Rick Stone
Reviews of Rick Stone's performance as Howling Wolf in "Howlin' at the Moon," a tribute to the life and works of the great Chicago blues artist Howlin' Wolf.
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times–"From the moment Stone bursts onto the stage in a wide-shouldered, pale blue suit and rakish midnight blue fedora, you know he's got Wolf (and the audience) in his clutches. And as he launches into a rousing rendition of 'Howling for My Darling,' his mud-and-gravel voice, bent-kneed and splayed-leg prowl, devilishly leering eyes, crazily angled grin and pure electrical charge generate an instant giddiness. Every movement, every facial gesture, every attitude, every note is flat-out brilliant. The guy is hypnotizing. And he easily makes you understand why Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were so infatuated with the real Wolf."
Kim Wilson, Reader–"Rick Stone plays Wolf, giving an agile, bug-eyed, throat-ripping performance. I can't say he's reincarnated Wolf, but I doubt anyone could wail as Stone does on tunes like 'Spoonful' and 'I Ain't Superstitious' without some kind of diving intervention. Using the ensemble's nine clear and potent voices, director (Jackie) Taylor and musical director (Jimmy) Tillman turn this into a soulful homage to the era, including Wolf's musical peers and their classics…(T)his story holds up better than others of its kind, offering an entertaining history lesson
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times–"From the moment Stone bursts onto the stage in a wide-shouldered, pale blue suit and rakish midnight blue fedora, you know he's got Wolf (and the audience) in his clutches. And as he launches into a rousing rendition of 'Howling for My Darling,' his mud-and-gravel voice, bent-kneed and splayed-leg prowl, devilishly leering eyes, crazily angled grin and pure electrical charge generate an instant giddiness. Every movement, every facial gesture, every attitude, every note is flat-out brilliant. The guy is hypnotizing. And he easily makes you understand why Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were so infatuated with the real Wolf."
Kim Wilson, Reader–"Rick Stone plays Wolf, giving an agile, bug-eyed, throat-ripping performance. I can't say he's reincarnated Wolf, but I doubt anyone could wail as Stone does on tunes like 'Spoonful' and 'I Ain't Superstitious' without some kind of diving intervention. Using the ensemble's nine clear and potent voices, director (Jackie) Taylor and musical director (Jimmy) Tillman turn this into a soulful homage to the era, including Wolf's musical peers and their classics…(T)his story holds up better than others of its kind, offering an entertaining history lesson