Category: Blues/Jazz

Hearing Aide: Swampcandy’s ‘Swampcandy Land’

The band Swampcandy truly lives up to its name, with its music being like candy to your ears. It’s hard to believe that this band consists of just two musicians, Ruben Dobbs on guitar and Joey Mitchell on bass, as they manage to fill up a huge amount of musical space between the two of them. From self-taught Dobbs to university-trained Mitchell, one is the yin to the other’s yang, balancing each other out in the most seamless way imaginable. Their latest album Swampcandy Land has a somewhat distant quality to it, giving the listener a sense that it could have been recorded several decades ago in an old saloon or at a barn dance. You really feel like you’re sitting right there next to the musicians as they are playing each one of their unique jaw-dropping songs.

Combining a fun element with the otherwise somber genre of Mississippi Delta Blues, this band’s latest album Swampcandy Land has a way of working its way into your brain from the first listen. It’s going to be a challenge to gets these songs out of your head, especially “If I Die With My Eyes Open,” which has both infectious lyrics and a riff that is just repetitive enough to get stuck in your head without it being annoying. Adding to the driving beat present throughout the album is Mitchell’s impressive ability to simultaneously play the bass and the kick drum, on which he effectively mimics the sound of a full drum kit. “Drink Whiskey With Me” adds a jazzier, almost klezmer-like, element to the album, featuring a full-on brass section. Getting a little more psychedelic on “Positive Drinking,” somewhat bluegrassy on “Love in My Veins,” and classical and folky at the same time on “Good Day,” Swampcandy sure provided something to please everyone. Dobbs’s voice, though, is perhaps the most striking aspect of the band, covering a wide range of notes with an amazing amount of energy and soul evident in each and every one.

Touring pretty relentlessly last year, playing more than 250 shows throughout the U.S. and the U.K., Swampcandy has deservedly been gaining numerous honors in recent years, having won the 2014 Floydfest “On the Rise” competition and Radio Flag’s Radio Star Award for “Best Artist Fall 2014,” to name just a few. Judging by their latest album, it is easy to see why these awards have been bestowed upon them. Hosting a CD release party on May 22 in Annapolis, MD (with Upstate NY’s very own Blind Owl Band opening up for them), the band will be touring aggressively throughout the rest of the summer, including a stop at The Waterhole in Saranac Lake on August 13, which will definitely be a show not to miss if you happen to be in the area.

If you’re looking for an album with heartfelt lyrics, a pure classic bluesy oldtimey sound, and songs that you won’t mind humming along to all day, then Swampcandy Land is one that you’ll undoubtedly want to add to your collection. Be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out on June 1, and you will get the added bonus of a fun board game to go along with the album. These guys are creative geniuses.

Key Tracks: “If I Die With My Eyes Open,” “Drink Whiskey With Me,” “Swampcandy Land”

May 25, 2015
Pokey LaFarge Stops and Smells the Lilacs

The first Rochester Lilac Festival dates back to 1898. It added musical entertainment just a few years later in 1901. Over a century later, in 2015, Pokey LaFarge would grace the Lilac Festival stage playing music that harkened back to the festival’s humble beginnings. While his music does pull from many early music influences like Western swing, ragtime, old-time country and jazz, it manages to rise above a simple throwback. Still, Pokey LaFarge was bringing the festival way back. And he was doing it playing his new and original music, leaning heavily on material off his latest release, Something In the Water.

Everything about LaFarge fits into the persona of the music. His name, his hometown of St. Louis, the way he carries himself, his incredible voice and the company he keeps. His band, with Adam Hoskins on guitar, Ryan Koenig on harmonica, banjo and percussion, Joey Glynn on upright bass, Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet and saxophone, TJ Muller on trumpet and banjo, and Matthew Meyer on drums, kicked the set off with a jazzy intro for their time-shifting leader to waltz out to. LaFarge amassed the perfect outfit to suit his musical vision. Not only in the instrumentation, but the players he has chosen match and enhance the old-time nature of the music both in their playing and persona.

Musically, the band was able to adjust to the needs of every tune, giving each one it’s own individual character. Even in reaching its goal of sounding old, it came across quite fresh. The band contracted and expanded, forming different configurations. When Meyer took a break from the drums, it left the audience to fill in with a dance of claps and stomps on LaFarge’s instruction. The horn players each had a turn on the bench as well. A trumpet or harmonica could be swapped for a banjo or percussion. And they all chipped in with their voices, each taking at least one turn on harmonies. Of particular note was a duet with Chloe Feoranzo on “Let’s Get Lost” off of LaFarge’s self-titled album.

