Pick Six: Praise for Jason Isbell, Regina Marie Williams, 'Motown,' more

Pick Six is a half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view.

July 15, 2017 at 6:45AM
Jason Isbell at Northrop in Minneapolis in February 2016.
Jason Isbell at Northrop in Minneapolis in February 2016. (Marci Schmitt — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Anne Q. Ulseth of Minneapolis:

1 Outlaw Music Festival, Milwaukee. An epic marathon of some of my favorite tried-and-true musicians: Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

2 Jason Isbell, the Palace. Seeing Isbell twice in one weekend was too good to be true. He ended both sets with a powerfully evocative cover of the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post."

3 Regina Marie Williams, the Dakota. June gave me two chances to see my favorite Twin Cities artist: her stellar Nina Simone repertoire and then her interpretations of standards.

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Jon Bream of the Star Tribune:

1 "Garbage: This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake." A pink-accented coffee-table book by the Madison, Wis., band itself, with vivid photos and diarylike recollections, including its first live gig ever at the 7th Street Entry in November 1995.

2 "Motown the Musical," Orpheum. Two compelling reasons to see this: the numerous great songs and Allison Semmes, who has perfected Diana Ross' voice (singing and speaking).

3 Garland Jeffreys, the Dakota. The poetic New York rocker gets better with age and top-notch new songs.

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