Phantom Station 12/10/21 Firehouse 12

 Final show of the Firehouse fall series has the group Phantom Station. Leader Brandon Ross on guitar, synthtar, and guitaro ( a small acoustic), drummer JT Lewis, David Vireilles on keys, Graham Haynes on cornet, and someone named Hardedge on “sound design”. The show starts with Hardedge ( a middle aged white guy for those of you playing along in your head) twiddling some knobs on a table full of  Denon boxes and patch cords. The sound is a variety of metal scrapes and drones with Hardedge wincing and bobbing as if the electricity was flowing through him as he “played”. He appeared to be milking a cricket. Lewis enters with some subtle taps and brushwork. The other three file in and take their station for a continuous improv. The visual is critical, Haynes, in his fifties is graying but still oozes Afro-futurism. He looks as if he’s seen the burning bush, like Pharoah Sanders, but on cornet. The cornet is a beautiful instrument, a creamy trumpet tone is deftly executed with mute or straight. When Haynes faces the audience, you can feel the sound. Vireilles, younger than the rest, knows his place, but is not afraid to open up when nodded to by Ross. Brandon Ross is a notorious downtown axe-wielder. Wafer thin with feminine custom made blouse and long fine dreads, he seems to be in a constant state of contemplation of his next move. I say the clothing is custom because the sheer Indian print pattern of his top is repeated in a stripe going down his pants. The guitar is rarely out front, but his presence is felt on driving the improv. At one point, he dialed his iPhone to some otherworldly app, held it to the fretboard and vibrated through a solo. Ross also sang, a soulful, spooky sequence about souls passing through the gate. Ross ends the affair by stating they are purveyors of “real music, by real people, made in real time”. These guys could be the house band at the best club…..on Saturn.

Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball of Gomez 12/4/21 Fairfield Theater Company

 The best rock band you’ve probably never heard of….Gomez. British group had a string of excellent releases in the early oughts. The band never hit it big though they did appear on some soundtracks and toured the states several times. If I remember right, the band had three singers, but the core of Ben and Ian graced FTC. Slim, “post” pandemic crowd on this Saturday night. The boys start with a rousing title track of How We Operate. Two guys, guitars, a laptop looper and their voices. Some groupies in the audience know the lyrics better than Ian and Ben. They play some solo tunes, some tunes on the next Gomez record although there are clearly some band allegiance issues that might derail the Gomez future. They cheekily came up with a song Selena, billed as a search engine destroyer. Great version of Whipping Piccadilly and We haven’t Turned Around. Encores with Tijuana Lady. Gomez’ live recording Way Out West gets frequent play in my home.

Charlie Hunter with Scott Amendola 11/17/21 Cafe 9

 I guess I am a super fan of Charlie, seeing him play many times and following the arc of his career from the late 90s to present. It all started with his groove take on Nirvana’s Come as You Are, the complete re-working of Bob Marley’s Natty Dread, the stellar duo with percussionist Leon Parker, helming the group T.J. Kirk which played the music of Thelonious, James Brown, and Roland Kirk, fantastic dabbling with the members of Galactic, plundering the wealth of public domain songs, just to name a few offerings of this omnivorous guitar slinger. The “guitar” component is worth a YouTube foray. Charlie plays 8 and 10 string guitars, often with modified fret boards, that allow him to play bass and lead guitar parts simultaneously. On this outing, he is joined by longtime drumming accomplice, Scott Amendola. Capable, but not flashy, Scott adds subtle shading to Charlie’s lead. These two could literally play the phone book, and the two sets meander through hot jazz, soundtrack music, songs by the Cars, plus snippets of many things along the way. A great percussive reading of Lorde’s Royals was a highlight. I will continue to support this fascinating artist.