The festival was blessed with an unusually hot opening weekend, prompting LaFarge to declare, “Let’s forget spring and skip straight to summer,” before kicking into “City Summer Blues” featuring Adam Hoskins on slide guitar. “Wanna Be Your Man” got TJ Muller up front and center with some nifty trumpet work. They closed out the set with a cover, a rousing rendition of Bob Willis’ “What’s the Matter with the Mill” that gave every member of the band a chance to shine on a solo and the crowd one last chance to dance in the grass under the hot sun.

The crowd had steadily grown throughout the set, as passersby from the festival grounds were drawn in to the sweet sounds of old-time jazz and country. The music might even have transported some from a Lilac Festival past. I could have sworn I saw some flappers out there…

May 18, 2015
RIP Blues Legend B.B. King

Blues legend B.B. King, who influenced generations of blues musicians with his signature guitar sound, has died at age 89. Having recently been hospitalized for diabeted-related dehydration, King took a break from the road in early April and passed away in his sleep in Las Vegas last night.

A member of the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, King performed most recently at The Palace Theatre in April 2014 and at The Massry Center for the Arts in April 2013. While his health was deteriorating and his stage performance less than crisp, King still drew crowds wherever he went, a living legend with fans across the globe.

May 15, 2015
Hearing Aide: Lucid ‘Dirt’

Lucid’s newest release, Dirt, could not be released at a more ideal time. As we emerge from a winter that destroyed many of our spirits, to warm weather that has seemed like a great reward in recent weeks, this is the perfect soundtrack. This north country sextet, from Plattsburgh, NY, brings a smooth blend of jazz, reggae, soul-filled rock with tastes of different flavors of world music together on a record that shines with overwhelming positive hope and all around feel-good vibes. This will surely be the summertime soundtrack to many sunrises, afternoons in the outdoors with a cold beverage and warm nights fireside with friends.

The opening track “Cuerpo” is warm and inviting, a perfect start to the album. With beautiful harmonies from not only the voices of Lucid but a guest female voice as well. This song feels a bit lighter for the band as it’s soothing and beautiful with only small hints of the horns that will fill the rest of the album. A great introduction to what is going to be a ride through genres and styles that feels as good as sipping a cup of coffee on a north country morning with a mountain view.

From there the album kicks up the tempo a bit, reminding us why Lucid has been found on so many festival lineups throughout the past few years, they know how to get people moving. On the fourth track “Skippin’,” an uplifting song with great grooves accented by saxophone lines in all the right places, they sing such memorable lines in the chorus’ that you’ll be singing along by the song’s end. These guys can jam in a live setting but on record the longer tracks are just long enough. They move along to a new sound and a new track when the time is right, likely keeping those less accustomed to extended songs feeling good without getting bored. Though you will likely get lost in many of these tracks and feel an appreciation for Lucid’s musicianship and message, giving you time to appreciate the sounds and also your surroundings. As mentioned before, this is truly a perfect soundtrack for this hot spring that Upstate NY is enjoying right now. Some of the songs have a strong island feel and who doesn’t want that when sitting lakeside, or cruising around with the windows down a summer day?

The only downside to the record is perhaps a song or two where lyrics get a bit repetitive, or a part is carried on only just a bit too long. Even on the third track “People” when the words may lean a bit cheesy. They do it in a way that is quirky and and adorable, think a troop of Muppets jamming out, heads bobbing along. This is a band that knows how to make a listener smile. Especially on goofy interludes where they find themselves in a mess of clucking chickens, yes, that’s a real thing on this album, and it’s a perfect reminder that even with a sometimes more thoughtful message that this band never takes themselves too seriously for their own good.

Later in the album they incorporate a bit of blues harmonica on “Break A Man,” that is followed by big soulful vocals. Then the harmonica drops out, letting the keys and saxophone take charge with melodies that dance with one another, this is a track that will surely bring on hoots and howls in the live setting. Throughout the record the combination of smooth yet strong vocal harmonies, great musicianship and their ability to sway from style to style so naturally makes this a great listen start to finish. Lucid has been doing what they do for years, and it shows, growing their sound from the dirt up to places that are inspirational, uplifting, and also all around feel-good fun.

Bottom line, get this album as soon as you can and it will naturally weave itself into the fabric of your summer.

