Joel Harrison Septet: Singularity 12/17/10 Firehouse 12

Jazz meets classical with Harrison as guitar/arranger. Using a palette of cello, violin, sax, piano, standup bass, guitar , and drums, Harrison was able to weave some John Adams style orchestral pieces. This music was challenging but rewarding due to the ability to see the musicians feed off one another. Closing the fall series at Firehouse 12, this concert made me hungry for the spring series lineup. This "serious" material payed homage to Adams, Terry Riley, and Oliver Messiaen. The band flexed its collective chops with a classical take on the Allman Brothers Whipping Post!

Heavy Pets 11/30/10 Cafe Nine

Festival stalwarts Heavy Pets from Ft. Lauderdale brought some jam to the Nine. Kind of Percy Hillish with two guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards were uber-jammy. No cover songs and an annoying light show made the music difficult to receive. Seems as though this band has a formula for song craft: pop hook> faux reggae>noodle>end.

Cornmeal 11/12/10 Toads at Lily's Pad

Tiny upstairs venue with no real stage, presented no problems for off the hook Cornmeal. Saw these Chicago hillbillys at the 09 Vibes and the can really play. Bass, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and drums could not be contained by the small Lily's Pad. Kind of cross between Railroad Earth and Yonder Mtn String Band. Great harmony vocals starts most tunes that launch into bluegrass frenzy. The music has a whirling dervish pace that had the whole crowd moving. Lots of boardies in attendance which is usually an indication that you've hit the right show

Robert Randolph 11/11/1 Toads

Sacred steel guitar virtuoso Randolph never ceases to amaze. Played some standards: The March, People Get Ready, If I Had My Way. With little sister and cousin Danyell helping with vocals, this band had their game on. Randolph had some ladies come up on stage for Shake Your Hips, played an extendo vamp of Thriller. Closed with an excellent Voodoo Chile Slight Return.

Michael Franti and Spearhead 11/09/10 Toads Place

Say what you will about Franti opening for John Mayer or his music backdrop for the recent Corona TV ad, this guy is all about positive vibe. His high energy shows have leaned more toward peace and love pop than historical militant rap reggae. Judging from the packed house at Toads on this evening, the crowd didn't mind. Most material was from Yell Fire recording to the present with perennial Sublime cover Love Is What I Got. Franti takes some heat from hardcore fans for this pop turn, but look around the audience and realize that he now reaches multiple fan base factions. There was even a kid still awake at 12:30 to help with the closer.

Stephan Crump and The Rosetta Trio 11/5/10 Firehouse 12

Standup bass player Crump with guitarists Liberty Elliman and Jamie Fox (the original one). Capable set from these young Brooklyn jazzbos. It's always great to see the upright bass leading a combo. Last time I saw Liberty he was scorching with Henry Threadgill at Wesleyan. This trio was more song-oriented with decent interaction among the three. I was hoping for a little more fire from these guys, it seemed as if the playing was restrained. The room was 3/4 full and the acoustics, as always were top notch

Patti Smith 11/4/10 Yale University

As part of the Master's Tea program, rock legend Patti Smith spoke about life, art, and her new book a memoir of Robert Mapplethorpe. Witty and raspy, Smith described three crossroads in her life: moving to NYC from NJ in the late sixties penniless and excited, starting a family outside Detroit( with late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith), and returning to the public life to record "Gone Again" as a tribute and collaboration with Fred. Several times during this talk she reminded us she is NOT a musician, but an artist focused on the merging of poetry with music. It was a treat to see such an icon talk candidly of her career. I couldn't help but notice the odd juxtaposition of hallowed halls and tables of finger food with this artist who talked of sleeping in graveyards in NYC. I guess people do have the power.

The Ruby Suns w/ The Union Line 10/26/10 Cafe Nine

California rockers The Union Line open the show. Organ, two guitars, bass, and drums sounded like one of my favorite new bands, Blitzentrapper. Lots of percussion and good vocals.

