Hiroya Tsukamoto w/ Glen Roth 12/23/18 East Rock Concert Series

Local finger style guitar legend Glen Roth has been perfecting his style for decades. Usually a stalwart of farmers markets and pop up happenings, it's easy to let Glen fade into the background. With no vocals and an easy picking style, Glen's sound is tailor-made for his day job. That day job is busking the NYC underground. Glen belongs to a busking collective who are sanctioned to inhabit the veins and arteries that flow through the city. With that much practice under one's belt, you can imagine the ease to which this player runs up and down the guitar neck. On this evening, I jumped at the chance to see him in a strict performance setting. As an opener, in the holiday season, Glen could have easily Deck-The-Halled it through his set. Instead we got a true view of his wizardry. I urge all to Spotify his mammoth Ghostrain, also an amazing take on Aerosmith's Dream On. He closed with a harmonics-laden chestnut Morroccan Christmas.
Glen Roth is so good, he routinely finishes in the top ten of the international finger style guitar championship held annually in....... Kansas. Another finalist happens to be Hiroya. A Berklee grad from Kyoto, Hiroya relies on loops and a more percussive new agey approach. Excellent in his own right, Hiroya sang and hummed through his nature-centric set. One tune was written near a natural stone bridge in Utah, another paid homage to an inn keeper in Tennessee. He closed with the American standard Shenandoah, which was oddly beautiful when twisted through an Asian accent.

Bassoonarama 12/17/18 Sudler Hall Yale

How do you know when Christmas has arrived?  It's when Professor Frank Morelli and his cadre of merry bassoonsters have their holiday recital in Yale's Sudler Hall. The format is similar, they come out and play a few holiday tunes, and then splinter into solos or smaller groups. The theme was the "four Bs", Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, and Brazil. The Brazil component was interesting in that it highlighted the compositions of Mignone. The Italian Brazilian heritage came through in the music. One PDQ Bach offering, "Lip My Reeds", had the crew take off their reeds and quack in unison. The bassoon is a very expressive instrument, one student's solo made full use of the large range, from the low end percussive tones to the mournful high register. In one piece, the large contrabassoon, so large that it needed its own chair for stability, fleshed out the low bass notes. The oboe studio, three oboes and an English horn joined the crew for a rousing Hungarian dance. Ended the show with Feliz Navidad and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Haakedepiccioto w/ Eric Hubel 12/9/18 Cafe 9

Eric Hubel's bio has him associated with Glen Branca, a minimalist composer in the style of Philip Glass or Terry Riley. Hubel played this unusual extended thumb piano which was attached to at least seven looping effect pedals and multiple iPods. Each "note" of the thumb piano was comprised of three metal tabs of increasing length. Strumming the notes made an exotic chord sound that was looped and layered with drum and percussion sounds. The thumb piano is usually small, handheld and is often played to color African music. Here, with an expanded size and electronic backbone, the music sounded like a harp or church organ. The percussion drove the sound with many tunes having the psychedelic kraut-rock feel. One song had decidedly Latin percussion which expanded the palate further. Once developing the songs loops, Hubel often picked up a mini 4-string electric guitar and maniacally thrashed at one note, these songs sounded like you were being chased by a swarm of insects or frozen in the climax of some Hitchcock film score. Once his set finished, it took him quite a while to untangle the nest of electronics and power cords..
Haakedepiccioto is the husband and wife duo of Alexander Haake and Danielle DePiccioto. Haake played bass in the second wave Berlin-based krautrock group Einstuzende Neubaten while US ex-pat DePiccioto is a minimalist composer. Haake was an imposing figure who looked like Josef Zawinul was trapped on a goth desert island with a cipher-based tattoo artist. He played guitar, laptop, and a tribal drum. Danielle played violin, zither, and hurdy-gurdy. Both sang simple lyrics, with Haake doing some Tuvan throat singing. Throughout the set, the laptop was programmed to play creepy wind noises. The duo describe themselves as modern day nomads, ditching their Berlin flat and wandering the world offering their brand of ominous music.

Borderlands Trio 12/7/18 Firehouse 12

Final installment of the fall F-12 series has Borderlands Trio. Kris Davis on piano, Stephan Crump on standup bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. Canadian pianist Davis had a lithe beginning with full key runs sounding like a harp. I seem to recall Crump is Harry Chapin's son-in-law, as he is married to NY folkie Jen Chapin. Crump is a staple at the Firehouse, performing with Mary Halvorsen, his own Rosetta group, and holding down bass detail for the wonderful Vijay Iyer. He started with some body tapping before launching into a funk groove backdrop. McPherson abides by the "less is more" ethos, subtly keeping  the trio in time. The second long piece, with prepared piano had a sinister movie score vibe. Crump is a character, with his facial gestures seeming to coax sounds from the bass. First time I have seen Davis, and she expertly veered from Cecil Taylor to Keith Jarrett to the beloved but belated Esbjorn Svenson. It's always sad to pack up F-12s live offerings for a few months, but the joy of perusing the Spring calendar is worth the wait.

Bernice w/ Bud Collins Trio 12/3/18 Cafe 9

CT jamband BC3 has been making the rounds as an opening band for below the radar touring acts. As you may recall, BC3 lived, played, studied? in the Uconn/Storrs area in the 80s. Their brand of goofy lyrics blended with jammy instrumentals was a heady elixir in the proto-Phish days. I give them credit keeping the flame. Would be nice if they stretched or spaced (dare I say noodle?) some songs out. On this evening, the drummer had malaria ( or may have just been really high).
For those expecting a rare glimpse of Abe Vigoda's (Fish from Barney Miller) naggy TV wife Bernice, would have to settle for a young quintet of knob twiddlers from the islands around Toronto. The group consisted of two female vocalists, bass, ergonomic keys/laptop, and drum machine/electronics. The sound reminded me of Stereolab, which the tall vocalist, and granddaughter of the band's namesake, took as a compliment as I kooked her after the show. The mixture of female harmony vocals and electronic effects is unusual and many songs had a child-like flavor. One tune, the acapella "I Hit My Head With My Monkey", was even nicked from a 6 year piano student.

Leeds w/ Bird Street 11/26/18 Cafe 9

Bird Street is an LA-based singer songwriter. He came to the 9 armed with an acoustic and a hat. Caught the last couple tunes of his set. Assured vocals with decent picking and song structure. Final song had him straddling the precipice between singing and yelling, which I find fascinating.
Leeds is Royston Langdon,  a musician from Leeds but based in NYC. He sang and played bass for the 90s-ish band Spacehog. His British accent and banter had me thinking of Bowie or Robyn Hitchcock. Langdon had to be pushing 50, and he told the crowd not to clap for him. This aw shucks style gave the air of a has-been trying to regain (or forget?) his stage presence from a bygone era. It was a pity because I really wanted to clap. Leeds said that Spacehog toured with Oasis and The Black Crowes back in the day. Langdon remained friends with Rich Robinson ( the less baked, axe-wielding brother of the Crowes) and played a tune which they co-wrote. Excellent cover of Grant Lee Buffalo's Jupiter and Teardrop. Closed with a wonderful rendition of Todd Rundgren's A Dream Goes On Forever complete with audience sing along for the acapella bits. I kooked Leeds after the show, " you won't let us clap, but you want us to sing in the Todd register?"

Dom Flemons w/ Kevin Burt 11/24/18 East Rock Concert Series

I recently joined a gym in my neighborhood on Nicoll St. called mActivity that caters to the growing hip young population in this area. New, clean, and easily accessible were reasons to join. A pleasant ( and seemingly targeted at me!) bonus is the East Rock Concert Series, a cache of folk-oriented shows promoted by local scenester Fernando Pinto. The music takes place in the sizable loungey front room of mActivity. Opener Kevin Burt was a big fella blues man who had a penchant for blues-afying pop tunes. He sat playing a gorgeous resonator guitar for tunes like Eleanor Rigby and Smack Dab in the Middle. Closed with an excellent cover of The Doobie Brothers' Long Train Runnin. Burt explained that the International Blues challenge, where hundreds of performers compete in Memphis , had never had a triple crown winner, until he won the honors last year.
Dom Flemons is a self-proclaimed "American Songster", an archivist and historian of the African American music legacy. He was also one third of the now defunct Carolina Chocolate Drops ( note the 11/13/18 blog post). Flemons is a true multi -instrumentalist, on this evening he showcased: rhythm bones, quills, harmonicas, acoustic guitars, and a variety of banjos including one made out of a gourd. Listening to Flemons is like getting a musical history lesson on country and bluegrass. He payed homage to Bill Monroe at The Grand Ole Opry. He scatted through some gospel tunes. He made reference to a collaborative folk project with the legendary British guitarist Martin Simpson. He took the audience on a tour of the south with tunes by Elizabeth Cotton and Ella Jenkins. Flemons gave props to his Carolina mentor by opening with the standard Cindy Gal. It seems fitting that Smithsonian Folkways ( and the legacy of Alan Lomax), sponsored Dom's recent Black Cowboy record. Songs were covers or inspired by Flemons' research into the genre. One striking story was of the Lone Ranger who was an African American US Marshall who spent time on a reservation before embarking on his perfect record of rounding up bad guys.  On the back of his custom gourd banjo, there was a drawing of Dom with his wife and young child with some birds flying forward but their beaks facing back. He explained the bird depiction was from an Ashanti proverb " fetch it back"' where there is power in learning the past past while carrying it forward. Very enjoyable listen at yet another new venue in the area.

Elizabeth and The Catapult w/ Julia Caesar 11/19/18 Cafe 9

Burlington VT quartet Julia Caesar has two female guitarists, female bass, and a young man on drums. They play original rock and seem to have a queer following. Good songs that dabble in some spacey jamminess.
Elizabeth and the Catapult played at Bar years ago. A trio with guitar, drums, and Elizabeth Niman on  vocals/keys and acoustic guitar was the group. NYC native Elizabeth has collaborated with Gillian Welch, Bens Folds, and Richard Swift (The Shins) as well as composing for videos and documentaries. She reminded me of Laura Nyro, both sound and looks. Gorgeous, full singing voice was the highlight of most tunes. Industry experience and years of live dates makes for a confident stage presence. On this evening, a crew of 4 or 5 pro-looking tango dancers shook and sashayed in front of the stage. Elizabeth rolled with this odd crowd dimension, and embraced sharing the visual with the dancers.

