Following their tradition of “continuing the Grateful Dead concert experience,” Dark Star Orchestra is back on the road, making a short stop at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on December 1st.
For anyone who knows this 7 member tribute band extraordinaire, listening to their limited discography is just not enough to achieve the full DSO experience. They’ve extensively toured since their start in 1997, hitting up venues across the globe with the hopes of sharing the energetic spirit and fresh improvisational musicality that the Grateful Dead started so many years ago. It is this experience that breaks DSO apart from the cover band realm, giving them the musical flexibility and large following they have today.
While fans that attend a DSO should certainly be prepared to rock out to extensive Grateful Dead repertoire, DSO has a way of throwing in some surprises here and there, attributing to the Beatles and sometimes, Bob Marley. One thing I can say for sure is, you will not leave this concert on a sad note.
Make sure you head over to the Westcott around 7pm, and purchase your tickets online or at the door for $25. Make sure you follow DSO’s updates on their website and Facebook page, and come channel your inner dancing bear to kickoff this December!
Gov’t Mule closed out their twentieth anniversary fall tour at the State Theatre in Ithaca on November 15, pulling out all of the stops and in the words of Warren Haynes regarding the last show of the tour, making sure, ‘Anything Goes!’ Indeed this fact was true as the Mule blasted out a career spanning set that featured multiple and extended instrumental interludes and definitive renditions of multiple Mule jam vehicles.
The band hit the stage at 8:20 with late-comers still stumbling their way to their seats as the group developed a spacey swell. Haynes used some deft manipulations of feedback immediately before dropping coin into slot with the twisted groove of ‘Bad Man Walkin’. The hallmark of this introductory set is not only the expected holographic Haynes guitar explorations, but the dirty sock funk laid down by the sturdy rhythm section. ‘Inside Outside Woman Blues’ continues this trend with the first ‘big’ jam of the evening, culminating in a knotted guitar/bass battle between bassist Carlsson and Haynes. Keyboardist Danny Louis is also a major proponent of the grooves being developed on the evening lending spongy Rhodes asides and Moogy colorizations.
A jam then constructed with hammer and nails resulted in the shady chugging introduction of ‘Broke Down on the Brazos’ from Mule’s 2009 LP, By A Thread. Haynes deconstructed the outro jam in a blue flurry of quotes, smoothly revealing obscured melodies with every quote. ‘Brazos’ fell perfectly into a sprawling ‘Tributary Jam’ allowing Louis to explore his sonic stamp collection while exchanging licks across stage with Haynes.
‘Whisper in Your Soul’ followed and was dedicated to Grace Potter by Haynes. The shimmering track is the appropriate cool down period for the set even though it splashes into watery wah-wah’s guitars by its conclusion. Haynes and Mule standard, ‘Banks of the Deep End’, made a welcome appearance keeping the damper down and did not stray from the theme of cultivating funky blues rhythms that had been developed over the evening.
Following a restful duo of tracks, Haynes donned the slide for the first time the evening during the show highlight, ‘Devil Likes It Slow’, surpassing 13 minutes. A plethora of thematic snapshots are examined while Carlsson forgoes the steps and heads straight for the stars with his bass virtuosity. The composition becomes elastic when Louis steps forward for a Herbie Hancock impression while Haynes lays back with jazzy interjections. Musical summits are reached and then left behind for greater things. Inspiring musicianship is the hallmark for the Mule and this particular jam leaves no doubt.
‘Thorazine Shuffle’ then closes the powerful set while also sandwiching the punchy smirk of 2013’s ‘Funny Little Tragedy’. This is a runaway train of a jam that careens around corners before peaking and leaving the excited crowd anticipating the second set. It’s hard to believe the band could follow the previous jamming on ‘Devil’ with anything, but again they come up in spades by topping themselves yet again.
The tight quarters and cramped bathrooms of the historic State Theatre were no match for the camaraderie enjoyed over the break due to the Mule’s superior and joyful playing. After such a well jammed out first set, the second set was sure to be brimming with musical surprises. As to not blow the roof off of the place after the incendiary close of the first set, the Mule eased it in with the slick guitar buoyancy and undulating bass of ‘Done Got Wise’ followed by the refreshing Reggae drift of ‘Scared To Live’, both found on 2013’s Shout!.
Properly warmed up and ready to kick, the band jumped into a funktified reading of the Betts/Haynes composition ‘Kind of Bird’, a song built for musical madness and a song performed by Mule since their inception. Here it is given a moody long distance reading with a full on ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed’ jam as well as a quote from the Turtles, ‘Happy Together’. ‘King of Bird’ spotlights stellar playing, seamless segues and stratospheric playing by the entire band. The venue gathers a late night haze, the temperature rose in the balcony and the Mule turned the assembled crowd to putty. Bird calls glided over rolling thunder, before coagulating into a massive scrubbing froth of swelling musical foam. Multifaceted and dynamic jams are lead by Haynes but given momentum by Louis and Carlsson who came in for a slamming landing at the only natural resting place, the expansive mine field of a Matt Abts drum solo. Woah.
