Sunday Night, Robin Trower graced the intimate, acoustic confines of The Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida. It has been 20 years since I took my 12-year-old son to see the master of the Stratocaster on stage. On the way home from the concert that night, my son was extremely quiet, then he proclaimed, “I want to learn to play guitar Daddy”. Yes, that is the same emotion that I felt at 13 years old when I first stole “Bridge of Sighs” from my older brother’s vinyl collection in 1974. Up until that point, I had never heard anything that reached so deep inside me from a musician.

We are all older than those passed days, but one thing stands the time. The smooth rock blues from Robin Trower’s signature model Fender Stratocaster is the bridge that reaches inside Robin Trower’s soul, and reaches out to the listeners. It’s an experience. Do not expect pyrotechnics, or a huge production, from the show. The experience is for the ears, it’s about the music, and your witnessing one of the greatest that has ever strapped on a Stratocaster.

Robin Trower began in the mid Sixties and was only noticed in 1967 while playing with Procol Harum and the release of the mega hit, “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. To this day, Trower says that “The big break for me was Gary Brooker getting me to join Procol. That opened up the whole world. Without that I would never been able to go on and do what I’ve done.” But, in the same breath he adds, leaving was “The best career decision I ever made”.

The current US leg of the tour is Richard Watts (Bass/Vocals) and Chris Taggart on drums joining Robin Trower on stage for a powerful rock/blues trio. The group highlighted last years release of “Time and Emotion” released in May, with the single from that album, “The Land of Plenty”. To accommodate his long following of many fans in attendance (Me Included), he masterfully performed “Too Rolling Stoned”, “Lady Love”, and the title hit “Bridge of Sighs”. The trio played for almost two hours which included a two song encore.

Robin Trower has recorded 23 solo albums in his career and just celebrated his 73rd birthday in Orlando’s show Friday night. Come see this amazing artist while he continues to tour and perform his Stratocaster magic. The music will move you, watching the master as his face contorts with every note coming deep from within, bridging his magic and musical message to the audience. Enjoy.