Tom Rush
Bearsville Theater, Bearsville, NY

Tom Rush! The man with the golden voice and lightning fingers proved that he's still in top form at 68 years old. Opening with "Hot Tonight" from his fabulous new album What I Know, Rush moved easily through 45 years of his music, sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes hauntingly serious, sometimes simply amazing.

Stories surrounded several of the songs, with honors to the artists Rush helped introduce to the world. Jackson Browne's "These Days" was followed by the announcement, "Jackson wrote that song when he was 16. I hate him." James Taylor and Joni Mitchell were represented with impeccable interpretations of "Rainy Day Man" and "Urge for Going."

Interspersing songs from What I Know with his classics provided the perfect balance. "No Regrets" led seamlessly into "Rockport Sunday," where his guitar sang as gloriously as he did. Not to let his fingers rest, Rush provided the ominous sounds of trains on "Panama Limited." The fun came from his family stories and his vocal tricks on "Drop Down Mama" and "Ladies Love Outlaws."

Then there was the encore. Returning with the spellbinding "Child's Song," the man with the voice and magic fingers then rocked out with Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" We love you Tom Rush.—Gene Knapp