Empowered, the new album from trombone player-extraordinaire Melissa Gardiner is a powerful ride of jazz, funk and dreamy atmospheric tracks that captures the listener from start to finish. Gardiner has been on the circuits playing with legendary acts like Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, and Vulfpeck.
On this record she reaches above the male dominated world of jazz with support from fellow musicians Ingrid Jensen and Tia Fuller. The timing of this inspirational record that dropped on June 21, is a statement against women being a placeholder, rather than featured musicians. On the track “Smile,” which features a brief conversation about entertainers being told they need to ‘appear happy’ on stage and, “Mask,” about women feeling like they must hide their emotions, it is clear that these recordings are not only empowering musicians, but all women. A beautiful sentiment set with incredible harmonies, amazingly-fun and catchy back beats, layered with the strong horn lines are only expected from a Juilliard graduate.
Another strong tune from Empowered is “Slowly.” Gardiner says, “It’s about feeling invisible, where people are looking at you, but not really seeing you – They’re only seeing your physical body.” With the message of abuse, sexism and trying to breakthrough into an incredible challenging profession, “Slowly” is a wonderful sight on the idea of taking steps forward and finding your way by pressing on. With lovely falsetto vocals and a soaring trumpet leading the way, this is another winner on an outstanding record.
Engineer and producer, Jeremy Johnston, has worked with Gardiner over the years on various records. He said: “This is such an exciting project. She came to me with her story and I immediately said yes, I want to help you tell it. We had phenomenal musicians and it tuned out to be fun, and I think she made a great one!” Assistant engineer, Alex Lavon, and Johnston recorded in Syracuse at multiple locations, brought in Weedie Braimah on percussion who tracked from New Orleans, and traveled to NYC to work with Ingrid Jensen and Tia Fuller. Naomi Clark added to the post-production of Empowered, with a keen eye on the final touches.
With Gardiner’s career over many years of taking these steps forward, it is inspiring to see a talent like this rising above and truly shine with her own voice and powerful message. Empowered is a must-listen. The production is next level, as is the artistry.
Fresh off the heels of another successful Camp Bisco comes the debut release from SPAGA, a new and exciting Philadelphia-based jazz trio that blends intricate soundscapes and piano-driven melodies with a sturdy rhythm section that’s more than open to improvisation. This new project is the brain child of Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner, whose delicate piano play fuels the self-titled release. Jason Fraticelli (upright bass) and Matt Scarano (drums) round out this latest addition to the burgeoning Philadelphia music scene, who recently performed at Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest.
Those expecting to hear songs similar in intensity and fashion to what the Disco Biscuits live catalog provides should look elsewhere, although there is a track (“Resurrection”) that fans will certainly recognize here. Instead, SPAGA offers a more relaxed and intimate musical environment that’s both technically proficient yet still malleable enough to explore new boundaries. The interplay between these three masters of their respective crafts on this record helps create moods that can range from brooding to blissful, sometimes within the same track. With seemingly only minimal post-production effects mixed in, this “mostly acoustic” album instead pays more attention to the organic nature and simplicity of a three-piece band that’s still able to produce a powerful and engaging sound.
A mix of styles begins the album as tenacious drum work and a foreboding bass line are joined by some ethereal piano-driven melodies, a practice common throughout. By the end, the opening track “Creed” develops a light and pleasant tone before slinking away with the return of the darker opening theme. “Marionette in the Snow,” which follows, may be the most enjoyable listen on SPAGA as it takes the listener on a true journey lasting near nine minutes. A joyous main theme gives way to some crispy drum and bass work, giving Fraticelli and Scarano a chance to take the reigns for a little and show off their chops. “Four Angels” produces an ambient and almost spooky soundscape at its outset before a comfortable groove is established, accentuated by more Magner-crafted melodies on the grand piano. And fans will surely recognize “Resurrection,” an instrumental take on the Disco Biscuits song that flows back and forth between two main thematic tempos, serving as almost a nod to the original and recently re-worked styles in which the song is played live.
The album may only have six tracks, but each is a unique and easy listen that touches on distinctive elements of jazz, rock and improv that certainly lends itself to a world of possibilities in a live setting. For now, the album, which will be released on Magner’s own label AM Records on July 26, will have to suffice. But the band does have tour dates planned for later this summer as seen below, including a date at New York City’s (Le) Poisson Rouge, serving as the next stage of this musical exploration that’s off to a very promising start. For more information and to purchase tickets for upcoming shows, visit the SPAGA official website.
Tour Dates
August 6 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s
August 7 – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
August 8 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Old Town Pub
August 10 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Jazz Festival
August 10 – Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House
August 11 – Crested Butte, CO – Center for the Arts
September 6 – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall
September 7 – New York, NY – (Le) Poisson Rouge
September 21 – Slippery Rock, PA – Resonance Festival
Bowlive VIII’s final night brought a full house of great musicians alongside Soulive for “Family Night.” The special guests included Dan Mayer (guitar), Sam Kininger (saxophone), James Casey (saxophone) and Brian Thomas (trombone). Soulive’s lineup includes Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (organ, bass keys, clavinet).