Headliner Ruby Suns hail from Auckland, New Zealand. Touring unit was three guys ( studio unit has more members). Drums, bass, and guitars synths put out alot of sound for three guys. They set up on the floor citing the "musicians living room" as a reason to ditch the stage. Show opened with a rousing cover of Prince's "I'll Die for You". Sang one tune in their native NZ tongue. "Oh Mojave" from the Sea Lion album on the SubPop label was a standout. Closed the show with "Runnin Up That Hill" a Kate Bush cover.

Little Teeth 10/12/10 Cafe Nine

San Francisco freak trio reminded me of Yoko or Bjork in their delivery. Two girl harmony front women with helper dude on drums and bass. The women were adorned with various shakers and rattles which added to their distinctive sound. Ukelele, banjo, and glockenspiel were also used. One glock-oriented "song" had the guy playing his on the floor in front of the bathroom, while the ladies played theirs on stage. Finale had the trio doing an acapella chant percussion circle in the audience that was truly original. This was definitely a SF-values tour.

Julian Lage Group 10/01/10 Firehouse 12

Got the last seat for the second set for Lage's quintet. Group consisted of cello, sax and melodica, standup bass, percussion, and Lage on guitar. More song oriented than most avant sessions that I have seen at Firehouse 12, but a welcome change. Lage is a deft picker with speedy fills. Percussionist used no sticks, just hands and fingers the entire time. Excellent duet with Lage and bass. Inventive closer 123 Butler (address of "the best guitar store ever") was a standout. Youtube Lage as a young prodigy on the show Jules At Eight.

Broken Social Scene w/ Sea and Cake Toads 9/19/10

Arrived to the post-rock sounds of Sea and Cake. This Chicago band has been around for some time. The vocals, while distinctive, give similarity to all songs sung. The instrumentals were solid but could have benefitted from some exotic instrumentation. Saw this band open for Tortoise a few years ago and sounded as if they haven't evolved since then.

Headliner BSS is a Canadian "collective" not unlike Arcade Fire. The multiple guitar attack, sax, trumpet, female vocal, and smart-ass frontman were great. With that many bodies on stage, songs can ebb and swell. Sometimes collectives can get lost in their own democracy, but this group seemed to be able to retain it's focus. Their latest release Forgiveness Rock Record was the main source of material. Download Texaco Bitches for a feel of BSS.

Gospel Service 8/29/10 Unitarian House New Haven

Friend of Maureen invited us to a service at the Unitarian House that included some gospel singers from Dixwell Avenues Church On The Rock. Forget Ipod mashups of Britney Spears and The Residents, this was a real life mashup. With staunch lefty Unitarian backup band, lead singer Lavern belted out God Did It , Hold On, and a New Hallelujah. It was impossible not to sing.

Barrence Whitfield and The Monkey Hips 8/28/10 Cafe Nine

Veteran Boston R&B wailer Whitfield makes a Friday night showing at the Nine. He has the pipes and the attitude to keep the show going. His trademark WAHH noise acts as percussion. The band had drums, guitar, bass, and crazy sax. These guys were tailor-made to cover Screamin' Jay Hawkins I Put A Spell On You. In fact, Whitfield reminds me of Hawkins. Excellent encore was Elvis Costello's What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love , and Understanding. Whitfield's recording with Tom Russell Hillbilly Voodoo is one of my most played recordings. No, he didn't do The Cuban Sandwich song, but I asked him anyway. Barrence is still wailing..... saw him many times with the Savages at Toad's back in the day.

Joe Morris, Matthew Shipp, Joe Hobbs, Gerald Cleaver 08/21/10 NH Jazz Festival

The four pm slot was taken by these veteran improvisors. Leader Morris on bass, Hobbs on sax, Shipp piano, and Cleaver drums. I saw two extended free jazz improv blasts. Hobbs was particularly impressive on Coltrane sheets of sound. Always a treat to see Shipp, whether with William Parker or anywhere else. His keys work is fluid without sounding abrasive. Growing up in the Morris Cove area, Morris also teaches at the Boston Conservatory.

