Jazz musicians play The Egg fairly often, so the venue couldn’t have been more perfect when JAZZ IS PHSH came to Albany on June 27. With jazz musicians Domi Degalle (keys) and Felix Pastorius (bass) joining jam scene musicians Alicia Aubin (trombone, Big Mean Sound Machine), Dave “The Truth” Grippo (saxophone, Grippo Funk Band) and Rob Compa (guitar, Dopapod), JAZZ IS PHSH founder and drummer Adam Chase welcomed the audience to a unique performance of Phish’s music. A few dozen fans danced throughout the show in the upper rows of the intimate Swyer Theater, while others sat and enjoyed what could pass for engaging lounge music passively enjoyed while sipping a glass of wine at a neighborhood bistro.
A jazzed out version of “46 Days” began a night-long version of ‘Name that Tune,’ but for Phish songs; it took a moment or two for even the most fervent fan to figure out where each jazz odyssey was about to venture. “Dog Log” featured solos from Grippo and Aubin, followed by Domi’s first moment in the spotlight of the evening, with a re-entry to the final segment of the song done in textbook fashion. A Wayne Shorter/Q-Tip mashup came next in the form of “Ya Mar/ManWomanBoogie,” with a funk form of the calypso beat underlying the musicians, allowing the audience to get lost in the jazz groove while picking out the elements of the Phish cover and Q-Tip original.
“Bathtub Gin” had Felix sitting statuesque on his stool and took a solo that had all but Chase standing and watching, while Domi was steady and academic on “Gin,” one of the most popular tunes of the night, and easiest to identify. After, Chase informed the crowd that they would be playing a song that half the band had never heard, but fans would know off the iconic drumbeat, and with that, “The Wedge (Variations)” began, and the free flowing jam grew from Chase’s drumbeat. You have to think Trey Anastasio, let alone the rest of Phish, would love this band, watching their jazz-influenced compositions get reconstructed by jam and jazz musicians.
“Peaches en Regalia” was as tight as a jazz band could be playing Zappa, with Grippo performing double duty on clarinet and saxophone. Compa shined on “The Moma Dance,” a funky “Cars Trucks Buses” and “Stash,” which wrapped up the set with the audience clapping along to and introducing another element of Phish to the jazz musicians tonight – the fans are part of the show too. A “Camel Walk” encore, called out by Felix, was straight forward with jazz and funk and left the audience buzzing about a return performance down the road.
Setlist: 46 Days, Dog Log, Ya Mar/ManWomanBoogie, Bathtub Gin, The Wedge (variations), Peaches En Regalia, The Moma Dance, Cars Trucks Buses, Stash Encore: Camel Walk^
^Manteca teases
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Bad Religion have released “The Kids Are Alt-Right,” a sharp takedown of the alt-right movement delivered with their signature brand of socially conscious and sardonic punk.
With a nod to The Who’s 1965 anthem, “The Kids Are Alt-Right” is poignant in a tense political climate, with lyrics that cut right to the core – “Humanity is a nowhere scene/When everybody has an AR-15.” A lyric video offers an onslaught of unnerving images, including girls taking selfies in KKK hoods and chalk body outlines as constellations. Southern California punk is awake and alive with Bad Religion and their powerful yet melodic Southern California hardcore sound.
JAZZ IS PHSH is in the middle of their Northeast tour across New York, with stops in New Hampshire and Boston, bringing with them an incredible lineup of musicians who explore the music of Phish with a focus on improvisation of the group’s many compositions. Adam Chase, co-founder of the JAZZ IS PHSH ensemble, is introducing broader audiences to not only the music of Phish from musicians who did not come up in the jam world, but to also introduce Phish fans to musicians that may or may not have been on their radar.
The current tour includes familiar faces in the jam scene such as Rob Compa of Dopapod, a Berklee School of Music graduate who has been performing recently with Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, where you can hear Compa’s jazz influences come out from a smooth sounding acoustic duo. A trio of horns features trombonist Alicia Aubin of Big Mean Sound Machine and Ithaca College alumni who has performed across the country with the high-energy funk band, and as far away as China and Russia. Rounding out the horns section are Carl “Geerz” Gerhard and Dave “The Truth” Grippo of Phish’s Giant Country horns, the latter two of which performed with Phish numerous times in the early 90’s. Grippo continues to perform with Grippo Funk Band in the Burlington area and has toured with Trey Anastasio Band on numerous occasions.
Familiarity with these players will make jam fans feel at home, while Felix Pastorius and Domi Degalle will add in fresh jazz takes on the music of Phish. Son of Jaco, Felix Pastorius walks in his father’s footsteps as a bass guitarist, who at the age of 19 was recommended by Victor Wooten to fill the bass chair in Jeff Coffin’s Mu’tet. He won a Grammy with jazz mainstay The Yellowjackets, and now based in New York City, has started his own projects, including an incredible jazz fusion group The Hipster Assassins. Domi is a teenage musical prodigy and was brought up in a musical family in France and began playing music at age 2, entered Conservatory at age 5 to study classical and jazz. She is now studying on a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music and has performed with the likes of Thundercat, David Gilmour, Ghost-Note, MonoNeon,Louis Cole & More. Both musicians are well known in jazz circles and join the band for a different angle on the music of Phish, a twist on your everyday troupe.