‘I Think You Know What I Mean’ slinked through the bar room door, the influence of its distinctive drum beat reflected in the version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘When the Levee Breaks’ that it envelops. Haynes slipped the slide on his finger again for this song suite, bringing much of the collected crowd to its feet. The natural progression between songs is hand in glove as Haynes weaves the band between compositional boxcars. Two more song pairs combine to culminate the evening in a way that only the Mule can. The kinetic cowbell driven ‘Bad Little Doggie’ is a crowd favorite and defiantly breaks its lead to act as a prelude to the evenings second Zeppelin reference, a floor stomping ‘How Many More Years’. Played with the Zeppelin arrangement but dictated in the classic Howlin’ Wolf fashion. Rising and falling like the seasonal waves on Cayuga Lake the song disintegrates into a crowd clapping conglomerate before reprising intensely.
The band returns to ecstatic applause for their encore and responded in kind by playing a pair of Mule standards road tested, recognizable and as comfortable as dependable winter gloves. Undeniable proof of who is still one of the finest live bands in the land. ‘Mule’ and ‘Soulshine’ close the evening paired fittingly in what is a celebration of a great band, touched by tragedy, luck, respect, talent, change, stability and undeniable abilities. Lets raise our glasses to another twenty for Gov’t Mule, Warren, Matt and Allen’s original vision, unchanged and still kickin.
Jazz Fest founder and producer, Frank Malfitano, has announced the Syracuse Jazz Fest has added a fifth concert to its series. Mark Doyle’s Guitar Noir Project has been added to the sixth Annual Legends of Jazz Series at O.C.C. on Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 pm in the college’s new Recital Hall.
After a sold-out performance in May at The Auburn Public Theater, then sharing the Syracuse Jazz Fest 32 stage with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in July, this will be the final appearance of Guitar Noir until April 2015. Unlike the previous shows, the string quintet will be featured for two full sets as the 10-piece ensemble presents the full In Dreams album in set one, then reprise some of the funkier R&B numbers they brought down the Jazz Fest house with in set two. As always, Doyle never rests on his laurels and he has several surprises up his musical sleeve for the audience at O.C.C.
Doyle says, “We wanted to do an intimate show in Syracuse, I’m grateful to Frank for suggesting O.C.C.’s new recital hall – I really didn’t want to wait until next April to perform again with this project. And as the nights get longer and we head toward winter, the Noir concept really starts to take on an added dimension.” Malfitano went on to say that the project was simply too stellar to lay dormant over the winter months. “Mark, as everyone knows, is a Legend, and a seven-time SAMMY winner and SAMMYS hall-of-famer who is equally adept at Blues, Rock, Pop and Jazz, but this dectet chamber/jazz/rock ensemble is a very special and unique project that really deserves to be seen in its entirety. Because of time limitations at Jazz Fest we were only able to scratch the surface of this amazing presentation this past summer, so presenting it in its entirety in late November was simply too irresistible an opportunity to pass up.”
The November 22 concert at O.C.C. will feature guitarist Mark Doyle’s critically acclaimed Guitar Noir Project, which features a core quintet composed of Doyle and Terry Quill on guitars, Bill DiCosimo on keyboards, Edgar Pagan on bass, and Joshua Dekaney on drums, along with a five-piece Guitar Noir String Ensemble comprised of Ally Brown, Shelby Dems, and Leila Dean on violins, Claire Marie Wilcox on viola and Kate LaVerne on cello.
Doyle’s incredibly varied career began as a child prodigy jazz pianist before seeing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. His first band ‘Jukin’ Bone’ was signed to RCA when he was in his late teens and produced two albums that were labeled by Creem magazine as “seminal classics of early ’70s hard rock.” He served as lead guitarist/arranger/right-hand man for David Werner, Andy Pratt and Cindy Bullens performing band-leader duties on many tours with them besides numerous sessions with the likes of Hall and Oates, Judy Collins, Leo Sayer and many others. The ’80s found him doing several world tours and television appearances as lead guitarist for Meatloaf and adding a shiny disc to his studio wall by arranging and singing background vocals on “Straight From The Heart’ with Bryan Adams. A move to Boston brought Mark another direction as String Arranger for most of Maurice Starr’s acts including New Kids On The Block, Tiffany and The Stylistics also contributing his production skills and immeasurable musical prowess to each. After a stint in Japan playing keys and acoustic guitar for the Epic/SONY and Pioneer labels, Mark returned to Syracuse and concentrated on his internationally critically acclaimed solo career while producing and performing regionally. His Guitar Noir and Out Of The Past CDs, along with his double CD/DVD release Solstice At The Cathedral bridge his multifaceted influences and talents, leading to more current work with his blues/rock band Mark Doyle and The Maniacs which is his ongoing guitar project. Doyle is also performing select Opera House concerts as guitarist/pianist and band leader with Mary Fahl (former lead singer of October Project) who recently released, Live at The Mauch Chunk Opera House, reviewed on these pages and previously issued ‘From The Dark Side Of The Moon’ a reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s classic album in 2011. A long-awaited follow-up to Guitar Noir in In Dreams: Guitar Noir II, plus three studio Maniacs issues, one live CD, a live DVD and a behind-the-scenes DVD have kept Doyle at the top of his game, but if you know the man at all, he doesn’t really know any other way.