Rhiannon Giddens 11/13/18 Sudler Hall, Yale

"Critical Listening Session" with Yale chair of the African American Studies department Professor Daphne Brooks and MacArthur Genius recipient and former leader of The Carolina Chocolate Drops, RG. The talk was a kind of "this is your life" presentation that dabbled in the history of the banjo as it related to minstrel music. Giddens grew up in Greensboro NC, went to Oberlin, worked as a graphic artist, formed the Grammy award winning CCD, and basically sky rocketed to fame all the while mining and resurrecting old time string band music. RG plays a replica minstrel banjo and fiddle. The lecture showcased CCD's "Snowden's Jig", a mournful instrumental with handclaps and foot stomping percussion that is truly haunting. "Julee" a tune inspired from the accounts of slaves depicts an enslaved woman on the cusp of freedom interacting with her female owner. "Black Is The Color" was a big budget video shot on the grounds of Fisk University. RG's tireless effort to unearth this beautiful music borne out of a painful history is compelling. It is worth noting that the trio that was CCD has disbanded, with members Giddens and Dom Flemons forging solo careers while Robinson moved away from the traditional music. Please listen to the podcast "Uncivil" and in particular the episode pertaining to the song "Dixie", where local hero Jack Hitt interviews Robinson to reveal his epiphany as it relates to minstrel music. At the Q and A, a teacher from Bridgeport asked " how he could get his students to listen to anything other than rap?" To which RG replied that her cousin was taking the banjo into the realm of rap, and that the most exciting music and art is happening "at the edges". Capacity crowd to hear from this acclaimed artist even as we seem to be moving backwards with regard to race and culture.

Nathan Bowles w/ Weeping Bong Band and Stefan Christensen 11/9/18 The State House

Local knob twiddler Christensen routinely opens shows of this nature. He uses laptop and effects pad to create industrial machine sounding backdrop and then layers guitar and wordless vocals. The music is oddly soothing, as if the listener is suspended over a factory floor.
Massachusetts instrumental psych rock quartet Weeping Bong Band have some interesting material on Spotify. Young woman in a thrift store dress and crocheted hat played flute and guitar, grizzled leather-clad rocker on bass, man-bunned hipster scratched at a banjo, and a big fella in a tattered Mr. Rogers sweater on mandolin and wooden flutes. The set started with a dueling flute passage, in came a bass vamp and some banjo scratching. The songs seemed quiet, like a movie soundtrack to a slow moving thriller. I was waiting for the group to unleash, but it never came. Perhaps the thriller ended peacefully, the villain was caught and there was no need for a climactic score.
Nathan Bowles played banjo in The Black Twig Pickers, a psychedelic take on Appalachian string music. On this night, he played with a drummer and standup bassist. Bowles percussive style was on display. The first tune, Nathan played an unusual lute-like instrument. He switched to banjo on which he strummed, picked, bowed, and bongoed. Song structure was good, and the capable rhythm section helped to deliver the tunes. Decent crowd and an annoying old woman taking flash photos from behind the band.

Jounce 11/5/18 Cafe 9

Power trio Jounce has played a Manic free show at Bar back in the day (2015, maybe?). Lead vocals/ bass, guitar/ backing vocals, and drums. High energy and speedy runs for this brief set of originals. The music straddled punk and metal, the mediocre vocals were buoyed by solid musicianship. Started with their signature tune, the riff I remembered from last viewing. Closed the show with a bouncy blues cover and then Cult of Personality by Living Color.

Thurston Moore, Wobbly, Byron Coley 11/3/18 The State House

Big Saturday show for the recently opened State House. I have been reading Byron Coley's music writing and record reviews for decades. He has written for Spin and Forced Exposure and holds down the monthly column "Size Matters" where he reviews odd formats ( 7", EPs, metal cassettes et. al.) for British zine Wire. Coley is a Northampton resident, like Moore, and runs the boutique record label FeedingTube, which gives label refuge to regional avant weirdos like Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano, and Sunburned Hand of the Man. On this night, Coley read poetry. He reminded me of Charles Bukowski, Ginsberg, or Burroughs in that many of his screeds described life in Frisco. Selling plasma, delivering local ad-news, or general scamming for dope and booze dominated many poems. He had some hysterical moments, like a nightmare he had about living in Dick Cheney's penis, wanting to beat the shit out of Brett Kavanaugh, and berating Joni Mitchell because she was tooling around in a Lincoln Navigator.
Wobbly is the stage name of Jon Leidecker, a member of the SF-based art terrorist collective Negativland. Please google Negativland if only to read about the legal battle with U2. Apparently the boys from Negativland recorded "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" on kazoos over a famous hot mic profanity laced rant about U2 from the mouth of an aging Kasey Casem. Classic. Wobbly is an electronic artist who coaxes bleeps and blaps from a series of iPads. The music is jarring with no discernible beat or song structure. The tones seemed decidedly old school as if someone's Atari was humping a PlayStation 1.
The Thurston affair was billed as "noise explorations of two 12-string guitars". Moore and James Sedwards on guitars were joined by female bassist (no, not Kim!), and Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley on drums. Churning, bubbling guitar ebbed and flowed at the conductorship of Moore. Thurston seemed to constantly be counting off "one-two" while nervously contorting his face to the dirge. Other than Shelley, Moore seemed to have 20 years on his bandmates and he led them around like a kindergarten field trip to avant skronk town. We know Thurston is in his 50s, but his demeanor is that of a junior high bad boy who just stole your lunch money while framing you for a flooded boys lav. The set consisted of one continuous "piece" that he said was inspired by Alice Coltrane and two female visual artists who I couldn't place. Good crowd for this unusual amalgam of outsiders.

Darius Jones Shades of Black 10/26/18 Firehouse 12

Was thinking of sitting out this DJ visit to the Firehouse. The past couple viewings were pretty screechy nails on chalkboard type blowouts. Jones sounded like Pharoah Sanders passing a kidney stone. Not that I mind this type of caterwaul, but one has to be mentally prepared. While other groups faded into the background of Jones' fire, this ensemble stoked, egged, and stole some fire. Sam Newsome on soprano sax, Cooper Moore on organ, Chad Taylor on drums, and Michael Wimberly on percussion joined the fray that is Darius Jones' alto sax. The set started with a gargantuan circularly breathed solo from Newsome, it had this jazz fan recalling the histrionics of Roland Kirk. Veteran of the NYC loft scene in the 70s, Moore is usually on piano ( or didley-bo, a bizarre stringed instrument crafted by this renaissance man). On this evening, Moore played organ, bopping and rolling his way through a variety of solos and call-and-response passages. The organ at times sounded churchy, at other times sounded like an avant garde ballpark companion. Imagine Cooper Moore as ballpark organist!...on Pluto perhaps(#stillaplanetdontstopbelieving). Taylor and Wimberly made quite the racket and provided a unifying force to keep the set from completely careening into a cacophonous maelstrom. Jones seems to gain weight every time I see him, on this evening he was wearing a t-shirt that said "Dope & Carefree & Proud & Black". His alto is assured, and moves easily from improvised skronk to collaborative harmony. He seemed very relaxed with Newsome who is a monster.

Toby Driver 10/22/18 Cafe 9

Toby Driver is the front man for Boston-based chamber metal outfit Kayo Dot. On this evening, it was a solo outing armed with just guitar and laptop. The songs were tectonically slow building squalls of sound. Sludgy, looped guitar and mournful vocals sounded like a movie score or a Twin Peaks bar band set. Driver's bio has him "singing" with such avant garde luminaries as John Zorn and Jeremiah Cymerman. With no song introduction or inter-song banter, the music felt like a soundtrack to a non-English speaking movie. Kayo Dot and Driver make an original  but somewhat unpleasant sound.

Arc Iris 10/15/18 Cafe 9

Providence-based art-pop trio Arc Iris was celebrating the release of Icon of Ego. The record has futuristic story songs set to a glam-EDM-performance art vibe. The trio consists of Jocie Adams on keys, guitar, vocals, and costume changes; Zach Miller on keys, synths, vocals,and drummer Ray Belli. I learn that Adams used to be in The Low Anthem and her departure seemed to coincide with my snowballing dislike of that band. The last time I saw AI, I seem to remember Adams wearing a spandex-Saran wrap combo. On this evening, a small changing stall was setup behind Adams' keys. The opening of the stall was downright vaginal, and Adams frequently entered to the sounds of instructional or meditative audio. Dueling keys, rapid time signature changes, odd dance moves, and dance floor ready drumming made for quite an experience. Adams vocal style reminded me of the baby talk prog sensuality of Kate Bush. While no costume changes for Miller, he too was a sight with a huge head of poofy hair that looked like a poodle fight when he swung to the groove. Adams' costume changes were worth noting: she started with a sheer one piece jumpsuit, moved to a red smoking jacket (shorts maybe?), with heels and a wrestling belt, and finished with a skin-tone bathing suit with hand prints stenciled and scarf made out of furry hands. This band truly needs the live experience, the cd wouldn't do it justice.

Christian Sands Trio Saybrook Underbrook Theater Yale 10/13/18

While driving to this show, I heard Christian McBride raving about a young lion pianist on his weekly NPR jazz show, Jazz Night in America. The pianist was Christian Sands, a twenty-something Steinway prodigy from the New Haven area. The Saybrook Underbrook theater is in the basement of Saybrook College on Elm Street, the info said to enter through doorway H. When we reached the destination, we saw signs for the show but needed to coax a student to use his ID to get us through the gate, we needed to coax another student to let us in the door, followed the signs past the billiards room (where the next Bert Kavanaugh was chalking his chops), to an awesome underground lair that was a concert space and recording studio. The show was another success from the Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective, a group of over-achievers that sponsor some great free jazz events around town. Packed house for this piano, drums and bass trio. We sat on the stairs which turned out to be an excellent vantage point to view the lightning fast runs of Sands. The crowd was a mixture of coeds and local jazzbos. Sands had his younger brother Ryan on drums and Josh Allen on standup. The music was fantastic, drawing from Sands recent release. Christian reminded me of Marcus Roberts with a little Keith Jarrett thrown in. An awesome string muted intro to Blind Faith's ( Steve Winwood) Can't Find My Way Home was the highlight. Closed with a round robin I Got Rhythm. Need to praise and complain to the YUJC, great show but don't make me use fuckin Ron Weasly's Magic shopping cart to gain entry.

