Category: Features

Todd Snider Draws Large Crowd For First Show in Syracuse

© Todd Snider 2015

Portland born Folk artist, Todd Snider, brought his musically charged, humorous life stories to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, on June 24, for his first show in central New York. Of what was supposed to be a duo with John Craigie, turned out to be a one-man show of Todd all by himself. News of why Mr. Craigie wasn’t playing or why he couldn’t make the show, was left unannounced but that didn’t stop the crowd from patiently waiting and thoroughly enjoying the only performance of the evening.

Todd’s artistry is not about the music, it’s about the story in whole. The lessons he learned from his travels, the wisdom he’s acquired from meeting strangers, past relationships and living on the road all have a say in how each show pans out. The diverse audience loves it though. From the moment Todd stepped on stage and waved his hat in the air to greet the crowd, everyone cheered in excitement to hear what he had to say. It was as if he had played in Syracuse many times before. For the following One-Hundred minutes, Todd played soft chords on his nylon-stringed acoustic guitar and told stories, which gave way to laughter, smiles and even some frowns.

Entertainment shows it’s face in many forms and Todd naturally entertained the crowd. He provided a unique and vulnerable show for everyone in attendance, aiming to show himself as an enthusiastic, opinionated, musical story teller of truth and tall tales. He accomplished just that and more as the audience was drawn into every detail that he presented about his time on this wonderful planet.

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July 1, 2015
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival: 10 Most Memorable Club Pass Shows

Nine days. 31 club pass shows at eleven different venues. Tens of thousands of steps. A beer or two… maybe three. Distilled down for you here, are my 10 most memorable club pass series shows from the 2015 edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.

1. Antonio Sanchez & Migration at Kilbourn Hall (late set)

Antonio Sanchez has reached widespread fame in the past year as the composer of the much-lauded percussion-only soundtrack for Birdman. For this set, the Mexican drummer brought his band Migration, consisting of Seamus Blake on saxophones, John Escreet on pianos, Matt Brewer on basses, and Thana Alexa on vocals. Each member had electric and acoustic instruments, including Alexa who used some effects pedals to alter her voice. Her singing wasn’t lyrical, but instrumental, often harmonizing with Blake. The band played The Meridian Suite, a recent release of Sanchez’s which consists of one long piece in 5 parts. The band didn’t stop playing for 65 minutes. It moved effortlessly from acoustic to electric and back. The energy ebbed and flowed, bursting forth and settling down moments later only to bubble back up again. Each member got a chance to lead the quintet but there were no true solos — save for one mid-set take by Sanchez himself. His playing was mechanical, intense and inventive without being heavy handed. His solo segment had me sitting statuesque, waiting on his every slap, and then the band exploded into a noisy dissonance while Sanchez relentlessly soloed on. I was rapt from then on, and by the time they were through I felt exhilarated.

2. Gogo Penguin at Christ Church (early set)

I like the Bad Plus. A lot. If you do too, you will like Gogo Penguin. A lot. This young piano trio from the Manchester, England sounds a whole lot like the Bad Plus if you hadn’t guessed. They are influenced a bit more by electronic music which came through more clearly in some of their earlier compositions. The music is thoroughly melodic, not veering into traditional solos, and taking cues from both classical and pop music for a unique sound that isn’t immediately identifiable as jazz. It was their first ever gig in the U.S. which they opened with a captivating 20 minutes worth of music, flowing 3 of their songs together. Though from then on every tune would end rather abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly. The music was so engaging and catchy it always seemed to end too soon. As did their set.

3. Troyka at Christ Church (early set)

Troyka is a London-based jazz fusion trio, featuring Chris Montague on guitar, Joshua Blackmore on drums and Kit Downes on keyboards. The playing was democratic, but it was still clear that Montague was the featured player. His sound was heavily filtered though without losing substance. It ranged somewhere in between Bill Frisell, Wayne Krantz and Marc Ribot. High praise indeed! Montague described an early childhood memory of digging a hole at the beach, tugging at what he thought was seaweed, but out came a decaying seagull, subsequently pulling down the walls and trapping him inside. The traumatic experience was the inspiration for their latest album, Ornithophobia. Much of the music had a teetering on the edge of falling apart quality that made it both fearful and exciting. Each musician played on what seemed like a completely separate thought, yet somehow it all came together to form a magnificent whole. Whether it be a blues, ballad or something entirely different, it had Troyka written all over it.

4. Nils Berg Cinemascope at Lutheran Church (early set)

One of the joys of the Rochester International Jazz Fest is the ‘international’ aspect of it. So many bands from so many far away places that would be otherwise have no reason to visit the small city of Rochester. Nils Berg Cinemascope, themselves all the way from Sweden and playing their first North American show, took the audience on a journey around the world within their set alone. The band — Nils Berg on sax and flute, drummer Christopher Cantillo and bassist Josef Kallerdahl — was set up in front of a large movie screen. For each song, a video culled from the internet was played. It was edited and looped to fit their needs, and became the fourth musician of the group. Each video was a different musician from a different part of the world. There was an Afghani boy singing under a tree, a banjo instructor from Maryland, a student from Brunei improvising a song in the hall after her physics class among others. Each piece had a “guest performer” that gave it its own unique character. It had to be seen and heard to be believed, certainly something that couldn’t be replicated in a recording.