Tickets for this first-ever full Syracuse performance by Guitar Noir are priced at $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show, and are on sale now (cash only!) at Sound Garden in Armory Square, located at 312 West Jefferson Street, Syracuse. Only 150 tickets will be sold for this event, so get your tickets early and don’t get left out as many did at The Auburn Public Theater show.
The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey made a stop at the base of the Rockies in Denver, CO on October 14. We were honored to have them for two nights and four sets at Dazzle Jazz, the venue of their last live release Millions: Live in Denver.
It was a seated show at Dazzle jazz except for the eccentric JFJO fanatics grooving in the corner. The audience watched intently and quietly which was refreshing. The band opened with a song off their new album, Worker, titled “Bounce”. This was our first taste of Brian Haas’ wild yet refined playing on a beautiful baby grand piano featuring melodica solos. We were treated to many premiers of songs off of Worker such as “New Bird”, a heavy but dreamy song featuring the unique guitar stylings of Chris Combs.
My favorite song on the night and also a new song was “Let Yourself Out”, which really showcased the trio’s chemistry and versatility. This was one of the few songs Combs played the lap steel on and it was beautifully placed. They soared so energetically through much more new material with a few old classics from the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey lineage of players and improvisational music. They really proved that their are the perfect trio, allowing the guitarist and keys player appropriate leads while somehow managing to improvise in a jazz style through what seemed to be quite emotional songs.
The band made themselves available at the merchandise table at the end of the show chatting with fans, old and new alike with the promise of returning to a beloved city of theirs. We were able to meet with them and hear a couple first hand stories about the making of Worker which was really special.
Saxophone extraordinaire, Karl Denson is set to tour with the Rolling Stones for nine concerts this month and next in Australia and New Zealand on their 14 On Fire tour.
Densen had six shows planned with his funk-jazz band Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe but quickly cancelled the shows when he was asked to perform with the Rolling Stones. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe has become a major hit in major festival and club attractions. He is also the co-founder and leader of the jazz band, The Greyboy Allstars – the band began in 1993 and they merged Latin music and jazz. The San Diego band became an international sensation.
Touring with the Rolling Stones will involve huge amphitheater performances but Denson is far from shy with huge crowds. The saxophonist has toured with his jam band Slightly Stoopid and has also worked with Lenny Kravitz, the Allman Brothers Band, Steve Winwood and guitarist John Scofield, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Kravitz is the one that mentioned Denson to the Stones when they were on the look out for a saxophonist. The band approved Denson’s work and Kravitz relayed the message of the once in a lifetime opportunity to Denson.
Denson will be included in the Stoner’s sax section that includes Bobby Keys and Tim Ries, who have been touring with the Stones since 1990s. He flies out Friday to begin rehearsal with the Stones. Denson’s first date with the band will be Oct. 25 in Adelaide, Australia.
Update: Bobby Keys will not be joining the Australia and New Zealand tour due to illness.
Worker, the new album from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and the twenty-sixth in the band’s twentieth year features a return to a trio lineup that explores new material in the band’s original format. Guitarist Chris Combs reflects on the revised lineup, saying “Much of the first large-level success the band saw was as a trio, and for the 20th anniversary of the band, we worked up a set of older material to celebrate that anniversary – a lot of which was from that trio era.” On Worker, many tracks have one sub-layer keeping a beat – and to keep things fresh, it’s not always talented drummer Josh Raymer – that the other instruments build off of, giving a base-level for listeners to jump in at, rather than being overwhelmed by the not-for-amateurs deconstructed jazz that plays over the top of this layer.
Founding member Brian Haas shares that the music on Worker, “It’s influenced by jazz, but it’s not jazz”, a fitting description as identifying this album as jazz would be like nailing jello to a wall and expecting it to stick.
Opening with “New Bird”, video game blips appear inside a floating frame, a gentle easing into the album. “Appropriation Song” could serve as the soundtrack to a Contra video game, where as the song progresses you can picture a shift into the jungle, meeting the level boss and the hero dying in a hail of 8-bit bullets. “Betamax”, a highlight of the album, features a slow uphill climb with some underlying funk, followed by “Hey Hey NSA”, with an appropriately creepy intro that is at first trancey then gets weird.