The group will perform this month in Albany at The Egg on June 27, at Buffalo Iron Works on June 28, and ANTHOLOGY in Rochester on June 29. They recently stopped at Brooklyn Bowl to perform with Strange Machines on June 16. Check out a photo gallery over at Relix. Adam Chase, who also plays drums in JAZZ IS PHSH spoke to NYS Music about the upcoming shows and how their interpretations of Phish’s music stands apart from others.
Pete Mason: How did you assemble this tour’s lineup for Jazz is Phish?
Adam Chase: I really like combining musicians from a variety of backgrounds on each show, whether it’s older and younger musicians, male and female, black and white, etc. And for this project the musical backgrounds being diverse is very important, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Having a combination of musicians that are familiar with the music and musicians that never listened to Phish before I introduced them to it is the best recipe for really doing justice to the compositions while pushing the boundaries of what the tunes can sound like.
For this run I am particularly excited about having the teenage piano prodigy, DOMi, on the road with us. Having grown up in France and having her exposure to music in America be through jazz and classical professors at Berklee School of Music and through her collaborations with Thunder Cat, Knower, and Ghost Note, her lack of knowledge of Phish has been really fun for me. She is so talented that she can take the sheet music I give her and not only play the complex compositions with ease, but is also able to expand the ideas and improvise in a way that I’ve never heard within the framework of a Phish song.
Being able to pair her talents with Felix Pastorius is very exciting for me as well. As many people know, Felix is the son of Jaco Pastorius, which carries a fair amount of weight for the level of talent one would expect, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Felix himself is one of the best bassists around and he has his own voice on his instrument. His knowledge of music and his approach to playing bass is mind bending and he is one of my favorite musicians to play with.
In addition we have Rob Compa of Dopapod who is great guitarist and amazing human being, Alicia Aubin from Big Mean Sound Machine who will be making her debut with us and Dave Grippo of The Giant Country Horns. It’s always fun for me to play music with guys like Carl Gerhard and Dave Grippo, because growing up in the 90s as a Phish head, I had a ton of cassette tapes of those guys playing with Phish. They are quintessential figures in the Phish experience.
PM: What makes the interpretations of Phish’s music done by JAZZ IS PHSH different from those of other Phish tributes?
AC: There are lots of Phish cover bands. I don’t consider this to be a Phish cover band, though it is absolutely a Phish tribute. I may be splitting hair with terminology, but when I think of a Phish cover band, I think of a band trying to play Phish songs like Phish did in attempt to recreate the experience of seeing Phish (or as close to that as they can get). With Jazz Is Phsh our goal is to create a unique experience, where the music is a vehicle for incredible musicians to put their own identity into the music. Not just from an improvisational perspective but also from a compositional perspective.
Every song that we have done arrangements for have happened in a group setting with musicians that range from Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy and Kofi Burbridge of Tedeschi Trucks Band, but also Michael Ray of Sun Ra Arkestra and Anthony Wellington of Victor Wooten Band. With each arrangement, we have not only reharmonizes the vocal melodies to fit into a horn section but for many songs we have composed original parts, reworked existing parts and even mashed up Phish songs with jazz songs and in some cases even jazz influenced hip hop.
A recent mashup we did took the popular Phish cover “Yamar” (which is actually an old calypso song) and mashed it up with the Q Tip song “ManWomanBoogie”. What makes this mashup so cool is that the Q Tip song was a variation of a sample of a Wayne Shorter jazz piece. What makes this so relevant to me is that jazz is often trapped in a box and held to just being swing music or a sound associated with the legends of the origins of jazz. But jazz is much more than that. Just follow the career of Herbie Hancock and you will see how jazz has evolved into funk, hip hop and so much more. The idea of jam music to me is the intersection of jazz and rock and roll. So to be able to explore the brilliant music of Phish in this way is what jazz is all about.
PM: Is there an era of Phish that lines up with the sound of Jazz is Phish more than any other?
AC: I think what we are doing is very unique and different so it would be hard to say if it lines up with any particular era of Phish. I do however enjoy turning on musicians to some of the early compositions of Phish as the complexity of the arrangements are very “Zappa-esque” and provide a challenge and in some cases an explanation of what a musician would find so charming about Phish’s music. But really there are Phish songs throughout their career that lend themselves so well to a horn driven, instrumental, funky jazzy setting.
PM: This is your first time in Albany, and you’re playing in The Swyer Theater at The Egg – what can fans expect from a show in this intimate venue?
