BRAD COLE SERENADES THE ARK IN ANN ARBOR WITH BLEND OF FOLK ROCK SOUL

I have to admit that I had not heard of Brad Cole until last week. I was browsing through the list of up-coming performers at The Ark in Ann Arbor when I read the bio the Ark had sent out on Brad Cole. The bio stated that Cole writes about the ups and downs of the human condition. Interesting, I thought.   Intrigued, I decided to see his show Wednesday evening. I'm glad I did because his concert was quite a treat!

From the moment Brad Cole and his band hit the stage it was apparent that it was going to be a great evening. Cole's easy banter with the audience and soulful lyrical content perfectly matched The Ark and it's intimate setting. As for the music, lets call it a frothy blend of urban folk rock soul. Oh, with a dash of xylophone bossa. Perfect! The band was not only tight, but it was obvious they all love playing together. The band had chemistry!

Brad Cole.

Brad Cole recently released an album entitled Lay It Down. The show featured songs from the album. To these ears every song was a gem. There were moments throughout the concert where the music reminded me of mid-seventies Dylan with swirling violin sections that added a slightly Eastern European feeling to the folk soul rock sound. At other times I was reminded of Steely Dan's brand of jazz infused rock. But, make no mistake, Brad Cole has his own deeply unique sound and style that keeps the listener strongly intrigued for the entirety of the concert.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press