July 21: Richie Havens

Richie Havens first emerged from New York City's Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 60's, and in 1969 inspired and electrified an audience of over half a million with his legendary three hour opening performance at Woodstock.

Four decades later Richie Havens remains one of the most recognizable voices and universal lyricists in popular music. A truly timeless performer, and a man before his time, today this Brooklyn Native celebrates the reissue of two album classics (Stonehenge and Wishing Well) by Sony RED.

Haven's recently released his 26th album, Grace of the Sun, on his own Stormy Forest record label. A testament to Havens' continued evolution as an artist, Grace of the Sun is being hailed as one of his most worldly and relevant albums to date. Billboard says, "...this acoustic soul giant truly seems to be getting more inspiring and graceful with age," and Guitar Player echoes, "...as vibrant and purposeful as ever."

Produced by Havens, Grace of the Sun features Groove Armada percussionist Patrick Dawes, Havens' longtime guitarists Walter Parks and Bill Perry, and world musicians Badal Roy (tabla) and Jorge Alfano (shakuhachi, fretless and electric bass). The 10 tracks on Grace of the Sun beautifully reveal Havens' unique rhythmic sensibility. The six original compositions on the album include the tabla-driven opener "By the Grace of the Sun," the sweetly melodic "When" and the hypnotic, Middle Eastern-flavored instrumental "Dusk." Soulful renditions of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" and Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" highlight Havens' mastery of interpretation and arrangement. Asked about recording the classic "Woodstock" after so much time, Havens remarked, "You know, we face the same struggles now as we did then."

Richie Havens' live performance is as captivating as always; a passionate and inspiring display of timelessness and spirit. His concerts include music from Grace of the Sun as well as a broad selection of songs from his extensive repertoire. On a side note, Richie's 1981 hit "Going Back to my Roots" has hit dance floors in the form of a cool Afro-beat remix by celebrated remixer/producer and club DJ Danny Krivit.

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