AC: We are particularly excited to play this beautiful room. It’s always special when playing this type of music, to be in a room with great sound and a great feel. It really opens up the dynamics of the music and the creativity the musicians feel. I find that shows in rooms like this, feel like they have room to breathe, which is very exciting. I am looking forward to really giving each musician an opportunity to showcase their talents while also exploring the music collectively in a way that will really connect everyone in the audience with everyone on stage. When everyone on stage and the audience are all listening wholeheartedly and in the moment, magic can be made.
Trumpeter Augie Haas has released “Have You Met Miss Jones,” the second single from his forthcoming album Have We Met, due to be released on July 20. Augie is one of the most in-demand trumpet players in New York, having worked with artists such as Harry Connick, Jr., The Maria Schneider Orchestra and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and is currently a regular member of the orchestra for Aladdin on Broadway.
Augie says of the album, “I am excited, not just for the new single ‘Have You Met Miss Jones,’ but for the entire record. With time moving faster than ever, we wanted to create music that encourages people to pour a cocktail, close their eyes, and forget about life’s troubles. I’m Augie Haas; have we met?”
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Augie earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of the Performing Arts. After Chicago, he attended The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Conservatory for a Masters in Studio Music in Jazz and a Doctorate in Musical Arts.
Augie has released four albums under his co-founded label Playtime Music: The Llama, Doing it Augie Style, Baby Jazz, and his latest album Endless, featuring all original compositions. Most recently he published his first book entitled Build Your Range.
Upcoming shows: July 19 @ Birdland | New York NY
August 8 @ Wynwood Yard | Miami, FL
August 10 @ Jazz Estate | Milwaukee, WI
This weekend, there are two chances to celebrate Pride month in New York City, with annual events in Harlem and Manhattan. On Saturday June 23rd, celebrate Harlem Pride in West Harlem, a new location for an annual event that recently outgrew Jackie Robinson Park. Harlem Pride Celebration Day will be held on 12th Avenue between West 135th and West 138th Streets, with an all new layout, allowing for more music, and sponsors, community tables, food vendors, activities, and of course, more attendees. Things get started at 12 and go until 6pm.
On Sunday, June 24, PrideFest is New York City’s annual LGBT street fair that combines vendors, entertainers and activities for a day of fun and celebration in the name of equality. PrideFest attracts thousands of out-of-state visitors and brings them together with local residents and families, corporate sponsors, community leaders, and local business owners. PrideFest is the perfect place to stop to listen to a few tunes, grab a bite to eat, or score Pride gear. And of course, attendance is totally free! Things kick off at noon on Hudson Street between 14th St. and Abingdon Sq.
Israel’s Idan Raichel, a singer-songwriter combining elements of Hebrew, Arab and Ethiopian music with 21st century electronic instruments, has released his latest song, “Beresheet (In the Beginning).” The song was written during his travels and inspired by several unexpected encounters with people from Africa and India.
The song is accompanied by a beautiful video created by the sand artist Ilana Yahav, who brings her visual interpretation of the song in a sensitive and moving way. Listen to “Beresheet (In the Beginning)” on iTunes, and learn more about the Idan Raichel Project here.
Post-rock band The Bowling Alley Sound have released “The Highway State,” their latest single off their label 46 West. The nine and a half minute track draws inspiration from the suburban New Jersey roots of the band and the sometimes overwhelming experience of driving on the highway in New Jersey.
On the growing highways of the Garden State, The band says “The cars are going fast, the lanes are tight, and many highways cross over each other. There is grit, and when you exit into a suburban town there is more space, verdant greenery, and places to reflect. That’s what life can be like in America: craziness and hustling around on a chaotic highway, then reflecting and relaxing after exiting that highway. This is what the band wanted to convey with this song, structurally and emotionally.”
The Bowling Alley Sound is a five piece instrumental band consisting of guitar (Mike Basil), drums (Nick Looney), bass (Andrew Capuano), violin (Isaac Rubins), and trumpet (Danny Molloy). The band was originally formed in order to bring Mike Basil’s songwriting to life in their debut record and has since been active in the northern New Jersey music scene. The Bowling Alley Sound was named a “Fresh Find” by Spotify for 2017.
The Waterhole’s free live music series Party on the Patio continues this summer and turns the Adirondack village’s Main Street into a block party every Thursday night. Every Party on the Patio is free and with Happy Hour running from 4-7pm each Thursday, there will be various drink specials as well. Locals and fans often gather outside the fence enclosing the patio area with dogs and children to take in the tunes as well. On rainy evenings, bands will move into the Waterhole’s upstairs music venue.
Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 7pm and goes until 10pm. The season series started on April 19th and goes until October 4th.
Since the 1990s, national acts such as Soulive, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, moe., Ominous Seapods and the Del McCoury Band have graced the Waterhole’s stage, among countless others in the 20 years the venue has been hosting music. Owner Eric Munley’s continues a tradition of music at The Waterhole that has been praised by fans both in and out of the Adirondacks for continuing to the live music pumping in the North Country.
Check out the musicians coming to The Waterhole this summer for Party on the Patio!
October 4th – Swampcandy – Old Times Blues – Stomp Boogie – Annapolis, MD
Party on the Patio show artists from earlier this season
