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Croce: Two Generations of American Music coming to Community Concert Hall

A.J. Croce, son of legendary Jim Croce, takes stage May 13
A.J. Croce performs May 13 at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

Called "One of the greatest young songwriters" by Rolling Stone magazine, A.J. Croce brings a new show, Croce: Two Generations of American Music.

It wasn't until early 2012 that A.J. Croce for the first time publicly performed more than a few songs by his father, the legendary Jim Croce. Out of that night, Croce: Two Generations of American Music was born. Croce performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13 at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

The unique show features A.J. Croce's own tunes plus songs that influenced both A.J. and his father, as well as a complete set of classics by Jim Croce including timeless songs such as "Operator," "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," "Time in a Bottle" (a song written for A.J.), "One Less Set of Footsteps," and many more. A multi-media presentation with photos and video clips of Jim Croce's life are projected behind the band. Jim Croce died in a plane crash when A.J. was only two.

A.J. (Adrian James) Croce honed his piano skills as a boy while recovering from a brain tumor that left him partially blind. Taking influence from musicians such as Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, as well as several early blues artists, Croce made his own musical mark with a combination of contemporary blues and soulful roots rock.

As a teenager Croce began gigging on the San Diego circuit, though his career officially took off with his first tour at age 18 opening for B.B. King. He then signed a record contract with Private Music at 19, and two years later, Croce released his self-titled debut, which featured production from John Simon and T-Bone Burnett.

From his debut as a jazz-influenced, blues-based artist, to his evolution into a pop music iconoclast, singer-songwriter A.J. Croce has traveled a circuitous musical road to success.

Wrote the San Diego Union Tribune, of the Two Generations show, "A.J. strikes a fine balance between paying heartfelt homage to his father's artistic legacy and injecting the songs with his own spin and personality. The anecdotes A.J. shares about his father's songs, like the songs themselves, are all the more touching coming from the son who has grown to become every bit his dad's artistic equal."

View A.J. Croce performing the iconic "Operator" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P69BQyOcps

Tickets for Croce: Two Generations of American Music are $29 and $39. They are available by calling 247-7657, on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com, or visit the ticket office inside the Welcome Center at Eighth Street and Main Avenue in downtown Durango.