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.