Lettuce 11/12/21 College Street Music Hall

 Lettuce, that genius “vegetable” that you put on your burger to make you think that you are actually eating a vegetable. No, we are talking about the funk outfit from Boston. I have not seen this band since the departure of chapeaued hollow body guitar wizard Eric Krasno. Rising from the ashes of the band Soulive, Kras’ version of Lettuce was guitar centric, and a vehicle for him to display his chops. The current incarnation, while no less funkified, was more of an egalitarian offering. Bass, guitar, drums, keys, two saxes, and a trumpet was the geometry. The keyboard player sang a bit, but this band is primarily a clatch of instrumental virtuosos. I am struck by the varied nature of funk. This band gave us dubby bass inflected funk, blaxploitation film score choogling, even some sappy 70s smooth jazz. The crowd was in constant motion, egged on by the frenetic light show. Two full sets culminated with an excellent take on Curtis Mayfield’s Movin On Up which strayed into a deconstructed dub-wise Everybody Wants To Rule the World and back to Curtis. Happy music for happy people.

Spanish Fly 10/22/21 Firehouse 12

 It’s been a while since experiencing the downtown trio known as Spanish Fly (it’s NOT Steven Bernstein’s Spanish Fly). Bernstein on trumpet (standard, valve, and slide), Dave Tronzo on guitar, and Marcus Rojas on tuba. These three christened the Knitting Factory and have been scraping the sides of the jazz world since the 90s. The first number was spare, as if the trio was chasing you through the woods on a dark fall night. Bernstein had a table full of trumpet mutes that were mostly homemade, at one point while returning one to the table it skittered off on the Firehouse floor, with an elfin grin, Steve proceeded to knock the other mutes off just to hear the sound. He was an equal opportunity trumpeter, giving time to all three incarnations. The valve trumpet looked like a cornet held on its side, with a “ backbone” of keys running up the center. The slide trumpet looked like a trombone put through the shrink machine, muted, it produced a troll-like squeal. If you close your eyes and think of a prototypical tuba player, you’d be pretty close to Rojas. Portly, with phlegm colored rims to his glasses, Marcus could hold the low end or whisper odd Tasmanian devil noises into the mouthpiece. Tronzo, sitting, played mostly slide guitar. The guitar rhythms lent a backdrop to the theatrics of the others. These guys are musical omnivores, and gave a shout out to the recently departed Hal Wilner who produced many oddities with the likes of SF back in the day. One number was a letter written by Lenny Bruce to his mother. The three tag teamed sections while the other two played. The letter started with Lenny waxing nostalgic about Thanksgiving, it morphed into his money troubles, and ended with him suggesting that his mother start working at a Filipino whorehouse and giving him the proceeds. A screwed down If 6 Was 9 was epic, with Rojas holding the beat at NyQuil levels. Another hot jazz number had Bernstein chasing Tronzo around. Thoroughly original and enjoyable set to the rapt packed house.

Kath Bloom 10/21/21 Best Video

 Local freakfolk legend Bloom took to the deck on this autumny afternoon. Kath has been singing her fractured brand of folk for years largely under the radar. Her collaborations with partner Loren Connors ( a downtown guitar wizard) had a cult following. Her childlike vocal delivery is somewhere between Tiny Tim and Malvina Reynolds at this point in her career but the poignant simple lyrics carry. Joined on stage by “Chloe” on shakers and simple percussion, and Dave Shapiro on acoustic, Bloom nervously warbled through her set. I’m intrigued by mentees seeking out shelved mentors in this scene. Think Devendra Banhart with Vashti Bunyan, Beth Orton with Terry Callier, heck even Volkswagen with a deceased Nick Drake. Dave is part of the young incestuos New Haven scene chronicled in a recent Maggot Brain article. He also has been tagged in a recent Wire article about production as well as a recent Relix sighting in the “5 artists to watch” section, so it’s no wonder that he has spent some time under Bloom’s wing. His alter-ego as Alexander showcases Fahey-esque primitive stylings, but can also skronk out as a member of Headroom. Watching Bloom reminds me of the late great Daniel Johnston, an outsider, slightly damaged, but engaging in their creative take on the world.