Key tracks: “Skippin’” “Psychedelic Circus” “Simmer on Down”

For tour dates and information on the album’s release, follow Lucid online at: rulucid.com and facebook.com/RuLucid

May 9, 2015
Natalie Cressman Keeps the Late Night Grooving at the Blue Note Jazz Club

For 34 years the Blue Note Jazz Club has been cramming this small, railroad style club, full of music enthusiasts, shoulder to shoulder and back to back. The late night groove series which showcases local up-and-coming artists (such as Natalie Cressman) across many genres from funk to R&B, was the perfect place for this blend of classic jazz melodies fused with everything from Bossa Nova to Indie Rock.

Natalie Cressman (trombone, lead vocals) and her band, Ivan Jackson (trumpet, vocals), Mike Bono (guitar), Jonathan Stein (bass), Samora Pinderhughes (keys), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums) combined their musical talents and influences to walk us through a Pandoras Box of uptempo beats and traditional jazz.

The night began with “Motherless Child” reminiscent of a blend of Brazilian Jazz and Samba featuring a powerful solo by Jackson and an opportunity for the entire band to show off their talent while Cressman conceded to the side stage to let them shine.

On “Stolen Bells” Cressman and Jackson started off showcasing the cohesion of the small horn section while Pinderhughes forewent the grand piano to take us for a ride on his Nord. Cressman showed off her vocals for the first time of the evening on “Fortune’s Fool” off of her 2014 release Turn The Sea giving way to a lengthy piano solo by Pinderhughes on the soft and gentle tune. “The Unknown” gave Cressman a chance to further captivate the audience with her singing, then transporting the audience to a 1960’s jazz club full of hepcats with the retro composition “You’ll Never Know”. Jackson then took the lead on both vocals and trumpet for a cover of Bon Iver’s “Blindsided” penned by Justin Vernon before Cressman lead us into the passionate melodies of “New Moon” with her captivating range.

Being performed for the first time live, “Traces” was driven by Stein laying down the rhythm on his seven string bass while Cressman and Jackson showed us what great chemistry can do for a tune while Jackson’s backup vocals only accentuated Cressman’s lead, giving the audience the feeling this was a song they have played a hundred times before. The young band leader returned to her horn for the lead on “Turn The Sea” the self-titled track off of her 2014 album. The band led the late night jazz fans on an improvisational jam and stretched out “Fallin” with Jackson driving it home with his phenomenal trumpet work. Bono was given a chance to showcase his guitar play with extended solo’s on Hanne Hukkelberg’s “Do Not As I Do” before turning back to Cressman’s crooning on “Warm Winds”. This late night at NYC’s most historic jazz club was driven to a close with “Stolen Away” an upbeat number alternating back and forth between guitar riffs and trombone, featuring Bono and Cressman playing off each other, leaving the fans wanting more.

You can catch Natalie Cressman next with Jesus On The Mainline at Brooklyn Bowl on April 28, tickets available here or with her full band at MAYfest a Music Art and Yoga festival May 22-24 in Cold Spring, NY, purchase your tickets here.

*Photos By: Mark Dershowitz

April 23, 2015
Interview: Natalie Cressman Band at The Blue Note Jazz Club April 18

On Saturday April 18, Natalie “Chainsaw” Cressman will grace the stage at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club with her full band and blend of jazz, funk, and just the right touch of indie rock. With her own band she showcases her songwriting and composing talents highlighted by beautiful vocals and stellar trombone play. Natalie Cressman has taken cues from band leaders such as Trey Anastasio and Peter Apfelbaum to assemble an amazing line-up of musicians behind her. Calling on some of her most trusted friends and colleagues certainly makes it easier for this band of young up and coming musicians to click and fire on all cylinders.

You can purchase tickets for Natalie Cressman Band April 18 at the Blue Note Jazz Club here.

Natalie Cressman took some time out of her busy schedule, which includes multiple bands, duets, side projects, sit-ins, and baking to answer some questions about her current project, her influences and her upcoming show at The Blue Note:

Graig Adler: How would you describe your current project? Who are the members of the Natalie Cressman Band?

Natalie Cressman: The music is definitely an eclectic mix of styles, both old and very new. Anyone who knows me knows I have a love for a crazy range of music, from Brazilian choro to Kendrick Lamar. As a result, my music pulls from elements of established traditions including jazz and world music, but fused with more modern soundscapes it becomes something entirely new and somewhat uncategorizable. My bandmates are some of my best friends, and also some of the most brilliant musical minds I have ever encountered. The band usually consists of Ivan Jackson (trumpet, vocals), James Casey (tenor sax, vocals) though unfortunately he won’t be with us on Saturday, Samora Pinderhughes (keys) who I’ve been playing music with since we were 10 years old, Mike Bono (guitar), Jonathan Stein (bass), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums).

GA: Where do you draw your influences from for this project?

