Dan's Papers - June 27, 2008 - Bluesman Boz Scaggs Gets Down at PAC

Soulful and bluesy singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs, a member of Steve Miller's original band in the early 1960s, has become better known for his success as a solo artist. He'll be performing some of his classic material- which spans nearly four decades and combines many genres, including rock, blues, root,s and jazz- at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (PAC) on July 6.

Scaggs, who grew up in Texas, met Miller in a private school they were both attending outside of Dallas. This is where the two first formed a band. Eventually, though, Scaggs set off on his own, leading the life of a typical '60s musician. He spent some time in London, and travelled around Europe, playing his music on street corners, and releasing a solo album in Sweden along the way. He later reconnected with Miller when he moved back to the United States to make the most of the scene in San Francisco, home of the bustling psychedelic rock scene.

However, Scaggs still felt his calling as a solo musician, and, after releasing two albums with Miller, put out another solo record in 1969 called Boz Scaggs. The album features a young Duane Allman, as well as the Mussel Shoals rhythm section Fenton Robinson, who successfully sued for songwriting credit on the well-known track "Loan Me a Dime." A few years later, Scaggs moved to Columbia Records where he released a slew of acclaimed material, including Moments, My Time and the critically acclaimed Slow Dancer and Silk Road.

His approach to rhythm and blues has garnered him much critical attention over the years, though this isn't necessarily always reflected by commercial success. Still, Silk Road reached number two spot on album charts based on the strength of the Top Three single, "Lowdown," and the popular, "Lido Shuffle." His 1980 Middle Man album also reached the Top Ten thanks to its singles "Breakdown Dead Head" and "Jo Jo."

After the release of Middle Man, Scaggs went on hiatus for eight years, citing the pressures of the music industry as the reason. Scaggs spent most of the '80s focusing on Slim's, a nightclub he owned and operated in San Francisco. However, he came back to music in 1988 with the release of Other Roads. He released four more albums after signing with Virgin Records in the early 1990s, including 1997's Grammy- nominated blues album, Come On Home.

Since then, on his own label, Grey Cat Records, he's released several more albums, including a live greatest hits collection and the acclaimed, But the Beautiful, on which he tackled American standards while backed by a jazz quartet.

Tickets to see Scaggs at PAC are $225 (which includes a VIP pre-show cocktail party), $185, and $145. For more information, go to www.whbpac.org or call 631-288-1500.