Big Gigantic meets Marco Benevento in “Say Nothing”, a flair of acid jazz where the trio shines brightest, locked in step. “Bounce” could double as a horror-film score amid Combs’ superb guitar work. “Let Yourself Out” brings things down a notch with placid jazz for the first half of the song, then as Haas slowly turns things up on synth for a redirection of the composition, a curveball sends things into ludicrous speed, only brought back to earth by “Mesa”, a wind chimes interlude. “Better Living Through Competitive Spirituality” uniquely features a Schoenhut toy piano that takes center stage while Haas’ synth keeps a steady melody over Josh Raymer’s drumming.
JFJO has quite a gem with Worker, an accessible jazz-influenced album from the reformed trio. Just don’t call it a jazz album.
KeyTracks: Betamax, Say Nothing, Bounce
Upcoming shows in the Northeast include Nov. 13 at The Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA – tickets/info, Nov. 14 at The Zinc Bar in NYC (w/Jamie Saft’s New Zion Trio) – tickets/info, and Nov. 15 at Radio Bean in Burlington, VT – tickets/info.
Sometimes you just know you are in the presence of greatness. I recently experienced this moment watching Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his band perform September 4, 2014 at the Turning Stone Showroom in Verona, N.Y . It was one of those moments you just automatically realize you’re in the presence of a legend; a history maker; a significant part of a musical phenomenon. His ability to entrance his audiences by drawing them in to each and every note and keep them on the edge of their seats is mesmerizing. Now add to the mix a collection of the most talented musicians of the same caliber, and you have the perfect storm.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Turning Stone
I had an opportunity prior to the show to speak with Kenny and ask him a few questions. A little tongue-tied and star struck, I found him kind, patient, accommodating, a true professional, and one of nicest and most humble individuals I’ve met. He made me feel right at ease immediately as we spoke about his career, his family, and his passion for music and cars.
Kathy Stockbridge – NYS Music: Hi Kenny…thank you so much for agreeing to speak with NYS Music. We really appreciate it. We’re extremely excited about you coming to the Turning Stone, and doing the show for us here in Central NY. I have to say I’m kinda late to the party as I just discovered you one day when I was watching tv. I believe it was a documentary on Palladia or AXS, and I must say I was amazed. You blew me away. So I am really excited to be covering the show tonight, and bringing the review and interview to our readers at NYS Music. Thank you so much.
….after discovering you, I was super impressed to learn that you are completely self-taught. Talk to me a little about how that came about.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Well I just play by ear. I don’t read music. I learned to play songs by sounding songs out literally one note at a time, and piecing these songs together literally from the first note to the last note, which was a tedious process.
KS: Yes, I imagine it was. When I read about the process…you listened to the music, and then turned off the tape and learned the notes…getting that one down pat and then turning on the tape to listen and learn the next one.. it gives me hope I will be able to pick up an instrument and teach myself how to play one day, that it can be done. Very impressive.
So after teaching yourself to do that, at the age of 13 you were discovered and got your first record deal? Talk to me a little about that.
KWS: When I when I was thirteen a friend of ours Bill Fordam, he was a record producer, saw me play down in New Orleans when I was a kid. He asked my dad have you ever thought about taking this kid into the studio and making a record? So that was when I was thirteen. And when I was 14, I actually went in and did my first demo recording which Bill produced. Then when I was 15 I put my band together and started doing live shows. Then when I was 16 I actually signed my record deal.
KS: You grew up in Lousiana, which is the heart and soul of jazz and blues and R&B. How much of that influenced what you play today and what you like to play?
KWS: I think a lot of it. I mean, I was exposed to all kinds of music because my dad was in radio, so he played a lot music on the radio, and we went to a lot of concerts. And being that I’m from Shreevport, its like is a perfect location. Shreevport has a rich musical heritage itself, but we would make road trips all the time and drive down to New Orleans to see live music; or go to Dallas, Texas and see live music; or Austin, Texas; or Memphis, Tennessee. We’re surrounded by all these music cities, in addition to all the great music being generated in my hometown as well. I had a pretty rich childhood.
KS: Do you find yourself being drawn to that genre, that type of music, or do you like to mix in different genres to make your own sound?
KWS: Well, my first real love musically is blues and traditional blues music, and that’s always the foundation of everything I create. But sometimes we’ll push our music into different directions mixing in rock. Makes it a little bit more contemporary and opens up more possiblities.
KS: Now you’ve collaborated with some of the most influential blues and r&b musicians in the world, and had the opportunity to open for huge name bands such as Aerosmith, Bob Dylon, Rolling Stones, I mean HUGE acts. ..What makes them stand out…the ones you’ve collaborated with, the ones you want to collaborate with in the future..what are you looking for this point and time in your career?