Eric Krasno
The evening began with the core trio from Soulive who delivered a sweet instrumental version of The Beatle’s “Revolution.” “Bubble” was up next, from 2007’s No Place Like Soul, followed by “Spark.” The vibe then quickly charged as saxophonist and frequent collaborator Sam Kinninger joined the band on stage. He sat in for “Hurry Up… and Wait” (Doin’ Somethin), “Rudy’s Way” (Get Down!) and “Liquid” (Next). The horn section increased by two at the end of the set as James Casey and Brian Thomas joined the party for a deliciously funky “Tuesday Night Squad.”
Neal Evans, James Casey, Sam Kinninger and Brian Thomas
Set two raised the bar as guitarist Dan Mayer, from Star Kitchen, added another strong guitar presence on stage. Krasno announced that Dan Mayer “is one of my favorite guitarists.” The quartet opened with “Curse Lifter,” followed by a stellar instrumental version of Jimi Hendrix’ “Manic Depression,” showcasing the talents of both guitarists. The horn trio then joined the squad once again and delivered a funky “Backwards Jack.” Mayer left the stage and the sextet rolled on with “Up Right,” “Hat Trick,” and “PJ’s”. The set closed out with “Canonball,” another Doin’ Something track. Mayer joined the stage once again for the encore of “Flurries” which included audience confetti. All seven musicians took a bow, and wrapped up another successful Soulive residency at the Brooklyn Bowl.
Dan Mayer and Eric Krasno
Setlist
Set One: Revolution, Bubble, Spark, Hurry Up… and Wait^, Rudy’s Way^, Liquid^, Tuesday Night Squad^%
Set Two: Curse Lifter*, Manic Depression*, Backwards Jack*^%, Up Right^%, Hat Trick^%, PJ’s^%, Cannonball^%
Enc: Flurries*^%
Notes:
^with Sam Kinninger (sax)
*with Danny Mayer (guitar)
%with James Casey (sax) and Brian Thomas (trombone)
Chrome Food and Spirits in Waterford, NY was the site of a recent anniversary party for the Capital Region’s newest online local radio station, RadioRadioX. Founded on July 10, 2018 by local musicians, Art Fredette and Ralph Renna, the fledgling station has marked its “X” on the spot in the Capital Region through its Waterford radio station headquarters along with its monthly magazine, The Xperience Monthly. Its mission since formation has been aimed towards playing great music and supporting the local scene through the arts and the ever-growing music scene that continues to serve the Capital Region.
July 10 was the official one-year anniversary of the station. In celebration of both that and the magazine, the RadioRadioX team held a rocking birthday party held Sunday, July 14 at Chrome Food and Spirits. The party was full of fun shenanigans and great live entertainment all afternoon. It was a fun event for the community to be a part of this summer to celebrate the birth of a local radio station, its local original artists and cover groups, and the local artisans and businesses who make up our great scene.
Art Fredette
Before it became RadioRadioX, the radio station was known as “The X.” Music fans would tune into the station on public radio at 106.1 FM where it would receive airplay for nine months until its untimely demise last year when the radio station that was playing local and regional music not normally heard on popular radio was suddenly taken off the airwaves. Local musicians and fans of the popular station were in an uproar that the station, which was playing their music and supporting the local scene, had disappeared without a trace. Eventually, 106.1 FM became a popular Top 40 radio station and, later, became one of two stations for WEXT.
Rising up from the ashes, members of “The X” jumped into action and decided that the only way to celebrate its demise was to have a funeral party for the station that was held on April 14, 2018 at The Hangar On the Hudson in Troy, properly called, “A Funeral For The X.” A who’s who of the Capital Region’s local scene, like The Ramblin’ Jug Stompers, Soul Sky, The Lawn Sausages, Buggy Jive, C.K. And The Rising Tide, to Acoustic Trauma, all came out to pay their respects to the radio station through live music. With death comes rebirth, and “The X” suddenly became RadioRadioX, much to the delight of the scene who was ready to see their radio station make a comeback with a splash.
Since its rebirth, RadioRadioX has built a name for itself. The radio station was created by local musicians and serves the local scene on a whole new level. Since March 2019, RadioRadioX has held their own monthly concert series at their studio where patrons could check out the studio in person while sitting back and enjoying some live music from local solo acts and bands at their event, “Xperience Live.” An open house was held at the studio featuring music from the ’60s lounge cover group Off The Record, and the “Second Chance Prom,” held at Il Faro Restaurant and Bar, that the band also took part in for this exclusive RadioRadioX feature event. Along with the online station came a monthly magazine, The Xperience Monthly. The magazine features exclusive music interviews, show reviews, short fiction stories, and arts features written exclusively by local musicians and artisans who are dedicated to keeping our local creative scene alive.
Live music for this event was held on two main stages. In between sets, as the larger acts set up their gear and did their sound checks, patrons went inside the bar to have a drink while watching great performances from solo performers like Brittany Robichaud and Will Foley, and a duo performance from Big Frank and The Bargain Bingers members Frank Novko and Johnny Hoffman. From Robichaud’s acoustic take of Alanis Morissette’s “Not the Doctor,” to The Bargain Binger’s unique take on a popular Rolling Stones cover, each act kept their audience entertained with their cover tunes.
