Photos: Son Little, Fountain Square, June 16, 2017

In advance of their album, New Magic, which arrives September 15 via Anti-, Son Little visited Cincinnati’s Fountain Square on June 16 (photos by Tim Anderl below).
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Son Little is a unique artist who proves the axiom that sometimes the best way to move forward is to look backwards.  Artists from Muddy Waters to Thelonious Monk to Bob Dylan to the Ramones all took music that they grew up on and shape-shifted it into something modern, and even futuristic, while retaining a timeless quality.
Each of New Magic’s tracks draw from the diaspora of American blues and soul that includes not only modern R&B, but also rock & roll and hip-hop and transforms them into a singular sound that is propelled by his mesmerizing and soulful vocals and production that artfully balances between rustic immediacy and hip hop cut-and-paste.
Son Little first came to the public’s attention through his collaborations with The Roots and RJD2, and has since toured with artists as diverse as Mumford & Sons, and Kelis, Shakey Graves and Leon Bridges.  In addition he won a Grammy for his work producing Mavis Staples.
Son Little will embarking on an extensive North American tour beginning this fall. All dates are listed below. Tickets go on sale this Friday June 23 at 10 AM local time.  Live Dates: 06.22.2017 Thu, The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI 06.23.2017 Fri, Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI 06.24.2017 Sat, NXNE 2017 , Toronto, Canada 06.27.2017 Tue, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Calgary, Canada 08.27.2017 Sun, Afropunk, Brooklyn, NY
09.13.2017 Wed, One Longfellow Square, Portland ME* 09.14.2017 Thu Petit Campus, Montreal, QC* 09.15.2017 Fri CityFolk Ottowa, ON 09.16.2017 Sat, Fresh Grass North Adams, MA 09.16.2017 – 09.17.2017 Grand Point North Festival, Burlington VT 09.19.2017 Tue Stage One Fairfield, CT* 09.20.2017 Wed, The Haunt, Ithaca NY* 09.21.2017 Thu, Club Cafe, Pittsburgh PA* 09.22.2017 Fri Rumba Cafe, Columbus OH* 09.23.2017 Sat, Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN* 09.24.2017 Sun, Culture Center Theater, Charleston, WV* 09.26.2017 Tue, White Rabbit Cabaret, Indianapolis, IN* 09.27.2017 Wed, Zanzabar, Louisville, KY* 09.28.2017 Thu, The Southern, Charlottesville, VA* 09.29.2017 Fri, Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia PA* 09.30.2017 Sat, Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia PA* 10.19.2017 Thu, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY*** 10.20.2017 Fri, Bearsville Theater, Woodstock, NY*** 10.21.2017 Sat, The Sinclair, Cambridge MA*** 10.25.2017 Wed, The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA*** 10.26.2017 Thu, The Mothlight, Asheville, NC*** 10.27.2017 Fri, Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA***” 10.31.2017 Tue, Antones, Austin, TX 11.01.2017 Wed, Club Dada, Dallas, TX 11.03.2017 Fri, Valley Bar, Phoenix, AZ” 11.04.2017 Sat, Soda Bar, San Diego, CA 11.05.2017 Sun, Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA 11.07.2017 Tue, Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA 11.08.2017 Wed, The Chapel, San Francisco, CA 11.10.2017 Fri, Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR 11.11.2017 Sat, The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC 11.12.2017 Sun, Tractor Tavern, Seattle WA 11.14.2017 Tue, The State Room, Salt Lake City, UT 11.15.2017 Wed, Globe Hall, Denver, CO 11.17.2017 Fri, Reverb Lounge, Omaha, NE 11.18.2017 Sat, Turf Club, Saint Paul, MN 11.19.2017 Sun, Lincoln Hall, Chicago IL 11.21.2017 Tue, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
* Doe Paoro supports
***ALA.NI supports