Martin Sexton Swings Into Town

Soulful acoustic crooner Martin Sexton has had quite the career and has become well-known for his outstanding live shows. And his continual touring has given him the opportunity to release a document of some of his best solo live performances: Martin Sexton: Solo, which was released a few weeks ago. The record features Sexton at his live best, singing a handful of covers - including the album's single, Prince's "Purple Rain," Ray Charles' "Hard Times" and The Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends" - as well as rarities like "Caught In The Rain." The album also includes two bonus band tracks and a voucher redeemable for a free song download. And now Martin's bringing the magic to Chicago's Park West for, what else, a solo show tomorrow night. We've been fans of Sexton's stuff in the past and his solo performances always seem to carry a bit more oomph than full band shows, so it's worth a look. Ryan Montbleau opens.

Martin Sexton (solo) w/ Ryan Montbleau, 18+, Friday November 7, 8 p.m., Park West, 322 W. Armitage, $25 via Ticketmaster

Image of Martin Sexton taken from his MySpace page