Mikaela Davis w/ Lyon Street Fire 10/11/18 Spaceland

New Havenites Lyon Street Fire were mid-set when I arrived at Spaceland. Two guitars, bass, drums, male and female singers were a groove rock outfit. Both of the singers were good and shared the duties equally. The group reminded me of Rusted Root in that they have multiple singers on top of the jammy backdrop. Forgot to ask them if they were actually denizens of Lyon Street, a hip location near a community garden spot I tend.
Mikaela Davis is a young harpist from Rochester. The harp is quite a sight and I felt for the young lady as she wheeled it in on a hand truck and hoisted it on stage. The band were some young mop top jam types. Guitar, in-your-face bass, and drums laid down the song structure for Davis' harp, sometimes keys and vocals. Her recent recording Delivery was highlighted on this evening. The songs were good but sometimes suffered from the goofy banality of jam lyrics. The harp made the evening, sometimes being bent to sound Asian, other times offering a bluegrass twang. There was even one jam tune with an extended raga feel. Davis did a St Vincent cover which seemed apt. I cracked up when she said " Stravinsky once told me that harpists spend 80% of their time tuning and 20% of their time playing out of tune". She said that there is YouTube footage of her re-stringing the thing.

Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express w/ Amy Rigby 10/10/18 Cafe 9

Singer songwriter Rigby has played C-9 several times. A veteran of the Nashville scene, she doesn't seem twangy enough for that town. Caught a few originals to warm up the near capacity crowd. Rigby has three brothers, and had a good tune about "trying to hang with the guys".
I saw Chuck perform twice at this summer's Green River Festival. His set morphed into more of a club-oriented affair on this evening. Many smartass "you know ladies and gentlemen" comments and audience participation parts had the multi-generational crowd grooving. His remix version of Storm Across the Sea was great. Setlist included: Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, Who Put the Bomp, The Left Hand and The Right Hand, Run Primo Run, the Wille Mays tune, Wasn't I Always a friend to You ( co-written with Alejandro Escovedo) were all great. Closed with an obscure cover of Bangkok and a syrupy instrumental (Sleepwalk maybe?). Glad to have seen this veteran rocker for the third time in 2018.

Unknown Band 9/30/18 Edgerton Park

Beautiful fall afternoon had me weeding and harvesting beats from the community garden patch. From a distance, I could hear the strains of a band playing a function at the park's carriage house. The first tune was Tom Petty's "Breakdown", a favorite from this clutched from the planet too soon rocker. Next up was an odd but lengthy intro to an even lengthier "Shakedown Street". So lengthy, that I was able to finish gardening and walk the park to peer through the bushes at this hip wedding. The band, as you'd expect, were hairy 30-somethings, obliviously grooving to their jammy output. The crowd, as you wouldn't expect, were a bunch of horrified, well-dressed oldsters parked at some circular tables in front of the band. Now I know it is a stretch for my live music blog to contain an entry pertaining to an unknown band at a show I wasn't truly at, but live music just happens. Traveling this world with big ears is some sage advice. To the hippie band at the oldster-laden wedding, I say "Play on Brother" because "The Music Never Stopped".

The Suitcase Junket w/ Belle of the Fall 9/30/18 Cafe 9

CT opener Belle of the Fall is a duo. Young woman on guitar/ vocals and guy on standup bass/ vocals. The sound reminded me of some of the Pentangle songs with female vocals and bass. BOTF vocalist was less impy and smokier. Good originals with some audience participation bits. The guy sang backup in a high register which made for an excellent rendition of S and G's Sounds of Silence.
Northampton's Suitcase Junket has been around for a while.  A true one man band, the dude plays multiple cymbals, shakers, saw blades, and beats with his feet. All the while whistling, singing, and playing a swampy, bluesy guitar, SJ made quite the racket. Hysterical inter song banter, SJ introduced one tune Swamp Chicken with his affinity for the term Swamp Yankee. While touring the south, SJ assumed the moniker of Swamp Yankee, he thought it would be the least worst Yankee. SJ had this weird whistling style that he described as throat whistling while curling his tongue to yield this odd synth effect. The Suitcase Junket's sound has evolved nicely, and while he seems a little van-queer, he was an enjoyable and engaging listen.

Ka Baird, Maria Chavez, Tongue Depressor, DJ Kryssi B 9/28/18 State House

First visit to the new New Haven concert space, State House. Very impressed, parking lot in front, small bar, nice stage and acoustics, plus two gender neutral bathrooms (talk about coming out!, you land on the dance floor). Happily arrived to the metal edged platters from Kryssi B (local axe-wielder for Headroom and The Mountain Movers) who was tapped to dj between sets, some cleverly placed Hawkwind was great. Local group Tongue Depressor started as a duo, two hairy dronesters one on keys, the other appeared to be playing lap zither (if that is even a real thing), played long sawing drones. The lap zither guy appeared to be mitring with a bow, other times he played a metal comb that was scraping the strings, he also played his string thing with what looked like a cigar-like pretzel. Both guys switched to violin and played this awesome drone that sounded like a swarm of bees. A third person appeared and played xylophone with this small multiple mallet technique. His sound was  the harpish run that often accompanies a magic spell on cartoons. The speedy slide on the xylophone looked like the guy was beating eggs or tossing a really small salad.
Maria Chavez is a NYC-based experimental turntablist. Quiet and shy, Maria urged everyone to come on stage and get really close when she was "playing".  The first piece had an LP, a 7", and a 45 on the table. MC screeched and popped the records to a jarring effect. The second picce had an instructional record that she overlayed a broken (almost in half) music record that gave this odd talking-pop-music combo. The final piece had two green vinyl records that MC slowed,sped, and popped the stylus. Very original, MC had this weird twitch in her cheek that seemed to coincide with the feedback.
Experimental vocalist and flautist  Ka Baird was stranger still. She didn't really sing, but scat, purr, and whinny into multiple mics, which had the odd Doppler effect. She had beats, she played two sanding blocks, she crowed operatically, and prowled the stage. Good crowd for this truly original show. Keep your eyes peeled for shows at this new space.

Mystic Braves w/ Creation Factory 9/17/18 Cafe 9

Thankfully, caught most of the set by opener Creation Factory. Two guitars, bass, and drums spewed a wall of psychedelic garage sound. Light on vocals and heavy on jams, the sprawling tunes reminded me of live Quicksilver Messenger Service. The band's attire matched the sound, one guitarist had a Noel Redding complex with paisley and ascot, mutton chops, and a white guy Afro. The drummer moved nonstop, getting maximum beat from a minimal kit. I have been a fan of this music for years ( Psychotic Reaction, The Seeds, The Electric Prunes) but rarely get a chance to view a modern example of the lineage. One song ended with the refrain "acid burns my brain, acid makes me insane".
Headliner Mystic Braves carried the garage torch through the evening. The first band's drummer moved to keys, and the bass moved to lead guitar. Joined by bass/vocals, guitar/lead vocals, and a new drummer, MB had more vocals and discernible song structure than Creation Factory. Jangly guitars and harmony vocals moved the garage to Laurel or Topanga. Lead guitar had chops and seemed like he could chameleon into any style. Anyone interested in garage psych or paisley underground would do well to Spotify these true keepers of the flame.

Charlie Hunter Trio 9/16/18 Cafe 9

I was dismayed to see that this Sunday afternoon show was billed as "sold out" on the C9 website minutes before I was due to leave. Intrepid, I rode my bike the 6 minutes to the venue. As I was locking the bike, I spot Charlie chatting with some hipsters outside. In my usual kook fashion, I pull out some old Charlie Hunter story and ask him to put me on the guest list. He obliges by saying he has no friends on the list, so I'm it. Two sets of guitar wizardry ensue. The trio was not the usual lineup. Instead, Charlie on guitar, Kei Okawa on drums, and young female vocalist Lucy were the group. Charlie is a musical omnivore and it showed. Some old blues standards, Soul of a Man, a Ruth Brown tune, Angel Eyes popularized by Sinatra or Bennett, were split up with George Michael's Faith, a Roxy Music tune among others. At one point Charlie says the crowd is ready for the drummers solo on Porkestra. That's right Kei played two squeezy pig toys while performing his solo, which gave a surreal beatbox effect. At the set break, I congratulated Kei on his innovative solo, he said he had a spare pig in the car if he busted one. On Charlie's early aught Analog Playground release, he enlisted a little known Norah Jones to sing Roxy's More Than This. While Lucy was no Norah Jones, her capable vocals were a welcome addition to the afternoon. Closed with a great version of Lucinda William's Can't Let Go and encored with an excellent version of Howlin Wolf's ( or maybe Cream's) Spoonful. Another example of the power of positive kooking.

Michael Musillami Trio +2 9/14/18 Firehouse 12

Always an exciting time when a Firehouse 12 season opens up. First on the fall docket was the MMT+2 group. The trio was Musillami on guitar, George Schuller on drums, and Joe Fonda on upright bass. On this evening, the plus 2 were Jason Robinson on sax and Kirk Knuffke on cornet. The sound was full, with Robinson taking the first solo honors. Schuller's assured drumming kept perfect time. I'm not sure if Fonda is shrinking or his bass is getting bigger, but on this outing he looked like the midget from Twin Peaks slow dancing with Uma Thurman. The bass playing was stellar, even going to the bow for a bit. Knuffke oozed downtown cool with hipster beard and hat and vintage plaid pants. The cornet has a creamy sound, like a trumpet with the edges sanded off. Musillami played a hollow body that sounded like Eric Gale on the first tune. The second song was more of a ballad that reminded me of Pat Metheny's New Chataqua recording. The final tune was "Uncle Fino's Garden" an angular bop workout that included all players nicely. Michael said his Uncle Fino was a safecracker who buried his stolen goods in the garden. As a young boy, Michael didn't understand why his uncle was so adamant about him not playing in the tomato patch.