5. Joey Alexander at Lyric Theater

When hearing a young musician, I try very hard not to fall into the trap of being amazed simply by their age. Either it sounds good or it doesn’t. For 11-year-old prodigy pianist Joey Alexander, both aspects were incredible. Behind the piano he showed a maturity lacking in players two, three and four times his age. This wasn’t simply rehashing old jazz classics with aplomb, it was solo piano improvisations, using the classics as launching points more than destinations. It was until he stood up to the microphone to address the audience that his age became overtly apparent. With takes on Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Thelonius Monk, Amazing Grace and Over the Rainbow, he had all the bases covered, before finishing on an original composition. Eleven or not, it was truly an amazing performance.

6. Eivind Opsvik Overseas at Lutheran Church (early set)

Eivind Opsvik — a Norwegian bassist who now resides in NYC — brought his band Overseas, who are Kenny Wollesen on drums, Tony Malaby on saxophone, Brandon Seabrook on guitar and Jacob Sacks on piano. The music can lack melody. It can lack direction. It can lack energy. And yet somehow, it had me on the edge of my seat for 60 minutes. A dissonant triad of songs opened the set, each musician scratching and screeching out individual noises, all coming together to form a greater and more exciting whole. Once they had cleared some of the pews at the church venue with this challenging music, they dropped into a more approachable slow blues number reminiscent of the Lounge Lizards which again flowed into a couple different compositions, finally building to a head with some rocking that almost got some fists pumping. They closed on a beautiful new song called “Troves,” that featured both the bass and guitars being played with bows.

7. Wood Brothers at Harro East Ballroom (early set)

The Wood Brothers attracted by far the largest non-pass holding crowd of the festival. Fans stood out on an unseasonably cold and rainy afternoon for the chance to see Chris and Oliver Wood on their first visit to Rochester. The crowd was stacking chairs up to make more room for dancing and singing along to every word of every song. The crowd, combined with the top-notch Americana being played on stage, made it feel like on this final day, the festival had given up being about jazz. And instead of jazzing up their set a little, the brothers took it in the other direction, and continued to get more rocking until the entire crowd was on its feet. I can only imagine the late set picked up where this one left off.

8. Dave Douglas High Risk at Harro East Ballroom (late set)

Dave Douglas, just two days after his new album High Risk was released, let the crowd know how unusual it was for his band to be all in the same place at the same time to be able to play there for us. And special it was. Douglas, a hot trumpeter in the avant-garde NYC scene, was joined by popular electronic artist Shigeto, Jonathan Maron on bass, and Mark Guiliana on drums. Shigeto was a musical tour-de-force. The beats and sounds he was creating live on stage were remarkable and meshed perfectly with what the bass and drums were laying down. Step in Douglas blasting trumpet over the top of it all, and you had a refreshing and exciting new take on improvised jazz music that was exciting to hear.

9. Kat Edmonson at Montage Music Hall (late set)

Kat Edmonson’s latest album, The Big Picture, was inspired by classic movies, musicals in particular. The first track, “Rainy Day Woman,” was the subject of a long story she told from the stage. Long story short, she wrote the song, tried to record it multiple times, put it away, re-approached it, put it away again, and maybe even another cycle or two through, before finally getting it to a place where she was completely satisfied. That story kind of typified her whole set. Each song seemed so simple, yet great care was taken to get to that point. Little surprises emerged, like a splash of xylophone here, or a taste of melodica there. Kat’s sweet voice and great songs could carry the set on their own, as she proved with simple guitar accompaniment at her performance at the festival last year. But with the full band, her vision came more to life, in every detail.

10. Chatham County Line at Squeezers Roots and Americana Stage (early set)

There was plenty of good bluegrass on display at the festival this year. But Chatham County Line rose above the fray. An old North Carolina flag hung behind them and a county line marker stood in front of their one mic. They played in the traditional style, with all four musicians huddling around one mic, moving around as needed to produce the proper mix of sounds. Traditional was met with some decidedly non-traditional playing, particularly on covers the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” or Dick Dale’s “Miserlou.” But even more on original “Chip of the Star,” which could pass as a rock ballad, complete with gorgeous guitar solo.

July 1, 2015
Love and Theft Takes Syracuse by Storm

With a packed house, country duo Love and Theft took Syracuse by storm performing several of their hit songs while fans danced and sang word for word. The crowd begged for more throughout the entire show. Afterwards, Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson both took the time out of the set to share stories and memories with us.

Unlike most shows, the meet and greet was held after the performance. The duo spent so much time with each fan for autographs and photos that we didn’t get out of there until almost 1:30am. Every fan was impressed with their show and more importantly with the fact that these guys were just every day people sharing their love of music with the rest of the world.

Catch their next NY show Aug. 2 at Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally in NYC.

June 30, 2015
Photo Review: The Sultry Jennifer Hudson at Rochester’s Jazzfest Day 6

Award-winning actress and American Idol champ alumni Jennifer Hudson wowed a sold out house at Kodak Hall for Day 6 of Xerox’s Rochester International Jazz Festival.

