Decade of Difference

The Drive-By Truckers became one of the most respected alt-country acts of the 2000s by applying equal parts history, folklore, politics, and character studies to present an unvarnished image of the South.

With a career spanning five decades, Chaka Khan has embraced changing musical tastes. From her early work winning Grammys as the lead vocalist for the R&B group Rufus to her success with the first crossover hit to feature a rapper and in collaborations with a wide range of musicians Steve Winwood, Ry Cooder, De La Soul and Chicago, Khan has truly earned her name as the ‘Queen of Soul’.

For many music fans, George Benson’s career may be defined by his best selling and award winning 1976 album “Breezin’”, which won the artist Grammy Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Record of the Year.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard got started in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 and are prolific – producing 23 albums over their 13 years plus an additional 14 live recordings.

Juno award winning Canadian folk artist James Keelaghan has been called ‘Canada’s finest songwriter’ by the esteemed music critic Dave Marsh. Keelaghan is well known for his storytelling during concerts, giving the back story on many of his songs. Keelaghan specializes in historically based songs rooted in Canada and US history.

The English band the Stone Roses started with a bang. Their debut album released in 1989 was praised, hailed as one of the greatest British albums ever recorded.

Burt Bacharach’s six decade plus career of songwriting success began with a country song written with his longtime songwriting partner Hal David in 1957.

Jorma Kaukonens’ 50 plus year career began in his hometown of Washington DC when he and friend Jack Casady formed their first band, the Triumphs. Later, attending Antioch college, Kaukonen learned the fingerpicking style of guitar playing and got his introduction to the music of the Reverend Gary Davis which became an integral part of his performances.

Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist Cory Wong was introduced to classic rock and jazz by his father as a pre teen.

Steely Dan never fit the mold that formed most big bands in the ’70s. Usually the bands worked hard through the club circuit, established themselves in their region, then went national. Steely Dan did none of that.