Turbine 11/19/11 Stella Blues New Haven

Brooklyn prog-groove band Turbine was befriended or should I say "friended" by our crew a couple of Vibes ago. Ryan and the boys keep on rockin with their critically acclaimed new recording. Stellar guitar leads and Ryan on synthesizer-harmonica make for an action-packed night. Add some covers Power of Soul, and Herbie Hancock's Rockit and you are right back on the sea wall.

Marty Ehrlich Rites Quartet 11/11/11 Firehouse 12

Ehrlich on sax and clarinet, Ben Perowsky on drums, Ron Horton on trumpet, with standup bass (instead of Erik Friedlander on cello!) Second time in a row that F-12 group was missing a key component of what lured me to the show. Ehrlich was great as was Perowsky (of Lost Tribe fame in the 90s). These accomplished musicians were adept at moving songs from straight ahead to free without skipping a beat.

Glenn Jones 11/4/11 Neverending Books New Haven

Musty lo-fi hovel was the perfect place to see John Fahey disciple Jones. He played 6 and 12 string, banjo, national steel slide with songs from Martha's Vineyard , in memory of Jack Rose, and for a little girl (neighbor? relative?). Jones recently retouched a chunk of Fahey's career. Deliberate blues-americana served up to 25 or so hungry listeners. Final piece was a "duet" that he performed with Espers, Yo la tengo, and Chris Corsano. This time the duet was with a young woman (from Colorguard) who played what looked like an ancient phonograph with an album of gospel tunes weighed down by a coffee can. Various other switches and dials were employed to create "percussion" over Jones delicate playing.

Malcolm Holcombe 10/25/11 Cafe Nine

Like a cross between Tom Waits and John Hiatt, North Carolina singer songwriter Holcombe spun tales with just acoustic guitar and gravel voice. Inter-song banter ranged from insightful to deranged with stories of tater salad and weird California. To Drink The Rain was a highlight from his recent recording