For the third annual “IT Fest,” Intrepid Travelers treated their fans to a new location, a new vibe, and a new name: “Solstice.” At the gate, guests received bracelets that said “Start Your Orbit,” alluding to the astronomical significance of the summer solstice connected to the Earth’s orbit and our own personal orbit. The weekend featured 5 sets of Intrepid Travelers, each with a different flavor, yet connected together with the central theme of the solstice and the symbolism intertwined in the event: a central culminating point, a turning point, a point beyond which things will be different.
Friday featured two sets, with covers alluding to the solstice/astrological symbolism such as “Ain’t Wastin Time No More” by Allman Brothers Band and a pair of Pink Floyd tunes, “Astronomy Domine,” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” They also gave some nods to their Cinco En Mayo residency, with Donny playing a solo piano version of the “Jurassic Park Theme” by John Williams before launching into “Randoh’s Island.” Another choice cover was a 30+ minute bust out version of “Playing in the Band” that by the time they returned to, most audience members had forgotten was the original song being played.
Saturday featured a day set lasting about two and a half hours, as well as two lengthy sets at night. The day set continued with nods to the solstice symbolism, opening with a lengthy rendition of “Here Comes Sunshine” and also featuring “Here Comes the Sun” as well as originals that allude to the symbolism such as “Funnel” and “Stand the Heat.”
After a long break waiting for the sun to start setting, the band returned for the first of 2 sets at night Saturday. Keeping things fresh, the first set featured saxophonist/flutist Ellen Pieroni of Folkfaces for the entire set. The set featured original tunes owing themselves to horns such as “Party People,” “Trek It Out,” and “Get IT to You,” but also saw the band cover a wide array of influences, from Steely Dan’s “My Old School,” Snarky Puppy’s “Grown Folks,” Lettuce’s “Relax,” an upbeat bluegrass version The Beatles’ classic “When I’m 64,” the Derek Trucks Band arrangement of “Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni” – a Middle Eastern folk song originally by legendary Pakstani vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Herbie Hancock’s impressively difficult jazz funk fusion tune “Actual Proof.”
The last set showed no signs of fatigue from IT, as they treated fans with a set of some of their most lengthy and ambitious compositions as well as jam vehicles. Again nodding to the solstice symbolism of the festival and their Cinco en Mayo residency in one, the band opened with their own arrangement of a “Star Wars Medley” which follows as such: “Star Wars Main Theme > The Force Theme > The Emperor Theme > Imperial March > Imperial Jam > Imperial March > Rebel Strike > Rebel Jam > Cantina Band.” After a lengthy hip-hop fusion jam at the end of one of many new originals, “Shitpost,” IT played a heartfelt cover of “I Know You Rider.” Capping off the festival the only way they could, IT gave one final nod to the solstice theme with their ambitious composition “Final Voyage,” signifying the final voyage of the band and the audience before returning back to Earth.
One festival attendee, Leah Keller, summed it up best: “Solstice aka ‘IT Fest’ was an absolute blast last weekend. Best part of the summer so far. Thanks to the band for playing super tight, the covers were also on point and having Ellen Pieroni play with them for a whole set was a cherry on top of a perfect weekend. I highly recommend more homies to attend next year. It was a retreat away from the doldrums of real life at a beautiful new venue and full of super fam/purely amazing humans. I had a blast playing and boogieing down with everyone. Oh did I mention I paid $20 for 5 sets of music and camping in paradise? See you next year!!!”
Solstice setlists:
Solstice – The “G” Lodge – Hannibal, NY
Friday, June 22 Set 1: Woolify, Mind Wander, Ain’t Wastin Time No More(1) > On the Grass, Astronomy Domine(2), Lonely Skies, Captain Jon
Set 2: Photo Booth Youth > Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun(2) > Photo Booth Youth, Jurassic Park Theme(3) > Randoh’s Island, Maddy & Anna, Playing in the Band(4), On Inside
(1) Allman Brothers Band
(2) Pink Floyd
(3) John Williams
(4) Grateful Dead
Saturday, June 23 Set 1: Here Comes Sunshine(1), Dark Disease, Funnel, Here Comes the Sun(2), Authority > Stand the Heat
Set 2: Party People, My Old School(3) > Grown Folks(4), Relax(5), When I’m 64(2), Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni(6), Actual Proof(7), Trek It Out, Get It to You (entire set with Ellen Pieroni on alto sax/flute)
Set 3: Star Wars Medley, All About It > Boomerang, Shitpost > I Know You Rider(1), Final Voyage
(1) Grateful Dead
(2) The Beatles
(3) Steely Dan
(4) Snarky Puppy
(5) Lettuce
(6) Devon Case on Guitar,
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Derek Trucks Band arrangement)
(7) Herbie Hancock
Tedeschi Trucks Tuesday is the new unofficial title of the Wheels of Soul Tour, as every NY performance has fallen on this humble day of the week. July 10 ushered Tedeschi Trucks Band along with support from Drive-By Truckers and The Marcus King Band to the foothills of Canandaigua wine country. At CMAC guests can purchase full bottles of wine which the attendant will unceremoniously dump into the biggest plastic to-go cup imaginable. It’s nearly impossible to resist a $16 bottle of blackberry “merlot” until you realize it’s only 6% alcohol and tastes like sugar water with a fruity afterthought.