The acts that were featured on the main stage included Albany’s Honey Slider, featuring Caity Gallagher (vocals/piano) and Alec Lewis (vocals/lead guitar), Acoustic Trauma, The Lawn Sausages (featuring Luke McNamee on saxophone), Soul Sky, The Chris Busone Band and headlining act, Murali Coryell’s Electric Band.Honey Slider’s originals were soft and sweet through their delicate piano melodies and swift guitar measures. Acoustic Trauma was blazing loud and energetic. Maceli’s swift violin play and the energy he has on stage along with his backline, was amazing. Soul Sky, featuring their three-guitar army of Mark Emanatian, Joe Mele, and Jeremy Walz, raised the roof to a whole new level through their guitar soloing as they fed off each other in their cover of Eric Clapton’s “Why Does Love Have to be So Sad?” Funny as always, The Lawn Sausages continue to entertain with their non-stop jokes in between songs and their funny song lyrics that they played from their new album, Appetite for Dysfunction, even at one point inviting two female dancing friends to join them on stage to be their backup dancers for a song.The blues remain alive and well as the final two bands, Chris Busone Band and Murali Coryell’s Electric Band, played some tasty tunes for the soul. Coryell’s set, although short, was amazing with the assistance of his bassist and drummer. He performed some tunes from his current album, Made in Texas, and left his audience wanting more. The blues is certainly in his blood and it is clear how much passion he has for it through his musical tribute to Muddy Waters and in his original tune, “Eyes Wide Open.” Lastly, the “Superstition” from the Chris Busone Band had the audience on their feet with their eyes agape in awe as they watched them perform solos with both passion and a slight angst.In addition to the music, a group of local businesses and artisans proudly displayed and sold their merchandise. RadioRadioX gave away some tickets to raffle winners who wished to attend the “Divine Vibes” event held at The Beer Diviner in Cherry Plain, NY. The businesses and artisans who took part at the event include Goldie’s Marketplace, ALM Fine Art And Photography (featuring music photography from Amy Modesti), Mary Kay consultant Angela “Diamond” Fowler, The American Red Cross, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with music CDs for sale from Will Foley, Park Lane, and visual art, jewelry, and writings sold from Carol Bosselman. RadioRadioX not only supports the local music scene, but they support their community and the local businesses who come together to help bridge their creative community together in the Capital Region. This party helped build community among the local businesses, artisans, organizations, and the music scene in one fun afternoon.
Happy Anniversary, RadioRadioX! Congratulations to the entire team for hosting and putting on this fantastic event at Chrome Food and Spirits. And “Cheers” to many more years in local online radio, newsprint, and helping to bridge together local artisans, musicians, and businesses into one great melting pot of creativity and collaboration.
Bowlive VIII rolled on at the rustic Brooklyn Bowl with Soulive and legendary Meters funk bassist George Porter Jr. sitting in. The setlist had no shortage of covers, including songs from The Beatles, The Meters and The Grateful Dead. Soulive’s current line up includes Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (organ, bass keys, clavinet).
Eric Krasno
Soulive began the first set as a trio, delivering the band’s signature jazz-funk. Originals “So Live” and “Steppin’” got the crowd ready to party with Krasno’s delicious guitar work. A rocking instrumental version of The Beatle’s “Eleanor Rigby” was up next, followed by a new Soulive original, “Waves”.
George Porter Jr.
Alan Evans addressed the crowd with ,”Is it time?” The crowd responded with a resounding approval and the King of Bowlive, George Porter Jr., joined the funky party. Drawing from his time with The Meters, Porter led covers of “Pungee” and “Africa” and took the lead on vocals. The set wrapped up with the tasty New Orleans classic “Iko Iko,” by The Dixie Cups.
Set two continued with more of The Meter’s catalog, starting with “Look-Ka Py Py” from the album of the same name. The funk classic “Keep On Marching” from the Fire on the Bayou album was up next. The funk single “I Need More Time” had the crowd dancing like no one was watching. Rejuvenation‘s “What’cha Say” then proceeded and “He Bite Me”, also from Fire on the Bayou, closed out this delightfully funky sequence.
This talented group of musicians then switched gears and doubled down on one of Porter’s favorite songs to cover, The Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” Porter’s soulful voice and eclectic bass skills brought new life to this beloved classic. The frequent Dead cover and Bobby Bland original “Turn On Your Love Light” lit up the room and was the jam of the night. The set wrapped up with another Meter’s classic, “It Ain’t No Use.” This electrifying group then closed out one hot night with another Rejuvination tune for an encore with “Just Kissed My Baby.”
Setlist
Set One: So Live, Steppin’, Eleanor Rigby, Waves, Pungee*, Africa*, Iko Iko*
Set Two: Look-Ka Py Py*, Keep On Marching*, I Need More Time*, What’cha Say*, He Bite Me (The Dragon)*, Sugaree*, Turn On Your Love Light, It Ain’t No Use*
During my formative years, I would look to my father for insight, knowledge and direction, trying to absorb as much as humanly possible. When I caught Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman) and Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts) fronting the newly formed Allman Betts Band at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk, Connecticut, I surmised that these sons of rock, had absorbed much too.
Already with established musical careers, the coalescing of their talents began in December 2017 at an event organized by Devon, honoring the music and memory of his late father. In 2018, Betts started opening for The Devon Allman project and joining Devon on stage for a few Allman tunes as part of the show. Realizing that something viable was in their midst, the two started writing together and the seeds of the Allman Betts Band were sown. Later that year, with songs penned, the pair headed to the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Their efforts resulted in the band’s debut album, Down to the River. Then, on March 27, 2019, fifty years and one day from the first time the Allman Brothers Band played together in Jacksonville Florida, the Allman Betts Band kicked off their inaugural tour at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl.