Primus w/ The Sword 9/26/21 Oakdale

 Most dates on this tour had heavy opener Wolfmother to prime the crowd. On this date, The Sword, from Austin took the duty. Aptly heavy, but not the vocal prowess of Wolfmother, choogled through their set. The music occupied the space between Sabbath and Zeppelin. Guitar, guitar/vocals, bass, and drums was the crew. When watching metal, or metal tinged bands, I’m struck by the fact that these bands make it or break it on the strength of the singer/ frontman. (Tell that to a 14 year old Andy who placed Page higher on a pedestal than Plant). Good set to a rapt crowd. Closed with a nice metallic version of Cheap Sunglasses.

Pretty full house for a pandemic rescheduled date for Primus. Primus has been Sailing the Seas of Cheese since the 90s. In that time they seem to have amassed a decent following of freaks and weirdos. Les Claypool on bass and vocals, guitarist Larry Lalonde, and Herb Alexander on drums has been the geometry for years. Primus plays a sophomoric, sinister, funk metal that occupies a space all its own. Claypool, dressed as if he was auditioning for the part of snake oil salesman in Westworld, commands the stage. He prowls while spitting rubbery bass lines that pummel the listener. The first set included such gems as Clown Dream, Too Many Puppies, Here Comes The Bastards, My Name is Mud, and finished with the seminal Jerry Was a Race Car Driver. Les said that as a child, he absorbed all things Rush, the Canadian metal power trio that has obvious influence on the Primus sound. The second set of the evening was a Primus reading of Rush’ A Farewell to Kings album. As a Rush “ appreciator”  I’m not thoroughly familiar with the record, but it was a fitting tribute considering the recent passing of drummerNeil Peart.

Mandingo Ambassadors 9/19/21 Best Video

 Re-scheduled from a no rain rainout in August, a trio of ambassadors made the trip north from Brooklyn. Led by griot guitarist Mamady Kouyate and aided by female percussionist and sleepy rhythm guitar/ van driver this group brought some high life to the deck for a Sunday afternoon show. Kouyate is skilled and steeped in tradition. The guitarist also manned a somewhat cheesy canned backing sequencer, whose purpose was to flesh out more sounds from a 10 piece ambassadorship, but came off like Eddie Van Halen playing Metallica karaoke from a Walmart setup. It would have been better to just have the trio play, as the backing sounds served up too much “sameness” for the songs. The happy vibe plays well, and I read that various iterations of the group hold down a Wednesday night residency at the ultra-hip club Barbes. In watching this group, I thought about early “happy” African music evolving in to socially conscious Afrobeat and it’s parallel to Ska moving to roots reggae. The “hey wait a minute” moment for colonialized people proved to be a potent inflection point for both genres.

Allison Miller, Wendy Eisenberg, Nick Dunston 9/17/21 Firehouse 12

 The triumphant, though masked and proof of vaxed, return of the Firehouse jazz series. With reduced seating, and only one set of music, you could feel the pandemic pent up need for live jazz from performers and audience. Miller, the drummer, was the leader, with Boston based shredder Eisenberg on guitar, and Dunston on standup bass. Miller seems like an exotic and cool aunt who infrequently blows into town with lilac spiked hair, turns you on to Sun Ra, then returns years later to see how you’ve “evolved”. The drum kit was spare, but she had a seemingly endless array of shakers, bells, and assorted pokers. One bell looked like she swiped it from the Bronze Age exhibit at the Met. Her sound was not forceful, but shaded with sounds and noises. Sheet metal, shoe horns, and brushes made for an atmospheric listen. At one point she dropped a mallet and seamlessly grabbed another tool from the bag as if that was part of the improv. Eisenberg is newer to the scene. She squeaked and squiggled before launching into full blown cacophony on most tunes. At one entry, she sounded like a mosquito, before latching on to the drum and bass groove. She sang one haunting “ballad” that started with the lyric “my silent nightmare is watching me”, creepy, yet inviting. Dunston played an admirable bass, his instrument looked like it spent too many hours in baggage claim. Almost full crowd for this most welcome return. Miller said the trio was hanging out at the Firehouse for a few days to bang out a new record.

