Billed as a "Night of Sax and Guitars," Richard Elliott's show was more - try a "Night of Musical Expression and Energy."
Saxophonist Elliot and his friends - saxophonist Warren Hill and guitarists Peter White and Craig Chaquico - mixed their diverse backgrounds from rock, pop, classical and jazz to create one tight set of entertainment. Furthermore, Thursday night's show kicked off the artists' American tour.Unlike most concerts, there wasn't a warm-up act per se (although Chaquico did technically play first). Instead, everyone interacted with each other and enchanted the audience of about 2,000. The artists also shared the backup band - consisting of drummer Dave Reinhart, guitarist Richard Smith, bassist Naoki Yanai and keyboardist Ron Rein-hart (Dave's brother).
Grammy Award nominee Chaquico casually conversed with the audience as he set the scenes for his selections.
He pelted out the E-string based "Center of Courage (E-lizabeth's Song)," a piece he wrote when he was 12 in the hospital after getting hit by a drunken driver.
Other songs he performed included "Acoustic Planet," "Just One World" and "Find Your Way Back," a classic he wrote while with Jefferson Starship.
Keyboardist Ozzie Ahler highlighted Chaquico's tunes with brush-stroke taps.
During "Return of the Eagle," a majestic selection celebrating the eagle population restoration, Hill stepped out of the shadows to grace the piece with his alto sax. He and Chaquico took turns playing off each other and brought the audience to its feet.
Hill then took the stage, and his sax soared with "Do You Feel What I'm Feeling" from his new album "Truth." He also slipped into the seductive "Passion Theme" from his album "Devotion," which was also included in the film "Body of Evidence."
It was during this dreamy piece that White stepped on board with his acous-tic guitar and jammed with Hill. Both musicians snatched each note out of the air with precision, harmony and feeling.
White exited while Hill began the funky groove of "Deep Pockets." And to the audience's delight, Elliot emerged with his baritone sax hanging from his neck and soul-fully played off Hill's higher notes. The harmonies were hypnotizing, and the audience felt the music burn deep inside them-selves.
Hill left the stage to White after the sweet emotion of "Our First Dance," a song for wife Tamara.
Unlike Chaquico, who used a stool while performing, White moved (slithered) across the stage as he fingered out his classically inspired jazz.
"Would You Still Love Me Tomorrow," Burt Bacharach's "Walk on By," which featured Elliot, and the James Bondish "Drive by Night" showcased White's smooth-sound intuition.
When Elliot hit the scene, he kicked things off by running through the lighted theater with his wireless sax while Smith followed.
Talk about energy and sentiment. Elliot swooned the crowd to slow and thoughtful renditions of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Somewhere Over the Rain-bow."
He even managed to touch things up with humorous sound effects. During a rest in "When a Man Loves a Woman," he made his sax whine and bellow before dramatically ending the song.
For the finale, Hill, Chaquico, White, Elliot and the band pepped up Elliot's "After Dark" and took turns in the showcase spotlight. What a way to kick off a tour.