Devon Allman, Duane Betts
Walking in the intimate Wall Street Theatre, you felt the buzz, in anticipation of hearing this new band. JD Simo, (who sat in with the Allman Betts band for a song) opened the show. This three piece from Nashville cranked out a powerful set of rock and blues tunes, priming the pump for what was to come. Devon, Duane and band (Berry Duane Oakley – bass, vocals; Johnny Stachela – guitar, vocals; John Ginty – keyboards; R Scott Bryan – percussion, vocals; John Lum – drums) took the stage and did not hold back. A night filled with songs from Down to the River augmented with Allman Brothers tunes and a few covers thrown in for good measure. Throughout the night Duane and Johnny Stachela lit up the stage with blistering guitar solos. The rest of the band was right there with them flowing with every twist, turn, and bend. Mid set, Devon took center stage with his Linhof T-style electric guitar in hand, and led the band through a searing version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Set audibles where being called and every song was like gasoline being poured on an open fire. Yeah, the Allman Betts band are for real.
The day before the show, I spoke with Duane Betts by phone from East Hampton, N.Y where the band was playing a sold out show at the Guild Hall. We started our conversation talking about the debut album, which had been released the prior week.
Mickey Deneher: Congrats on Down to the River Debuting #1 on the iTunes Rock chart. You guys have to be feeling really good about that.
Duane Betts: Yeah we’re really jazzed up about that. We put a lot of hard work into it and everybody did their job. The people came out and showed their support and interest. It made us feel really good. It’s something we look forward to building on.
You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song.
Duane Betts
MD: I know that you and Devon were working with (songwriter) Stoll Vaughn for the album. Was there an even balance in the writing process or was it ‘hey I got an idea and I throw it out to you?’ How did you guys approach that?
DB: Some of the ideas were brought in. There’d be a little spark and then we’d go from there. There were a couple of things that we started from scratch together. It just depends on the tune. But it was all very collaborative. Certain people maybe contributed more in a lyrical sense to certain songs and less in the musical sense or vice versa. A lot of the tunes were: once you come up with a feeling, an idea, then all the songs kind of have to be part of a thread and tell the same story. Not that every song is talking about the same thing, but they fit together well and live together well.
The majority of it was written by myself and Devon and Stoll together. The three of us. There’s a cover on there, Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents.” There is a song written by a dear friend of mine that passed away (who) I was in a band with in my early twenties. His name is Chris Williams. He was the son of the great song writher Jerry Lynn Williams who wrote a lot of stuff for Clapton, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and people like that. He passed away in a car accident. But I love that song so I started playing that and we decided to use that song on the record. That’s “Autumn Breeze.” There was a song written by Cisco Adler (Down to the River), where Devon added a verse, and we worked that up. That covers the gamut.
Allman Betts Band
MD: Right out of the gate “All Night” (the first single) and “Shinin’”are straight away fun jam tunes. Then you get in to “Down to the River,” “Autumn Breeze,” “Southern Accents” and “Long Gone” – there’s a different groove to them. It’s awareness and personal insight.
DB: Yeah all those tunes just fit together. We had more tunes to choose from, but those are just the ones that ended on it and that live together. It’s always fun to write. We look forward to building on that body of work.
MD: You go into the studio, the songs were written. Did they evolve during the recording sessions or stay true to what you brought in?
DB: Some of these tunes we’d never played together. Last year as The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts, we had started playing a couple of them, maybe two or three of them. There were some that were brought in that we had never played and we worked them up in the studio. You play them a few times, start getting it good, and then you get a take, and there you have it. You’re basically listening to maybe the fifth or six time we’d ever played it. Now there are other tunes like “Autumn Breeze” we had played. “All Night” we had been playing. So some of it we had been playing and some of it we hadn’t played till we were in the studio.
“Down to the River ” Allman Betts Band album artwork
MD: Fresh stuff, experiencing it and making it happen. That’s got to be exciting – putting it together like that.
DB: Yeah. It’s a different experience. You are getting a kind of vulnerability that you wouldn’t get if you had worked it all out. You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song. So that’s what unique about it. “Long Gone” is one of my personal favorites. It’s powerful and has a timeless kind of quality to it. It’s really cool and we look forward to getting it out there to more people and it’ll keep growing. Slow and steady wins the race.
MD: “Long Gone” is a great way to close out the album too.
DB: Yeah I think so. That was a good one. Good way to end.
MD: You recorded at Muscle Shoals, in one big room.
DB: Yeah that’s the way it is. The amps were isolated, the guitar amps were. Yeah we were all in a room. We could all basically see each other.
MD: What was that vibe like? It’s like the place to record.
DB: Yeah it was really cool. Really down home vibe. I really wanted it to come out good. Get good live performances. When you’re on stage and your not thinking about it and you don’t know you are being recorded it’s one thing, but when your in the studio and the drummer is around the corner, and you have head phones and all that stuff, you kind of wonder sometimes man I hope we can get a really good one. But we did really well. The vibe at the studio is everything. There’s all the records that have been recorded there. You’re in Alabama, you’re in a kind of semi-remote place in Alabama. It just kind of reeks of vibe, you know. It couldn’t be any more like down home and like real.
MD: And then you did it right after Thanksgiving, so you got to work off all that food that you ate. (Laughing)
DB: Yeah exactly. (Laughing)
There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
Duane Betts
MD: You guys are a new band. People always say about a new band they sound like this band or some name comes up. I’m sure people may have been thinking Allman Brothers 2.0 – Allman Brothers; the next generation. Influence is there, but I hear the band’s own voice coming through. Was that a conscious effort or was it a natural occurrence?