E w/ Polluter 9/9/18 Spaceland Ballroom

Young shred outfit Polluter was playing when I arrived. Crunchy guitars and manic drumming made for a spastic beat. I congratulated the drummer for not blowing a head gasket with his fierce pace, he was wearing a purple cape which I assumed gave him some kind of drumming super-power.
Boston trio E has been positively reviewed in this blog before. Thalia Zedek on guitar and vocals was in the punk band Come from the 80s and 90s, Jason Sidney Sanford on vocals and homemade guitar, and drummer who played like Kid Millions but looked like an assistant football coach were the trio. Zedek, dressed in black, had the air of a punk godmother who had seen and done much in her decades in the biz. She was the main vocalist, and while the lyrics were difficult to pick up over the din, the songs had a discernible gut-punch feel. My last viewing of E at Bar in New Haven had me attempting to photograph Sanford's "homemade" guitar. He fashioned the axe by welding pieces of small gage wire in the outline of a guitar, with fret board and strings. The poor lighting at Bar and the near invisibility of this instrument made it look like Sanford was playing air guitar. Spaceland proved not much better at getting a snap of this elusive instrument. Chatting with Sanford as he was setting up, I noticed on the inside of his homemade case for his homemade guitar he had his address and the note "this box contains homemade musical instruments and electronic effects". We laughed at the need for the note as a means to suppress any suspecting TSA agent thinking it was a Flying V dirty bomb carrying drone. Sanford's style was jerky movements and monster sound which reminded me of Bowie or Byrne. One song was introduced as "Cannibal Chat Room" which shows you where this trio was coming from.

Martin Sexton w/ Alternate Routes CTFolkfest 9/8/17 Edgerton Park

Sketchy weather kept the crowds down at this annual event. While there was a full slate of music ( caught a tune of regional bluegrass outfit Upstate Rubdown, and local faves Goodnight Blue Moon), we showed for the final two acts. Local pop rock outfit Alternate Routes aren't particularly folk, but have played together for a decade or so. Guitar (sometimes slide), lead vocals/guitar, drums, bass, and female harmony vocals made up the quintet. Original songwriting was good, but they needed a hook to move the crowd. The benefit of tenure showed in the band's tightness, but in today's crowded market, a band needs something to make them stand out. Alternate Routes are in search of that something.
Martin Sexton, from Syracuse, played most of the Gathering of The Vibes festivals. This means I saw  him annually (at least) for 15 years or so. A true one man band, Marty plays guitar, usually playing lead and bass lines simultaneously. Layered on the deft guitar work are the vocals, which have a huge range, from low to falsetto. Add percussive tapping, scatting, and clever use of microphone fade and placement and there might as well be 5 people on stage. I was curious to see how the falsetto fared over the years and was happily surprised at its strength. Martin's body of work hasn't grown much recently, but early ought chestnuts like Black Sheep, Wonderbar, and Glorybound haven't lost their luster. At one point, Martin said that " rock and roll is like a river, you put something in, and you take something out". He launched into his tune while teasing U2's With or Without You, then Cheap Trick's Surrender, then the Beatles Let It Be. Closed the set with Turn On your Lovelight ( for the hippies) that segued into This Little Light of Mine, complete with audience members adding to the fray. Encore was a beautiful gospel inflected version of Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round in Circles".

Chris Smither 8/25/18 Guthrie House Great Barrington MA

Veteran folkie Smither was at this year's Green River Fest. I passed on him there knowing that I would be traveling to the Guthrie "church" in late August. The Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit affair helmed by Arlo and fam to help the needy in this area. Hot meals, free legal services, yoga, and even BYO God religious services are provided in this church/concert space. We figured that sleepy-eyed Chris was in his mid-70s. His effortless acoustic picking style was rooted in folk, but dabbled in blues and Nawlins soul. He played sitting, while his feet tapped percussively. This wasn't just keeping time, but an added dimension to the one-man, one-guitar troubadour. Two full sets of songs dotted with stories over the years. Before doing a cover of Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" (in a minor key!), Chris talked about choosing songs to cover. They need to be "sturdy" so they can handle abuse and interpretation. Another story came regarding his popular "No Love Today" song which has a refrain referencing the produce man's call down his street as a youth in the Big Easy. He said he was in Hawaii and stumbled upon a kid playing the tune in a produce stall. Chris remarked that it made him feel good that the youngster was playing his tune, to which the kid responded ," that's not your tune man". Other covers of Doc Watson's " Sittin On Top Of The World", and Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" were excellent. In the handshake line, a guy in front of me had a picture of Chris in a Newport Folk program when he played there at the age of 23, "just want to see if your autograph looks the same" he said.

Jeffrey Lewis and Los Bolts 8/6/18 Cafe 9

Brooklyn renaissance man Lewis is busy. He is a cartoon artist, I believe Fuff is the character in his DIY zines. The music was a trio with Lewis on guitar and vocals, young trans girl on bass and vocals, and drummer. Lewis' speedy, nasally, comic demeanor reminded me of They Might Be Giants. Songs ranged from punk to pop and even some twang in there. Lewis went off on some poetry slam rant about "wanting it both ways". One song was about collecting vinyl ( he's moving on to CDs, "search out the format that no one wants, currently") Another speedy punk workout about despair and depression was excellent. Lewis also showed a couple of "short films" which consisted of him standing on a chair while flipping through large scale comic books he'd drawn. One "film" was about French history and the evolution of the guillotine, while the other After Dark was some comic book porno that involved a parrot. The band was tight and rocking for this truly original artist.

Newport Jazz Festival 8/4/18 Fort Adams Park

Sketchy weather Saturday of this historic affair had a lineup that seems to be continually moving in a positive direction.
Roy Hargrove: Veteran trumpeter started the main stage. His cool post-Miles vibe is under-rated. Guest-heavy 90s recording RH Factor and more recent Earfood are on heavy rotation in my jazz library.
Mary Halvorsen's Code Girl: Set started with an embarrassingly long genuflection of some DJ bestowing an award on Mary. Awkward and nerdy, MH accepted award and moved on with her genre-bending set with her on guitar, Michael Formanek on bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, trumpet, and female voice were the quintet. Uneasy listening, the addition of lyrics proved to further the avant gardiness of tunes. Critics darling and Firehouse 12 home team denizen MH gets credit for originality and is a few phone calls away from Marc Ribot level session work.
Grace Kelly: Sexy Asian saxstress Kelly usually roams in the smooth jazz circles, which might prove problematic for the straight ahead Newport crowd. Goes to show if you have chops and come with a tight band, you can show off the Jazz. Excellent version of Sinnerman (music) and What A Wonderful World ( lyrics), sung by Kelly was a highlight.
Pat Metheny: I have a complicated affinity for Metheny. Early recordings like Watercolors and As Falls Wichita... were cornerstones of my 80s Jazz listening. I hung on each release during this period that culminated with the live recording Travels which was partly recorded at a West Hartford Agora show I attended. Metheny then seemed to get sappy and stale and I ignored his output. Several years ago, with the aid of drummer Antonio Sanchez, Pat got his groove back. Unfortunate then to have the second half of his set washed out by monsoon level rain and winds. Before we scurried to safety in the beer tent, we were able to hear some vintage Metheny.
Louis Cole Big Band Blowout: Never heard of this guy, but anyone who fronts a big band in a Tigger the Tiger costume deserves a listen. Young guy vocalist had a lot of help onstage.
Anat Cohen and Marcello Goncalves: Latin set from clarinet extraordinaire Cohen and Brazilian guitarist Goncalves. Cohen, from Israel, globetrots with her music. She is comfortable in all styles. Will have to look into Goncalves who had a great touch, like Gabor Szabo.
Charles Lloyd New Quartet: Sax and flute legend Lloyd is one of the most exciting minds in jazz today. In his 70s (80s?), Charles is anchoring this festival by playing in different incarnations all three days. Rain subsided for his excellent afternoon set. Bass, drums, amazing piano were fronted by Lloyd who looked exactly like the muppets sax player. Closed with some Forest Flower and Man From Two Worlds, a track that was popularized with Charles' time with Chico Hamilton.
Jon Batiste: New Orleans pianist Batiste is famous for fronting Stay Human, his band on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Snappy dresser, and even snappier pianist, Batiste was surrounded by local music students on stage. He played great renditions of St. James Infirmary and Round Midnight.The kids on stage got a real good view of this master.
Laurie Anderson and Christian McBride: Odd pairing of NY weirdo and Lou Reed widow Anderson, and Lincoln Center ambassador McBride. Joined by cello, with McBride on bass, and Anderson on violin and vocals, the set was a string trio with Anderson's patented surreal monologues on top. She took a few jabs at the administration's border control policy.
Lean On Me ( Jose James Celebrates Bill Withers): Fantastic set by this young vocalist who had shades and headband that made him look like Band of Gypsies-era Hendrix. Who doesn't like Lean On Me, Use Me, and Grandma's Hands penned by the soul master? In James hands, these tunes took on a reverent but modern flair. The beat boxing on Grandma's Hands was amazing.
Harold Mabern and Eric Alexander: Mabern, another old timer on piano and Alexander on sax blended the generations with a good set on the small stage
Andra Day:  Vocalist Day closed out the main stage. Good version of Mississippi Goddamn as we were exiting the park.

House of Waters w/ Bud Collins Trio 8/2/18 Cafe 9

Veteran local jammies BC3  were bopping around Uconn when I was there in the early 80s, which gives you an insight into their vintage. Sharp instrumentation especially drums, guitar, and keys flowed easily from song to song. Goofy lyrics put them squarely in Phish acolyte territory. Nice rendition of "Way Out Under The Sky" was a keeper of a track on a CD I bought at a show in the 80s.
House Of Waters is a world music power trio from Brooklyn. Seven-string bass player was from Japan, drummer from Buenos Aires, and hammered dulcimer player looked to be of Indian descent. The dulcimer player explained that their brand of world music fusion flowed like a house of waters. Bass player was exceptional sounding like Jaco with his ecstatic runs. The drummer was also a virtuoso, looking like Christiano Ronaldo behind the kit. The hammered dulcimer is usually associated with traditional US folk music, it looks like the guts of a piano that is played percussively with small mallets. The dulcimer player was speedy and had this cool technique of deadening the sound with his forearm. If these guys weren't such virtuosos, this music could easily veer into full on crystal rubbing, sage stick burning, aromatherapy oil huffing, new age territory of Andreas Vollenweider. Fortunately, the visual of such an unusual trio, coupled with the expertise of the players made for an enjoyable listen.

Brent Cowles 7/30/18 Cafe 9

Colorado native Cowles is a singer songwriter with a powerful soulful voice. For a guy that looks like a roadie for The Kings of Leon, Cowles led a power trio with bass and drums through a brief set of tunes from his recent release "How to be Okay Alone". I heard strains of CCR, Violent Femmes, and even the slick faux southern rock of 38 Special. As with last weeks show, the leader's vocals were the main ingredient, with Cowles soulful croon dominating the songs. His excellent slurry range even gave off a Phoebe Snow (a la Poetry Man) vibe. Young, and seemingly shy, Cowles would do well to develop some audience ice breakers to deliver between songs. Bass and backup vocalist said in the past three days they hit Cornell (Ithaca), Harvard (Cambridge), and now New Haven (Yale), and said he liked New Haven the best.