KWS: Well I don’t know. I’ve really gotten to play with just about everybody I could think I think I ever could have wanted to play with. So at this point I’m not really sitting around with a pen and paper thinking, hmm… who else I can go play with..Really Im just focusing on my own music and challenging myself musically every time we make a record, and every time we walk out on stage and perform no matter who we are playing with.
KS: So what is your creative process like right now…do you like to sit down and jam with the band, or do you put something together in your head and then go and record it, or how do you..?
KWS: All of the above…when we go and do sound checks every day before the shows, we start jamming on something totally spontaneous and that always helps come up with ideas. But then other times, it’s just me sitting at home with a guitar and I usually when I pick up a guitar more than five minutes, then usually something starts coming out, something new. Then what’s great is having the technology we have today..with my phone I have the ability to record my ideas on the spot so I don’t forget them. Since I don’t’ read music, it’s not like I can write them down on paper. So it’s a big help. But usually it generally starts with music, then lyrics, then vocals and such and matter of things like that come after.
KS: Well I read that this new music you are touring with, the Going Home album, was recorded in between gigs on an eleven day stint at home..how is this different from some of your previous albums, and what were you trying to achieve with this new album?
KWS: Well this album is really us paying tribute and showing our respect and appreciation for artists in particular that have influenced me over the years and their music. So it’s us doing our versions of their songs, and its kinda like the soundtrack of my childhood. These are all songs that I grew up listening to as a kid, that I cut my teeth learing how to play guitar listening to these songs. So it was a lot of fun. We did this album all live in the studio. We recorded it the old-fashioned way on two-inch tape, and we didn’t use any modern trickery like auto tune or anything like that. It’s really an honest album, recorded in the studio..the original recordings, and I think the end result is a really fun record to listen to. And it’s certainly going over well in the live shows.
KS: I am really looking forward to hearing it live. Now you have a really great band behind you, just tons and tons of talent up on that stage. How did you guys all come together? Did you collect them as you went along? Did you just find each other? You’ve been together now for a while haven’t you?
KWS: Well every situation is unique you know. I had a different guy sing lead vocals on my first album, and on the second album is when Noah and I met and he’s been in the band now seventeen years. Chris I met when I was 15 or 16 the first time I played down in Austin, Texas at Antones. I opened for this man, Bill Carter, who wrote a couple Stevie Ray Vaughn songs, and Chris was playing with him that night. That was the first time I met Chris. We became friends, and he played on my first record with me, and has played on almost every record since. He’s been in the touring band for 7 or 8 years now full-time which is great. And Riley? Chris recommended Riley, so that’s how we met Riley. And Tony? I met Tony because Tony was actually working at Fender Musical Instruments. He was an artist representative over there. He decided he wanted to get back into playing music so he joined the band.
KS: You have been credited in bringing back a new generation into jazz and blues. As a child growing up in an area where it was abundant, what appealed to you about that genre? How do you bring the audiences now that appeals to them today?
KWS: I think for me as a kid I identified with music because music is about as real as it gets. Straight from the heart. And when people play music from the heart, it’s like the most organic place it can happen. Age doesn’t play a factor. As far as our music, I think we have a fresh take on the music just by the way we interpret it. I think that people dig it.
KS: I think so too. Personally I think this generation is more open to a variety of music. More so than previous generations. I have a son that is 16, and he and his friends listen to anything and everything from early Beatles to rap and hip hop. I find I appreciate their openness to listen to all types of music, especially blues and jazz.
Youre a family man as well How do you do with juggling the touring , the recording, the family and the kids. How have you worked this part out?
KWS: That’s the challenge for me now. Tying to find the right balance. I have a commitment to my fans, and I certainly have a commitment to my family; and trying to be able to fulfill my obligations to both and never leave one or the other neglected. Sometimes my family will come out and travel with me on the road when it’s possible. Some of my kids are in school, so some times that’s not possible. It’s really just trying to look ahead when we book the tours, and scheduling my work, and make sure there’s also consideration taken into account for the family so that I can be there for them. And trying to not be gone too much.
KS: Do your children show any signs of being musically inclined?
KWS: Oh yeah!
KS: Naturally talented huh?
KWS: It’s definitely in their blood. But it’s not anything I’m trying to push or really even encouraged that much as no one encouraged me to do it. I did it. I was drawn to it, and I did it because I wanted to. And I did it because I loved to do it. And I feel like if they want to, they’ll find their way.
KS: I have to say most musicians I have spoken to say it’s something they knew they would always do…there was never a back up plan. It was just something they always knew they wanted to do. And it just happened.
Is there anything new on the horizon we should be looking forward to here?
