Music Genre-Crossing Genius Brian Culbertson Celebrates His 20-Album Career with The XX Tour

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Brian Culbertson is known for his distinct brand of genre-crossing contemporary jazz, R&B, and funk, resulting in a soon-to-be 20-album catalogue and more than 30 Billboard No. 1 singles. Culbertson’s The XX Tour will showcase much of the music from his upcoming 20th album, aptly titled XX (referring to Roman numerals), to be released in the spring of 2020. The performance will also include his hit-filled songbook and a segment showcasing songs from Winter Stories (October 2019), an album that placed him in an acoustic jazz trio setting for the first time. An exuberant performer, Culbertson spends months in preproduction meticulously working to create stunning visuals—staging, lighting, wardrobe, and effects—for a mesmerizing show each time he takes the stage.

CAPA presents Brian Culbertson: The XX Tour at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Saturday, April 11, at 8 pm. Tickets are $30-$60 and can be purchased in-person at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), online at www.capa.com, or by phone at (614) 469-0939.

Brian Culbertson has charted his own unique course in music. Label him jazz and he makes a funk record. Call him an R&B artist and he drops an acoustic jazz trio collection. Brand him pop and he creates a 32-minute New Age opus. And you’d be hard pressed to name another instrumentalist of his ilk who can mount an elaborately designed concert production that will keep him on the road for three consecutive months.

Culbertson burst onto the scene in 1994 with a chart-topping album he recorded in his college apartment featuring keyboard-led contemporary jazz tracks. Long Night Out landed him a lengthy record deal and signaled that a star was born. Flash forward to present day, and his aptly titled XX album finds Culbertson making a record unlike any of his previous releases because of its diversity.

“It’s a mix of things that I’ve done throughout my 20 records. There’s a lot of funky instrumentals, some pop-sounding tracks, a couple slow jams, straight-ahead jazz, gospel, some vocals, lots of horns and some straight-up FUNK!” said the Chicago-based Culbertson. “The album is very much a mixture of some modern sounding programming along with live instruments too. Real drums on almost everything mixed with programming. Definitely a cool sound.”

Recreating that cool sound live for fans is the best part as Culbertson and his band embark on The XX Tour, playing more than 70 concert dates.

Possessing style, panache and a savvy business mind capable of moving the needle in music and beyond, Culbertson founded and curates the annual Napa Valley and Chicago Jazz Getaways which have attracted guests from all over the globe to experience his premier events.

Whether you’re listening to music from XX on record or live in concert, you’re hearing an eclectic, entertaining, and engaging set from an artist at the peak of his power.