Peter Oren w/ American Elm 7/23/18 Cafe 9

Local singer songwriter Chris Bousquet plays under the moniker of American Elm. Armed with an acoustic guitar, AE played heartfelt original tunes. Chris played a hauntingly beautiful number that he  usually " fucks up" and leaves out of the set. Another tune about blacking out in a hospital bathroom was excellent. AE brought local musician Frank Critelli on stage to sing  on the final two songs. I recall seeing AE years ago, and it seemed that he abstained from playing out in recently. Positive crowd response may mean more gigs for AE.
Peter Oren is a singer songwriter from Columbus, Indiana home to the Cummins Engine company. He has a beautiful husky alto voice that reminded me of Terry Callier, Richie Havens, and the guy from Tindersticks. Environmentally conscious, progressive, anti-corporate are not qualities usually associated with Indiana, but Peter seems to be an atypical Hoosier. The group was a trio with Peter on guitar and vocals, a lefty guitarist, and a guy who played pedal steel and bass. The songs were slow and deliberate with the voice as a focal point. The inter song banter was great, Peter told one story of daydreaming about Molotov cocktailling an expensive car ( he has problems with wealth), another story about him puking and passing out at a party at Mike Pence's niece's house was hysterical. Final song was an ode to Crescent Lake in Washington state, which detailed a fond memory for Peter.

Body/Head w/ Gunn-Truscinski Duo and Stefan Christtensen The Grove New Haven 7/21/18

First opener Christensen was a solo noise drone artist that played guitar and effects. Seated behind an etch-a-sketch type gadget, Stefan seemed to have two songs going simultaneously. The effects laid down a noisy static while SC sang plaintively and played guitar, it sounded like a song that was playing on AM radio with the station slightly off tune. Another tune sounded as if the audience was under a train trestle.
Gunn-Truscinski Duo is guitar wizard Steve Gunn and drummer John(?) Truscinski. Steve Gunn's "Way Out Weather" release a few years back was amazing. In this incarnation, Gunn played noisy guitar over Truscinski's mallet heavy drumming. Steve has big eyes and a child-like savant demeanor and seemed to have his gaze locked on the drummer so as to telepathically goose the improv. Songs had noisy sequences, raga sections, that gave way to downright melodic portions. These guys have played together for years and it shows.
Body/Head is the duo of Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon and experimental guitarist Bill Nace. I have seen Sonic in many venues (Toads Place, a horse barn at Umass, and opening for Neil Young at a large arena, among others) so it made sense to check out the current configuration. Gordon and Nace played noisy guitar in front of a video screen that showed a tectonically paced section of a 70s-era Elliot Gould movie. Gordon sang unintelligibly in front of the squall. While the previous duo were focused on each other, these two seemed to ignore each other. The relatively small room was well attended for a Saturday night, and Body/Head gave my earplugs a run for their money. DJ Karen from Redscroll Records spun platters between sets which added to the hip vibe.

Green River Festival 7/15/18 Grenfield MA

Day two of this weekend affair:
Ballroom Thieves: Duo with young man on guitar and vocals with young female on cello/ vocals.
Trailer Park w/ Samirah Evans: Tight Nawlins funk outfit with spark plug Evans on vocals.
The Brother Brothers: Dumb name for duo of cello and fiddle in the small tent.
Chuck Prophet w/ Strings: Chuck trying to outdo previous day's performance by playing acoustic in front of a string quartet. Did a reprise of "The Left Hand And The Right Hand" and an amazing cover of John Prine's Classic "Angel From Montgomery". This quartet had to be local musicians who learned the charts quickly to back Prophet. Great banter about Halloween in the Castro section of San Francisco, where he hails from.
I'm With Her: Allstar female trio with Sarah Jarosz on fiddle and mandolin, Sarah Watkins (of Nickel Creek fame) on fiddle and acoustic, and Aoife O'Donovan ( of Crooked Still fame) on acoustic. Great three part vocal harmony with a true democratic supergroup. Worth digging deeper into all three women's output, recently heard Jarosz doing an excellent re-work of Joanna Newsom's "The Book of Right On". I'm pretty sure I heard an Adelle song in this set.
James Hunter Six: Looked forward to hearing this Brit-soul singer and his Van Morrison-like renderings of pop chestnuts. Great band and smoking guitar work from Hunter made for an enjoyable set. Good cover of "Bonie Maronie".
Robert Earl Keen: Veteran country/folk singer songwriter thought it would be a good idea to wear white jeans and a green shiny shirt that looked like the material came from a parachute. Tight band and some classics to pull from made up for the fashion blunder.
Ana Tijoux: Chilean rap singer Tijoux closed out the second stage. Her sultry rhymes were all in her native tongue. Ana's limited English took a dimension of this music away from non-Latin speakers like myself.
Old Crow Medicine Show: I remember seeing this group when they just started, but now have to call them a veteran folk-bluegrass outfit. OCMS  was a good close-out to this wonderful weekend. Their hit "Wagon Wheel" is always a show stopper. I highly recommend this festival for its size, selection of acts, and overall logistics. As you can see, I got a lot of music in these two days.

Green River Festival 7/14/18 Greenfield MA

Saturday proceedings at this annual go-to festival:
The Mammals: Veteran folkies from Woodstock showcased recent release  with a good tune about climate change and a screwed-down Aretha Franklin cover.
Big Mean Sound Machine: Instrumental Afro-beat group ( maybe from Chicago?) had a nice full sound. The female trombonist was great.
Birds Of Chicago: Duo of acoustic guitar and banjo/clarinet were quiet in the small tent.
Lucy Dacus: Critically acclaimed guitarist/vocalist had songs that started slow but crescendoed loud.
Deer Tick: Providence stalwarts showed that they are still rocking. This band is not afraid to turn it to 11. Did a great Pogues cover and a heart-wrenching version of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful".
Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express: Chuck has played this festival several times, spewing his trademark blend of Frisco-centric snarkiness. Gave a full band treatment to classics like "Storm Across The Sea" and "The Left Hand and The Right Hand", an ode to two brothers who owned a strip club. Chuck thought it would be a good idea for the audience to cajole the festival promoters into "getting the Kinks here next year".
Femi Kuti and The Positive Force: Son of Afro-beat legend Fela, Femi came with a large band with costumes and dancers carrying the flame. Behind a new release that is getting good reviews, Femi's high energy output was great.
Bella's Bartok: Regional gypsy-swing Rock outfit always puts on a great show. With horns and accordion and two charismatic front men, they displayed Eastern European traditional music with a rock and roll touch. A dancing lemur and a one-eyed monster made for a crowded stage presence.
Dr. Dog: Sophisticated pop from Philly have been at it for 10 years. Some of the young people in the crowd seemed to know most of the tunes, which is a good sign.
Marco Benevento: Scroll back in the blog a few months to get a positive review of Marco and talented bass player Karina. She seemed relaxed singing The Butthole Surfers classic "Pepper". Highlight of the day was Marco's take on Pink Floyd's "Fearless" that flowed into "Bennie and The Jets", back to "Fearless"... Wow.
Michael Franti and Spearhead: It has been a long time since the socially conscious Spearhead released the amazing "Stay Human" record. His newfound pop pivot is outweighed by his positive spirit, that oozes optimism, which is a rare commodity in today's world.

Erin Rae 7/9/18 Cafe 9

While driving to this show, the title track from Gillian Welch's "Time The Revelator" appeared on my playlist. Nashville singer songwriter Rae reminded me of a cross between Gillian and Emmylou Harris. Great, confident voice on this set of all original tunes. The band was hipster Nashville with organ, drums, bass, guitar/vocals, and Rae on guitar and lead vocals. She said she played this venue in 2015 with her "friend" Spoken Nerd. Songs unfolded with a folk country feel before Rae's stellar vocals kicked in. The guitar player was great too, he had a penchant for vibrato or tremolo, his whole body shook with each note he played to give the distinctive quaver. Anyone who is a fan of Welch or Harris should check out Erin Rae.

Sammy Miller and The Congregation Wesleyan CFA Courtyard 7/5/18

Wesleyan always puts on a free outdoor show on a summer weekday evening. Sammy and company were an assemblage of jazz poofters playing their shtick on a beautiful summer evening. Sammy on drums and vocals was joined by organ, upright bass, trumpet, sax, and a gregarious trombone player. They started out by playing the Looney Tunes Theme, which was apt. This crew could play and had a sense of humor, the inter-song banter was comical and a decent crowd rolled in for the affair. At one point, Sammy talks of keeping the Jazz tradition alive for the next generation by fusing it with...rock and roll, no...hiphop, nah... opera?! That's right, Jopera, tunes that are always "longer than you want them to be." Sammy starts singing as the goofy trombone player dons a dress and a blond wig. The other musicians get into character (and costume) as the Jopera jazzily reaches a climax. The show closed with an excellent schmaltzy version of My One And Only Love, and ended with a rousing Nawlins second line number.

The War On Women 7/2/18 Cafe 9

Maryland aggro-punk collective War On Women played a brief gnarly set at the 9. The resume includes the Vans Warped tour which tells a lot. I knew to grab the earplugs when my car was shaking while parking two blocks up the street from the club. WOW were a quintet, three front females on lead vocals and yelping, bass, and rhythm guitar, with a male skinhead on lead and an African American male on drums. The drummer was shirtless and ripped and provided the high octane motor for the group. The singer prowled and growled in a manner of The Minutemen or Husker Du. Comparisons to the riot grrl progenitors Bikini Kill are apt, and the lead singer's "don't fuck with me" mentality is like Kathleen Hanna from that band. The crowd, New Haven's finest face metal, autistically bobbed and sang along with each tune. This brings me to the political part of the story. WOW coalesced in synchronicity with the #metoo movement fueled by the misogynist in the White House. Feminist punk seems like a lonely genre, but the chorus of "Fuck Trump" between songs made me realize I was among friendlys. Towards the end of the show, the traditional punk circle formed with bearded white outsiders pushing and flailing to the music. The message from WOW was distinctly liberal (here's a song about trans rights), but the vocal delivery of this genre is kind of unintelligible. This leads me to the current state of the Democratic Party.  The underlying message may resonate with many, but the delivery is heard by a few.

