115 Court Square North
Talladega, AL 35160
USA
An amazing musical phenomenon started in Birmingham a few years back as the brainchild of musician and radio personality J. Willoughby. He was passionate about the notion that classic rock is our generation’s classical music, deserving the same detailed care and attention required of a Beethoven symphony. If a symphony orchestra performs key pieces of an essential repertoire, Willoughby reasoned, could not a world-class rock ensemble do the same? Black Jacket Symphony (BJS) was born, and that’s what they do – give classic rock its due.
In performance BJS delivers the exhilarating live experience of top-notch rock musicians recreating legendary classic albums note for note, sound for sound, guitar lick for guitar lick. There is no attempt to create the look or accent of original artists like a tribute band, which BJS is not, but rather to focus exclusively on the music and artistic mission to be as accurate as possible to the original studio recording.
In only a few short years, BJS has mastered some 15 classic albums by such iconic musicians as Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Michael Jackson, The Eagles, Pink Floyd and The Beatles among others. The extraordinary diversity in sound and style BJS must realize in concerts comes from rotating a cast of A-list musicians enlisted as needed to recreate the original album.
Among legendary rock groups over the last seven decades, The Beatles is universally recognized as one the most innovative and influential. Because 2014 is the ‘50th Anniversary of The Beatle’s First American Tour,’ The Ritz felt the perfect BJS concert should be the final album by the ‘Fab four’ as a band — ABBY ROAD. BJS’s Ritz performance will be in two sets. The first features the album recreated as a true symphonic piece. A second, more laid back set will showcase some of The Beatles’ “greatest hits” to top off an unforgettable evening.
Caution! This is a certain sell-out event, so order tickets early.
“No, Black Jacket Symphony doesn’t look a thing like The Beatles. They don’t begin to try. But what they offered last night was pure, superb Beatles music.” –Jude Kesslere, John Lennon Biographer
“Word spreads quickly when a new BJS show is announced, and it’s a tough ticket to get.” – The Birmingham News
“Black Jacket Symphony reminds everyone just how magical the art of the album can be.” – Scott Register, Reg’s Coffeehouse on Birmingham Mountain Radio