Armed with a litany of impressive backup singers and musicians, Hudson took the stage with much aplomb and more shrieks, catcalls and “woos” than the orchestral feeling building had ever heard. And they were well deserved, as the lovely Hudson showed off her vocal acrobatics, scrumptious menu of hits, and more than enough witty banter to mesmerize any crowd. Heck, even Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren came down to dance.

Hudson currently has no upcoming tour dates planned. Rochester Xerox International Jazzfest ran from June 19-27 2015.

June 30, 2015
Colorful Fare Thee Well Kicks off in Style

It has been 20 years since the Grateful Dead last performed on stage together. Upon the passing of Jerry Garcia, the band’s lead guitarist, in 1995, an era abruptly ended. Since the band’s announcement of its Fare Thee Well 50th reunion shows over the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago earlier this year, fans have been counting the days to see them give their last performances. However, due to the overwhelming ticket demand, two shows at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca., were added. Those two performances occurred this past weekend, and what a weekend it was.

It has been a long strange trip building up to these performances. Fans had to endure a wild ride just to get tickets, along with a frenzied scramble to book hotels and air fare that weren’t astronomical. These shows have not only been incredibly emotional, up to the point of the first note dropping, but they have also brought the Grateful Dead community, as a whole, back together. Strangers helping strangers just to get them in the door has been a consistent theme across all Grateful Dead fan sites on the internet.

Beginning on Saturday, June 27, 2015, original members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart were joined onstage with special guests Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Chimenti and Trey Anastasio. It was anyone’s guess as to what song would open up the five-show run. To the delight of many, it opened with two heavy fan favorites, “Truckin’ ,” followed by “Uncle John’s Band.” A brief jam on “The Other One” opened the show. The evening completely surrounded the early years with songs that dated back to the late 1960’s and early ‘70’s.

As the band wound around their early beginnings, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio presented his first solo experience to the crowd during a 20-minute “Viola Lee Blues.” A hot topic of conversation with Grateful Dead and Phish fans alike, many were skeptical if Anastasio could fill Jerry Garcia’s shoes in an honorable way. He appeared to hold back during the first set while trying to find his groove, though without a doubt, he showed his stuff and melded gracefully into the vibe of the evening. The first set came to a close with a delightfully surprising rainbow over the stadium, as if it was a smile from Garcia in heaven to the crowd below.

Second set opened with a hesitant start, as band members were still working out the kinks and finding their footing. Fans were also treated early on in the set to fireworks that were being set off in nearby Great America Park. With a slower start to the set, the energy built right up as they jammed into “St. Stephen.” The second set blasted info full energy mode as the band finally tightened up and found their groove. The improvised “Space” crept in, showing off the percussive talents of the Rhythm Devils, Kreutzmann and Hart. The evening ended with an encore performance of “Casey Jones,” with Hornsby on vocals. Before leaving the stage, Kreutzmann indicated the rainbow earlier in the evening was in honor of the Supreme Court decision passed to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states. If the rainbow was fake or real is anyone’s guess. Either way, it was beautiful.

Set One:

Truckin’, Uncle John’s Band, Alligator > Cumberland Blues, Born Cross-Eyed > Cream Puff War, Viola Lee Blues

Set Two:

Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > St. Stephen > William Tell Bridge > The Eleven > Turn On Your Love Light > Drums > What’s Become of the Baby > Space > The Other One > Morning Dew

Encore:

Casey Jones

As jam band fans like to say, never miss a Sunday show. The second performance of the run did not disappoint the packed stadium. After a bumpy start, the band fell into a fluid groove. Sunday June 28th’s performance was more of a greatest hits for the hometown crowd. A well-placed classic opener, “Feel Like a Stranger” started the first set with Weir on vocals. The piano and keyboard sound mix was vastly improved from the night before, where, at times, you had to strain to hear those instruments. The band was much more in synch this evening, as they strolled through “New Minglewood Blues” into “Brown Eyed Women.” Hornsby, once again, showcased his vocal talents on “Loser,” a favorite that many fans hope is repeated in Chicago.

Anastasio took the lead vocal position on “Alabama Getaway.” He visibly appeared increasingly comfortable on stage. Chimenti jammed right along by tapping his fingers with ease on the organ to pump out that deep sound. The almost two-hour first set closed with “Hell In a Bucket,” with Anastasio, once again, surprising the crowd with a high energy, get your bones jumping up and down, guitar solo. The set came to a close with Weir’s infamous “we’ll be back in just a few minutes,” before the group walked off stage for set break.

Second set opened strong with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.” It was chock full of extensive, improvised jams before seamlessly transitioning into “Wharf Rat.” Not a dry eye was to be seen when “He’s Gone” showed up on the set. Even Weir appeared to have a moment as he was singing the lyrics to a song that most fans relate to the death of Jerry Garcia. “He’s gone. Nothing’s gonna bring him back.”

The Rhythm Devils once again showed their creative, improvisational percussion skills with “Drums” as the rest of the band took a break from the show. This time around they had a guest join in, with Sikiru Adepoju, a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, on the talking drum.

