Back with uncle Alastair for the most wonderful and unique combination: Folk rock 1970's legend Al Stewart + Chicago blues rock band, The Empty PocketsAsk Al Stewart to sum up where he is now, musically speaking, and you’re likely to wind up two steps behind where you started; this is by no means an unusual circumstance in conversation with Al, keenly aware as he is that making a leap forward often entails taking a step backward. Sometimes it’s into the library stacks where the late historian Ms. Tuchman dug for material. Sometimes it’s into the record stacks where the late rocker Mr. Cochran made his mark as a teenager singing his “Summertime Blues” so many summertime’s ago.Al Stewart came to stardom as part of the legendary British folk revival in the sixties and seventies and developed the combination of folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of the great characters and events from history. Stewart has 19 studio albums between “Bedsitter Images” in 1967 and “Sparks of Ancient Light” in 2008, plus the live album "Uncorked" with Dave Nachmanoff in 2009.Al continues to tour extensively around the U.S. and Europe. He is perhaps best known for his hits ‘Year of the Cat” from the Platinum album of the same name and the Platinum follow up album “Time Passages.” But his career spans four decades as a key figure in British music. He played at the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970, worked with Yoko Ono pre-Lennon and shared a London apartment with a young Paul Simon.The Empty Pockets, a Chicago blues, rock quartet—Josh Solomon [guitar, vocals], Erika Brett [keyboards, vocals], Nate Bellon [bass, vocals], and Adam Balasco [drums]—lean on an unspoken, yet airtight musical dialogue honed by countless miles on the road, performances alongside the likes of Kenny Loggins, a procession of fan favorite releases (including two, #1 debuts), and a wealth of memories together. The musicians shine brighter than ever in 2024, touring on the strength of their top-of-the-charts releases, the band has never sounded better.