Hannah Wicklund and the Steppin Stones

HWATSS hail from the Richmond VA area. A power trio comprised of Wicklund on guitar and vocals, bass, and drums. A diminutive Hannah was a force on guitar, blues rock with searing leads was the evening's fare. Hannah, all of about 23, had long curly hair and a tube-top (I think it's illegal to wear a tube-top if you are over 25). Capable stoners on drums and bass laid the groundwork for Wicklunds pyrotechnics. Mostly original songs, one deriding the Facebook generation were excellent for such a young artist. Speaking of Young, HWATSS performed an awesome cover of CSNY's "Ohio". Imagine Cousin It's hot sister channeling Stevie Ray Vaughan while torching the Neil Young classic and you are in the ballpark. Many festival goers will be delighted to see this young tour warrior light up some second stages.

The Toasters w/ Micah Schnabel

Just caught the last tune from opener Schnabel. He was billed as the lead singer of alt-angsty Two Cow Garage. He looked like Truman Capote's younger brother, and sang like early Ani Difranco. The tune was great and wished I saw more.
The Toasters are a NYC second wave ska band. The evolution of ska is interesting, from the early days in Jamaica of the scratchily recorded pre-Marley groups to the British second wave revolving around the legendary Two-tone label. The Specials, The English Beat and others oozed back across the Atlantic to infect a punkier version in the states. The Toasters and the Dropkick Murphys took the horn driven ska and fused it with moshy, limb flailing punk. Lead singer of the Toasters was British and helped connect the dots. The band was sax, trombone, drums, bass, and guitar/lead vocals. Excellent set from these guys who have been around since the 80s. Show highlight was "Two-tone Army" yet another dot connected.

Willie Nile w/ The Manchurians 6/15/18 Cafe 9

Veteran local Blues-garage outfit The Manchurians were a quartet with drums, harmonica/vocals, bass/lead vocals, and guitar. These guys are present at many local shows and I notice the guitar player Dean Falcone was a year behind me at Hamden High. A friend asked me if Dean was in a band in H.S., and while I wasn't sure, I did remember him dressed in black and hanging with the goth kids at the time. Solid garage band with strong vocals, harmonica, and guitar licks.
Willie Nile is also a veteran rocker from Buffalo then NYC. He came to the 9 with his acoustic guitar and a bass player to offer some stripped down versions of his original rock and roll. He reminded me of Little Steven in looks and attitude. I'm pretty sure I heard him talk of opening for The Who, which is a long way from Cafe 9 on a Friday night. No matter, he's still plying his craft after all these years and seems to have benefitted from years being onstage. He spoke of "praying at the altar" of Bob Dylan and did a great rendition of Love Minus Zero No Limit from the Bringing It All Back Home LP, a tune that he played at Zimmy's 75th birthday celebration. After the show, I bored Willie with my Rolling Stones at Toads show to which he responded " rock and roll, that's what it's all about man."

David Keenan 6/11/18 Cafe 9

Armed only with an acoustic guitar and a thick Irish (specifically Dundalk) accent, young troubadour Keenan rolled through a brief set of original tunes. The most difficult configuration is the solo acoustic show, you are at the mercy of the relatively sparse crowd. Keenan had some tunes and some interesting stories between songs. From an explanation of Tir Na Nog ( Irish equivalent of never land), to the helping hand offered by troubadour countryman Glen Hansard in fostering the career of 20-something Keenan, the Irish stories always seem to amuse. A young talent who is putting in the touring necessity always gets kudos from me, especially when traveling from the old sod to do it.

Ben Goldberg Quintet 6/8/18 Firehouse 12

The quintet was Goldberg on clarinet, E-flat Albert system clarinet, contralto clarinet; Ellery Eskellin on sax, Mary Halvorsen on guitar, Michael Formanek on standup bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. The clarinet is a striking jazz presence, coupled with some playing from the sawed off E-flat Albert popularized by Bechet, and the bizarre contralto that looks like a plumbing drain trap repair gone wrong, made for an excellent set. The firehouse is home court advantage for Halvorsen, Fujiwara, and Formanek who have been reviewed in this blog for their mighty trio Thumbscrew. Eskellin was an added bonus, tall and lanky, he had a Nordic presence. I say that because of his cool shoes, glasses, and hat, in addition to his playing that reminded me of Frode Gjerstad. Halvorsen's understated guitar work never ceases to amaze, she looks like a nerdy coxswain, controlling the boat from behind Leslie Stahl glasses. Mary is like an exotic saltwater fish, her wide eyes soaking in improv cues from her band mates, while oblivious to the fact that her form of expression is usually resigned to men. Formanek plucked and bowed with abandon, while hip Fujiwara looked like a Miami Vice stuntman epileptically supplied some brush work. It's hard not to evoke old time jazz with the use of clarinet, but this group deftly straddled old and new. A sublime take on Abide With Me, popularized by Theloniuos Monk but actually an old hymn, exemplifies the smash of old and new.

Bent Knee 6/4/18 Cafe 9

Bent Knee is a group of Berklee School of Music hipsters that have been brought to New Haven by Manic Productions back when the free shows were at Bar. The sextet was violin/vocals, two guitars, drums, bass, and a frontwoman on Korg and vocals. I remember dinging this group for the abrasive vocals and complicated song structure. On this evening, I embraced these qualities and found a more enjoyable listen. The woman's vocals ranged from Adelle-ey pop to Yoko-esque treated caterwaul often in the same song. The scruffy lead guitarist pogoed his way through jump stop leads that offered some Zappa tones. The violinist shaded some prog/punk songs, one even veered into Sister Ray territory. These are music students (or recent grads), and it showed.

John Zorn's "Songs For Petra" 5/24/18 Firehouse 12

Prolific sound artist Zorn composed some music and Jesse Harris wrote accompanying lyrics for vocalist Petra Haden. Haden, daughter of jazz bass giant Charlie, and one third of the singing Haden triplets rose to the evening's challenge. The all-star group included Harris on rhythm guitar and vocals, guitar prodigy-turned virtuoso Julian Lage, and solid rhythm section of drums and standup bass. Haden, dressed in a white pit crew jumpsuit, has a husky alto that reminded me of Laura Nyro. Lage starred in a tv show "Jules at 8" which showcased the prodigious talent for the world ( well, maybe the YouTube world) to see. While the songs had a jazzy backdrop, they were decidedly un-jazzy, which was welcome at this venue which is usually a temple of skronk. The tunes could have been lost 70s chestnuts reworked with a modern feel. You could sense that Lage was psyched to solo like a rock star, even choogling his way through a CCR-inflected number. Haden is a strong vocal presence, and just knowing that she possessed some genes from her late great father gave me chills.

Youth In A Roman Field w/ Olive Tiger and Leila Crockett 5/22/18 Cafe 9

Local opener Crockett was a big woman armed with an acoustic, some tattoos, and a homemade knit cap. She played delta blues and reminded me of Marissa Anderson.
Local songstress Olive was a perfect choice for a warmup act on this evening. Olive on cello, loops, guitar and vocals was joined onstage by a young man on violin and keys. The configuration led to an avant chamber pop sound. The vocals were stronger than on past listenings, and her command of loops was excellent. The indie cello is in, and Olive shines more than in her previous (other?) band Kindred Queer.
Youth In A Roman Field is a side project of Claire Weilen from the NYC indie-hipsters San Fermin. She said YIARF can range from one to eight musicians. On this evening, it was one, with Claire on vocals, violin, guitar, ukulele, and violin played like a ukulele. She was a young pixie from Queens, who had an odd violin style that swooped and swayed which helped make the sound ebb and flow. The songs were well written and her distinct vocal style had cabaret tones with a beautiful Billie Holiday slur. What is up with band name? With no nightly explanation, it seems like YIARF is striving for the world's longest band name.

Marco Benevento 5/17/18 Spaceland

Jam veteran Benevento descends on Hamden with the same power trio that has been positively reviewed in this blog before. Marco dressed in white with an Easter Island head on his shirt, sparkly Doc Martens, day-glo rimmed shades, and a rumpled tophat looked like a hippie cross between Sir Elton and The Cat in the Hat played keys and knobs. Young female Karina, seemed to be in her teens, on bass was also dressed in white with a shirt that read "we're using time for fun". Drummer Andy rounded out the group. Marco has a permanent smile and looks like his drugs are kicking in before yours. MB holds down the keyboard end of Grateful Dead tribute behemoth Joe Russo's Almost Dead (JRAD), and seems to need this outfit where he is in charge. Some originals included some great teases, Livin Lovin Maid, Tom's Diner et.al. The originals sounded like Vintage Violence-era John Cale, Howard Jonesian B-sides, and one workout that reminded me of Rush where the drums were, well, peart-y. As usual, the cover songs added meat. Marco said they just came back from the Big Easy and did a rousing take on Nawlins staple The Clapping Song by Shirley Ellis (" the monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line, the line broke, the monkey got choked, they all went to heaven in a little rowboat"). Karina took over for a high energy "Pepper", by The Butthole Surfers. Closed the show with Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire" that had Benevento conducting the frenzy while standing on his keyboard. Final tune was his popular original "At The Show". Chameleonic Marco displayed many styles and led the listeners through a Cat In The Hat type of concert.

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog 5/10/18 Cafe 9

Jumped at the chance to see in demand session guitarist and downtown legend Ribot fronting a power trio at the 9. Ribot on guitar, guitarro, voice and profane rantings;  Shahzad Ismailly on bass, some keyboard thing, and La-Z-Boy recliner; loose-limbed young lion Ches Smith on drums and congas. These guys can and have played many styles. Ribot has contributed axe-wielding to Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and countless others. I have often seen Smith at Firehouse 12 scraping some cymbals for Mary Halvorsen and other up and coming jazzbos. On this evening, it was Ribot's turn to let his hair down. (Just kidding, Ribot, mid-50s, has receding gray professor hair, as if he's played one too many gigs with one foot in a bucket of water and the other in a power outlet). Ismailly was an odd rangy figure who appeared to be a burn victim or someone that survived some cranium opening brain surgery. Smith,  tall and lanky, 30ish, flailed on the kit and congas even added some backing vocals to the "I'm your personal Nancy Spungen!". I have followed Ribot's career from the early 90s with Don Byron and The Rootless Cosmopolitans, seeing him at Middletown's Lo-fi venue The Buttonwood Tree, with jacket and tie throwing noise at John Lurie's Lounge Lizards ( the origins of this blog's name),' playing acoustic at the Gibson guitar fest at Fort Adams in front of a sheet music stand that had a sign that read "On Time". Marc Ribot is rarely "on time" ,his angular solos and hunched over playing style reminded me of the fantastic Duchamp-ian painting at the Yale Art Gallery of The Knifegrinder. A cubist huddled figure throwing sparks while knifegrinding, or axe-grinding in this case. For this show, the group's new recording YRU Still Here? was showcased. Songs veered from punk rants "I got the right to say fuck you!", to the Latin stylings of his mid-90s period. At one point, Marc launched into a monologue (dialog?diatribe?duolog?) plaintively stating "hippies...are not nice...anymore". Closed the show with a glorious punk-funk meth-fueled reading of Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Oy, or should I say Oi!