Never again.
This regrettable beverage purchase was the only minor downfall of the night. Having never attended CMAC or a TTB show before, eager anticipation permeated the atmosphere. TTB’s wide appeal drew a charming audience of young and old faces. The bands mirrored this age spectrum, as Marcus King himself is newer to the scene at only 22. Yet his band was a fitting choice to open the night, as they eased fans in with their blues rock style garnished with King’s distinctive howling vocals for a heavier sound. He invited Derek Trucks to the stage for a tune which would be reciprocated later when TTB performed.
Drive-By Truckers offered more pop rock inclinations with a lighter demeanor. Nothing about their set particularly stood out, but it flowed nicely overall. Once TTB took the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers, electrifying the air with excitement. Their music is what love sounds like. It’s nearly impossible to describe without being cheesy. It massages the ears and makes the heart flutter. Susan Tedeschi’s voice and Derek Truck’s guitar playing are the perfect marriage. Susan took a moment to address the crowd exclaiming, “It’s been really special. We actually paddle boarded on your lake yesterday.” Imagine splashing around in Canandaigua Lake and seeing Susan Tedeschi the queen herself paddling past. Play it cool though.
The only noticeable hiccup in their set came from the sax player when he went a little too avant garde during his complicated solo, making it too hectic to enjoy. But towards the end of the set the entire horn section rallied with the rest of the band conjuring an intensely energetic dance experience that temporarily transported the crowd to the jazzy streets of New Orleans.
Tedeschi Trucks Band hemorrhages emotion through delicate instrumentation, momentum building solos and gripping lyrics. The unwavering strength in Susan Tedeschi’s voice could stand alone as something to see live, but the supergroup she is a part of does justice to every band member to create a musical experience that leaves the crowd in awe.
Stay tuned for a review from their July 17 performance at Artpark in Lewiston!
Setlist: Keep on Growing, Laugh about it, Just as Strange, Don’t Know What it Means, Shame, Midnight in Harlem, Down in the Flood, Show Me, Let Me Get By, Going Going Gone, Rockin’ in the Free World
One of rock and roll’s steadiest drummers from Springsteen’s E Street Band and former Late Night and Tonight Show bandleader brought a unique show to the Paramount in Peekskill on June 8, with the tour being billed as Max Weinberg’s Jukebox. No quarters or record-flipping were required for this all-request live show.
With Bruce Springsteen currently active on Broadway with his residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre through December 2018, Max Weinberg made well with the down-time from the E Street Band’s touring schedule to put on a tour where the audience picks the setlist each night from a roster of 200+ songs from rock and roll history.
Given that, it might appear to be just another mediocre cover band show but after just a couple of songs that illusion was broken. The familiarity of the tunes in the setlist was a quick grab for the crowd while Weinberg’s character and reputation as an excellent drummer (and the talent of the rest of his band) brought the audience in close to the music. For those familiar with Weinberg’s time as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV musical sidekick, plenty of his on-camera humor had shown through during some dialogue between songs while being quite down to earth.
The live-request show format was definitely unique for a concert, especially for someone who’s been a major name in the business during a lengthy career. The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen seemed to be favorites of the crowd that night with a few songs from each making their way on stage from requests. In proper fashion, Weinberg closed the show with two Springsteen tunes, “Promised Land” and “Glory Days,” inviting anyone from the audience on stage for the final song to sing along.
