(HUDSON, N.Y.) – You know him best as guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the Black Crowes. But for the past decade-plus, Rich Robinson  has been juggling his career as a bandleader and solo artist, with his commitment to roots-rock songwriting always his central focus. That’s the Rich Robinson who will be performing at Club Helsinki Hudson this Friday, August 7, at 9pm, in an intimate, solo acoustic concert, featuring Robinson, his unmistakable voice, and five beautiful guitars.

At Helsinki Hudson, Robinson will play songs from his most recent album, “The Ceaseless Sight,” which Rolling Stone calls “… so rich in textures and assured in the writing that it sounds like a true debut,” as well as from its two predecessors, “Through a Crooked Sun” and “Paper.” In his solo shows, Robinson also includes material from such acknowledged influences as Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, and traditional folk blues. He notes, “I enjoy the simplicity of doing acoustic shows where I can break a song down to its purest form; it’s closest to the way I write them.”

Robinson was born in 1969 and formed the the Black Crowes with his older brother, Chris, in Atlanta in the 1980s. At the age of 17, Robinson began writing the music for the songs that would land on the band’s 1990 debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker,” which sold seven million copies. Over the next decade, Rich’s songwriting evolved into the musical engine that powered the band to sales of more than 25 million albums.

Before taking a hiatus in 2001, the Crowes catalog included classics like “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion,” “Amorica,” “By Your Side,” and “Live at the Greek: Excess All Areas,” a double album that captured the pairing of Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes doing Led Zeppelin, Crowes and blues and rock standards.

 

In 2004, Rich began his solo journey with the release of his first album, “Paper.” The record was largely an extension of Rich’s musicianship as a member of Black Crowes, showcasing his stellar and underrated guitar playing. And for the first time, Rich took on the role of lyricist and lead vocalist. Paste Magazine said, “Rich Robinson brings back not only roots-rock accessibility, but the complexity and originality that transformed the Black Crowes into a band that mattered. ‘Paper’ is filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies, creative guitar work, fitting instrumentation and, most of all, excellent songwriting.”

Like the best of the Black Crowes, Robinson’s solo work sits halfway in between the urgent charge of the Rolling Stones and the laid-back Southern blues-rock of the Allman Brothers.

 

Robinson’s second solo album, “Through a Crooked Sun,” was recorded right down the road from Helsinki Hudson, in Woodstock, in 2011. PopMatters took note of the album’s distinctive characteristics thusly: “[Rich Robinson is] a solo artist worth taking seriously… It’s why this is such a significant solo album — even at their most melodic, the Crowes are simply too brash and energetic to ever be this delicate. By stepping out of the Crowes’ comfort zone, Robinson proves that he’s more than a gifted instrumentalist. Robinson has developed a writing style that is indeed reminiscent of the Crowes but also encompasses levels of emotional intricacy that the Crowes, for all their power, are sometimes incapable of reaching.”

 

Robinson returned to Woodstock to record “The Ceaseless Sight,” which adds confident vocalist and lyricist to his accomplished musical resume.

 

For reservations in The Restaurant or in the club call 518.828.4800. To purchase tickets online go here.