NC: Everywhere from rhythmic traditions of the african diaspora, jazz, soul, funk, and indie rock. There’s a density and layering of elements so on one hand it’s really accessible but layered with harmonic and rhythmic depth that I think makes us really unique.

GA: Are you writing most of the music yourself?

NC: I write all the songs and arrange them myself, but each band member infuses the music with their own personality and tastes, so they definitely have a huge creative impact on the sound too.

GA: There was an obvious evolution from Unfolding to Turn The Sea , especially in your vocals, how have you evolved since? Do you have a new album in the works, how will it be different from the first two.

NC: I think I’ve developed a lot as a songwriter even since Turn the Sea, because I’ve been cultivating my original voice without relying quite so much on certain elements that come naturally to me because of my jazz background, such as having a lot of moving chord changes. I’m trying to be really deliberate with my musical choices and I think that awareness is changing the way I write. The other big thing that’s changed is that I’m getting more into the production side of things. I’m working on a new EP that will be wildly different because it’ll be a combination of live instruments and electronic-based productions, that in my opinion heighten emotional impact of my songs. But it’s still music from my very eclectic point of view, with my horn writing, so it’s not departing from what I’ve done previously, merely developing it further.Turn the Sea sort of hinted at this direction but now I’m embracing it whole-heartedly.

GA: Of all the different groups and projects you are currently involved in, besides your own, which are you most excited about?

NC: I’m excited about so many different projects, but at the moment I’m most excited about playing in Peter Apfelbaum’s S P A R K L E R!! He is one of my favorite composers and I love the wildly creative nature of this band, plus I get to rap and play bass on some of our tunes! I also love playing with Jesus on the Mainline, such a fun band with some of my favorite people. We have a show this month at Brooklyn Bowl and we’re pumped.

GA: What festivals will you be performing at this summer? Is there one that you are most excited about?

NC: I’m excited to return to Burlington’s Jazz Fest with my band in June, we love playing up there. Besides that, I’ll be in Europe for a bunch of the summer so actually am missing a lot of the big festivals. But I am probably most excited to be playing Catskill Chill w/ my band for the first time, as we haven’t done many jam-centric festivals at this point. I think people will dig what we bring to the table. Not exactly a festival, but I’m really stoked about the super jam in Chicago post-GD50 that also happens to be on my birthday. The line-up is bananas, it’s gonna be so dope.

GA: We know you have been playing the trombone since a very young age, can you play any other instruments?

NC: I play some piano and electric bass, and am just picking up guitar. I can also play trumpet and tuba pretty terribly.

GA: It is becoming well-known you bake recreationally, will there be “Chainsaw Cookies” for sale at the Blue Note?

NC: Unfortunately, I have a feeling that my bake sale won’t fly at The Blue Note merch booth, so no “Chainsaw Cookies” this time around. But I am considering opening an Etsy page for my “bakery,” as an outlet for my baking obsession….

GA: One of your most popular performances from last year was when TAB covered Ana Tijoux’s “1977”, how did that come about? Do you speak Spanish or any other languages?

NC: I think Trey got the idea when one of his daughters played the song while they were driving around in his car. He just got this crazy idea for us to cover it and called me up. And I never like saying no to his crazy ideas because most of them turn out to be awesome. So I got to work learning the song at half-speed, line by line, until I could do it. I speak French fluently and a bit of Portuguese, and I’ve sung in Spanish and Portuguese a bunch growing up, so I think Trey thought rapping wouldn’t be any different. But it took me a loooonnnng time to get that rap down.

GA: Being such a young band leader what have you learned from working with Trey Anastasio in TAB?

NC: I’ve learned about a million things from Trey about being a bandleader but some of his most impressive qualities are his boundless creative energy, positivity, and work ethic. He wakes up at the crack of dawn almost everyday and gets straight to work on various ideas and projects. One quote he’s passed on to me that I’ve really taken to heart was from his old music teacher, who used to say “It’s so good it should be even better.” That concept of forever revising and improving on one’s craft made a huge impact on me, and that’s really reflective of Trey’s super-human work ethic.

April 14, 2015
The Perfect Get Away for an Adult Night Out – Turquoise Tiger Featuring Devin Bing

Looking for a new and different place to spend a quiet evening away from the kids? Looking for a unique place just brimming with a romance, beautiful music, and specialty drinks on hand to round out the perfect setting to take your special someone? Whether it’s making a first impression or showing that someone how special they are to you, I have the perfect setting; The Turquoise Tiger at the Turning Stone Exit 33.