KWS: Yah, at the end of this year I’ll be going into the studio again with another band that I have, called The Rides. Stephen Stills and Barry Goldberg and I put a band together last year and put a record out under the name of The Rides. We’ll be going into the studio this winter, and doing a second album that will come out next year. So we’ll be on the road next year promoting that. And then soon after that, I will be back in the studio with my band making another record with my band.
KS: Oh my gosh..you are a really busy person! I really appreciate you agreeing to speak with us. I try to give my readers an insight into those I interview that is outside the realm of music and more on a personal level. If you don’t mind playing along I have a quick speed round of questions I ask…you don’t have to…but we would love it if you could.
KWS: We’ll see.
Social Speed Round
KS: Your on tour and have a day off to do anything in the area you are in ..do you ? 1. Catch up on sleep 2. Hit the road and sightsee 3. Or this..
KWS: For me on my day off I exercise then we try to find some place local to eat that has that “you only can find in that town atmosphere”. We like to find something unique that you only can experience in that area we are visiting.
KS: You have a chance to be on a reality tv show..you choose this show to show off your…
KWS: If I was on any reality tv show it would have to do with cars because I’m a huge car nut..so it would have to be something to do with cars.
KS: Go to food on the road?
KWS: Tripple expresso
KS: Go to food at home?
KWS: I actually just started using my vegetable juicer and I started buying all these organic vegetables and like throwing them in this juicer. I have a hard time eating vegetables. But I have a very easy time drinking them. I’ve realling got into juicing since going back home. The first thing I do is bust out the juicer and make my own vegetable juice. That way I don’t have to eat them.
KS: Dogs/cats/or snakes?
KWS: Dogs! I have a mix…half beagle and half terrier so he looks like a baby golden lab..He’s like 7 years old and full grown..but he looks like a puppy.
KS: A few names currently on your playlist?
KWS: Nothing too exciting.. the same stuff you know…like Muddy Waters and Jimmy Hendrics . There is a young rock band though that I’ve been listening to the other day on my phone called Rival Sons. They’re pretty good, straight head young rock band.
KS: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. We are stoked for your performance tomorrow night, and look forward to bringing our readers the highlights.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Turning Stone
As I reflected upon our interview and sat there watching Kenny, Noah Hunt, Chris Layton, Tony Franklin, and Riley Osborne, I couldn’t help counting my blessings to be experiencing this moment. A lover of all types of music, there is something about Kenny and his band and their music that touches your soul. It reaches inside you and you truly experience the music. As he played covers of some of his favorite songs such as House is Rockin’ by Stevie Ray Vaugh and his BB Medley, as well as original favorites such as Deja Voodoo and Blue on Black the combination of Noah’s sultry sexy voice and Kenny’s ability to shred like no other, draws you in and definitely puts you under a spell. I definitely was transfixed.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Turning Stone
KWS Set List: Never Looking Back > Somehow > Everything is Broken > House is Rockin’ > Search and Destroy > Heat o the Sun > Talk To Me Baby > Can’t Judge A Book > Breaking Up Somebody’s Home > Looking Back > BB Medley > Shotgun > Encore – Blue On Black > King Bee > Oh Well > Voodoo
Music lovers from all walks of life packed Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater on Saturday, October 4 for the inaugural Woodstock Jazz Festival. The evening began with a highly entertaining piano set from GRAMMY nominee Uri Caine, which featured two sets including John Medeski on the organ; and concluded with an inspired cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” sang by Jack DeJohnette. The music rolled along for more than four hours and the man who dreamed up the festival, drummer Ben Perowsky, dedicated the festival to local legend Sonny Rollins.
Uri Caine
Uri Caine went on stage at 7:30PM and folks rushed to take their seats or claim standing room. Even the separate bar area was overflowing and, despite a chilly night outside, the cavernous, barn-like theater was warm with bodies packed tight. There were multiple drum sets, an organ and various other instruments on stage but the attention was focused on Caine seated behind a black baby grand piano. Caine’s vaunted resume includes a stint as the LA Chamber Orchestra composer in residence, more than two dozen recorded albums, and the aforementioned GRAMMY nomination for “The Othello Syndrome”; His modernization of Verdi’s Otello. While Caine paid homage to the classics Saturday night, a playful side twinkled through during his Bearsville set. Looking cool and tranquil behind the piano, it sounded like his left hand produced a number for a king’s chamber while the right played something more fitting for a Mississippi riverboat. His unique style had the audience tapping along on their legs or nodding emphatically. Caine’s enthusiasm was evident when he spoke between songs. He played until 8:30PM sharp and drew a huge standing ovation from the crowd.