Little Feat, Lubriphonic, Jimmy Cliff 8/01/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Hard to say goodbye to a great weather camping experience. Sunday at the Vibes started with Little Feat. Spanish Moon, Dixie Chicken>Tennessee Jed>Dixie Chicken, then ended with Don't Bogart That Joint. Second stage had up and coming jammers Lubriphonic. Yellow-clad Jimmy Cliff gave us the reggae fix with I Can See Clearly Now, Pressure Drop, and The Harder They Come.

Max Creek, Galactic, Rhythm Devils featuring Bill Kreutzman, Mickey Hart, and Keller Williams, Primus, Deep Banana Blackout 7/31/10 GOTV Seaside Park

Hippie mainstays Max Creek start off Saturday at the Vibes. They do a memorable cover of Donovan's Sunshine Superman. Next up is Galactic, fronted by a trombone playing rapper which added necessary sauce to this mostly instrumental troupe. Always good to see Galactic's Stanton Moore (drums) and Ben Elliman (sax). Listened to Umphrey's McGee on radio vibes. Rhythm Devils set with Keller was hot. Cold Rain and Snow, Uncle John's Band, Fire on The Mountain, Bo Diddley, and Voodoo Zombies were all good. Unsure of the choice of Primus to end the Saturday mainstage set. After a weekend of kind vibes, Claypool and company definitely have a sinister vibe. With a trippy lightshow and Les' nasally whine, it seemed to pull songs from Sailing the Seas of Cheese recording Sgt Baker, Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, Here Come the Bastards, and a great American Life. Primus also did a nice cover of Pink Floyd's The Wall. Late night again with Vibes house band Deep Banana Blackout. DBB did a P-Funk tribute with Cosmic Slop highlight. Late late night with Turbine playing on the sea wall, all they needed was gas for their generator and agreed to keep groovers away from emergency vehicle lane and they jammed till dawn

Jackie Greene, Steve Kimock's Crazy Engine, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Further, Mix Master Mike 7/30/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Highly anticipated day at the Vibes. Start off with Dylanesque cool of Jackie Greene. Greene who played with Phil Lesh in 2008 is very capable on guitar. Jackie commanded Beatles medley of Tomorrow Never Knows>Taxman>TNK . Rounded out his set with with Scarlet Begonias. Haven't had the pleasure of seeing Steve Kimock as a leader in years. Complete with his minty green guitar and son on drums, Kimock has a way of weaving the great guitar solo. Bernie Worrell on organ helped with a kick-ass version of P-Funk's Red Hot Momma (sorry, no hottie on rollerskates as done by George Clinton at 2009 Vibes). We dined during Sharon Jones set, but able to listen on 89.5's radio vibes. Sharon is like a female James Brown and scorched it. Sacred Pedal Steel virtuoso Robert Randolph has grown up since playing for the church as a kid. After being mismanaged by Sony, Randolph is back in a big way. He scanned the audience for wannabe guitar slingers. After pulling a dud on stage, Randolph located a capable axe-man from Greenwich who had a Vibes moment for the ages. Randolph played the pedal steel standard Ted's Jam then launched into an awesome Papa Was a Rolling Stone>Pokerface>Papa Was a Rolling Stone. Randolph ended his set with a great If I Had My Way. Stayed on the concert field for festival highlight Further featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. Set one featured: Jack Straw, Ramble on Rose, Friend of the Devil, Estimated Prophet, Eyes of the World, and Not Fade Away. Set two: Althea, Wharf Rat, He's Gone, Scarlet Begonias, The Wheel, Help On the Way, Slipknot, Franklin's Tower, and closed with a complete Terrapin Suite..... nice. Couldn't pass up late night second stage set with honorary Beastie Boy Mixmaster Mike. Frenetic turntabling with blinding lights was certainly a sight but could have benefitted from some collaboration.

