowing terms. “This band, man for man, pound for pound, is better than the first version of BS&T. Without a doubt, they’re a ridiculously talented bunch. The drummer Dylan Elsie is better than I am, or was.”

Strong praise, coming from a musician/producer/manager who knows a winner when he sees it. Colomby’s resume includes initiating significant career achievements for Jaco Pastorious, the Jacksons, and Harry Connick Jr. among others. Notably it also includes management and production of trumpeter Chris Botti – currently one of America’s most successful instrumentalists and winner of the 2013 Grammy for Best Instrumental Pop Album.

“The first version of BS&T,” adds Colomby, “was designed to introduce jazz to pop music. That was my passion…and still is.”

To that end, Blood Sweat & Tears will perform their hits with spirit and enthusiasm, as if it was their first performance of those songs. The band will also introduce some new elements into every performance, including a segment devoted to “Songs We Wish We Had Recorded,” done in classic BS&T style.

Bobby Colomby’s enthusiastic comments underscore his excitement about the future. The arrival of this latest version of Blood Sweat & Tears is the next chapter in a musical tale that stretches from the creativity and turbulence of the late ‘60s to the swiftly changing world of the 21st Century. The next invigorating phase in the continuing adventures of BS&T is about to begin.

During the early years of Fox’s hit TV show “American Idol”, Colomby received many phone calls from friends telling him to check out singer Bo Bice, saying that his was a fresh voice and that he did a masterful job singing “Spinning Wheel”. Bice is a well-seasoned southern rock singer with a great stage presence that the audience just loves. “Many of my more musically knowledgeable buddies also suggested that I ask Bo to join the band. I’m pleased to say that that’s exactly what happened and by the reaction of audiences worldwide, it was a great match.”

Enjoy the show!

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Tickets On Sale 7/28 at 10AM!

(Joliet, IL) – Two country icons are making a stop in Joliet on Friday, September 15th. Tanya Tucker and Sammy Kershaw will perform their classic hits on the Rialto Square Theatre stage, starting at 8 PM.

A defining voice of country music and a modern day legend, Tanya Tucker inspired many female artists who still top the charts today. From her signature classic songs to the unforgettable sass and soul of her voice, Tucker has paved a path in country music and beyond through an unprecedented level of success and continues her longevity today due to a natural, undeniable talent.

Her style has proven to be timeless ever since she recorded her debut single “Delta Dawn,” at age 13. The single earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance” and launched Tucker into the national spotlight during the beginning of her teenage years. In 1972, she earned the “Top New Female Vocalist” award by the Academy of Country Music and in 1973 she had her first number one single, “What’s Your Mama’s Name.” Other classic hits include: “Can I See You Tonight”, “One Love at a Time”, “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane”, and “It’s a Little Too Late”.

Sammy Kershaw has long been one of Country Music’s most definitive voices, with a legacy that stretches across three decades, encompasses gold and platinum sales, and includes numerous iconic hit singles. A native of Kaplan, Louisiana, Kershaw first broke onto the Country Music scene in 1991 with the sing-along hit “Cadillac Style.” He became one of the most-played male acts of the 1990s with such radio staples as “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Love Of My Life,” and “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore.” He has earned Gold and Platinum recognition for such albums as 1991’s Don’t Go Near The Water, 1993’s Haunted Heart, and 1997’s Labor Of Love.

His latest album, “The Blues Got Me” was released last summer. It goes back to his Louisiana roots and the country soul singers that influenced him. This album followed up his 2015 release “I Won’t Back Down”, which is a mixture of all things Kershaw, ranging from the romantic yearnings of “Lay Back Down” and “Let’s Lay Here Forever” to the heartfelt regret of the haunting “I Had To Give That Up Too”.

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