Setlist: She Loves You, Fortunate Son, American Girl, I Wanna Be Sedated, The Weight, Honky Tonk Nights, (And Your Bird Can Sing, White Room, Friday On My Mind, Pink Cadillac, I’m A Believer, Highway To Hell, All Right Now, Rebel Rebel, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Little Elvis, I Walk The Line, I Can See For Miles, Wipeout, A Summer Song, Pretty Woman
To save you the time and trouble, the word “barrage” is officially defined as “a concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area.” However, the band’s motto defines this quartet perfectly.
Barrage is a Long Island, four-member classic rock band that covers the ’60s to the ’90s. The group has been together since 2009 and consists of: Mark Nygren (Bass, backing vocals) Matt Bruno (lead vocals, guitar), Dr. Paul Scarola (drums), and Barry Weiss (lead guitar, backing vocals).
Earlier this year, with brand new lead singer Matt Bruno, Barrage played a fundraiser for the Good Samaritan Hospital Pediatric Department. Bear in mind, Matt had only been with the band for four weeks when the event took place.
Hosted by DJ Orlando from Long Island radio station 94.3 FM The Shark, it was set up as a battle of the bands contest. The venue where this took place was 89 North in Patchogue. In order to qualify for the contest, each band had to have at least one medical doctor in the group. Moments after the final performance of the event, Orlando declared Barrage the winner!
I asked lead guitarist Barry Weiss what it’s like to play in a battle of the bands contest. He said, “This battle of the bands, I thought, was just slightly nerve-racking. We were all well rehearsed. The rehearsals focused on just the set for this gig for over a month. We already knew the songs, so it was just a matter of getting Matt, our new lead singer, up to speed. Which he did amazingly. He memorized the lyrics so he did not need to look at any onstage. I was checking out the other bands’ Facebook pages to see what they were like prior to the event. Most of them, I saw that they played softer music like ’60s or Country. Being on last, we got to see what they were about. We were also the youngest of the bands and we knew that we would blow them away since we were doing good classic rock. Everyone that night were talented and professional and it all went very smoothly. It really was a great time and the crowd loved it. Hard to believe people got so into it on a Sunday afternoon.”
Barry also mentioned that the buzz continuing throughout the hospital and community has sparked demand for additional performances. Furthermore, the success of this event has enabled Barrage to secure the opening slot for a major Long Island tribute act.
To see Barrage live, their next gig is Friday July 20th at 89 North in Patchogue. They go on at 8 pm and will be doing one 90-minute set. Doors open at 7 for advanced ticket holders. To learn more about this great band, and see their videos too, visit their Facebook page.
Blistering heat didn’t stop masses of Brad Paisley fans from coming out to his Weekend Warrior World Tour stop at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY.
Flocks of ‘Weekend Warriors’ came to the venue early to tailgate by setting up tents, chairs and grills in true parking lot party form.
Tour mates Dan Tyminski and Kane Brown performed for the crowd as the party moved from the parking lot into the venue for the show. Brown’s good looks and southern drawl left every female, young and old, screaming for more.
When Paisley hit the stage, he kept the party atmosphere going by having two bars set up on stage behind him with a handful of lucky fans enjoying drinks while he performed.
Known for his support for the military and generosity, he brought out members of the military to salute them and every troop for their service. Shortly after that, he signed a guitar and gave it to a young girl in the audience saying, “This is how you make a Taylor Swift,” and instructed the young girl to learn how to play.
Paisley performed for nearly 90 minutes and his old school guitar pickin’ country was truly refreshing to see. Carrie Underwood even made a surprise “appearance” via video chat with him as she sang their duet hit “Remind Me.”
Brad Paisley‘s Weekend Warrior World Tour will continue to roll through the United States through September and will re-visit New York in Wantagh at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on August 10.
Thursday, June 28 was the perfect evening for the blues underneath the Albany Corning Preserve Boat Launch. The passing of a thunderstorm didn’t stop blues fans from across the Capital Region and beyond, from as far as Chicago, Illinois, from coming to Albany to attend the 4th concert of the 2018 Alive at 5 Concert Series, featuring Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5 and former members of the B.B. King Blues Band, with special guests, The Age.
Infusing their own blend of funk and soul into their original tunes, The Age set the bar high as they brought out their funk and their soothing souls into Downtown Albany. Their short set was led on by The Age’s sister, who was providing the lead vocals throughout the evening. The Age, who happened to have a cold, wasn’t able to provide the vocals to his tunes. He was only able to provide some minimal backing vocals with his sister. Despite his lack of vocals, The Age was able to entice the audience with some sizzling guitar work on his lead solos on stage. Still, their set was just as fun and entertaining and set the mood for a great evening of blues.
