It began a very long time ago, over 40 years ago, with a group called Buffalo Springfield and also to some degree with the Byrds.   There rose up a particular sub-category of rock music called country rock, long before any of the country boys down in Texas or Nashville realized that they could hitch their wagons to a pop  star and have much more acclaim.  

Most of the early country rock groups, like Poco or New Riders of the Purple Sage, or the Byrds in their Country phase (see Sweetheart of the Rodeo)or Cowboy did not achieve rock star fame, but they had a very loyal following, and those who still play, still do have such a following. 

And this brings us to a group composed of Kenny Loggins (long before he was ever a Top Gun candidate) and Jimmy Messina, Jimmy being the elder statesman of the two.  Jimmy had been in  Buffalo Springfield, Poco and several other bands, before he was asked to ‘sit in’ on a recording session with a new talented vocalist from Georgia— Ken Loggins.  The result was pure magic.  The album  ‘Sittin’ In’  was an almost instant classic, and what it did was forced these two to actually become a touring band, with their unique blend of country rock, and pop all percolated with an impressive horn and reed section.   These two good ole boys went on to make numerous other fine albums ( I would commend to you especially Motherlode and the wonderful live On Stage which gives a good feel for their live performances) all in the same genre of music.

Today, as you can see from the picture above, Jimmy has less hair, and Kenny has cut off most of his, but when we saw them last night in the beautiful little Fraze Pavilion in Kettering Ohio (just south of Dayton)  they sounded as if they still had plenty of hair, at least on their chests if not on the noggin.  Their vocals were excellent, and their playing was fine, and a good time was had by all.   A young sprount from Nashville named Gabe Dixon opened for them and was excellent (a kind of cross between early Billy Joel and early Elton John  and maybe a little Marc Cohn thrown in for good measure), and he went on to play keyboards for them on all those wonderful Loggins and Messina tunes.

Of course for those who came expecting the Kenny Loggins pop catalog of hits, there was none of that in evidence, nor any of the solo Messina stuff of a more country sort.  No, it was only songs they both sang together, and Jimmy played blistering Fender Stratocaster on.  One thing I really appreciate about these older classic bands is their musicianship– they can really play and sing, and do not use technology to ‘pimp their musical ride’  and make them sound better than they are.  These folks need no such augmentations.  

The crowd was pretty much what you’d expect. Older white folks of my generation or a little older or younger, but the pavilion was filled, and a good time was had by all and the weather was delicious cool fall weather with a full moon overhead.  They played for an hour and half or  so, and they would still be playing except we are all older and can’t do mosh pits and they had to stop at some point because “Your Mamma Don’t Dance and your Daddy Don’t Rock n’ Roll”  no mo’. 

It was encouraging to see the good crowd, and the humor of Loggins and Messina was good as well.  At one point they were out low bidding each other trying to sell their brand new solo CDs, and then Kenny remarked that two things happen to you when you get old—” you lose your memory and I forget what the other one is.”  

But there will be no forgetting this fun concert. I’ll be thinking about ‘Nights in Jamaica”, the “House at Pooh Corner” and goin’ “Back to Georgia” for a while.   It was a different concert than when I saw them on their very first tour in Cameron Indoor Stadium at Dook in the early 70s.   Then ‘Sittin’ In’ had just come out and they were a smokin’ hot new band.   Now they serve up “the Same Old Wine”  but it has aged very well, becoming a classic vintage— classic country rock in fact.   You should go see them while you have the chance, and tell them Uncle Ben sent you.