After a short break, RedCred had their chance to show off. Consisting of tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Chris Speed, drummer Ben Perowsky, and organs/keys player John Medeski, the trio only took one brief break in the middle of a continuous hour-long set. At moments, the three played harmoniously with each other. Then, they would unceremoniously diverge down their own paths. Medeski oozed out thick, eerie notes while Perowsky utilized every surface of his kit— clicking on the snare rim, clinking a cymbal’s edge and blasting out rudiments on the high hat—and Speed belted out sensual sax licks. Just before they lost you in a dense jazzy jungle, they made eye contact and pulled it all back together seamlessly.
Perowsky on the drums with Medeski (L) and Speed (R) in background.Chris Speed
Perowsky, a NYC native whose talent and exuberance rivaled each other onstage, deserves all the acclaim he received for being the event organizer. Medeski, whose genius is instantly evident in his thoughtful eyes, wowed everyone with his organ-izing. The set concluded with a Weather Report favorite, “Face On The Barroom Floor” which allowed Speed to showcase his ability and versatility, beginning with a clarinet solo and concluding on the tenor saxophone.
Everyone was eager for the last act. Each seat was claimed and extras were brought in; those standing shuffled on tip-toes for a better look at the stage as Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, and Larry Grenadier joined John Medeski. Inspired by the musicians’ lofty presences, a ubiquitous awe fell over the room before an impromptu shush-off lightened the mood—someone in the crowd “shhh’ed” the audience, then another “shh” followed and another, until it sounded more like a bunch of leaky inflatables filled the theater than jazz aficionados.
After a good laugh, DeJohnette, who has played with the likes of Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock and many others, led the show from behind his drum set as the group covered music made famous by Davis, John Coltrane, and Frank Sinatra. DeJohnette conveys emotion through the drums as well as anyone and does not lack in speed or creativity. He played complex fills and kept obscure time while playing “Inspired By Tony Williams”. He teased the crowd, slowly building up the solo before finally letting loose to everyone’s delight.
Throughout the set, Medeski mouthed each note as he alternated banging on his backless organ and the baby grand while his foot, dancing along frantically, seemed in danger of flying off its leg. Scofield, meanwhile, rocked his guitar into acquiescence, drawing emotional lines from it. During “I Fall In Love Too Easily” he decided it was shredding time. The band followed Scofield’s lead as he kicked in the wah pedal and belted out slick runs, launching them into the heaviest jam of the night.
Bassist Larry Grenadier attacked his upright, plucking its strings fervently and deftly. With DeJohnette backing him on the drums, Grenadier busted out a mind-boggling solo in the middle of “Promise.” The only time his hand strayed from bass strings was to push his glasses back onto his nose, but even that action seemed part of his time-keeping. Medeski and Scofield smiled on admiringly before joining back in to fill the theater with a full, rich sound. The whole set was electric and reached a climax when they concluded with DeJohnette singing “No Woman No Cry”. While the majority of the night was dedicated to instrumentals, the audience was ecstatic to hear the Bob Marley cover and nearly everyone sang along.
The inaugural Woodstock Jazz Festival proved to be a huge success. Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater provided a comfortable and intimate setting and the musicians did the rest, playing late into Saturday night. The event was run smoothly and one can imagine the night’s honoree, Sonny Rollins, would be proud to know so many people enjoyed an evening of jazz together in his honor.
Thursday Sept. 25 brought the Grammy Award winning Tedeschi Trucks Band to Upstate NY during a break in the middle of their New York City Beacon Theatre run. The group performed at the Auditorium Theatre, radiating their unique blend of roots, blues and soul-stirring musical heat. Their extended set touched on all aspects of their stage show and featured well-known studio cuts from the band’s catalog as well as a few surprising covers for their hardcore Rochester contingent. Eliciting memories of past rock legends and influences, the multifaceted Tedeschi Trucks Band mirrors roots revival masters Delaney and Bonnie and subscribes to their aesthetic which includes disseminating a unique brand of traditional, Americana and funky blues music.
After a booming and raucous set by opening band, Playonbrother, the Tedeschi Trucks band followed with an inspired set despite militant security and a seated crowd. Eventually, as the show continued the energy could no longer be contained as the band stirred the assembled throng into musical hysteria through their funky and virtuosic performance. While the focus is often and rightfully so on Derek Trucks spiritual channeling of melody through his trusty Gibson SG, every musician in the eleven member coalition is given equal time to bask in the alluring glow of the spot light. Whether it is the double barrel drum duo firing off rim shots in a percussion battle, Kofi Burbridge blowing a breezy flute line, Mike Mattison singing a sweet soul lyric, the horn section punctuating a great jam, or Susan Tedeschi stinging with a series of clean tone blues licks, it’s all hands on deck with this group.
The concert opened with the simmering groove of Traffic’s’ “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring” each member adding color to the fat bounce laid down like shag carpeting by bassist Tim Lefebvre. Similar to every song that is added to their increasingly large repertoire the Tedeschi Trucks band grabbed the song in a firm embrace made it their own.