Another big fan favorite, “Sugar Magnolia,” rounded out the second set and the weekend closed with an encore of “Brokedown Palace.” If these shows are any indication of what’s to come in Chicago, fans are in for a spectacular Fourth of July weekend chock full of hidden gems and long winding intricate jams. What a way to kick off the reunion tour.

Set One:

Feel Like A Stranger, New Minglewood Blues, Brown-Eyed Women, Loose Lucy, Loser, Row Jimmy, Alabama Getaway, Black Peter, Hell In A Bucket

Set Two:

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo > Wharf Rat > Eyes of the World > He’s Gone > *Drums/Space > I Need A Miracle > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > Sugar Magnolia

Encore:

Brokedown Palace

June 30, 2015
Cheers to 20 Years: A Gathering of the Vibes Flashback

There’s no doubt that we’ve been having one hell of a year in music. Most recently, we’ve seen artists like Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bill Withers (finally) becoming inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Leading up this year, we’ve seen big name artists like Taylor Swift pulling their music from online streaming services to crush the myth that “physical sales just don’t sell anymore.” We’ve seen lawsuits changing the recording world and the way we associate artists with earlier musical predecessors.

In the live show atmosphere, we’ve seen many great small music festivals lose the support they need to bring us great music. Luckily, there’s one festival that seems to have left a firm stance in an ever changing music industry, and it’s back for its 20th year to bring us the music that’s so very near and dear to our hearts. Friends, get ready for the Gathering of the Vibes.

Starting as nothing more than a small memorial celebration at SUNY Purchase, “Deadhead Heaven: A Gathering of the Tribe” was created from a batch of devoted, yet mourning fans of the legendary Jerry Garcia: local promoter Bob Kennedy, business guru Ken Hays, and publishers of the fan magazine “Dupree’s Diamond News” Sally Ansorge Mulvey and John Dwork. Their aim was to provide an atmosphere that celebrated the incomparable success of the Grateful Dead, while mourning the loss of a respected, legendary frontman with hope and celebration. As the word spread about the show’s reminiscent and engaging atmosphere, so did the festival itself. Moving to Croton Point Park, NY a year later, it was renamed “Gathering of the Vibes,” named after the devoted fans self-proclamation as the ever present “VibeTribe.” To meet the growing number of attendees, the festival moved the following year to Plattsburgh, NY as the founders searched for an even bigger venue to host a long-term contract. Upon finding Seaside Park in Bridgeport, they immediately jumped on the opportunity, gracing Connecticut with the 1999 and 2000 Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival. It was then that Bob Weir himself played the Vibes stage, alongside his band Ratdog.

With great success always comes great challenge, and renovations needed to be done to Seaside Park as Vibes gained notoriety. For the next six years, the festival hopped over to Red Hook, NY followed by the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, N.Y. That certainly didn’t stop Dead members stopping in on the fun, however, since Phil Lesh & Friends made a two night cameo appearance in the 2002 festival in Mariaville.

Despite the festival’s continued success in New York, Vibes was able to relocate back to Seaside Park from 2007 onward, with endless support from the Town of Bridgeport as well as the devoted VibeTribe. Today, you can still witness the same spiritual cleansing and celebration of great music that these great pioneers aimed for back in SUNY Purchase. Along with the great artists that graced the stage back in 1996, including Strangefolk, Max Creek, and moe., Gathering of the Vibes has brought in some of the greatest legends in music, including Elvis Costello, Allman Brothers Band, James Brown, Buddy Guy, and Primus, to name a few.

This year, the team at Vibes has thrown us a couple of surprises in their 2015 lineup, including Weezer, Wilco, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and The Gaslight Anthem. Though you may plan to make your way into a crowd of sweaty, sprightly individuals to jam out to the newbies of the Vibes lineup, make sure you take part in the shows of those who came at the early stages of Vibes, including but not limited to Max Creek, Strangefolk, Warren Haynes, and Deep Banana Blackout.

With so many venue relocations and constant adaptations, Gathering of the Vibes has been no easy wind. With constant support from the beloved VibeTribe, Gathering of the Vibes has been able to withstand the odds and survive as a notable festival, earning ranks on Rolling Stone’s “Summer 2015 Must-See Music Festival.” To join in the 20 year celebration, visit the Gathering of the Vibes official website and get your tickets. While you wait in anticipation for this year’s festival, however, make sure to check out the past performers that graced the Vibes stages, dating back to SUNY Purchase in 1996. The Gathering of the Vibes has certainly beaten many odds and maintained its high reputation, which is certainly worth celebrating, so we’re looking forward to this year as well as many years to come.

June 29, 2015
Photo Gallery: Rob Zombie Brings His Spookshow To Big Flats

When Rob Zombie makes an appearance in Upstate New York, fans of all ages flocked to see the hellbilly perform at The Budweiser Summer Stage at Tags, located in Big Flats NY. Tags is a Multifaceted Entertainment Facility and nationally recognized concert venue that’s neatly tucked out of the way and has hosted a wide variety of artists over the years.

