Brother Rich Robinson goes his own way, and he gets it
all down on 'Paper'

By Steve Morse, Globe Staff  |  June 25, 2004

The division of labor has changed. Where Rich Robinson
used to write the music in the Black Crowes and his
brother, Chris, handled the lyrics, now Rich has to do
it all himself in his new solo venture.
	

"The Black Crowes stopped, but it doesn't mean that
I'm going to stop writing songs," Rich Robinson says.
"And this is the first batch of lyrics that I've ever
written."

It's also the first time he's been the lead singer.
But he has nothing to be ashamed of with the new Rich
Robinson Band, which has just completed a fine debut
album called "Paper." It won't be out until Aug. 24,
but Robinson will preview its songs during a weekly
Thursday residency in July -- starting next week but
excluding the last week of the month -- at Brother
Jimmy's BBQ in Harvard Square.

"It should be fun," he says. "We're also doing
residencies in New York each Tuesday and in
Philadelphia each Wednesday of the month. And there
was talk of playing in D.C. as well, but that was too
much."

Robinson's new tracks sound more like Black Crowes
songs than most of what is on brother Chris's new
disc, "This Magnificent Distance," out next week,
which is more mellow and folky by comparison. Rich's
voice isn't as charismatic as his brother's ("I
approach singing as a musical part to a song -- I'm
not a singer's singer," he says), but it's strong
enough in conjunction with some exquisite
electro-acoustic arrangements to make this a hot disc.
It also has some of the neo-psychedelic rock-soul
punch that sparked the Crowes. Former Crowes
keyboardist Eddie Harsch is now part of the Rich
Robinson Band, along with bassist Keith Christopher
(from the Georgia Satellites) and drummer Joe
Magistro.

"The album is eclectic but still has my signature
sound," Robinson says. Standout tunes include the
slide-guitar-spiced "Know Me," the gritty, Crowes-like
"Enemy," and two social commentaries, "Forgiven Song"
(which asks for patience with the world's problems)
and "Answers," with the verse, "What can we do to make
things right?"

"We live in scary times," Robinson says. "I'm
surprised that more people aren't writing about being
freaked out."

His new solo band follows the breakup of Hookah Brown,
the group that he started after the Crowes called it
quits, but which he dissolved when he felt that some
members "expected too much money" and weren't
contributing enough. But Robinson, who now lives in
Stamford, Conn., (while brother Chris has gone
Hollywood), is extremely happy with his new solo
outfit. (Rich Robinson cautions "never say never,"
though, about an eventual Crowes reunion.)

"Everybody is really psyched about his residency at
Brother Jimmy's," says Dan Millen of Rock On! Boston,
which secured the booking. "And the fact that he's
busting out new material in a small venue rather than
[amphitheaters] is a cool thing."

Don't expect any Crowes songs (none are planned). But
you can anticipate a new, more versatile Rich Robinson
who doesn't need to compromise with anyone these days.

The Rich Robinson Band is at Brother Jimmy's BBQ,
Cambridge, on Thursday and July 8, 15, and 22 with
Mary Lee's Corvette opening. Tickets are $12,
available at www.rockonboston.com and at 800-594-8499.

c Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.