It was a homecoming of sorts for singer songwriter Ericson Holt who brought his style of blues and rag time to a new house concert series Saturday night. Born in Richmond he “came of age” in Charlottesville and returned to town for one year at VCU’s school of music. That gave him his real start at playing clubs in the Slip and around the area with local heroes Bill Blue, Mike McAdam and ‘Lil’ Ronnie” Owens and his Blue Beats.

 

Ericson ended up in Nashville for 16 years, both performing and as an in-demand session/sideman. “I was never going to be a country star…never be that cowboy hat guy.” But the strong production and song writer community was supportive of his work, “it was like going to a music school”.

 

A gig took him to Key West and he realized that would be a good place to stay (most of the time). Both Blue and McAdam were already there, so he re-developed those connections. He’s now in a band with McAdam and was on Blue’s latest album, “Mojolation.” Saturday night Lil’ Ronnie and his harp sat in for a couple of numbers (see the video for a solo).

 

Ericson spends a lot of his time doing solo gigs all over the country. His latest was Saturday night, accompanying himself with keyboard, acoustic guitar and a foot-powered tambourine. Erickson brings a soulful vocal style to his show. He especially likes the way one music writer describes his song writing and performance style, “barroom rock merged with moments of Jackson Brownesh cool.”

 

He’s as much a story teller as he is a musician and his songs open him up personally to his audience. That’s important to him.

 

 

Equally comfortable in a band or solo, he says playing solo gives him flexibility to experiment and craft his song. “It gives me the opportunity to try two different arrangements of a song right now. I can switch in mid-gear and try the rest of it in a different way.” That would be next to impossible with a band, “the guys can’t read my mind!”

 

Erickson has one CD out, “The Blue Side” and introduced his hot-off-the-presses EP “Broken Beauty” to the crowd Saturday night. The EP will become a full CD by year’s end and he plans on a release party (one of several) somewhere in RVA. The EP was recorded mostly in Key West with friends from Nashville, Chicago and Richmond sitting in.

 

The house series (admittedly modeled after the JAMinc house shows) is the brainchild of Lou O’Boyle, who along with husband Ernie and Dale and Gene Raney, do all the booking logistics. Most importantly for the musician, they foot the bill for the space and associated pot luck supper supplies. All proceeds go to the act. “To me, I think music is harder and harder to work financially for musicians. They need venues like this. We just want to support music” says Gene. oboylelou@gmail.com to Lou if you want to get on the mailing list. They hope to do about 4 shows per year.

 

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