Eric Hutchinson: Almost Solo Tour with Jessie Payo

As Eric Hutchinson, the Washington, DC-raised singer, pianist and guitarist, traveled the world over the course of several years, word of mouth about his irresistible songs and engaging presence brought out consistently growing concert crowds. That helped turn his song Rock & Roll into an international hit and the album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, ultimately selling more than 250,000 copies. His songs OK, It's Alright With Me and Oh! also caught fire, helping push total single sales past the million mark. On "Moving Up Living Down," all of Eric’s ever-widening musical embraces are brought into play, from the exuberant folk-pop bounce of, the first single, Watching You Watch Him, through the reggae lilt of opener Talk is Cheap through the soul grounding of The Basement. The music is tuneful and rhythmic. The lyrics are engaging and reflective.

Comparisons, as always, are tough, but you wouldn’t go wrong thinking of a spectrum that includes Paul Simon, the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, all integrated into a truly Hutchinsonian whole.