Turquoise Tiger – Turning Stone Casino

This venue has been fashioned after 1940’s Film Noir. It features the sexiest specialty drinks around, classic 1940’s period art deco design, photos of the jazz and standards greats, and featuring some of today’s most sought after musicians to entertain you. Seated by a dapper young man decked out in a zoot suit, it’s as though you are transformed into a different era the moment you step inside the doors.

Turquoise Tiger – Turning Stone Casino

I recently had the opportunity to visit the venue and meet one of the regular musicians, Devin Bing. Devin hails from New York City and his blend of sultry crooning, and jazzy beats of the great standards bring a toe tapping mix t0 some of my all time favorite tunes.

Devin Bing – Turning Stone

In between sets of his show, Devin so generously sat down to talk with us recently about his music, his inspirations, and his future plans.

Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi There. I am so super impressed with you. With your talent. You are so young to love this genre of music. Tell me how did you come to play this type of music.

Devin Bing (DB): I know right. I am a product of my environment. My mother is a cabaret singer and actress, and my father started a live theater off-Broadway, very off-Broadway in Long Island. So I grew up with Gershwin, and all that music. So the music again, was a product of my environment as I heard it all the time. It was just so beautiful to me. I also am into instrumental jazz. Once I heard Miles Davis “Kinda Blue”, I was like “WOW”, love the art of improvisation. That’s why I do the trumpet sound.

KS: That was amazing, I was blown away by your vocal talents beyond just the singing.

DB: When I was growing up and studying music, and I was evolving as a musician and singer, fascinating to me was George Benson and Ella Fitzgerald’s scatting and their vocal improvisation. I been lucky enough to learn an instrument to improvise on, but to the take the vocal instrument and emulate and turn it into a horn player or something more has always been a passion of mine.

KS: When making note of it I titled it “vocal trumpet”.

DB: You know what I call it? A “Trumouth”. You know a Trumpet + Mouth? It actually has brought me attention for gigs as people see it online and want to book me because of it. But seriously, Miles Davis was a big influence and bridging that vocalist/instrumental thing has always been a passion of mine.

KS: You mentioned you studied music. Did you study through high school, or did you go to a musical college?

DB: Yes, yes I did. I went to University of Miami. Not sure if you are familiar with it, but it’s one of the top 5 jazz schools in the nation. What happened was all the studio musicians from the 60’s and 70’s had a big studio explosion at that time down in Miami. So in the 70’s when all these studio cats, who were jazz players doing studio sessions for the Bee Gee’s and artists like that, got together they decided to stay down there and start a program. And then from the late 70’s on it just grew. So I went down there as a vocalist, but I ended up double majoring in both vocals and piano. It actually was the first time they had someone do that.

KS: After graduation you returned to NY?

DB: Yes. I was living in Miami hustling the scene. But there really wasn’t a scene for me there. It was very club heavy. Very Latin Band. There really wasn’t the cultural scene for what I did. So being from Long Island, I decided to come back home because it was better for what I had decided to do.

KS: So who are your musical influences? I can guess just by listening to your first set list, but I want to hear from you.

DB: No…no I want to hear who you think.

KS: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie…maybe Ella….who am I missing?

DB: No you did great…in fact the list goes on and on. When I was younger, when I was 13 or 14 and all my friends were listening to Back Street Boys, I was listening to Miles Davis and Mel Torme. I was an anomaly. I wanted to be the next Harry Connick Jr. Harry Connick Jr. was someone I listened to an it’s funny how when you grow up you emulate artists and you are trying to figure out your sounds, I emulated Harry Connick Jr. Then I got into Stevie Wonder. I was like oh my God, that was like great. I wanted to sing like that. But do it in jazz. I kinda had this soul and Motown meets jazz. In fact my second set of my act features Stevie Wonder. It’s a part one and part two kind of show.

KS: Well I have to say, you blew me away with part one of the show. You sang one of my all time favorites songs, “Nature Boy”. And I loved your jazzy soulful rendition of it. Normally it’s a really slow song, but you breathed a new life into it.

DB: Oh good, and that’s really what’s happening to me in New York where I’m carving a new niche of jazz singing even the standards. Where I’m taking all these traditional songs and turning them on their heads giving them a younger hipper sound.

KS: Do you see a younger crowd coming to your shows? Tonight you have a mix of 30’s, 40’s, 50’s all here appreciating your music. Do you find you audiences getting younger?