Opening for Rob Zombie was Dropclutch, a band out of Binghamton New York. The band consists of Shawn Swartwood on vocals, Brandon Schuldt on drums, Josh Skellet on bass/vocals and Adam Skellett on guitar/vocals. Dropclutch has shared the stage with many headlining artists such as Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Lamb of God, Gwar and Skindred. They were well received and got the crowd worked up in preparation for Zombie to take the stage. Their set list included: The Becoming, Get Up, Pressure Chemical, Burned Between The Lines, My Island, Make Your Move, The Reason Over and Over One Bullet.

The line for Rob Zombie started at the entrance and stretched all the way around the venue. Both parking areas were full with fans of all kinds. The only thing that’s more unique than Zombie himself are the fans, some dressed as their favorite characters from his film “House of 1000 Corpses.” The venue was packed pretty tight with those eager to hear some of their favorite hits and Rob is never one to disappoint. His set’s background featured classic movie monsters. The band members blended into the scene with Rob Zombie’s bassist Piggy D dressed as a vampire while guitarist John 5 sporting a nightmarish looking gas mask. The set list for the evening included: Teenage Nosferatu Pussy, Super-Charger Heaven, Superbeast, Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine, Living Dead Girl, Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown, A Drum solo by Ginger Fish, More Human Than Human, Sick Bubble-Gum, Pussy Liquor, Meet the Creeper, Never Gonna Stop and Thunder Kiss ’65 with encores being We’re an American Band, The Lords of Salem and Dragula.

June 29, 2015
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival: Gary Clark Jr. Ignites Kodak Hall

Gary Clark. Jr held the headliner spot at the beautiful Kodak Hall for day six of Xerox Rochester International Jazzfest.

Beth Hart opened the show and sufficiently warmed up the crowd, belting out the blues with her confident and strong voice. The stage must have cooled a little in the changeover though. Clark Jr.’s rhythm guitarist, King Zapata, took the first solo in their set-opening “Bright Lights,” getting the heat at just the right level for Clark to step in and finally take control. From then on, with one or two short exceptions, the stage was owned by Clark, and the temperature continued to rise.

Zapata, standing far off stage left, had a fuzzy organ tone that complemented Clark’s leads well. Bassist Johnny Bradley and drummer Johnny Radelat kept a steady and solid rhythm tucked tight together in the back and center. Clark stood equally far off to the right spreading the four piece well across the Kodak Hall stage. The band seemed a bit disconnected with this setup and perhaps the energy could have been raised with a tighter grouping.

Though, the energy in the crowd more than made up for any possible losses on stage. A huge roar let out at the opening notes of “When My Train Pulls In.” The audience was rewarded with a scorching solo that saw Clark fake a strum to finish before heading right back in to get in just a few more quick licks.

Clark Jr. has two voices with which to play the blues. Not only is he a master at speaking through his guitars, but his singing is also impressive. He showed incredible vocal range on his brand new soulful number, “Hold On.”

Switching between a couple of Fenders and an SG, his guitar voice also showed incredible range from song to song. His solos were played with deep feeling and seared right through you. It was fortunate that things had been preheated properly.

After a somewhat short 75 minute set, the crowd ravenously called for more. People had been creeping out in the aisles throughout the evening, and now descended into the pit, ready to rock out on a couple more tunes. Clark obliged, coming out solo for a one-two punch of new songs “Healing” and “Church” before getting the full band back out for a ripping rendition on Albert King’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.”

Setlist: Bright Lights, Ain’t Messing Round, When My Train Pulls In, Hold On, Our Love, Numb, If Trouble Was Money, Catfish Blues, Don’t Owe You Thing, Please Come Home

E: Healing > Church, Oh Pretty Woman

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June 29, 2015
Hearing Aide: Mark Doyle “One November Night – Live In Concert”

Mark Doyle has released a two cd live performance by his ten-piece Guitar Noir ensemble project. The material is based on his trilogy of critically acclaimed solo albums, 1999’s Guitar Noir, 2001’s Out Of The Past and the follow-up to Guitar Noir, 2011’s In Dreams: Guitar Noir ll. In Dreams is presented in its entirety on disc one and highlights of the other two cds are performed on disc two along with a few surprise gems. One November Night was performed at Onondaga Community College’s intimate new Recital Hall on November 22nd, 2014 with Jason “Jocko” Randall at the F.O.H. helm and Dan Shaw handling recording duties. Doyle produced and mixed at Near Miss Studios, Jocko mastered the final product at More Sound. The pairing of Doyle and Randall have garnered multiple SAMMY Awards for Mark Doyle and The Maniacs, Doyle’s blues/rock band.

The carefully selected ensemble draws from a list of long-time collaborators, Terry Quill on guitar (former Maniacs), Edgar Pagan-bass, Bill DiCosimo-keyboards, Joshua Dekaney-drums/Roland Pads, all of (Grupo Pagan, Mary Fahl) and a stunning string quintet comprised of Ally Brown-1st violin/section leader, Shelby Dems-1st violin, Leila Dean-2nd violin, Claire Wilcox-viola and Kate LaVerne-cello. The quintet allows Doyle to flex his multi-faceted skill base as a producer/arranger, who states, “I’ve always loved doing string arrangements for recordings, and the idea of working with live strings has long been a dream of mine. The Guitar Noir concept particularly lends itself to this idea, so seeing and hearing it all come together in concert has been very rewarding.”