Michael Nau w/ The Dove and The Wolf 4/30/18 Cafe 9

The Dove and The Wolf was a female- centric band from Philadelphia. Two women on guitar and vocals, female drummer, and male bass player comprised the quartet. Good original songwriting benefitted from harmony vocals and the dual vocal attack. It is hard to believe, but the two female voice delivery is somewhat rare in popular music. Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Abba seem like caricatures. I enjoyed the set but have to say the band name is cumbersome, The Dove and The Wolf sounds like an item on the sale shelf at Crabtree and Evelyn.
Michael Nau and his band The Mighty Thread consisted of Nau on vocals and hollow-body guitar, lead guitar, drums, bass, and organ. Nau's well worn vocals were enhanced by this tight backing band. I heard strains of The Band ( thanks to the organ),  Van Morrison, and even Luna's Dean Wareham. Songs ranged from indie-folk to drawl-ey pop. Nau would be advised to do a little more inter-song banter to setup some songs, but overall an enjoyable listen.

Susie Ibarra: Dream Time Ensemble 4/20/18 Firehouse 12

Made it to the second set of Ibarra's current incarnation. The name Dream Time Ensemble was apt, the groups' chamber, cinematic, jazz easily straddled these genres. Ibarra on drums and percussion, cello, violin, guitar/keys, electronics, and voice made up the sextet. None of these players stepped in front, the music was definitely a collaborative affair. The great Yuka Honda, from Cibo Matto, was on electronics but her sound was swallowed by busy-ness of the group. The vocalist chirped and gurgled and seemed not to add much to the sound. The strings layered on Ibarra's kit-work was the meat of the evening. These songs belong on some odd documentary film soundtrack.

The Messthetics w/ Savak 4/19/18 Spaceland

Savak, from Brooklyn has been reviewed in this blog before. I retract the prog-metal banner I bestowed on them last time and am replacing it with 80s era punk. Two guitar/vocalists, bass, and drums threw a lot of sound. One tune sounded exactly like Gang Of Four, while another reminded me of very early Adam and the Ants. Original songwriting and churning guitars made for a good set.
The Mesthetics were and instrumental power trio. Drummer and bass player were part of the 90s rock band Fugazi based in D.C. The third member was an avant-savant guitar shredder who had a Buckethead feel. Fugazi had some popularity and this rhythm section had arena level chops. The tunes ranged from Red-era King Crimson to the cinematic sparseness of Tom Verlaine's fantastic Warm and Cool release. I give these guys credit for re-inventing themselves, their years of touring, soundechecks, and travel have them well suited for another round of musical success.

Nicholas Payton Trio 4/13/18 Sudler Hall Yale

Headline event of the 6th annual jazz festival at Yale put together by the Yale undergraduate jazz collective. The emcee for the evening, I'm assuming the spokeskid for the UJC, breezed in carrying his longboard (skateboard), the preferred mode of transportation for a twenty-something jazz fan. Sudler Hall filled to capacity to see Grammy winner and New Orleans trumpeter Payton. Joined onstage by a couple of young lions, Barry Stepehson on standup bass, and Joe Dyson on drums, the trio played much from the excellent recent release Afro-Caribbean Mixtape. Payton moved easily from trumpet to organ then piano fleshing out multiple sounds from the tight trio. Stephenson's deft bass work held the pace while Dyson's drum fills with brushes and sticks made him sound more experienced for his young age. Payton also had some tape loops of spoken passages that seemed to emanate from his phone stationed on the piano, he even plaintively sang a tune. Payton is an icon, gaining popularity scoring Spike Lee films in the 90s. Show highlight was an audience participation number " Jazz is a Four Letter Word".

Steve Earle and The Dukes w/ The Mastersons 4/10/18 College St Music Hall

Opener The Mastersons was a duo. Young man on guitar and vocals and a woman on fiddle and vocals. Standard country-folk fare, I laughed that the guy had a Rick Derringer complex ( ascot and urban cowboy boots and jeans).
I love Steve Earle, and must admit that the past few viewings have been solo outings. On this evening, Earle played with The Dukes consisting of the Mastersons, drums, bass, and a multi-instrumentalist who played pedal steel, organ, accordion and the like. Earle spent the first half of the evening paying homage to Copperhead Road, an early recording with the title hit and a couple other songs worth remembering. Steve seemed nervous fronting a band, as if he had to out duel everyone. The antics of the guitar tech made me tired. Usual lefty banter from the solo Earle was replaced with rushed stories of Earle's life of yore. Great twangy version of Hey Joe was the show highlight.

The National Reserve 4/9/18 Cafe 9

Brooklyn rock and rollers The National Reserve jammed for a modest crowd on a manic Monday. Drums, bass, lead guitar ( dude played hella slide), and front man Sean Walsh on guitar and lead vocals. This band is firmly steeped in 70s rock, and reminded me of Blitzentrapper or Alex Bleeker and the Freaks in that these guys probably were toddlers in the 70s. Good selection of originals in support of a new release. Covers were even better with Ronnie Lane's "Roll On Babe", "Trouble In Mind", and an excellent version of Dylan's "She Belongs To Me" (gracias Mattie). Show highlight was the Gillian Welch cover "Miss Ohio". At one point lead singer Sean said " we love it here in New Haven, we've never been to this city before", which is funny because I reviewed them in this blog playing the back room of Bar on 5/3/17! After the show, I took the opportunity to kook Sean by telling him that not only has he played this town, but he played the same awesome Gillian Welch cover. He must be forgiven as he is a refugee of the road.

Trio Da Kali w/ Lost Tribe 4/8/18 Cafe 9

In the 90s, there was a band called Lost Tribe that was an amalgam of downtown scenesters that played an infectious blend of post rock, jazz, and funk. The band that opened the night's festivities was not that Lost Tribe, but a local drums and percussion-led instrumental outfit that tore it up. Guitar, bass, sax, trombone/keys, and three drummers; djembe ( the one that looks like an upside down ehrlenmeyer flask), congas, and a young African - American woman on standard drums. This group made a lot of sound and the call and response drum interplay was great. The hand speed of the djembe player was mind boggling.

Trio Da Kali come from Mali, they spoke French and absolutely no English. A young manager interpreted and joined the trio onstage playing the unusual kora. The trio consisted of baliphone, a tropical xylophone contraption that had wooden laths ( panels?) over odd looking ceramic bowls. The sound was exotic and the player was amazing. A younger man played bass ngoni, a strange stringed instrument that looked like a boat bumper with a stick and four strings. The interpreter said the bass player made his ngoni, and that it was " the only one of it's type in existence" . The last part of the trio was a young woman who had an amazing vocal range. All songs were in their native griot tongue and ranged from soft ballads to dervish rockers. These three looked like they were having so much fun. They ended the evening with an all out percussion riot pulling the three drummers from the opening band into the mix. Trio Da Kali has a recent collaboration with the omnivorous Kronos Quartet, with David Harrington likening the singers amazing voice to that of Mahalia Jackson, merci beaucoup indeed.

Campdoggz 4/2/18 Cafe 9

Campdoggz was a quartet that hailed from Chicago. Drums and three guitarists was the setup. A young woman was the main vocalist, but the lead guitar chap sang harmony and lead on a couple songs. The woman's voice was a captivating world-weary alto that reminded me of early Joan Osborne. Like Osborne, this singer sounded much older than she was. All original tunes that focused on the singer. Brief, but enjoyable set, a little inter-song banter would have helped.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor w/ TNG 3/25/18 College Street

Knob twiddler TNG opened the show. Solitary figure at center stage with two boxes of wires and connectors that unleashed a wall of synth sound. It's hard to assess the skill needed to "operate" the synth, it appears the musician (electrician?) is jump starting a car in slow motion. It was an interesting juxtaposition to open for GY!BE because the wall of sound was just getting started, but the tools used were about to change dramatically.
Canadian outfit GY!BE came with two drummers, two bass players (one often bowed a standup), three electric guitars, violin, and an occasional female apparition who played sax with her back to the crowd. No vocals, no inter-"song" banter, the evening was a wordless affair. The music was accompanied by grainy black and white video of epileptically scrawled "hope", desolate country scenes, a MAGA rally, train tracks, a bird trying to fly among others. The sound was meant for the live experience, droning passages coalesced and diverged. I couldn't help but relating this music to a metal-tinged Philip Glass offering with some passages sounding like a lonely Ry Cooder playing on the soundtrack of Paris, TX. I was able to get close to the stage so I could feel the wash of sound and reverberations that added to the music so impact.

David Bowie Is 3/25/18 The Brooklyn Museum

First time visiting this museum. Cruised through the vast permanent collection to get to the crowded but enlightening exhibit on The Thin White Duke. The exhibit rolled out in sections with an accompanying audio tour that synced to the video playing in the room. Bowie in Beatles-soaked England, cheesy "futuristic" Space Oddity, gender-bending glam-drogyny, Berlin trilogy with Iggy,Lou, and Eno, and uncompromising artistry through it all. David Bowie's career offered a template for diversity inclusion that seems to have sunk into a black hole in 2018 U.S. Bowie's passing on 1/10/16 sent shock waves through the music world and had me revisit the chameleonic stages that formed my appreciation path. "Can't Help Thinkin About Me" early single played by my sister that I heard through the wall. The Man Who Fell To Earth movie that took a little boy from it's cool to be an astronaut to space is scary. Golden Years on 45rpm showed that a white guy could get funky, thanks AM radio. My parents taking us to the Broadway version of Elephant Man with Bowie as John Merrick. My college years devoted to all things peripherally attached to Brian Eno and time spent with Hunky Dory, Low, Alladinsane, and Heroes ( what happened to that 45 of Bowie singing Heroes in German?). The over the top success of Let's Dance and The Serious Moonlight Tour at the Hartford Civic Center. Who could forget the restless, post -over the top success of  Tin Machine and the Toads show with one of the Sales brothers playing slide with a monstrous metallic vibrator. One video snippet of a producer got to the heart of it, "we had long hair, we took drugs, but Bowie added a gender fluidity component to youth rebellion that struck a chord with so many... And then there was the music." RIP Ziggy.