Turbine, New Riders of the Purple Sage, DSO, Big Sam's Funky Nation 7/29/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Setup camp in the Boardie preferred area thanks to Sneaky Jack and Bobby Z, complete with water view. Brooklyn groovesters Turbine jack the second stage with a jazzy set that culminated in a harmonica synth cover of Herbie Hancock's Rockit. Veteran Bay area hippies NRPS blow through a standard set, always good to hear Panama Red live. Dark Star Orchestra has morphed into this generation's Grateful Dead. DSO is able to mimic GD highlights so well it's frightening. Culling shows from the 70s, they play exact set replicas. Tonight's show was from Santa Fe 1971, I think. Still bobbing after two sets, we make it to late night action with Big Sam, former trombonist for The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Big Sam's horn tone was so full it hurt. Barrels through a rousing version of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. Almost peed my pants when Big Sam singled out Big Man with "Steelers Man....Get Low!"

Hot Tuna w/ Steve Earle 7/23/10 Shubert Theater New Haven

Show started promptly at 8pm. Entered to Steve Earle doing Devil's Right Hand. Geat set with inter-song banter from Earle. He certainly has been around the block and back. Stints in jail, multiple failed marriages, heroin addiction et.al., you get his meaning when he says to be genuine as a folk singer, you have to live the songs. Pancho and Lefty off the the 2009 Townes release was great. Galway Girl, Nashville Blues, Cocaine Cannot Kill My Pain, and the poignant Poor Boy Fighting A rich Man's War were all superb. Earle played much harmonica, some bozouki, and mandolin.

Veteran Bay-area rockers Hot Tuna breezed through the setlist that could have been written on a napkin in 1971. No complaints though as we got to view Hesitation Blues, I Know You Rider and some other Tuna jams. G.E. Smith, Jorma, Barry Mitterhoff, Casady, and Skoota Warner rounded out the band. Show ended promptly at 11pm. I'm hoping that Shubert policy was the cause for no encore and not the graying rockers. Didn't Hot Tuna play at Winterland until 4am?

The Low Anthem 7/18/10 Green River Festival

Providence RI band that plays either really soft or really loud. Standup bass, duelling clarinets, foiled cellphone loop, shaker made of pill bottles, pump organ with a cancel Columbus Day sign on it. This band is truly artistically original. One tune had a bowed saw and another had a mini tuba thing. Bass dude had a great hat made from a coffee burlap bag

David Wax Museum 7/18/10 Green River Festival

Eclectic americana in the dance tent. Caught the last couple songs from their set. They hopped off stage and sang in an impromptu circle an old spiritual number which was great

The Felice Bros. 7/18/10 Green River Festival

Booze-aura soaked rockers from upstate New York are hard-livin hard-tourin outfit that smell like a hangover. Popular release Yonder is the Clock has some pretty good cuts. Whiskey in his whiskey?

Unit 7 7/18/10 Green River Festival

Old timey rockers in the vein of Squirrel Nut Zippers, this band had horns , singers and dancers. Baritone sax dude had a baritone voice to match. Frontman singer looked like Tom Waits

Calexico 7/18 Green River Festival

Tuscon rockers who have played with Iron and Wine, house band for the I'm Not There soundtrack. Feast of Wire and Carried to Dust are two great releases by this band. The sound is hard to describe because it varies from folk to soundtracky to mariachi. Being a muticultural Arizona border band, they voiced their dismay with the recent political skirmish over imigration policy that has appeared in their state.

Cake 7/18/10 Green River Festival

Snarky Sunday So-Cal closer to this great festival in Greenfield MA. Smart jams with trumpet and rockin guitars. These guys have been around a while and look to go back to small label autonomy which hopefully doesn't equate to oblivion. Nice end to a hot day with their signature War Pigs cover. Why doesn't anyone cover Diary of a Madman or Blizzard of Oz?

