Sanctified Rock
by Michael McCall
Ashley Cleveland's rocking ecumenism proves a fitting transition between the reverence of Christmas and the bawdiness of New Year’s Eve. Her 2008 Best Rock Gospel Album Grammy for Before the Daylight’s Shot still holds its shine, and the fact that she’s won this award three times is a testament to the broad reach of her songs, which approach religion as a harbor of compassion and a catalyst for honest self-examination. Like a distaff John Hiatt, Cleveland is a formidable soul shouter who merges crunchy, hip-shaking classic rock with reflective ballads that empathetically dissect the inner struggles that lead people to the well. She always fronts a band of gunslingers, and this time her fierce combo will feature husband Kenny Greenberg on guitar, Chad Cromwell on drums, Michael Rhodes on bass and Reese Wynans on keys.
Fri., Dec. 26, 7 p.m., 2008
Fri., Dec. 26, 7 p.m., 2008
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