DB: Absolutely, I have been headlining a club down in NYC called the Metropolitan. It’s off-Broadway, so being off Broadway there are a lot of cabaret singers and I’m very different. I’m not a cabaret singer, I’m straight jazz and pianist. But I sing a lot of the same songs they sing. We all sing “My Funny Valentine”, we all sing “Nature Boy”, and the Gershwin tunes, but no one sings them the way I do. I did a show at Lincoln Center and it was a show with a lot of cabaret singers. I came out and sang “Fly Me To The Moon”. And all 1,200 people were like…. It’s been really exciting to be able to do music that I love and to be able to keep it alive and give it this fresh facelift.

KS: Do you have any projects going on? Don’t you have a new album you’re working on?

DB: Yes, yes I do and I’m glad you want to hear about it, because I love talking about it. It’s an album called Shaken Not Stirred. Now I wanted to develop a concept that brought back the art of the LP which is a full album. So many people are making mixed tapes of just single songs and whatnot. I wanted to create something that was not just a collaboration of single songs. So I wrote this album to tell a story from beginning to end. I wrote and produced every composition, and I wrote it cinematically so that you are almost listening to a movie. It takes you through this epic love story about a crooner/night club singer, that meets this mysterious woman and goes on this search to find her. After searching for her he finally finds her and asks her to surrender to loving him. They get together only to discover there’s the opposite side of the love where he finds out she’s not exactly everything he had imagined. Then the torment begins. It goes through this element of I want it all or nothing at all. I actually throw the song All of Nothing At All in there where it goes through that part; the addiction of love and how you need it. Then you go through the ultimatum where it’s me or nothing, and then ultimately the last song is about coming to the realization of his destiny. A lot of it is based on Paulo Coelho’s book The Alchemist in the sense of how it focuses on finding your destiny. The moral of it is, whatever love it is you are pursuing, never give up and follow your destiny. There is a lot of layers to it, but ultimately when you listen to it from beginning to end, it’s this love story with beautiful arrangements, and again it’s got this cinematic style.

KS: When can we expect the release of this album? I can’t wait to hear it.

DB: We’re finishing it up and expect a release in early part of 2015.

KS: Are you planning on going out to tour with it?

DB: Absolutely. We’re doing some things in Brooklyn and some throughout NYC, and then after that we’re hoping to be out touring with it.

KS: Well I can’t wait for its release and hearing your new music!

As the interview concluded and he returned to get ready for the second set of the evening this extremely talented young man-made a lasting impression on me. I love to see the music of some of the greatest performers and entertainers of all time continue today with a flair from this new generation. Often compared to Michael Buble’ and Harry Connick Jr., Devin Bing is definitely making a name for himself, while continuing to honor traditional standards in a new soulful way.

I highly recommend a night out at The Turquoise Tiger for a relaxing evening of fine drinks, a timelessly classic atmosphere, and some of the best music around. To catch Devin this month at The Turquoise Tiger, don’t forget to mark your calendars for April 10th and 11th at 9pm when he once again returns.

Devin Bing – Turning Stone Casino

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Devin Bing – Turning Stone Casino

April 9, 2015
Hearing Aide: JJ Grey and Mofro ‘Ol’ Glory’

From the former farmlands of Jacksonville, JJ Grey and his band Mofro have made a sweep of the northeast, bringing a funky sizzle that can only come from down south. In their most recent release, entitled Ol’ Glory, this seven piece ensemble brings listeners an eccentric mix of Earth Wind & Fire, James Brown, and Al Greene sensibilities.

There’s no doubt that Grey has a bluesy roughness to his vocal tone, and with the combination of a brass section, tight harmony lines, and gnarly bass parts, this is guaranteed to be the soundtrack of your (hopefully soon) spring barbecue.

Despite the underlying groove ringing throughout Ol’ Glory, there are 12 unique tracks that make up this record. Tracks like “Hold On Tight” set the scene for your candlelight dinner, while the incorporation of the guitar slide on “The Island” brings you to an outdoor tailgate scene. As the songwriter, JJ Grey also incorporates his coffeehouse roots with a country sensibility in songs like “Tic Tac Toe” and “The Hurricane.”

For those with motown-colored ears, tracks like “Everything is a Song” and “Brave Lil’ Fighter” are sure to be right up your alley. While those may be great warming up tunes, however, the real dance jams come later in the album, like my personal favorite, “Turn Loose.” I try not to use the slang term ‘phat’ often, but if you hear the rhythm of this tune, you’ll be sure to understand my reasoning.

While JJ & Mofro may not be stopping in on New York this festival season, they will be headlining several national festivals and playing alongside bands like No Doubt and Zac Brown Band. In the meantime, you can learn every song on their Soundcloud and keep up to date with their tour via Facebook and their website.