The concert continued flashing by like a series of Super 8 images, each moment building on and in most cases surpassing the last, instantly logged in the recesses of the attendees spun heads. “Made Up Mind” the title track from the bands 2013 LP whipped the crowd into a hand raising gospel review, with Trucks innate ability to reconfigure melodic ideas into dazzling guitar dissemination’s fully on display. Then, the following breakout of blues standard “Loan Me a Dime” instantly caused an assembled gasp from the audience, especially those familiar with what Duane Allman did with the song via Boz Skaggs. First Tedeschi and then her husband tastefully poured liquid string bends and sustains all over the shifty track, bringing the seated to their feet and concluding the song with a standing ovation.
“Idle Wind” concluded the first segment of music fittingly in a rolling maelstrom of sound. After disposing of the groovy verse segment that features Susan vocalizing like granulated sugar, sweet with a yummy grit, the song slipped into a beautiful place. The horns and guitars started to intertwine and it is this illustrated relationship that soon developed into a teeth clenching jam that squeezed the handlebars for dear life tightly. Soon the excursion fell softly into an avalanche of drums neatly tying itself up with a “set closing” reprise.
Breaking into different segments the band returns for an acoustic set of music. A seated Trucks five-fingered some woody acoustic slide on the traditional “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” as well as name dropping the Allman’s with a stripped down “Done Somebody Wrong”. Susan Tedeschi’s reading of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” was special and featured Tedeschi wringing every drip of emotion from Dylan’s timeless melody. This brief respite from the electric proceedings is a testament to the diversity and multiple talents of the group.
The second half of the performance began with crowd favorite, “Midnight in Harlem” ushered in on a Allman-esque space drift that coalesced into the songs blue rotating groove. The husband and wife duo sang together in glorious voice, each represented by their respective instruments. There is no looking back when the group seizes the moment and blazes their way first through Derek and the Domino’s classic “Keep On Growing” then the hard-hitting Bobby Bland blues, “I Pity the Fool” before closing with an extended and definitive “Bound For Glory”.
The band’s own “Bound for Glory” contained jamming that bordered on the edge of fusion magic. A plethora of horn exclamations, sexy slide and honky keyboards lifted the song to dizzying and illicit heights. The central section of the song lost its structure, going so far out you wonder how they are going to land. The band so deftly balances the tight rope between accessible songs and twisted improvisational passages that their appeal is one of celebration and cross genre pollination. The group not only represents a sepia toned lonesome train whistle of the blues past, but a Technicolor supersonic rocket ship into the musical future. “Bound for Glory” encapsulates all of these elements and fittingly closes the show.
A gentle and original version of James Taylor’s, “Fire and Rain” closed the evening and sent a hungry crowd home stuffed, unable to imbibe another musical bite. The greatest thing about this evening’s performance is the realization that the band will be back and they will continue to improve and grow their catalog of music. Tedeschi Trucks band delivers the goods on a nightly basis, it’s a shame there can not be more nights like this one.
The 2014 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival kicked off on Friday with large crowds and packed houses. The sites and sounds of Jazz Fest seem to improve from year to year. With free stages offering music in the streets, festival goers also had their choice of local restaurant food vendors, to locally famous food trucks like Cheesed and Confused. No matter what you taste is, it’s sure to be satisfied by this festival.
Headliner Janelle Moane belted out tunes to he delight of a packed Kodak Theatre. Her unique brand of pop-jazz was a delight. She embodies what a female jazz artist strives to be, while offering up her style and stage presence. For her encore she invited members of the audience to join her on stage.
Whether you saw any of the free shows or purchased tickets to one of the headliners at the Kodak Theatre, if you attended this weekends festivities you surely had your fix of live music.
Check out our photo galleries from Friday night by our own Kelli Marsh.
For anyone who knows this 7 member tribute band extraordinaire, listening to their limited discography is just not enough to achieve the full DSO experience. They’ve extensively toured since their start in 1997, hitting up venues across the globe with the hopes of sharing the energetic spirit and fresh improvisational musicality that the Grateful Dead started so many years ago. It is this experience that breaks DSO apart from the cover band realm, giving them the musical flexibility and large following they have today.
After a sold-out performance in May at The Auburn Public Theater, then sharing the Syracuse Jazz Fest 32 stage with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in July, this will be the final appearance of Guitar Noir until April 2015. Unlike the previous shows, the string quintet will be featured for two full sets as the 10-piece ensemble presents the full In Dreams album in set one, then reprise some of the funkier R&B numbers they brought down the Jazz Fest house with in set two. As always, Doyle never rests on his laurels and he has several surprises up his musical sleeve for the audience at O.C.C.
It was a seated show at Dazzle jazz except for the eccentric 