Chris Kasper w/ Instant Treeline 3/19/18 Cafe 9

Caught the last couple tunes from Instant Treeline a high energy garage-punk outfit. Strong vocals, everybody sang, had kind of a Tom Verlaine Television feel.
Chris Kasper was a singer-songwriter from Philly. He was joined onstage by a young woman who played fiddle, mandolin, percussion, and backup vocals. Chris on guitar, acoustic and electric, had a swampy drawl and used distance to the mic to great effect. At one point, Chris gushed praise on his female band mate. The woman sounded like Nicolette Larson and was able to shade the original tunes to lend a gypsy or country or swampy feel. I have lauded this band configuration in the past, whether it be the Spanish tinged tunes of David Wax Museum or the gypsy freakouts of local hippies Fuzz and Carrie. Very welcome cover of the Grateful Dead's "Mr. Charlie", and Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels".

Zachary Cale 3/12/18 Cafe 9

Zachary Cale was a hip quintet from Brooklyn.  Lead guitar, keys, drums, bass, and Cale on guitar and vocals. Original songwriting, Cale reminded me of the cerebral snarkiness of Luna's Dean Wareham. Dressed in black, Cale oozed downtown hipness ( which he probably disdains). The band was tight, even veering into a krautrock freakout jam. I think it is a curse and a blessing to be slogging it out as a musician from NYC. Your game has to be elevated by the vast array of artists, but how to differentiate from the crowd? Cale and company have a good sound, he even played a Roger Mcguinn type of hollow body. Look for Zachary Cale to show up in the summer festival scene.

Epic Beard Men 3/5/18 Cafe 9

Sage Francis and B. Dolan are two 30-something bald white guys with epic beards. Armed with a programmable beat machine, these two spat phat rhymes at the manic Monday crowd. The vocal interplay was intense, one song centered around a Hunter Thompson pastime Shotgun Golf. Their hiphop shtick could have been summed up with one tune "DIYMFS" (do it yer mutha fuckin self!). It seemed that the beat machine was random because they seemed genuinely surprised by some beat intros.

Tal National w/ Wet Tuna 2/27/18 Cafe 9

Wet Tuna, not to be confused with Hot Tuna, is usually a drone oriented duo. On this evening, three local musicians added to the sound. Churning trancey guitars and garbley vocals played to a crowded house.
Tal National is an African quintet from Niger. Two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals played traditional music. Like Tinawarien, the group was high energy with a big guy lead guitarist as the de facto leader. It was amazing how this group bumped and swayed like the Temptations. Their ability to dance in unison made me jealous. Tal National plowed through a couple hours of original music. They said that a five hour concert is not unusual in Niger. The crew had multiple encores ("one more?!"), with the singer weaving through crowd. Even the drummer came offstage and pounded some tom while snaking through the crowd. It struck me how happy this group was. No Trump, no country going to hell, just  traditional music delivered in an ecstatic fashion.

Xylouris White 2/26/18 Cafe 9

Xylouris White is the duo of Cretan lutist George Xylouris and Australian drummer Jim White. GX sings and chants in his native tongue, the lute is used with a trancey vibrato effect. JW looks like Tony Orlando left in the dryer too long. He plays a standard kit but routinely switches from sticks to mallets. His drumming style is odd, it appears that the sticks are in control with JW as a shepherd channeling their activity. The folksongs are exotic and gave the air of middle eastern markets and feasts. The trance component reminded me of Sister Ray-era Velvet Underground. XW are not young men, perhaps in their 50s, I give them credit for taking their world music to the world. I asked JW if the tour will take him places he's never seen, he replied that they will be in Latvia in a few weeks. All cultures have some music component, this unlikely duo have created something new from tradition.

Laraaji, Rob Noyes, and Interlaken 2/23/18 Lyric Hall

Interlaken is a solo sound artist who opened this triple bill at the surreal venue Lyric Hall in the Westville section of New Haven. This young man sat at a small table in front of the stage with what looked like a flugelhorn case stuffed with wires and connectors. I told him it looked like he was playing battleship with the crowd. The beats and synth sounds that emanated from the case were washes of sound that felt like trippy instrumental soundtrack music.
Rob Noyes has been positively reviewed in this blog before. Rob plays a 12-string acoustic at a feverish pace. His instrumental originals remind me of a cross between Leo Kottke and Jack Rose. Chatting with Rob between sets, I learn that he hails from Boston and has a day job running the warehouse and distribution for the excellent Forced Exposure Record label. Forced Exposure specializes in limited pressings of electronic and avant garde music. I asked if he ever dabbled in other stringed instruments (like Laraaji's zither), to which he responded that he likes to focus on one thing at a time. I' m happy to report that it is very evident that Rob's focus appears in his expert picking.
Headliner Laraaji is an African-American musician who plays a zither as well as a variety of percussion instruments. Dressed entirely in red, the stage was adorned with red-orange tapestries and carpets. A female musician who played thumb piano, shakers, and bells was also dressed in red and orange joined him onstage. The setting looked like an m-80 went off in the burnt Siena section of a crayola box. The music is classified as ambient or new age and has been derided as muzak for hippies. In a live setting, Laraaji makes for a compelling listen. He plucks, strums, and uses brushes on the amplified zither. He played gong and electronic nature sounds as well as singing and laughing. Laraaji was discovered and befriended by Brian Eno while he was busking in Washington Square Park in the 80s.

Jon Dee Graham w/ Ben De La Coer 2/19/18 Cafe 9

Opener Ben was from Tennessee, a young singer songwriter armed with guitar and acerbic wit primed  the 9 for JDG. He played his "meth suite", a trio of songs dragging the devastation that comes with methamphetamine. Ben lamented the north's lack of Waffle Houses, and I recounted the story of the Finnish jazz trio I saw at the Firehouse who maintained that Waffle House holds the key to the real America. Ben is a talented artist and you can tell he idolizes Jon Dee.
JDG has been reviewed in this blog before. A veteran of the Austin scene, JDG has held a Wednesday night residency at the Continental Club and claims to want to pass it on to his son. Playing in the 80s and 90s in various punk incarnations, Jon Dee has honed his songwriting and chops and has polished some chestnuts for regular rotation. Tie A Knot and Lucky Day were great. The highlight of the set was the majestic Laredo with its poignant refrain calling out a "small dark something".

Mark Naftalin and Friends 2/17/18 Pequot Library Southport

The mid-winter book sale at the lovely Pequot Library was lucky to have a stage full of regional old blues men led by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and WPKN DJ Mark Naftalin to serenade patrons as they thumbed through musty cookbooks. Naftalin played piano for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and was onstage and recorded at Woodstock. His radio show is informed and full of blues anecdotes and stories that make for a compelling listen. On a recent show, he played clips from a recording of Freddie King playing for inmates in a Texas prison. The intimacy of the recording implied that Naftalin was present at the event. On this chilly afternoon in February, Naftalin was joined by Paul Gabriel on harmonica and vocals, Crispin Cioe on sax among many others rounding out the blues "library session". Standards like Come On In My Kitchen, Kansas City were interspersed with some solid originals. In the wake of yet another senseless school shooting in Florida, Gabriel's "Put The Guns Down", was a poignant reminder that themes of human stupidity are timeless.

Earthkry w/ The Alpaca Gnome Trio 2/13/17 Cafe 9

Local groovers Alpaca Gnome Trio have been jambasing in our area for years. With gnome name hats, the trio consists of Benny on guitar and vocals, female fiddle and vocals, and a percussionist who played a wooden box. Benny, an imposing figure, looked like John Popper dressed as a gnome. Standard jammy fare was a good warmup for Earthkry.
Earthkry was a young rasta quartet from Jamaica. Original roots rock reggae straight from Catch A Fire era Bob Marley. Guitar, bass, keys, and drums were tight and had great harmony vocals. It was clear that this group was Eco-friendly but could have used some global warming on a chilly northeast evening. Great cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine, and a Gregory Isaacs tune. I was trying to remember the last time I encountered this type of original reggae as played by native Jamaicans. Sure there are countless jam bands and folkies who pray at the altar of Marley but the lack of genuine cadence and presence is always noticeable. Earthkry is the real deal.

Jounce w/ Sun Parade 2/5/18 Cafe 9

 Sun Parade hails from western mass. Two vastly different guitar and vocal front men. Bass, frenetic drums, and organ rounded out the quintet. Glammy and rocking, Sun Parade sounded like Hot Chip then Beck, then Aerosmith. Good cover of The Kinks' Victoria.
Jounce has been reviewed in this blog before. Jammy, metal power trio of bass/vocals, guitar and drums. Vocals were a bit screamy in spots as they soared through a Dead Kennedys cover, then some originals, a Tom Petty tune before closing with a metally Police and Thieves by Junior Murvin (or probably Clash-inspired).

Snake Oil 1/22/17 Cafe 9

 Snake Oil is a post rock quartet who played some original songs for this manic Monday. Male drummer and bassist, female guitarist and Asian female keys were the group. The bio led me to believe that this group has shapeshifted from an instrumental outfit ( like Tortoise or Sea and Cake), to a more vocal oriented affair. You could still hear the strains of the instrumental backdrop with the ladies singing over top. One tune had a Yoko-esque intro before entering an instrumental The End type feel. Prog was also touched upon as the closer was a three part song cycle.

Funky Dawgz 1/8/18 Cafe 9

CT based Nawlins-style brass band FD play anytime, anywhere. I have seen them at Bar, Gathering of the Vibes, Arch St Tavern, and even an impromptu session outside of a Trombone Shorty show. The lineup is fluid, and seems to evolve a la Preservation Hall. On this evening, two trombones, two saxes, trumpet, sousaphone, drums, and percussion ( that's right 8 players!) squoze themselves onto the tiny c-9 stage. Song selection was pretty standard: Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Sweet Dreams ( are made of this), We Got The Fire, and a call-and-response stomper that I'll call Hay-O, Oh. Coming off of a bomb cyclone and a week of single digit temperatures, get out of the cold and bop to FD weaving through the crowd for a rousing rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In, it will warm you.