The blues remained alive and strong in Greater Albany as blues night continued inside Corning Preserve. The audience, even patrons holding up The Jackson 5 signage along the front barrier of the main stage, was anticipating the wait of the B.B. King Blues Band and their featured guitarist and vocalist, Tito Jackson. Many music fans may remember Tito Jackson from another famous musical family, the Jackson 5. Paying homage to blues great, B.B. King and the Jackson 5, this band was electrifying and certainly brought on the heat to continue to ignite a spark in the love of blues through their music and through the energy of their fans, and new fans alike.
The B.B. King Blues Band, featuring band members Tito Jackson (lead guitar/vocals), Walter King (saxophone, B.B. King’s nephew), Darrell Lavigne (piano), Raymond Harris (trombone), James Bolden (vocals, with over 35 years as an original member of B.B. King’s Band), Russell Jackson (bass/upright bass/vocals), Herman Jackson (drums), Eric Demmer (saxophone), Lamar Boulet (trumpet), and Wilbert Crosby (lead guitar/vocals), were impressive and amazing to watch, paying homage to the late B.B. King as well as the Jackson 5 through a medley of tunes.
Ranging from B.B. King’s “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Guess Who” and “The Thrill Is Gone” to standard blues songs such as “Big Boss Man,” “Rock Me Baby,” “A Dog Is Still a Dog” (Tito dedicated the tune to his late father Joe Jackson and brother Michael), and even the classic Jackson 5 hit tunes “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save” and “A.B.C.” among others, the entire ensemble was on fire! The chemistry and the back to back interplay amongst the performers like Herman Jackson (drums) and Lavigne and Eric Demmer, to the guitar interplay by Wilbert Crosby, Russell Jackson (who was tip toeing towards the front of the stage playing the bass guitar as if it was a standard guitar, moving fast along the fret board), and Tito Jackson was captivating to watch! The emotion was certainly felt between the performers through their effortless performances within their song choices.
“I love the blues!,” shouted out bassist Russell Jackson after playing one of the songs during the start of their set! The crowd was certainly giving the band and Tito Jackson some love to their blues playing all evening, waving their arms in the air and swinging album art of the Jackson 5 towards the group for them to sign at a later time.
Upon entering the stage to perform a series of guitar solos during the middle of the B.B. King tune “Every Day I Have The Blues,” Tito Jackson took the time to thank the fans for their kind words and thoughts concerning the recent passing of his father and founder of the Jackson 5, Joe Jackson, who had passed away just two days shy of the 9 year anniversary of his son Michael’s death (June 25). Jackson had contemplated on whether or not he was going to cancel his Albany performance but had decided that the show must go on and performed in honor of both his father and brother. Jackson would also later dedicate “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save” and “A.B.C.” to his loved ones and his fans. Concluding the evening with B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” Tito Jackson stood upon the large speakers and moved along the row to shake hands with his fans and sign autographs on their signage and other memorabilia while the band concluded the song to signal the end of an evening. Although the fans shouted out for an encore song from Jackson, there was no encore performance.
To be a part of watching two established performers such as the B.B. King Blues Band and Tito Jackson on the Alive at 5 Concert Stage was truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of this special evening underneath the Albany Corning Preserve Boat Launch. Great blues from these living and non-living legends continues to remain strong as shown through the eyes of these great performers that continue to keep their band members and family members’ legacies alive through the power of blues.
On July 6, 2018 the Trey Anastasio Trio (with Ray Paczkowski) made their 2018 New York debut at the Central Park Summerstage to a small gathering of fans that felt more like a friendly summer barbecue than a major concert in the middle of Manhattan. If Madison Square Garden is Phish’s house, then that makes Central Park Trey’s backyard, and the pre-show vibe in the park was reflective of that as the intimate vibe of the venue gave the feeling that people were visiting their old friend, Trey, for his annual Fourth of July bash. Originally billed as Trey Anastasio Trio show, the lineup was changed at the last minute to feature to the Classic TAB roster with the return of keyboardist Ray Paczkowski following the removal of a brain tumor earlier this year.
