By Eddie Jorgensen

Grammy award-winning Dire Straits’ bandleader Mark Knopfler hasn’t toured under that moniker since the ‘On Every Street’ tour in 1992, and officially disbanded his famous group for good in 1995. Thankfully, for those fans still yearning to hear the band’s biggest hits, the Dire Straits Legacy collective fills that void and then some.

Its line-up features original Dire Straits band member Alan Clark on piano and keyboards, as well as Dire Straits musicians Danny Cummings on percussion, Mel Collins on saxophone and Phil Palmer on guitar.

Dire Straits Legacy is important because, outside of playing a few charity concerts, Knopfler has offered no talk of a new album or tour. Dire Straits rose to mega-stardom after their release of their “Brothers In Arms” record in 1985. The band would only make one more album, the less-received but equally compelling “On Every Street” in 1991. That song collection still went Platinum in a handful of countries. After only six records, the blues-rock band from England would cease to exist as Mark Knopfler took on a fruitful solo career.

Dire Straits Legacy, which will play The Crest in Downtown Sacramento on Sept. 16, also features musicians Marco Caviglia on vocals and guitar, Primiano Di Biase on keyboards and Cristiano Micalizzi on drums.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the two-plus hour show starts promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $44.50 and go up to $66.50 and can be purchased at www.crestsacramento.com. The Crest Theatre is located at 1013 K Street.