Circle Sound was a short-lived side project of guitarists Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson, of The Black Crowes and North Mississippi Allstars, respectively. Their run consisted of two nights in New York City, handling primarily blues covers with a few Black Crowes and Rich Robinson solo tunes thrown into the mix. These performances pre-date Dickinson’s tenure with The Black Crowes as lead guitarist (2008-2013) and were likely the catalyst for his invitation to join the band.

Joining Robinson and Dickinson on the stage were Black Crowes bassist Sven Pipien, Hookah Brown drummer Bill Dobrow and keyboardist Rob Clores (who filled the empty keyboard slot on The Black Crowes’ 2006 Fall tour and remained until Adam McDougall took over in late 2007). Guests included Patti Smith, Santo Fazio and Jackson Smith.

For links to show downloads and setlist information, please click here.

Rich Robinson made his debut in the rock word in 1990, serving as the guitarist and co-songwriter for The Black Crowes. Formed in Georgia by Rich and his brother Chris, the band would inject a fresh sense of straightforward, infectious rock into a scene otherwise dominate by big hair, over-the-top music videos and somewhat vacuous songwriting. The Black Crowes shot into success right from the beginning and maintained it through 2001, when the band opted to take a hiatus due to tensions within the band.

After forming a new band (Hookah Brown) and touring with it briefly, Robinson opted to launch a solo career in late 2003. His first album, Paper, would appear shortly thereafter and gained much critical praise for its songwriting and sound. The record was filled with Rich’s trademark riffs and demonstrated that he could do just fine outside of the Black Crowes bubble. Rich toured extensively in support of the album throughout 2004, but opted to return to The Black Crowes for a reunion in mid-2005.

Robinson would continue his solo career when The Black Crowes took breaks from recording and the road through 2015, when they officially disbanded permanently. Robinson would reunite with his former Black Crowes bandmate Marc Ford and several other familiar faces for The Magpie Salute, a band celebrating their collective pasts and joint future, in early 2017 and remains his current project.

Included here are some of his early solo performances, ones that are essential to his evolution as a solo artist in many different ways. Some of the shows presented here are not of the utmost sound quality, but they reveal a great deal in regards to Rich as a songwriter and performer.

For links to show downloads and setlist information, please click here.

Burning Tree were a three piece rock group active between 1987-1991, featuring Marc Ford on guitar and vocals, Doni Gray on drums and Mark “Muddy” Dutton on bass. The band released one self-titled album in 1990 and toured fairly extensively in support of it, including an opening slot with The Black Crowes. The band would record demos for a second record, but plans for that release were shelved as Ford opted to fill the open lead guitar slot with The Black Crowes upon the dismissal of their original lead guitarist, Jeff Cease. Gray and Dutton would pursue various solo projects following the demise of Burning Tree.

The three members of the band would reconvene in late 2006 for a handful of shows in the Los Angeles, CA area and to record Ford’s 2007 solo album, Weary and Wired. Dutton would stick with Ford for the album’s support tour and lent his bass guitar work to the album’s follow-up, Fuzz Machine (recorded in 2008 but not released until late 2010). Since that time, the members of Burning Tree have pursued separate musical endeavors.

For links to show downloads and setlist information, please click here.