Band features legendary musicians
A handful of legendary musicians are set to take the stage of the Tryon Fine Arts Center Saturday, Nov. 12 to benefit the Polk Wellness Center and debut the first album of their new collaboration.
“It was just perfect timing,” said drummer Paul Riddle (a founding member of The Marshall Tucker Band). “We liked the idea, the whole vibe of what the Polk Wellness Center is about. Plus, we really wanted to play near home when we debuted and this just fell right into our lap.”
Watson’s Riddle, comprised of Riddle, Steve Watson (who has performed on records by B.B. King and Dolly Parton), pianist Chuck Leavell and bassist Tim Lawter of The Marshall Tucker Band, will play an hour-and-a-half-long set of instrumental “jazz fusion.”
The band’s first album goes many different places, Riddle said, mixing pop, rock, country, jazz and more from all the influences each musician has picked up through the years.
“Refreshing and real” is what Riddle calls this music.
And it all started with a guitar lesson.
The idea for the band was conceived when cardiothoracic surgeon Douglas Appleby, M.D., encouraged his friend and guitar instructor Steve Watson to write music that was “emotionally engaging, relaxing and transforming to the human soul.”
Watson wrote some of the album’s material and took the project to Riddle.
“Since we’re doing it on our own time, we can make it like we want it,” Riddle said. “It’s very groove oriented, very melodic, very song oriented. The music that has moved me all my life has been very melodically driven – melodies have to move me first.”
While Watson’s Riddle may not have a desire to jump on a tour bus for months on end, the guys do plan to do a bit of touring here and there and maybe hit up the West Coast this summer.
“You give yourself the opportunity for greatness, I think – anytime you’ve got great players who are ready to put aside egos and try new things,” Riddle said. “Then you start tripping over greatness because the ideas start really flowing – then you start getting the magic.”
Jim Nagi said he believes a similar type of magic is happening inside the walls of the Polk Wellness Center.
The center formed in 2008 as a local solution to the lack of affordable medical and mental healthcare. After convening community leaders and clinicians to study the problem, Polk Wellness Center opened its doors to treat patients with insurance and without.
Now the artistic magic of Watson’s Riddle can come to the aid of the medical magic needed in this area by raising funds for the Polk Wellness Center.
Riddle said he is excited, too, that they can do so in such a unique venue.
“There are more and more halls like the Tryon Fine Arts Center around that people enjoy going to see a show in more so than your big amphitheaters,” Riddle said. “They enjoy going to places like the arts center to hear all genres of music in an intimate setting. How great is that?”
For more information on tickets, call the Tryon Fine Arts Center at 828-859-8322.