DB: We’re defiantly not trying to be the Allman Brothers, I can tell you that. There’re certain songs that require we approach it in a very musical manor. That’s just an obvious influence, because we want to approach it in a kind of elegant musical manor. Like “Autumn Breeze,” with twin guitars. Yeah there is defiantly an Allman Brothers influence there. But there are also other influences everywhere too. I think that the more stuff we do, the wider variety of influences you’ll hear. For this one, I hear Stones from the Mick Taylor era, Sticky Fingers, that style. I hear some Neil Young sounding stuff on “Long Gone.” There’s Derek and the Dominos, there’s other influences there. We have a ton of influences.
MD: And you have to draw from that. That is how you came up playing. You were influenced by those people.
DB: Yeah, that’s just what we come from. And the influence is there. There’s no doubt and we’re not trying to hide the influence.
Berry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, John Lum, Duane Betts
MD: Lets talk about the tour. Three months in, how are those songs feeling live?
DB: We just started playing a few of them, because we didn’t want to play the whole record before the record was out. “Long Gone” has been amazing. We’ve been playing “All Night,” “Melodies are Memories,” and “Good Old Days.” We’ve been playing a few of them for quite a while and they have been feeling pretty good for a while now. We did “Southern Accents” last night. I don’t play on that, so I didn’t do it (laughing). Devon and Johnny and John Ginty did “Southern Accents” so that one was really cool. But “Long Gone” is really a stand out for all of us. We think that’s like a really poignant, serious tune that has some real credibility.
MD: And you guys have some great players talking about John and Johnny. Are you guys now indulging, some jams happening in the set these days?
DB: There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
MD: Allman Brothers songs are part of the set.
DB: A few.
MD: How do you pick them, what to play?
DB: The ones we enjoy playing, the ones that have a reaction. The combination of those two things. Just ones that aren’t obvious. We play a bunch of them. We’ll play enough. Were obviously not going to go out there and do half Allman Brothers. We’re not a tribute band. But we enjoy playing a few. We might do three or four. It just depends on the night. Sometimes we do a sit down acoustic thing and if we do that your going to hear some stuff that you won’t hear if we stand up all night. Just depends on the venue. There’s one or two you can pretty much guarantee hearing every night.
Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela
MD: I take for granted that you and Devon have known each other your entire lives. In the back of you mind do you think this band was inevitable? It was going to happen some time, some place?
DB: No. No. I don’t. I think (it was) just timing. We were doing some stuff, then that wasn’t happening. It just felt right to do it because it meant something. We didn’t agree to do the band when we agreed to go on tour together last summer (The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts). It was more for us to kind of just feel it out, put our toes in the water. It was a really good opportunity for me to promote my solo release as an opening act. Then I would sit in. At a certain point, we were like yeah. Then (thinking) maybe after we’re comfortable for a month or two, maybe we’ll sit down and write some tunes and just see what happens.
If it didn’t work out, if we weren’t really feeling it, we don’t have to do anything beyond that. But we did feel it. So that’s why there is a band. We really locked into a vision and an idea and agreed on everything. Then we built the band and we brought Stoll in to help organize and write with us. Once the ball got rolling it just felt really good. That’s why you go to the next phase, which is actually putting the band together and recording a record. But yeah, it wasn’t inevitable.
Before the show I attended, I met a man who brought his young son, five or six years old, with him to the show. This was his son’s first concert. He was so stoked that this was his first. It got me thinking of two other fathers, who I am certain, feel that same joy about their son’s rock ‘n roll dreams.
When I was very small, before I learn to talk. My father held my hand and his, And showed me how to walk. And sometimes I would cry, or sometimes I would fall, But always he was there for me, to help me thru it all
In My Father’s Footsteps – Terry Jacks
Devon Allman, Duane BettsJohn Ginty, Berry Duane Oakley, Duane Betts, John Lum, Johnny Stachela , R Scott BryonDevon AllmanJohnny Stachela , R Scott Bryan, Duane Betts, Devon Allman, John Lum, Berry Duane Oakley, John GintyDevon Allman, Johnny StachelaBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane BettsDevon Allman, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanDevon Allman, JD Simo, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanJohn GintyBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane BettsDevon AllmanJohn Lum, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane Betts
Thursday July 18 will be the first of the “Thursdays on the Village Green”, a free concert series in Hamilton, NY featuring Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. “Thursdays on the Village Green” is a family-friendly event, with activities hosted by the Hamilton Public Library every week starting at 5:30 p.m., and then music starting at 7:00 p.m..
Kicking off the series’ music lineup this week is groove-soul powerhouse Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. The band’s groovy sound combined with Ponder’s powerful voice creates a beautiful and emotional experience for concert-goers. Ponder, a Rochester, NY native, will undoubtedly give you goose-bumps. Soultracks.com said, “Ponder’s vocals combine the spirit of the church with the speak-truth- to-power assertiveness of a movement leader.”
Ask Jimmie Vaughan what he thinks of what the Fabulous Thunderbirds have done since he left the band in 1990, and he chuckles. “I don’t know what they’ve done. I’m busy worrying about myself.”