The show got started with an airy ‘Blaze On’ opener which featured a loose jam and more open space then Phish’s version of the song. The band took their time developing the groove, and established a light, summer vibe early on which they would carry with them throughout the first set. TAB’s ‘Cayman Review’ followed and kept the breezy vibe going as the crowd began to fill in and people began to loosen up. Paczkowski’s first solo of the night was received with a warm cheer from the crowd, who was clearly overjoyed with his presence that evening, as was the rest of the band based on the smiles exchanged on stage. The ‘Everything’s Right’ that followed featured Trey’s first taste of darkness of the evening as the band developed a spinning groove around his sludgy, building jam. The mysteriousness nature of the jam gave the feeling of early cave paintings; dark, yet stripped down art that draws the mind in and keeps it wondering.
‘Heavy Things’ brought back the summer vibe as the band delivered a standard, bouncing version of the song before the band started their second big extended jam of the first set, ‘Gotta Jibboo.’ The Jibboo featured a patient, yet playful jam which featured bassist Tony Markellis finding his way deep into the pocket as Trey and Ray went back and fourth on fills. They eventually built the solo to a relatively aggressive Jibboo peak before flawlessly synchronizing the ending of the jam to the final verse. The ‘Party Time’ that followed was high energy and appropriate, as the entire set felt like a big summer party. Following the song, Trey joked with the crowd stating that ‘Party Time’ was written by his favorite songwriter of all time, a man who also wrote the great ‘Ass Handed’, the one and only Jon Fishman.
‘Miss You’ came next and gave the band a chance to catch their breath as Trey delivered an incredibly passionate rendition of the song. The band did a great job of capturing the vibe of the song while Trey delivered a heartfelt solo, which had the crowd hanging on his every note. They brought the energy back up for the set closer, ‘Sand,’ as Trey had a mission to close the set out with a bang. The jam resembled fractals as Trey expanded outward on multiple ideas and drummer Russ Lawton laid down tribal beats. The rising energy of the song built the jam to the strongest peak of the first set just before smoothly slipping into the final refrain as if nothing happened when the band exited for set break.
While the first set was all about breezy summer vibes, the second set showed the band exploding through space. They returned to the stage with a strong rendition of ‘No Men In No Man’s Land’ to start the second set, which seemed like a much more stripped down version of the song as compared to Phish’s. The loose structure lead to a spacy jam featuring Trey messing around with his pedals to create a wormhole effect over the crowd. Paczkowski’s slippery solo alongside Trey’s spacy tone gave the song a buttery vibe, with just enough darkness mixed in to make you forget what they were playing. Once the band reached an appropriate peak, they kept the ambient vibe going with delay-heavy ‘Ghost.’ The ‘Ghost’ creeped along with all four members adding their own flavor, taking their time it as if they were providing ominous music for a midnight riverboat ride through the jungle. They eventually built the energy up to a high point, and ended the song on a strong, guitar-oriented peak.
The ‘Camel Walk’ that followed may have been the biggest surprise of the evening, as Trey reworked the song to make it more upbeat and funky than Phish’s version. Trey was clearly having fun throughout the entire song as he delivered playful fills, an increased tempo, and a swinging jam. Played with the energy of a 1992 ‘Poor Heart,’ Trey showed us that his fingers are still just as nimble than ever. They brought the set back into the shadows with a rendition of ‘Dark and Down’ that can only be described as euphoric. As the band peaked on a delicate, soaring jam, the sun dropped perfectly between two buildings to the west of the park. It felt like Trey was waiting to play the song until he was ready to bid the day goodbye, and the cotton candy sky above the trees in the park was exactly what he was waiting for.
Continuing with the spacy theme of the set, they dropped into the fun-loving ‘Soul Planet’ once the night settled in. The crowd truly was “spinning through space” as Trey played around with his pedals to create a funky, spaced out energy that breathed positivity. The song reached a lively peak with Trey shooting laser beams around the park, before dropping back into the darkness with a very strong ‘Steam.’ Like other songs this evening, TAB left much more open space in the song structure of ‘Steam’ which gave the song a very different feel than that of a Phish show. While Trey did show off a bit with his fills, the verses were more interesting not for the notes that were played, but for those that weren’t. They eventually built the jam into an almost disturbing, alien spaceship peak with the crowd hanging on for their lives as they cannonballed through an asteroid field of light and sound before coming together for a clean ending of the song, which acted as the band’s final visit to deep space.
The ‘Undermind’ that followed brought funky energy back up, and the fun-loving, breezy jam was reminiscent of the first set. The final, and arguably strongest, peak of the second set came in it’s closer, ‘Push On ‘Til The Day.’ The dark funk kept the crowd enticed, as Trey played like a madman ripping through the final solo. There were multiple times where the band could have finished, and everyone would have been happy, but the band was obviously having the times of their lives and had no plans to stop as they built an almost uncomfortable amount of tension out of the jam. The euphoric release of the jam had the crowd yelling for more as they band took their bows and exited the stage.