Daryl Hall Meadowbrook 7/16/10

Was it a dose of blue-eyed soul, Private Eyes, Sarah Smile, Rich Girl, One on One or the fact that Hall ruled the charts in the 70s. Oate-less on this occasion, Hall has been touring so long he seems like an alien with good hair. Hall sang backup for Todd and does a vocal track on the outtake disc of Fripp's Exposure......really.

Nat Reeves Allstars Bushnell Park 7/12/10

Monday night free Hartford Jazz Society show. Unfortunately missed the Fela tribute band opener. Standup bass Hartford jazz stalwart Reeves is a local jazz prof who fronted some young lions for this show. Weather held nicely and event was well attended. Bass, trumpet, sax, piano, and drums were in full swing through some standards. Got a close look at expert drum solo. You can make a living playing jazz

Burkina Electrc 7/01/10

Burkina Electric hail from the West African nation of Burkina Faso. They blend African rhythms and dance with drums and electronics. Held on a beautiful evening at Wesleyan's CFA courtyard, it was quite a spectacle. Sound artist Lucas Ligeti of Festival in the Desert fame seems to be the driver of this high energy band. He played a theremin-type set of sticks channelled through a laptop. This "instrument" used infra-red light that was bothered by flash photography. Who knew that songs about chickens and saying hello could be so lively.

Dan Zanes A/I Festival Finale

Crazy-haired kid songster plays traditional music with a kid-centric sense of humor. Rain held off to keep this festival pretty precipitation free. Zanes had a choir from the Betsy Ross Magnet School and an African Drum group to help with onstage party. Ends up hopping off stage through the crowd with a parade of 76 trombones weaving through the audience.

Download: Pay Me My Money Down

Adrian Belew 6/25/10 Cafe Nine

Easily the biggest show in recent memory at the nine. Adrian was in great form blowing through some originals. Worked into "E" from his new Power Trio recording. Described his custom rig that has the sound of "26 stringed instruments programmed in." Switched on the sitar button and launched in to an unbelievable version of the Beatles "Within You and Without You." Belew explained that some very recent technological audio advances have now enabled him to play some songs that have been pinging in his head for years. Belew was "discovered" by Frank Zappa, played with Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, The Bears, PowerTrio, and extensive solo recording. Truly a treat in such a small space. I have no pictures or video, but Adrian says he was recording so keep eyes peeled for the availability of the Beatles cover. I do have a video in my head of Pat trying to wrangle pizza with Belew after the show, priceless.

Download: Big Electric Cat from Solo Twang Bar King

Ballet For A Blue Whale from Lone Rhinoceros

Sharkey's Day from Laurie Anderson's Home of the Brave

Listening Wind from Talking Heads Remain In Light

City of Tiny Lights from Frank Zappa's Sheik Yerbouti

You Can Call Me Al from Paul Simon's Graceland

The Lee Boys 6/25/10 Cafe Nine

Miami-based purveyors of the sacred steel guitar. Guitar, bass, drums, pedal steel, and local talent backup singers. Ever since Robert Randolph took this music from the altar to the clubs, there has been a bevy of church-taught players. It is feel good music with a jammy flair. Highlighted some Randolph songs and "You Got to Move" was great.

Nick Drake Napfest

Semi-Free 6/24/10 show on the green had singer/guitarist Janine Nichols with downtown stalwarts Brandon Ross on guitar and Charlie Burnham on violin. Trio did a couple of snoozy Nick Drake covers. Wondering if Janine is rich and picked up the two jazzbos on e-bay and told them not to play.

Lunchtime on the green for Arts and Ideas festival caught some tunes by Iyeoka and the Rock by Funk Tribe. Poetess Iyeoka fronts a groove collective that is a gig worth giving up your dayjob as a pharmacist (for CVS!) for. That's an idea worth rappin about. These guys are from Boston.

June 19, 2010 Blind Boys of Alabama on the New Haven Green as part of The Arts and Ideas festival. Icons of the gospel world have been at it since 1939. Show highlights were: "Amazing Grace", "Spirit in the Sky", "Way Down in the Hole." Finally, this festival gets nice weekend weather, thanks be to God, I guess.