Tuck & Patti

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The latest Tuck & Patti album, I Remember You, is devoted to Gershwin tunes and other classics of American song. They also perform newer standards like “I Will” and “Time after Time,” and they have the conviction and originality to escape the slightest hint of triteness even in very familiar material. Occasional humorous songs, solo numbers by both Tuck and Patti, and offbeat experiments like an acoustic version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand” provide variety. But the common denominator of most of the duo’s songs is love, naturally enough, and if romance on a midwinter night is on your agenda, their concert will be a profitable stop. Tuck & Patti also perform quite a few of Patti’s originals, lending the music a folkish flavor. “Patti writes and arranges; I am just the orchestra,” Tuck says. He has the talent to deliver on that little boast.

Tuck & Patti perform on Tuesday, December 16, at the Ark, a venue whose increasingly diverse range of bookings is setting it apart from other clubs around the country devoted to folk and acoustic music. This club is one of the few places around that can offer the deep, quiet focus this remarkable music deserves.   

[Originally published in December, 2008.]