The T-Birds may have been his highest profile gig outside of Family Style, the one double-Grammy winning CD he recorded with his late legendary brother Stevie Ray Vaughan, but he’s won two Grammys since then as a solo act and plays the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, New York on Friday, July 12 and Darryl’s Place the next day touring on the release of his latest CD, Baby, Please Come Home.
The Chicago Tribune summed Jimmie up adroitly when they said, “Jimmie Vaughan is one of the great guitarists of the last 30-40 years, though you might not know it – he’s not about calling attention to himself. He’s about substance and economy rather than excess and showmanship.”
While his guitar work with the T-Birds fused the swamp blues sound of Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester with a gritty bar band rock that made the songs “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It Up” pop chart hits more than three decades ago, his current style rests comfortably in the retro R&B songs he covers on the new album.
The originals of all 11 numbers were first released in the 1950s including Chuck Willis’s “What’s Your Name,” Fats Domino’s “So Glad,” Jimmy Reed’s “Baby, What’s Wrong,” and T Bone Walker’s “I’m Still in Love with You.” As diverse as that sounds, the arrangements consistently feel like they were recorded in the Duke/Peacock label’s Houston studios between 1947 and ’54. Vaughan’s guitar playing throughout is elemental, retro perfect, on point, prickly and as unlike his late brother Stevie Ray’s sound as Chuck Berry is to Jimi Hendrix.
It is unavoidable that Stevie’s history-making legacy would cast a huge shadow over everything Jimmie has done since his brother died in a helicopter crash in 1990 a month prior to the release of Family Style. Jimmie Vaughan says the pain even today of having to put out that album after his brother’s passing is indescribable.
“We were together every day in the studio. We had a great time. We went to New York, Memphis, Dallas. We had a good time with each other, and we enjoyed it, and we had a fabulous record. We were looking forward to it coming out, and then that happened. I don’t even know how to describe it. I don’t know what to say still.”
Listen to any one of Jimmie’s solo albums back to back with one of Stevie’s, and it makes you wonder how two brothers four years apart in age and living together growing up could be so different. The common thread was Jimi Hendrix.
“We both loved Hendrix. I found the 45 of “Purple Haze” in the garbage can at a TV show. It was a promotional copy that they had thrown away. So, I got it early on before it came out. If you’re already into Muddy Waters, and you hear Hendrix, it’s exactly like Muddy Waters had a kid who went into outer space and came back and knew stuff nobody else knew. But it’s still Muddy Waters.
“I could do “Purple Haze” and “Foxy Lady” with the band I was in. They were all 21, and I was 15, (in 1966). Stevie was there on that set, and then somebody would challenge him. Stevie had to outdo me in his mind. He was my little brother, and sometimes little brothers have to try harder than big brothers.”
Stevie would go on to become the biggest influence in helping blues cross over into the mainstream since Hendrix himself, eclipsing his brother’s popularity by a huge margin. And when they recorded Family Style, it was that process that added a capability to Jimmie’s talents that finally would turn him into a solo recording artist four years after Stevie died. The biggest boost to Jimmie’s solo career came from handling vocals for the first time.
“I never had any vocals training. It wasn’t my goal. So, when I got to Family Style with Stevie, (producer) Nile Rodgers said, ‘Stevie’s gonna sing his songs. What songs are you going to sing?’ I said, ‘Well, I wasn’t really thinking of that.’ He said, ‘Well, you gotta sing.’ So, I said ok. I had to do it. That was a good way to start for me. and I’ve been singing ever since.”
Jimmie’s vocals on Baby, Please Come Home are a perfect complement to his extraordinary guitar playing.
Eric Clapton who lost three members of his entourage in the same helicopter crash that killed Stevie, invited Jimmie to perform at five Royal Albert Hall blues concerts in London soon after the accident. I was working on my Buddy Guy biography at the time and spent an evening with Jimmie, his mother, and the Beefeaters guards in their pub in the Tower of London. The Brits made this American blues journalist feel like royalty. The good cheer was palpable, but it was as if Jimmie were inside a bubble apart from the goings on. I didn’t know what to say to him. “Well, neither did I. I didn’t know what to say to you or anyone. So, it’s just what I had to do, and actually it was the best thing for me at the time to play which is what I’ve always done anyway.”
It was four years after Stevie’s passing before Jimmie released his first solo album Strange Pleasure including the song “Six Strings Down” dedicated to his brother. It was produced by Nile Rodgers and featured Dr. John on bass. Career highlights since then have included a special guest appearance on Bo Diddley’s 1996 album A Man Amongst Men, playing guitar on the tracks “He’s Got A Key” and “Coatimundi.” He played a member of the fictional Louisiana Gator Boys led by B.B. King in the Blues Brothers 2000 film and earned a Grammy for Best Blues Album for his 2001 release, Do You Get The Blues?
In the new millennium he’s recorded with Omar Kent Dykes’ On The Jimmy Reed Highway, Lazy Lester’s Blues Stop Knockin’, toured with Dylan in 2006, and joined Gary Clark, Jr. for the encore of Clapton’s show at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2017.
If you read between the lines, you could get the impression that Jimmie’ career is about the guitar licks where his brother’s was about the glory.“The thing about Stevie and I playing so differently is just that he would do the Hendrix thing, and he would do Albert King and Hendrix incorporated into his style. He stole their riffs and put it into his playing and did it so well, that it became part of his thing.
“I already was doing a different thing. So, if Stevie were here right now, it would be interesting to see how he played, but when you’re young and you’re out there having a good time and – ”
He pauses.
