Crosby Loggins preview

Crosby Loggins & The Leadbirds
Double Door, Chicago
Thursday, April 20, 2006

If your claim to fame at this point is being the son of Kenny Loggins, how would you handle it?

Tenderly, in the case of Crosby Loggins. Take the bio on his Web site, for example: not a single mention of his father, one half of ’70s singer-songwriter team Loggins & Messina and sculptor of brilliant ’80s pop rock soundtrack hits like “Danger Zone” and “I’m Alright.” The bio that accompanies Crosby’s five-song sampler does identify the relationship, but quickly puts it to bed by saying “this is not a simple story of a son following in his father’s footsteps.” Too bad.

Maybe young Crosby (who is a spittin’ image of Pops) yearns to build a career from scratch and not on the foundation of his multiple Grammy-winning dad. Because we know he wouldn’t downplay the connection to distance his music from that of one of the ’80s greatest hitmakers. “Footloose,” anyone? The sampler’s (full-length due out this summer) tunes meld pop fare with jazz, R&B, and soul elements, but despite the eclectic influences, the material can be awfully sleepy, sounding custom-made for the same adult contemporary crowd his dad now woos. Coincidentally, The Leadbirds, Crosby’s backing band who inject what fire they can into the veins of the material, features multi-instrumentalist Jesse Siebenberg (who will not perform with Crosby at Double Door), son of Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenerg.

If only one of the members of Toto had a blossoming musician son to round out the lineup.

Crosby Loggins opens for Danielia Cotton; The Elms are also on the bill.

— Trevor Fisher

Click here to download Crosby Loggins & The Leadbirds’ “Couldn’t Save Me.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly