Building on the success of their collaboration on Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra, R.E.M. bassist and songwriter Mike Mills and award-winning violinist Robert McDuffie join forces with Rolling Stones keyboardist and music director Chuck Leavell for A Night of Georgia Music, a concert tour in tribute to great musicians born and raised in the state of Georgia. See below for announced tour dates.
The momentous collaboration highlights artists including Ray Charles, The Allman Brothers Band, Outkast, Gram Parsons, James Brown, Gregg Allman, R.E.M., Gladys Knight and the Pips, Brook Benton, The B-52s and more. The shows will also include a performance of Mills’Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra, originally commissioned by and performed with longtime friend McDuffie.
The concerts will feature Mills on electric bass, guitar and piano, McDuffie on violin and Leavell on piano. They will be joined by John Neff and William Tonks on guitar and Patrick Fergusonon drums, as well as the MCS Ensemble from the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. Ward Stare will conduct.
“What I really like about this is that we are combining two worlds, rock and roll and classical,” says Mills of the program. “The Venn diagram, I think, has a little more overlap than most people believe, so we’re just trying to prove that, to combine the styles and come up with something interesting.”
“All my life I’ve been playing dead white European male music,” jokes McDuffie. “I couldn’t be more excited to perform works by these beloved contemporary songwriters.”
MIKE MILLS, CHUCK LEAVELL AND ROBERT MCDUFFIE
A NIGHT OF GEORGIA MUSIC
September 29 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Symphony Hall
October 2 Birmingham, AL The Lyric Theatre
October 4 Savannah, GA Lucas Theatre for the Arts
October 5 Augusta, GA Miller Theater
Vents Magazine Music and Entertainment Magazine
