Andy Milne and Dapp Theory 11/6/15 Firehouse 12

Pianist and bandleader Milne came from Greg Osby's jazz and hip hop smash from the late 90s. The quintet had drums, bass (electric and standup), reeds (soprano sax, regular and bass clarinet, and some primitive wooden item that looked like a back scratcher fixed to a kazoo), and someone on "vocal poetics". The music was compelling with tight compositions, many with spoken word poetics that were often used as percussive add-ons. Milne told a funny story about being approached by the State Department to act as "cultural ambassadors ". The group spun an Azerbijan folk tune with their trademark jazziness as a tryout for the ambassador role. Needless to say, the State Department passed on their take on cultural ambassadoring. The song was good and made me think that the founding fathers had it right when they spoke of the separation between art and state.