“This is not to take away from Stevie’s playing. I don’t want you to think that. I’m just trying to explain why he did all that.”
One has to wonder where Jimmie would be today if Clapton hadn’t pulled him back out on stage. “I’m grateful that Eric got me to play ’cause I didn’t know what to do and how to handle a group at the time. I had left the Thunderbirds, and I was just in turmoil. Like, what do you do with all this information? Where do you put it? Where’s my place in it? You know what I mean? So, anyway, that was my first outing, and I’ve been playing ever since. So, I think I was good for me that Eric got me out of the house and away from myself.”
“It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know;” the well-worn oft-repeated mantra of the Rochester International Jazz Festival not only rings true but pays dividends when heeded. Over 18 years the producers have followed a successful formula mixing well-known talent, historically-significant acts or tributes, returning favorites, local talent, up-and-comers, and unknown, sometimes unpronounceable names from places spanning the globe.
It’s these last two that tend to define our Jazz Fest experiences. Other than their status as unknowns, the other thread common to these artists was their ability to make sixty minutes feel like thirty. We weren’t checking the clock or getting antsy for the sets that lied ahead, our attention was commanded in full. These are the 10 artists that blew us away most in 2019 at Rochester Jazz Festival, artists you should most definitely give a listen to.
A Danish quintet featuring no girls, actually had to leave one of their members behind at the airport, as sax player Martin Stender’s visa was denied. It didn’t matter much to our ears as remaining members: Lars Greve (sax), Mathias Holm (keys), Victor Dybbroe (percussion) and Mads Forsby (drums), were still one of the highlights of the festival. The band, together ten years, moved between ethereal soundscapes, intense evil marches and organ-rich spacey grooves, mixing in infectious rhythms and melodies along the way. Their music would only be called jazz because, what else would you call it.
So much great music is played in three beautiful churches during the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Rarely does the church become the instrument. Kit Downes, a British keys player who we’ll hear from again, below, took on the task of playing the Christ Church’s Craighead-Saunders organ, the most accurate baroque organ in the Western Hemisphere. It sits above the pews in the balcony so a video feed was provided for the audience. The action of Downes playing the organ was almost as intriguing as the sounds filling the great hall. Almost but not quite.
As the sounds were some of the most unique and exciting we have ever heard at the festival. He played melodic and accessible pieces mixed with some longer, more improv-heavy works. The highest notes chimed like jingle bells and the lowest were guttural deep rumbling moans that were felt as much as heard. It was a cultural experience beyond just a set of music at a festival, and one we won’t soon forget.
Kit Downes was back the next night playing the piano in a trio, joined by Frans Petter Eldh on bass and James Maddren on drums. This was not a set where the audience would be clapping mid-song for impressive solos, because there were no solos. Or were they always soloing? It was an intense tangle of piano, bass and drums that was constantly in motion – flowing in waves of energy that always seemed to trend upwards with little in the way of ebbing. They could be melodic or dissonant, rocking or sparsely quiet, but always together.
In what became a three-day British jazz game of Six Degrees of Separation, Enemy drummer, James Maddren, was back at the Christ Church the next day as a part of saxophonist Trish Clowes’ band. Ross Stanley on organ and piano and Chris Montague (from NYS Music’s favorite of the 2015 festival, Troyka) on guitar.
Montague had proven to be a marvel on his last visit, and Trish Clowes bears the band’s namesake, but this was a band’s band with no clear leader musically. The sound varied from number to number: high speed melodic chases, punchy avant garde jams, spacey organic textures and even Weather-Report-inspired rock fusion. As if that range wasn’t enough, they also added recorded samples on “I.F.” and Clowes, singing on the beautifully meandering epic “Free to Fall.”
Give a listen/look at their brand new video for a song inspired by the great sci-fi film, Arrival.
Swedish reed player Thomas Backman, last seen at the Jazz Fest as a part of Klabbes Bank (yet another NYS Music fave) in 2017, returned with his own unit. He was backed by keys, drums and bass, with the women on keys and drums taking vocal duties on various tunes. They seemed to make their way through their 2018 debut in order, possibly in full. Each player was a creative mastermind, maximizing their possible range and output. Whether teetering into techno, bursting into bombast, or coasting quietly on a beautiful melody, the quartet had the audience rapt for the full hour.
Austrian pianist, David Helbock, brought his Random/Control group which was as interesting a trio as you’ll find. Johannes Bar played sousaphone, trumpet, an interesting wood block didgeridoo, various percussion, electronics, and at one point a long plastic tube with a red horn attached to the end. Andreas Broger played multiple reeds sometimes two at a time. Helbock was a non-traditional player, diving inside the piano almost as much as on the keys, while also banging a kick drum and wood blocks. All three played the piano together at one point, knocking on it inside and out. They played Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia,” and John Williams’ theme from the movie “Catch Me If You Can,” but as you can imagine, none of it sounded quite the same.
By now you’re sensing a pattern. Yes, the European groups dominated the festival highlights this year, but there were some wow moments from closer to home as well. This Brooklyn-based duo of Josh Dion on drums, vocals and keys and Geoff Kraly on bass and modular synthesizer, had an in-your-face garage rock energy with some beautiful R&B soulfulness. It was heavily drenched in electronic sounds yet always rooted in the organic. Original songs from their recently released debut were joined by completed deconstructed covers of “Life is a Carnival” and “Have a Talk with God.”