Key Tracks: Ol’ Glory, Turn Loose, Brave Lil’ Fighter

March 4, 2015
Hearing Aide: Castle Creek ‘The Only Life’

Central NY based Castle Creek is a duo composed of singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalists Kim Monroe: vocals, guitars, Rhodes, organ, bass, percussion, cello and Chris Eves: vocals, guitars, Rhodes, organ, bass, drums. This is their first full-length CD, The Only Life, released in November 2014 and is solidifying the path they’ve been creating from the northeast to Austin, Texas and to the west coast at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. in January. They’ll have the honor of performing at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse following the sold-out SAMMY Award Hall Of Fame Dinner on March 5.

As if that wasn’t enough, the CD is self-produced and engineered, with all song-writing credits to Kim and Chris besides track 6 which is a Monroe/Mark Doyle composition. Bruce Monroe contributed lap-steel to track 1. Matt Mangano at Southern Ground Studio, Nashville is credited with the mix, and Independent Mastering, Nashville with the finishing touches. All of these facets together make for a dynamic and soulful blend of what the duo describes as alternative blues. It’s fitting as the elements of snarl and bite mix intricately with the bluesy rise and fall of their emotive vocals, each voice standing easily alone or perfectly complimenting the other.

The duo first met at a mutual friend’s wedding where Kim sat in with Chris’ band that was performing there. They talked afterward about songwriting and their own solo projects, eventually writing “Brand New Blues”, that is on this release, that day. Before Castle Creek, Chris attended Berklee and had been a national touring/session guitarist, writing and recording his own songs along the way. Two of those are featured here, “New Normal” and “Bigger Than the Two of Us”. Kim is a multiple SAMMY winner for her two solo albums recorded with Mark Doyle in Syracuse, she credits him for, “Essentially teaching me how to rehearse with a band, how to record music in a studio, introducing me to Soul Music and pushing me to be a better performer.” She then performed in a Buffalo area musical collaboration with Robby Takac of Goo Goo Dolls, called Amungus. After building a reputation around the northeast under their own names as a duo, they took the name Castle Creek for this, their first full-length release.

Before reading their answers to my questions and while listening to their disc the first time, I had a good idea where some of their influences came from. It’s one of my favorite parts of writing reviews, and it’s always interesting to see where those influences take them. Kim lists Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, I had both, even before seeing a picture of Kim placing her left hand in Bonnie’s left handprint at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Chris’ were evident watching him rip the slide guitar during a Vinyl – Albums Live performance of The Black Crowes, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion”, he lists The Allman Brothers as well among others. Both he and Kim have diverse musical tastes, something that holds true with many great musicians, they appreciate, listen to and learn from all genres of music from classical to pop to metal.

The opener, “The Only Life I’ve Ever Known” gives a deep expression of what’s to come throughout this whole offering. The counter-point between Monroe’s growl, the plaintive wail of Greg Monroe’s lap steel and Eves’ slide work illustrate the emotion pouring from the lyric. You can almost hear Raitt split into two personalities and doubled through the mix, it grabs at your heart and pulls hard. “Brand New Blues” straddles a similar line with Eve’s blues riff coloring Monroe’s grit and determination. The way their vocals compliment is noteworthy as well, Eves’ tempered soul softens Monroe’s edge at just the right moments while allowing her natural twists and turns to come through in a searing fashion. She’s telling you a story, it’s real, heartfelt and emotional, commanding your attention.

“Dragging My Heart Around” lets Eves come to the front vocally and the tune rolls to the rock side of blues embellished by the Hammond swirling. The depth of their instrumental abilities is remarkable, Chris hits ‘em hard here, he could easily be a drummer and that’s a lot to say. Many attempt this and it ends in tears, here he does that and more as he answers with a ripping guitar solo to top it off, amazing stuff! You can almost hear The Black Crowes on “Burning Bridges” with it’s swampy slide and rhythm until Monroe kicks the vocal in and it becomes all Castle Creek. The driving beat and quality of the mix provide a platform for Monroe to tell another incredibly personal tale from. Her vocal range and consistent quality are exemplary and allow the song to rise and fall with each new verse supported by and accentuated with Eves’ brilliant guitar work.

“New Normal” brings Eves to the forefront again and Castle Creek keeps showing different levels and voices they have in their arsenal. This tale of triumph is well written and expressed as kindred spirits find each other. While tales of being outcast and alone can sometimes wear heavily, disaffection becomes something of the past to reflect on and rise above here, uplifting while the sadness slips away. “New Reality”, the Monroe/Doyle composition, is straight-up blues and self discovery. Monroe shreds an exposition of growth away from small town entitlement to the heights available to her through herself. “Glass Heart” is a classic moving on song, the difficulty of doing so and the disillusion of love gone bad. The analogy is strong and the lyrical turns ring true.