Trey came out by himself for the first part of the encore, as he worked through beautiful renditions of ‘Waste,’ ‘Strange Design,’ and ‘More.’ The crowd was absolutely silent and respectful for Trey’s playing, to the point that you could hear lightning bugs zip by your ears in between notes. The ‘Waste’ was particularly magical as you could hear Trey’s voice get raspy while he teared up singing it. The crowd sang along quietly enough to hear Trey, but loud enough for the park to hum its melody. After ‘Waste’ he told a story of how he could see the building where he took his first guitar lessons and thanked his parents for the opportunity to make his dreams come true. It was truly an intimate moment between Trey and the crowd, one that anyone in attendance will not soon forget.
Following the trio of acoustic songs, the rest of the band came back out to properly close out the night in the park. They shuffled through a sludgy ‘Alaska’ with Trey creating muddy effect with his pedals before closing out the night with the TAB classic ‘First Tube.’ The blissful instrumental featured a high energy solo and gorgeous peak which left the crowd wanting more. Overall you couldn’t ask for a more perfect evening in the park, and with how rehearsed and confident Trey seemed, there is much to look forward to for the rest of the summer.
Trey Anastasio Trio 7/6/2018 Setlist via Phish.net:
Set 1: Blaze On, Cayman Review, Everything’s Right, Heavy Things, Gotta Jibboo, Party Time, Miss You, Sand
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land, Ghost, Camel Walk, Dark and Down, Soul Planet, Steam, Undermind, Push On ‘Til the Day
Encore: Waste [1], Strange Design[1], More[1], Alaska, First Tube
Southern rockers Drive By Truckers took a free night amid their Summer tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band and The Wheels of Soul tour to play a rocking show in Woodstock, NY. The Colony, a beautifully restored building in the heart of Woodstock, hosted a full house of excited fans, braving the heat, to hear the five piece group play some of their time-tested favorites along with some new songs that will appear on their next album.
Facing these turbulent times the only way they know how, The Drive By Truckers tackle today’s issues with straight forward and honest lyrics. Showing that they’re in the same boat as many of us, trying to make sense of a world that is making less and less sense.
Southern rock and roll rose up in Saratoga Springs at SPAC on July 3rd, with special guests led by Greenville, South Carolina’s Marcus King Band, Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s Drive-By Truckers and Jacksonville, Florida’s Tedeschi Trucks Band. If that lineup of musicians doesn’t conjure images of extended soulful guitar solos and rock n roll in the vein of The Allman Brothers Band, you may need to eat a peach. Over three hours of combined music, these three bands combined for one of the most rockin’ shows this year, and a treat for anyone able to see the Wheels of Soul tour and is treks across New York State and the country this month, headed west for a two-night run at Red Rocks in Colorado.
Opening with “Tell the Truth,” TTB’s love for Clapton shone on both ends of the set, with “Key to the Highway” appearing later in the set. “Don’t Know What it Means” with its blaring horn intro and Tedeschi’s pipes never fails to get bodies moving, and a giant sax bridge from Kebbi Williams segued perfectly into “The Letter.” A smooth jam in “Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem” preceded covers of Dylan’s “Down in the Flood,” and the Stevie Wonder written/The Band performed “Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever,” then punctuated by “I Want More,” an original that crescendoed like a rock orchestra, ending with thunderous drums from the duo of J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell.
The earlier performers of the evening were welcomed to the stage eagerly by both band and audience. Drive by Trucker’s Patterson Hood joined in on “Let me roll with it,” a sing along featuring double driving guitar via Hood and Trucks. Marcus King joined on guitar and vocals for Clapton/B.B. King’s “Key to the Highway” where Mike Mattison showed monster presence with his powerful vocals. To close the night, the band welcomed Eric Krasno of Lettuce and Soulive fame and Tash Neal from London Souls for an enthusiastic “Statesboro Blues.”
There is as mantle for the wider Allman Brothers Band family, including Gov’t Mule, Les Brers, Great Southern, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and many more yet to come. To see any is to experience the full southern rock band sound, the real deal, every time.
