Events

[ROCK] Bay area promoter extraordinaire Billy Graham called Shawn Phillips the “best kept secret in the music business.” It’s a fitting description, given that Phillips, now 75, is a gifted Texas-born troubadour who, despite numerous brushes with fame, never really broke through. Early in his career, he collaborated with Donovan, sang with the Beatles, and helped Joni Mitchell develop her guitar style. He hung out with the guys in Traffic and was cast in Jesus Christ Superstar, though he turned down the role. It was enough to keep him signed to major labels and maintaining a busy performance schedule, but Phillips became increasingly reclusive, shacking up in Italy and, later, South Africa. He’s remained a cult figure in music for 50 years. When asked about this more recently, he attributed his lack of household recognition to a lifelong disinterest in fame. The money would have been useful, he admitted, but none of the record labels that released his music (Columbia, A&M, RCA and Capitol among them) were consistent in their promotional efforts. It’s not a new story: Phillips is in good company, and many talented folks never break through. The corner of art and commerce is often crowded by prostitutes, clamoring for a slice of pie while the artists give up and go find a quiet place to get some work done. More than 25 albums later, Phillips is enjoying a bit of late-career buzz on account of Continuance, his most recent disc, released last year, which brings him to the Tralf Music Hall on Wednesday, October 3. It’s a socially conscious set of tunes for our times, and this is quite possibly the last proper tour that he’ll do, so don’t miss out.