Doyle’s extensive history as a guitarist, pianist, composer, producer and arranger would take another several paragraphs to cover properly. I suggest spending some time on his website, there are some excellent stories on his discography page and his bio page spells out his history in depth. You can also go back on the NYS Music website and read other pieces I’ve written for Doyle and his works with Mary Fahl.

It was as if the Recital Hall was created for a concert such as this, amazing thought and skill has created an architecturally beautiful venue that is near perfect for audiences and musicians alike. It’s plush, with comfortable seating, excellent sight-lines and the sound, the sound! I was fortunate enough to attend the concert when ‘One November Night’ was recorded, this will be a chance to give it the ultimate respect it deserves. Many fans may think it odd to sit in a theater listening to Mark Doyle perform, but Guitar Noir is a totally different animal, instrumental, atmospheric and lush. This venue is perfect for Doyle’s voluminous abilities to be exercised and the audience to lean back and follow along with the nuances.

Doyle’s love of film noir/sci-fi/horror movies influenced his thematic choices throughout the recordings highlighted here, along with the Sixties theme from Out Of The Past. This is an artist who holds the fullest respect for where he comes from, where he has been, and who influenced his path on the way there. Anyone who has attended one of his shows knows the subtlety in how he expresses them and his affection for them. I highly suggest a good pair of headphones to catch each one.

‘The Perry Mason Theme’ opens the show with all hands on deck, Doyle’s guitar playing the familiar lines that everyone of a certain age knows. It’s brighter, then it breaks into a samba-jam with Edgar Pagan and his unmistakeable smile riding a sweet groove with counterpoint provided by his rhythm section mate, Josh Dekaney. The strings swell in and out as Bill DiCosimo’s keyboard flourishes fill the air, Terry Quill’s accompanying guitar licks double, then echo and harmonize with Doyle, their interplay is and always has been magical. As previously noted, the rest of the first set is dedicated to In Dreams: Guitar Noir II in its entirety. ‘Mr. Sandman’ is dreamy and slowed down, Doyle switches from harmonics to slide to pick, emphasizing tonal changes directly into another standard ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’. While recognizable, these arrangements take on a new depth behind Doyle’s signature and accompaniments. This version is upbeat, sweet and hopeful, perhaps another chapter in his tome, written for the love of his life. Ray Davies’ ‘I Go To Sleep’ – familiar to many from the Chrissie Hynde reading – comes next in an atmospheric inversion, enough to call to memory the words; “I go to sleep, sleep. And imagine that you’re there with me. I go to sleep, sleep. And imagine that you’re there with me.”, spoken with a volume pedal and a little finger on the volume control knob on Doyle’s signature Stratocaster. The guitar solo at the end is worth the admission price alone. ‘Reve Noir (Dark Dream)’, the first of Doyle’s compositions, brings the theremin in with a haunting effect that is quickly softened by a ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’ homage lick. The strings are consistently perfect, performed with touch and emotion, never commanding, yet very present.

Henry Mancini’s ‘Dreamsville’, from The Music Of Peter Gunn precedes ‘Nightmare’, Artie Shaw’s “theme song”, placing dimension on this continuing dream sequence. Doyle’s guitar rises right through the middle of the mix, just on top, right between the ears, precisely where it belongs. ‘Dream Baby’, made famous by Roy Orbison, gets a slower pacing, without the country feel. Not “updated”, but a different take, a saunter of sorts, with Doyle’s slide work and picking dictating the step. The second Doyle composition, ‘Dream Tiger’, gets a bit electronic with sampling running underneath, triggers being pulled and layers upon layers of melody allowing Dekaney to hit it hard. His percussion skills and sound knowledge are flat-out amazing. The band is running at top form, ‘Darn That Dream’ is a late thirties jazz shuffle by Jimmy Van Heusen that reaches deep into Doyle’s cache of tones, throw in the strings and it could be misconstrued as his own composition. ‘Still I Dream Of It’ (Brian Wilson) and ‘In Dreams’ (Roy Orbison) finish disc one. The expression in Doyle’s guitar-voice rides along the melody lines, casually reshaping them, changing tones to define them. One last reference to history and the band is off to break, listening to a rising ovation from the sold-out audience.

The second set, or disc two, opens with ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, the Lennon/McCartney gem from Revolver that brought the Indian feel to the experimentally minded band. Guitar Noir just rolls it, the Indian undertone as a drone, Doyle voicing the vocals through his fingers, pick and whammy bar. The Jazz Crusaders’ ‘Young Rabbits’ gives each member of the ensemble some individual space while staying tight to the groove of the original. The band doesn’t mind a little jazzy, funk stuff. The Boz Scaggs feel of ‘Invitation’ is such a classic sound. The theremin pushes through in parts, Doyle just soars, and the band is so far in the pocket that you can’t see them. ‘Guitar Noir’ expresses the virtuosity Doyle haunts this song with, the hollow-body whammy gives some surfer vibe, but the synth and pad parts are updated and push just slightly. The theremin entices like an old horror movie, just enough to keep you guessing until he tosses another emotive at you. ‘Out Of The Past’ is a monster. The Indian influences, both string and percussive, paired with the precision of the guitar work and tonalities, is just majestic. These two songs are Doyle’s personal contributions to disc two. It’s understandable why they’re the title tracks from the second disc’s featured albums.