Setlist (via setlist.fm): Tell the Truth, Part of Me, Don’t Know What It Means, The Letter, Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem, Down in the Flood, Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever, I Want More, Let Me Roll It*, Laugh About It, Key to the Highway^, Shame, Bound for Glory Encore: Statesboro Blues+
* w/ Patterson Hood
^ w/ Marcus King
+ w/ Eric Krasno, Tash Neal (London Souls)
Most days of the year, Gibbs Street in Rochester’s East End is a quiet side street you’d drive by without taking much notice. Though for 9 days in late June, it gets renamed Jazz Street and the surrounding area becomes a vast musical hullabaloo. Big tents are erected, rock clubs become jazz clubs, and churches morph into ornate high-ceilinged music venues. Food vendors come by truck, tent and cart. Police blockade traffic while happily allowing open alcohol containers in the streets. A tale of such excitement would hardly be believed, had it not occurred every year for the past eighteen years. This was the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival’s 18th season, and this is what we saw.
We saw over 40 different artists in 16 different venues. The music was inescapable. Whether blasting from the Jazz Street Stage, the Chestnut Street Stage, the Fusion Stage, the outdoor speakers at the Big Tent, or from the multitude of quality musicians busking on every corner of every street, even passing between Club Pass venues was filled with sweet sounds.
True to the Fest’s mantra, we saw artists we knew and we saw artists we didn’t.
We saw familiar festival alumni return in a not-so familiar way.
Norwegian piano trio, In the Country, made their third visit to the festival this year. Though this time they backed singer Solveig Slettahjell and guitarist Knut Reiersrud in a group called Trail of Souls. They opened and closed with Norwegian folk songs and in between sandwiched an invigorating set of American gospel, folk, blues and rock. Reiersrud’s guitar was angular, jarring, beautiful and fluid while Slettahjell’s voice fell somewhere between Cesaria Evora and Nina Simone. Her hands extended out, fingers hitting invisible keys in the air, playing her vocal chords like a piano. Highlights include a piano and voice duet on the traditional “Motherless Child,” a flourishing spacey take on Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street,” and a stunning slow building “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.”
Cuba’s Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez have both played the festival as leaders of their own bands. This year they returned together as a duo, a mini-Cuban supergroup. The two played from an album they just recorded and will be out early next year. Rodriguez’s head rolled on a swivel as he engaged in entrancing and hypnotic piano solos. Martinez had a full palette of congas to make his percussion sing. Both also sang, eventually involving the audience in singing the chorus to a traditional Cuban song.
Adventurous piano trio The Bad Plus returned to the festival after a ten year absence. This year the band experienced their first lineup change, replacing founding pianist Ethan Iverson with Orrin Evans. The Bad Plus has always been the sum total of the musician’s personalities. Iverson was fairly rigid and controlled with a heavy classical influence. Evans brings in a looser more free-wheeling attitude. The music then was more fluid, the band took more improvisational risks, and even delved into a more traditional swinging jazz sound at times. The band hit on a few classics like “Big Eater” and “Anthem for the Earnest” but really focused most of their attention on their new material like the manic “Safe Passage” and the aired out beauty of “People Like You.”
We saw yet another church turn into a temple of jazz worship. Joining the Christ Church and Lutheran Church, the newly renovated Temple Theater, or Grace Road Church, became the latest venue on the Club Pass series. Plentiful comfortable seats, great sight lines, beautiful stained glass and pristine sound made it one of the best venues and just another reason to praise jazz-us!
We saw a trumpet player sing and a singer play trumpet. Nicholas Payton returned to the festival for the third time. On his last visit in 2016 he played trumpet and keys simultaneously, but the set was cut short by a fire alarm. This year he added a keys player to make a quartet. It would be too easy for him to stick to just the trumpet, so he added singing to his repertoire, taking the vocals on his ‘derangement’ of “How Deep is the Ocean” and for a piece based on an essay by Max Roach called “Jazz is a Four Letter Word.” He even had the Kilbourn Hall audience rapping along by the end of that one.
The aptly named vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn, on the other hand, turned her voice into an instrument. Her classic interpretation of jazz standards got turned on their head once she started scatting. Impossible sounds emerged from her mouth as she pushed the human voice to exciting new realms. It’s possible the best trumpet player we saw at the festival didn’t even play the trumpet!
We saw younger jazzmen turn the acoustic, electric.
