The Crosby Connection

There have been two tribute concerts for David Crosby in the 28 months since the legendary singer-songwriter passed away at his Santa Ynez home in 2023. But Locals and Legends: Celebrating the Music of David Crosby, slated for May 24 at the Granada Theatre, offers two significant additions. The show is co-presented by Santa Barbara Records, the small independent label founded in 2021 to develop and curate Central Coast singer-songwriters, and features many of their artists – as well as Crosby’s son James Raymond and Steve Postell, Crosby’s last music director and guitarist. They’ll perform songs from the label’s forthcoming compilation CaliAmericana, Vol. II, which pairs five Crosby covers with new original songs. The all-star band – put together by SB Records’ cofounder and Josh Groban’s longtime music director Tariqh Akoni – will also play many other Crosby favorites and deep cuts.

More importantly, the concert also features the Santa Barbara Symphony in the first non-Doublewide Kings rock show at the theater. 

“When a symphony is used correctly it adds a lot of depth, height and width to any music,” Akoni said. “It can be an amazing experience.”

Akoni called on four of his colleagues in Nashville and elsewhere – including orchestrators who have worked with John Williams and Hans Zimmer – to arrange the orchestral scores, which will draw on the ensemble’s flexibility and range. 

“One song will use just a string quartet and a woodwind ensemble, but others have the whole ensemble in a big way,” he said. “They go from ways of countering melodies and shading notes to amplifying the rhythms or gritty sound of a song.”

To support Kathleen Sieck’s take on “Lee Shore,” the orchestrator employed advanced techniques to set the scene by the ocean, Akoni said. 

“He’s got the contrabass rubbing the belly of the bass, and uses the percussion and the woodwinds to emulate the sound of crashing waves”

 “Beyond the Blue,” an original from father and son Chris and John Beland, employs heavy strings to amplify the “old school Nashville country song sound,” Akoni said.

“That’s the beauty of really utilizing an orchestra,” he said. “And in taking advantage of the acoustics at the Granada and a band that knows how to play quietly when needed to create an incredible auditory experience.”

The concert not only serves as a tribute to local legend Crosby but introduce some of the label’s artists to his fans, and helps further the symphony’s role in concerts outside of the classical realm. 

“It’s a great chance for everyone to reach a wider audience within this community,” Akoni said. 

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