The Doors’ ‘The Crystal Ship’ is a time establishing riff that is just as strong, if not more strongly expressed through six strings. It provides the vehicle to go back, while still moving forward through Doyle’s interpretation. The Beach Boys’ ‘Warmth Of The Sun’ is read in similar terms, lush with strings and keys, the lead gently overhead. Both are so heartfelt, they’re nicely paired in the set and the ‘Surfer Girl/I Only Have Eyes For You/In My Room’ interlude is signature material for Doyle, perfectly placed and segued, setting the stage for a new song to the ensemble. ‘Jive Samba’ by Cannonball Adderly takes the slow jazz feel and uses guitar for the horns while the string ensemble echoes back to them, the bottom is unstoppable even when Doyle lights it up strong. Then, DiCosimo, Quill, Pagan and Dekaney each get several measures of solo space and their introduction to the crowd. Sometimes it’s hard to pay attention to each individual while the band plays, wanting to absorb the whole presentation, but the crowd surely showed their appreciation for each. The set ends with a Stones/Beatles mash-up, consisting of ‘Paint It Black/Eleanor Rigby’. The Caribbean rhythm intro of ‘Paint It Black’ morphs into a rocky, upbeat chorus, then transitions into a searing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with a Chick Corea like break. DiCosimo rips another organ solo while Quill and Doyle pounce on the top, firing to a dramatic end with the audience standing and yelling for more. The encore is a seasonal piece considering the recording date. ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ had the audience smiling wide in understanding the moment they were just a part of.

While it isn’t considered professional or appropriate to personalize reviews, in this case and several others recently, these people are my friends. I’m very fortunate to have them. I write what I write because I want to, not for money, but for the love of music, especially when it’s made by people I respect and care deeply for. Check out more of Mark Doyle’s music on his website, youtube and his band, Mark Doyle and The Maniacs’ facebook page and website. There is a rich history there that continues to grow, it should be noted and explored, please do.

Key Tracks: Out Of The Past, Dream Tiger, Guitar Noir

June 28, 2015
Buffalove Music Festival Shines a Bright Light on Upstate Bands

If you were looking for a festival with continuous high energy bands, then Buffalove was it. We were greeted with sunny skies on Thursday afternoon, and a buzz in the air from everyone who couldn’t stop talking about what was to come of that first night. Everyone knew it was going to start with a bang, and they couldn’t have been more accurate.

Buffalo’s own Imperial Brown kicked things off on the Pavilion stage, setting a tone that would carry throughout the weekend. With a sold base of funk, reggae, soul and jam, Imperial Brown got the feet moving, and everyone’s excitement could be focused on one thing: dancing.

As Buffalovers made their way across the field to the main stage, you could feel everyone’s energy level soaring. Hometown heroes Aqueous took the stage at 8pm as the sun was setting and it was go time. They eased into their set, building intensity as the hour went on. We could all tell it was just a tease of what was to come. One by one, Dopapod took the stage, with a seamless changeover that left us continuously dancing for hours. Like Aqueous, they eased into their set, but definitely took things up a notch. Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer was the first to step on stage for the birth of Aquapod. And with a blink of an eye, members of both Aqueous and Dopapod were all on stage, getting into one of the strongest starts any festival could ever hope for. If you were a fan of both of these bands before, then this was the penultimate moment. Trading solos with the biggest of smiles, it just kept going. Even when the rain started to fall, the set from top to bottom was any fans dream. The intensity, the happiness of both bands, and the wide-eyes and looks of amazement from the crowd really started Buffalove off right. From there, it just kept going.

For those whose legs could still hold their bodies up after four and a half straight hours of Aqueous and Dopapod, the late night Woods Stage sets kept the intensity going. A beautiful little stage, set on the hill and covered with trees, was the scene of several sets that would leave people dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Sonder and Spacejunk were first up in the woods, with a segue set that rang through the property. Sonder with their jamtronic, groovy set, then Space Junk with a DJ set that got even the weariest of festival goers back on their feet. The Woods Stage would be the scene of serious talent and body-moving sets. Even with the rain continuing on and off all night, the vibe was nothing short of magical.

Friday morning, we were met with cool weather and constant chatter of what we had all witnessed the night before. The question kept being asked, “How can you top that first night?” But yet again, Buffalove delivered. Imperial Brown started it off again on the Pavilion Stage as the crowds began to wake up, stretch their bodies and get some food. Like every band, their dance-worthy set definitely pulled us out of the fog and back into the light.

Friday afternoon hit, and from there it was on again. Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, led by current Kung Fu keyboardist Beau Sasser, took the Main Stage and came out swinging with their amped-up, soul crushing version of the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie.” Mary Corso’s voice was enough to give anyone the chills, as they cruised through a powerful set. Guitarists Danny Mayer and Justin Henricks had some solos that could leave anyone’s jaw on the floor and drummer Kevin Urvalek was cruising by the time they closed with a cover of “Whipping Post.”

