David Crosby is a little like the folk-rock equivalent of Keith Richards in terms of his death-defying long-term substance abuse, general self-destructive excess and the astonishing fact that he’s still alive, still performing, still writing, still recording and still touring. Plus, he’s frequently caffeinated and engaged on Twitter, which can be entertaining.
Crosby was, of course, a member of the Byrds, and then of Cosby, Stills and Nash and Crosby Stills, Nash and Young. He also released a slow-burn waking-up-half-baked-from-the-dream-of-the-’60s solo album, “If I Could Only Remember My Name,” which has gone on to be a classic.
Croz released “Lighthouse” a delicate acoustic-centric record in 2016. And last year he came out with “Sky Trails,” which almost sounds like Steely Dan in places before it slides into familiar ruminative folk mode. He does a nice cover of Joni Mitchell’s beautiful desert-dream “Amelia,” too. (He’s routinely said that Mitchell is the greatest songwriter of his era.)
Crosby was always a master vocal harmonizer, pairing his voice with those of his bandmates like some animal that instinctively knows how to move almost skin-to-skin with another species, but his skills as a songwriter often catch one by surprise, with unexpected jazzy chords, abrupt hazy dissonances, inching-sideways melodic movement and drones.
David Crosby plays Infinity Hall, 2 Front St., Hartford, on Sunday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $84. 866-666-6306 and infinityhall.com.
