Poco has to be one of the most underrated bands of the 70s. The trio consisted of Richie Furay, Rusty Young and Jim Messina, all former members of Buffalo Springfield who formed this group after Buffalo Springfield disbanded. Messina was also part of a soft rock duo with Kenny Loggins. They created the precious musical jewels "Danny's Song" and "Angry Eyes."
Poco was one of the first West Coast country rock groups to pop up in the late 60s and they're still touring with original member Rusty Young to this day. The prolific band has had several hits over the years, but "Heart of the Night" is one of their most velvety and evocative.
"Heart of the Night," a track from Poco's 1978 Legend album, is a beautiful ode to the mysterious city of New Orleans. Phil Kenzie's haunting alto sax circumnavigates the piece, encompassing it like a warm, knit blanket. It reached #20 on the Hot 100 chart and was a Billboard #5 Easy Listening hit.
Lead vocalist Paul Cotton was raised in Chicago, so he was really impressed with the sultry New Orleans weather and atmosphere, which inspired him to compose this song. Country rock is one of the best soft rock genres from the 70s. Usually comprised of great acoustic guitar riffs, smooth melodies and earnest lyrics, it's a timeless aspect of music that just sounds better with time. "Heart of the Night" hits at the heart of what made 70s music great - effortless soul delivered in a simple way.
You can learn more about Poco here:
About the Curator - Sonya Alexander
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.