Slip Madigan continued the party, with a rhythmic, groove-oriented set on the Pavillion Stage. Then it was time for Funktional Flow to begin their first of three sets over the next 24 hours.

Flow took Main Stage for a 5pm set that only left fans craving more. Their tight, jam-based songs got the excitement level up once again. With covers like “Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen and Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” it was very apparent that they can span the genres. Then before you knew it, Albany-based Formula 5 took the Pavilion Stage. For these guys, it was a pre-cursor to their late night segue set with Funktional Flow at the Woods Stage.

Headlining the evening was Kung Fu and Particle, both bringing the hammer down on Saturday evening. Kung Fu, brought the jam-funk to the Main Stage, giving fans a different taste of what they could accomplish with a slightly modified lineup. Sasser soared, with solos that layered and layered, and meshed so well with their new sound. Kung Fu fans were shocked at what the band had become: a funk-heavy jam band. Then it was time for Particle to take the party to the next level. As the disco ball beamed, they played a set that was clearly meant to leave people exhausted from dancing.

Late night Friday was a beast of its own. Funktional Flow came out heavy on the Woods Stage. And if you weren’t keeping an eye on the stage at all times, you wouldn’t have even noticed that one by one, Formula 5 took over. If you had caught their earlier set, this one was completely different in attack. We could all tell they just wanted to get out there and jam as hard as they could. James Woods’ intricate and heavy bass lines and Joe Davis’ cruising guitar licks were almost too much to handle. Before you knew it, Funktional Flow had taken the Woods Stage over yet again. This time, it was one for the books. With a closer like Umphrey’s McGee “All In Time”, we were dancing just as hard as with Kung Fu and Particle, if not harder. The woods were lit up and the buzz around these two bands was heavy. Buffalovers had been treated to one of the most seamless sets of the weekend and all in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Closing out the morning was Buffalo-based Skyepilot, led by powerhouse lead singer Skye Del Re. If you still had the energy, this band kept the party going until the wee hours of 5am. The sun was coming up, and the groove was still ringing through the woods.

With a full weekend of high-energy bands, we were still left with Saturday. From top to bottom, the last day of Buffalove was filled with talent. Even though Skyepilot had just packed up on the Woods Stage, they opened Saturday on the Main Stage. Their strong, fast-paced versions of songs like “Sugaree” was enough to get even the weariest back on their feet for the final day. Buffalove contest winner The Goods hit the Pavilion Stage, with a very apparent reason why they were the winners. With a slightly different flare than the rest of the acts, they added that international/world groove.

The Main Stage on Saturday was filled to the brim with talent, as Blue Rootz and Whiskey Reverb both gave noteworthy sets. Next, it was time for Funktional Flow to give their final of three sets. With a setlist that included heavy originals and crowd-favorite covers like Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and to close it all out, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Funktional Flow definitely earned their three sets, and stood on par with the headliners.

To close out the Pavilion Stage and Main Stage, Albany favorites Mister F tag teamed sets with Pink Talking Fish. Mister F did a stripped down set to start, with Andrew Chamberlaine playing a banjitar (banjo/guitar combo) for the first set. If you ran across the mud-filled lawn, you could witness the greatness of Pink Talking Fish, with their full, accurate versions of Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish. With their first set over, Mister F took the Pavilion Stage. The crowd filtered in fast, and before you knew it, hundreds of people were crowded around for Mister F’s final set. The energy coming off them was undeniable, and anyone who wasn’t a fan before, was now. Even with drummer Matt Pickering sick as a dog, they blasted through their set. With almost all originals, they included one cover that got everyone’s feet moving a little faster, Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.”

Sit-in master Scott Hannay of Mister F wasn’t done there. After finishing packing up, he decided to hang out the rest of the night and see what else he could dive into. Pink Talking Fish topped their first set with versions of Phish’s “Possum” and “Tweezer” that had the crowd in full fun mode. Scott Hannay jumped on for “Crosseyed and Painless”, swapping keyboards back and forth with keyboardist Richard James. It was a spectacle, to say the least.

Late night Saturday drove it all home. Grateful Dead tribute band Workingman’s Dead took the Woods Stage around midnight, giving everyone that comfortable, familiar set of Dead music that left everyone with a smile. High energy, fast tempo Grateful Dead is exactly what we needed after all that was Buffalove. If you weren’t completely out of steam, heavy-hitters After Funk closed out the whole festival in the woods with their horns blaring. Scott Hannay managed to sneak in for another sit-in, adding to the already sonic boom that is After Funk. For those resting at their campsites, there was no way you couldn’t perk up hearing this band wail through the night.

Buffalove came through. Co-founder of Buffalive Productions and Founder of Buffalove Cody Conway clearly had one goal in mind: keep the energy as high as possible. Every single band had heads turning and jaws on the ground. There was never a lull, never a band that just played to fill space. Every minute was dance-worthy. If you missed out this year, we can highly recommend you don’t make that mistake next year. Without any problems or unruly attendees, this festival made its mark at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The amount of talent coming out of Upstate New York is only paving the road for more incredible shows. Buffalove, you certainly were lovely.

June 28, 2015