“Brace For The Heartache” shows how the blues turns so easily to rock, the rave-up guitar tracks push Monroe along, “I could see this coming from miles away, We bend until we break, All that I could do is hold on and brace for the heartache”. The Hammond solo fits so perfectly and segues into the big guitar riff that takes you to the close, brilliant rock music right here.
“Bigger Than the Two of Us” has a Buckingham/Nicks self-exposure kind of feel, after all, the best of songs come from personal experience. The guitars are big and the groove is solid, when Kim and Chris sing together it’s very easy to believe everything they say. This is single material for sure.

“The Saddest Long Song” brings the tempo down and Kim’s bluesy vocal evokes an image of a smoky club and a single spotlight shining as she pours her heart out to a silent audience hanging on every note. The blistering guitar solo only heightens the tension in the room until it softens and ushers her story back in. Cue the audience standing and cheering. “Warpaint” spins the disc back into overdrive, flexing the muscle of a determined woman expressing her self-confidence and her undeniable charms. When this band rocks, it hits hard and wonderfully counters its softer side, but I believe it’s where the band soars. The closer, “Flown Away” acoustically brings the set to an end. Chris’ lead and Kim’s harmonies combined with the string parts are stunningly somber, yet beautiful at the same time. When it’s a song of hope, there’s always a chance for another chapter in the story.

Key Tracks: The Only Life I’ve Ever Known, Bigger Than the Two of Us, The Saddest Love Song

Kim and Chris have deep appreciation for their families, friends and supports. From Chris: My parents who are very supportive. My Brother Travis. My teachers growing up in the area- Ed Vollmer, Carmen Caramanica, Rick Balestra. From Kim: My Mother Liz and Father Bruce who both introduced me to the music business in different ways. My Step-Father Greg for introducing me to off the wall music I never would have heard. Mark Doyle for essentially teaching me how to rehearse with a band, how to record music in a studio, introducing me to Soul Music and pushing me to be a better performer. Chris for making me the performer/musician that I currently am. And it seems obvious but of course to everyone who has bought our music, come to our shows, loaded our gear, made us look/sound good on stage, given us places to stay on the road and musicians who have learned our music and been a part of a band with us. Castle Creek will give you many opportunities to experience their musical magic live and I highly suggest you do that, after you purchase this cd of course. You can follow Castle Creek on Facebook and on their website.

February 24, 2015
Hearing Aide: Dave Spadaro Group’s Self-Titled Debut

Dave Spadaro Group has come out of the gates in 2015 with a great record blending together jazz, funk, blues, and rock. With this self-titled debut, they have let the world know they are here to make beautiful music to put into your ears. The seven song album moves along too quickly in the 42 minutes, it goes and leaves you wanting more. For a debut record, this is exactly what you want from a band.

“Pushin” starts the record off strong with a great guitar groove from Dave Spadaro, that is accompanied by wonderful saxophone work by Brian Patneaude. Brian takes the song over with wonderful melodies dancing over the great rhythms by Stephen Orsini on bass, Andrew Costa on keyboards and Brandon Isles on drums. The playing between Andrew and Dave in the middle of the song in a call and response before Brian takes back over is a truly beautiful music moment. Like many songs throughout the album, if you close your eyes you can picture the band directly in front of you coaxing those extra notes out of one another to push the limits of the songs.

Funk and psychedelia take over in the latter part of “The Upside”, pushing the band into new territory and getting more of how the band sounds live onto the album. Although the jam in this song was most likely thought out clearly, the fact that it sounds like a live jam is a testament to how great the musicianship on the album is. “It’s Alright” gives the album its “single” with Josh Farrell on vocals. This is the most radio-friendly tune on the album, which isn’t a bad thing, because the more chance people have to hear this band the better.

“As She Moves” brings the album to a slow groove with help from Jeff Nania on sax and flute. Careful guitar interplay by Dave lets Jeff highlight the song. “They Said” and “Fat Tony” bring the album to a close, with “Fat Tony” putting a great cap to the album with beautiful solos by Dave, taking over the song completely, yet not overshadowing the rest of the band. Spanning so many genres, music lovers should have no problem getting cozy with this album through the remainder of the cold winter months, staying warm with the wonderful grooves that the Dave Spadaro Group lays down. The album is available now on their soundcloud page or at live shows around the Capitol Region.

Key Tracks: Pushin, It’s Alright, Fat Tony

February 23, 2015