By Ken Paulson
— The Blue Sky Riders – Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr – are in the middle of a West Coast tour that brings them to the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz tomorrow night, April 21.
We happened upon the band in its first public appearance in 2011, a Tin Pan South show partially captured in EP form as Live from the Rutledge.
Their new album Finally Home fulfills the promise of that first show, with 15 strong songs and extraordinary harmonies. Loggins, Middleman and Burr are all seasoned songwriters and performers, but the surprise here is how well their styles mesh.
Most impressive are the full-throttle “I’m A Rider” and the anthemic “Dream.” Much of their material evokes classic Poco – and that’s high praise.
The rest of their California dates:
April 24 – Grammy Museum ∙ Los Angeles
April 26 – Canyon Club ∙ Agoura Hills
April 27 – Pappy & Harriet’s ∙ Pioneertown
April 28 – Stagecoach Festival ∙ Indio