It isn’t so much that Moon Hooch is a trio consisting of two saxophones and a drummer. It’s how each is played. Saxophones of all kinds, bass, electronic and everything in between, were run through ample effects to create sounds previously alien to jazz and the world in general. With a ruleless and ruthless onslaught of massive noise the band had the crowd shaking their bones voluntarily or otherwise. The band didn’t so much as stop to breath for their full hour set in the Big Tent, leaving absolutely no room for woulds or coulds. Shirtless ten minutes in, drummer James Muschler held the dance party together with EDM-ready beats and his own bout with a soprano sax and even some off-kilter bangs on a baby grand.
U.K.’s Gogo Penguin are a more traditional trio, with piano, bass and drums. Though more subtle with the electronics, they still packed a punch. Chris Illingworth had the piano wired in such a way that he could play acoustic and electric sounds simultaneously. Nick Blacka had his double-bass running through an array of pedals befitting a rock band. Drummer Rob Turner appeared to be fully acoustic though his beats veered into electronic music territory. The energy driving the music ebbed and flowed, with more swells than breaks and an incredibly big sound from three men.
We saw artists from islands to the west, and islands to the east.
Hawaii’s Ron Artis II, shaped guitar sounds from his axe like molding putty in his hands, effortlessly throwing short bits of brilliance this way and that. His trio, The Truth, rode with him every step of the way as he conquered blues, funk and soul, sometimes all at once, in a set that wowed an ever-growing crowd inside the Big Tent venue.
Through the Made in the U.K. series held at the Christ Church there was plenty of great music from across the pond. One of our favorites were Beats n’ Pieces Big Band, who sported a 9-piece horn section as part of a 14-man ensemble that made them the largest band to ever play the venue. It’s songs often ended in explosions of chaos, sounds bouncing every which way around the cavernous hall.
We also loved young vocalist Zara McFarlane, who injected more traditional jazz with 70s soul grooves and reggae, reaching into her Jamaican heritage. Though she was the leader, the band wasn’t reserved for backing duties, the music was much more of an equal parts affair, giving everyone plenty of space to shine.
We saw some pretty unusual jazz instruments.
Brooklyn trio House of Waters shined a spotlight on the nearly-forgotten hammered dulcimer. In a stunning set at Max of Eastman Place, Max ZT played a hammered dulcimer that he built himself, in pieces ranging from funky to rocking to hypnotic. Moto Fukushima played the bass as a lead instrument, eliciting a sound reminiscent of Victor Wooten keeping the music in constant movement.
Mwenso and the Shakes brought a completely unique twist to vocal jazz, breaking up normal song patterns into chunks, stretching here, punctuating there. Upping the ante on the unusual, the 8-piece band included a tap dancer. One song consisted of a mostly (or completely?) improvised tap dance and guitar duet that was simply incredible and incomparable.
We saw fed up citizens use their talent as a platform for protest. While it isn’t unprecedented for the artists at the jazz fest to get political, this year’s voices of protest were much more prominent and prevalent. Indeed there was an entire set dedicated to speaking out. Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. presented his Songs of Freedom, featuring singers Alicia Olatuja and Theo Bleckmann interpreting the music of Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln. Songs written decades ago remain relevant today. Olatuja opened the set with a gorgeous take on “Both Sides Now” and finished it with an “Everything Must Change” that had some in the audience in tears. Bleckman put his spin on the all-too timely “Borderline” using filters and loops to stunning effect. He also had his voice sounding like an organ in a set highlight performance of “There’s a Balm in Gilead.”
Singer Deva Mahal‘s band came out dressed in white to show solidarity with those marching to protest families being ripped apart at the country’s border. In a set spanning pop, funk, rock and soul, she also exhibited some gospel influence, singing “Everyone deserves to be free / I would stand for you would you stand for me?”
Jazzmeia Horn used “Willow Weep For Me” to opine on the state of race in the country, singing about police brutality, private prisons and more.
Matt Wilson‘s Honey and Salt played from his latest project, putting music to Carl Sandberg poems. The set oozed with pure joy; musicians joking, laughing and smiling, music bouncing and bright. Fun as it was, it wasn’t without a serious note. Introducing the song “Choose” to close out the set, Wilson noted that while it was always relevant, it was even more so in the past 500 days. “The single clenched fist lifted and ready / Or the open asking hand held out and waiting / Choose: For we meet by one or the other.” The music resembled a march, and after the band’s final bows, they marched off stage chanting the words.
Honey and Salt closed out the programming at the Kilbourn Stage. As such, a line from another of the poems they played seemed quite relevant as well. “To know silence perfectly, is to know music.” After nine magical days, Jazz Street would be silent again.
For this is a festival that no one can beat! And to think that we saw it on Jazz Street!
