In East Haddam – Coming up at Music at the Meetinghouse

Up next in the Music at the Meetinghouse concert series is “blue-eyed soul legend” Grayson Hugh and Polly Messer in “A Midsummer Night’s Concert.”
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at the First Church of Christ Congregational, 499 Town St., East Haddam, CT – with a reception with the artists to follow. Courtesy photo.

Up next in the Music at the Meetinghouse concert series is “blue-eyed soul legend” Grayson Hugh and Polly Messer in “A Midsummer Night’s Concert.”

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21 at the First Church of Christ Congregational, 499 Town St., East Haddam, CT – with a reception with the artists to follow.

Grayson Hugh is the son of a classical music radio host and his mother is the daughter of a Shanghai missionary.

He started playing the piano at three years old.  In his teens he was influenced by rock and roll but also was the pianist in an African-American gospel church, studied with jazz pianist Jaki Byard and avant garde pianist Ran Blake, and composed for several well-known choreographers.

In 1980, he released “Grayson Hugh,” and in 1987 was signed to RCA Records.

In 1989, three singles from the album “Blind to Reason” made it into the Billboard Hot 100 and “Talk It Over,” arranged by Hugh, reached the Top 20. “Bring It All Back” and “How ‘Bout Us” were international radio hits in 1989.

Video

Hugh’s second major album, “Road to Freedom,” received wide acclaim and director Ridley Scott put two of these songs, “I Can’t Untie You From Me” and “Don’t Look Back,” in the film Thelma and Louise.

Hugh’s arrangement of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Remember You” was the end-title song for the film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991).

Hugh married Polly Messer, former singer with Eight to the Bar, and in 2010 released his first CD in 15 years, An American Record, to the delight of his many fans.

Tickets to what promises to be a great concert (and a chance to meet the artists) are $12 if bought in advance and $15 the day of the concert.

For ticket information, call 860-537-2052. You can also buy tickets at: Goodspeed’s Station, 22 Bridge Road, Haddam – 860-345-7322; Celebrations, 151 Main St., Deep River – 860-526-5134; and Wild Geese, 191 Broadway St., Colchester – 860-537-4010.

Posted July 16, 2012 – Links and video added by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

Related link: Grayson Hugh YouTube playlist http://www.youtube.com/artist?a=2yWjbILuNjw&feature=topics

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