After 50 years and more than 50 million records sold, Jim Croce’s legacy as an iconic singer-songwriter is firmly cemented. A.J. Croce, a Billboard charting singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and performer, brings Jim’s classic songs to the stage with The Jim Croce Birthday Bash.
After 10 studio albums and 30 years of touring the world establishing his own career, in the early 2000s, A.J. taught himself guitar and several of his father’s (Jim’s) classics. The fan response from dropping in a song or two like “Operator” in his own show was astounding and deeply emotional. He then debuted a concert that celebrated the legacy of his father’s songs, stories, and music; as well as his own. The show featured two generations of Croce music and many songs by other artists which connect father and son as performers. Throughout the past seven years, A.J.’s Croce Plays Croce tour has sold out performing arts centers across America.
A.J. is hitting the road again this year in celebration of two of Jim Croce’s legendary albums, 1973’s Life and Times, and his final release, I Got A Name; in addition to songs from You Don’t Mess Around With Jim. The much-anticipated performance features a legendary band including drummer Gary Mallaber (Van Morrison/Steve Miller Band), bassist/singer David Barard (Dr. John), and guitarist/violinist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton); accompanied by background singers Jackie Wilson and Katrice Donaldson. The show will also feature a moving multi-media presentation and will include all of Jim’s chart-topping hits, as well as many deep cuts.
Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his reputation as a piano player and vocal stylist who pulls from a host of musical traditions and anti-heroes—part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. From his 10 studio albums, it’s clear that he holds an abiding love for all types of musical genres: blues, soul, pop, jazz, and rock. A virtuosic piano player, Croce toured with B.B. King and Ray Charles before reaching the age of 21, and over his career, he has performed with a wide range of musicians, from Willie Nelson to the Neville Brothers, Béla Fleck, and Ry Cooder. A.J. has also co-written songs with such formidable tunesmiths as Leon Russell, Dan Penn, Robert Earl Keen, and multi-Grammy®-winner Gary Nicholson.
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "ICE SS" by the Central Jersey punk act Sally Draper.