OK, back to England for one more amazing artist. While many others wowed us with unusual instrumentation or arrangements, saxophonist Nubya Garcia just wowed us with flat out fiery playing. The festival decided to add some additional Made in the UK sets outside of its usual spot at Christ Church. It was a wise move in the sense that allowed them to book more of the talent bursting forth across the pond, but in this case the outdoor Jazz Street Stage was an odd placement. Garcia’s quartet, including Sam Jones on drums, Taber Gable on keys and Daniel Casimir on bass, weren’t playing the most accessible music that would normally grace the free stage. The nuances of what they were laying down were difficult to parse out among the drinking partying masses. On the other hand, it was a great opportunity for the non-Club Pass crowd to see such a high level of playing and composition. Garcia didn’t impress with the amount of notes she played, rather with the power and thoughtfulness put into each one. Rochester caught her on her first ever North American jaunt and certainly caught a rising star, one to keep an eye on for sure.
The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner has put together a new piano trio with some of his Philadelphia buddies, Jason Fratacelli on upright bass and Matt Scarano on drums. The music certainly hews more toward traditional jazz from his usual jam-tronica fare, but in their live set, one of their first-ever, it proved to be anything but traditional. It was a roller coaster ride for the ears: spaciness climbed to full-on rock which fell back back down. Funky rocking electronic turned into catchy piano melodies and back again. Magner spent almost as much time playing electronic as he did acoustic and Fratacelli ran his bass through enough filters to escape the limits of his acoustic instrument on many occasions. So much to say, that this wasn’t your average jazz piano trio and the whooping and dancing crowd made that all the more clear. They were tight, unique and exciting.
Give a listen (debut album to be released July 19):
A trio from Asheville, consisting of Jon Stickley on guitar, Lindsay Pruett on fiddle and Hunter Deacon on drums, have all the makings of a great Americana act. And while that is where they are generally categorized, they are so much more than that. Stickley is a guitar whiz and can flatpick with the best of them, but he’s just as happy to sit back on a bass line for bit or shred out a headbanging rock riff. Likewise, Pruett also has the chops to run with any bluegrass unit, but doesn’t rest there long with this trio. Deacon is a flurry of activity on the drums, jumping from jazz to techno to rock, sometimes in the same song. Even an old fiddle tune like “Jerusalem Ridge” gets dressed up and knocked down with dance-ready beats and guitar pyrotechnics. Individually they are all musicians of remarkable talent, but as showcased in their sets at the new-to-the-festival Geva Fielding Stage, the bands most brilliant moments were when they locked together as a threesome, which they exhibited more often than not.
Best of the Rest
It wasn’t entirely “who we didn’t know” for the full nine days of the festival, we caught plenty of greatness from proven talents. Bill Frisell was back again with his trio of Kenny Wolleson and Tony Scher and they played two hour-plus sets with nearly no breaks – from blues to Beatles to Bacharach to Bill, unbelievable through and through. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his quintet Blackout schooled the audience in music as art, both with their phenomenal playing and in Harris’ frequent asides. Local sacred steel legends, The Campbell Brothers, blessed the audience with their breathtaking interpretation of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” in addition to opening up a Sunday evening church service at the Squeezers Stage with their usual roof-raising fare.
Cyro Baptista premiered his new quintet which was filled with worldly and joyful sounds from his “weapons of mass percussion.” Guitarist Lionel Loueke and Raul Midon shared the Kilbourn Stage for a set that mostly saw them go their separate ways. Both showcased their incredible guitar and vocal prowess, but only combined forces on two tunes. Loueke took on the first 30 minutes of the set, while Midon played his own full hour set, taking the full festival set time over by 40 minutes. Even so it was difficult for anyone to walk away, and encores were still called out for. Alas, another edition of the Rochester International Jazz Festival is now in the books, see you all again next year!
For 16 years, the Cortland Main Street Music Series has been bringing local, regional and national music acts to downtown Cortland. This year, a total of 12 musical performances, spanning a variety of genres, will take place over the course of four free concerts every Friday this month at the CFCU Community Credit Union Stage.
The series kicks off on July 5 with the local duo of Lonnie Park and John West. Following them in the evening will be The Fall Creek Brass Band from Freeville, NY, with their funky big band sound. Headlining the evening will be alternative rockers from Connecticut, The Alternate Routes. The following week, July 12 is also SUNY Cortland Alumni weekend. The night will start off with local bands The Beauchesnes and The Cousins. To celebrate alumni weekend, internationally acclaimed Todd Hobin Band from Syracuse will be headlining. Todd Hobin Band has performed on the SUNY Cortland campus more than any other band in the school’s history, and they are returning in collaboration with the Music Legacy group’s unveiling of a commemorative sculpture for this year’s alumni weekend events.
On July 19, Cortland Main Street Music welcomes Enter The Haggis, a high-energy group of Celtic-rockers combining bag pipe and fiddles with a rock rhythm and meaningful lyrics to bring a distinctively electric sound. Opening up the night will be local favorites The Starmer Brothers, and following them will be the foot-stomping folk band The Old Main. The final Friday of July will bring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, a sixteen-year old guitar prodigy, who got his nickname “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing. Openers for the July 26 show includes a solo performance from Marc Ryan from Tribal Revival, as well as the soulful Americana of Mike Powell and the Black River.
