Mates of State 1/25/17 Bar

Caught the last few tunes of the Mates residency at Bar. Like in the old days when I saw Barrence Whitfield and the Savages three times in a month, continued viewing fosters a familiarity that allows a music nerd to compare and contrast delivery, energy, and band cohesiveness. On this outing, the Mates pulled Pencilgrass trumpeter and head-bobber Panos on stage for great effect. After the show, the Mates offloaded boxes of CDs of solo projects in an attempt to keep the local love burning. It made me sad to think of the sad state of monetary compensation for these dedicated artists.

Sound and Vision: Questlove, Kimbra, Yale Symphony Orchestra 1/25/17 Schwarzman Center

The evening's program was the opening of "Blackstar Rising and The Purple Reign. Celebrating the Legacies of David Bowie and Prince". The Schwarzman Center is the soon to be renovated large hall to the right of Woolsey Hall when entering from Grove St. The hall was hot and had poor acoustics that swallowed the sound of the YSO who opened the program. The YSO played student arrangements of selected Bowie and Prince works. For Bowie, Space Oddity, Starman, Heroes, and Modern Love. The Prince selections: Controversy, Darling Nikki, U Got the Look, and When Doves Cry. These songs are difficult to arrange for symphony, but the students did an admirable job.
   After a brief intermission, the stage was cleared for what was termed "a critical deejay session with Questlove and Kimbra in conversation with Professor Daphne Brooks".  Ahmir Questlove Thompson is drummer and co-founder of the hiphop band The Roots, author, dj, producer, and
late night frontman for the bands on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show. Quest is also a professed Prince-ecologist. Kimbra is a young pop star from New Zealand. Her claim to fame is that she is the female voice heard on Gotye's 2011 pop sensation "Somebody That I Used To Know". Quest handled talk on Prince telling tales of taboo sexuality, career low point (opening for the Rolling Stones early in his career), the originator of the remix (played two mixes of Little Red Corvette) and the notion of boundary pushing R&B star turned rock and roll star turned oversized persona all with a backdrop of an extreme work ethic that fueled greatness. Kimbra, who can't be thirty, spoke of her circuitous entry into the Bowie canon. She started with the African rhythms contained on the album Lodger. Kimbra dissected the layered nursery rhyme chaos that is Ashes to Ashes stating that this type of complex pop song is rare today. Her final choice was Let's Dance which evoked stories of producer Nile Rogers lending his pop and funk magic wand to the record. More events in this celebration include screening and conversation with film-maker D.A. Penne baker of Ziggy Stardust, talks with Sheila E., and an art gallery performance with TV on The Radio.

Mates of State 1/11/17 Bar

Local  husband and wife pop duo Mates of State are setting up a January residency for three consecutive Wednesday nights at Bar. Usually a residency implies workouts of tunes in progress or collaboration with some local musicians. On this evening, MOS played to a group of hardcore fans that head bobbed and sung along to every song. MOS have been at the pop trade since 2000, with some reasonable success. I noticed they have about 50k followers on Spotify. Man on drums and vocals, girl on Korg keys and vocals. Solid songwriting and great layered vocals made for an enjoyable set. It seemed as though these guys were getting back to their roots, feeling some local love, and getting out of the basement to get some feedback on their live material. I have seen these two many times before, at the Vibes, at Bar, and at some small local outdoor fests, they always seem to please.

Woody Pines 1/3/16 Cafe 9

Nashville troubadour Woody Pines made a stop in New Haven. Like a cross between Leon Redbone and Django Reinhardt, WP said he played 220 dates last year. WP on national steel, standup bass, and a reed man who played saxes and clarinet. With a down-homey vocal delivery and excellent support from bass and reeds, WP played a journeyman's set. Hot jazz, Nawlins, Hank Williams, even a great cover of Junco Pardner done in a mambo style. The subtle addition of clarinet or tenor sax bent these tunes to the early 1900s. WP said he is aiming for a corner in Austin during SXSW to see if he could catch a recording break, with his effortless blend of old and new he may be on to something.