King Crimson w/ The Zappa Band 9/5/21 Westville Music Bowl

 The Frank Zappa sound lives on through a maze of relations and affiliates. A potent stew of rock, jazz, and sophomoric humor is the backdrop for continual invention and re- invention. The lineup for this group is Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Ray White,, Robert Martin, Joe Travers , and Jamie Kime. The set list mirrors tunes played on the last show of the FZ 1988 tour. Peaches en Regalia, What’s New in Baltimore?, City of Tiny Lites, Florentine Pogen we’re a few of the highlights. The group closed with an appropriate version of the tune Andy, a chestnut from the One Size Fits All record.

Robert Fripp is still steering the prog monster known as King Crimson. The stage setup was imposing. Three full arena rock drum kits were side by side on the fore stage with the second tier of non drummers consisting of Mel Collins on saxes, flute and keys, Tony Levin on all varieties of bass, singer guitarist who took the role of Greg Lake, and cranky Fripp on guitar and knob twiddling. KC sound has evolved from late sixties orchestral faerie fluff, to menacing seventies prog metal, to eighties power quartet virtuosity. It was mesmerizing to watch three talented drummers play off or with one another. Each drummer came with a “side dish”, one with gongs/bells, another with keys, and the last with a variety of shakers and noise makers. There was one passage where each tried to shift the time signature and watch the next try to catch up. The set list included such heavies as Lark’s Tongues in Aspic pt 1, Epitaph, Court of The Crimson King, Islands, Red, and One More Red Nightmare. Encored with 21st Century Schizoid Man. The show was enjoyable, and the novelty of 3 drummers was a sight. I do think the schmaltzy Greg Lake- isms fall short on the 2021crowd, but there is “safety in drummers”.

Marbin 8/18/21 Cafe 9

 Welcome to the new normal. Due to the resurgence of the delta variant, the short lived ability to see indoor live music maskless appears to be over temporarily. Marbin is a jazz fusion quartet from Chicago. The frontmen, saxes and guitar, are originally from Israel. Rounded out with drums and bass, they pounded out virtuosic instrumental jams The guitar player asked if we knew about “story time”. He related that instrumental music is not confined by lyric association for song titles, Marbin’s song titles come usually from bad experiences on the road. “Dirty Horse” came from an ill-fated residency at Laconia’s Bike Week that involved a biker clown and some townie hanky panky. “Sid Yiddish” paid homage to an elderly percussionist who auditioned for the band, his instrument of choice was an electric toothbrush. The guitar player was excellent and I heard strains of McLaughlin, Van Halen, and Buckethead. The sax man played a variety of saxes, but spent most of his time on a mini, not a soprano. Marbin is highly original and seem to have a niche audience, which seems fine by them

Gobruccio 8/5/21 Best Video

 Gobruccio, that trendy restaurant on the Upper West Side? Gobruccio, it’s a drink with rose and elderflower seltzer right?  No, it’s the skronk brainchild of Bob Gorry, Pete Brunelli, and Pete Riccio. Caught the last few tunes on the lo-fi deck at Best. Gorry plunked and scraped guitar, Brunelli slid up and down a sleek fret less bass, while Riccio tapped behind them. One thing is clear, these three avant- nerds truly enjoy their craft and are happy to have a venue, any venue to spew. Shows start at 5pm so as not to annoy the neighbors, which is a bummer, cuz it seems I missed Gorry singing Jockey Full Of Bourbon on acoustic during the first “set”.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead 7/30/21 Westville Music Bowl

First time at the re- purposed Pilot Pen tennis center which is now called the Westville Music Bowl. The upper deck houses solar panels, mid-level seats are reserved, and an astroturfed “floor” in front of the stage is where the hippies congregate. The setlist is as follows: Friend of the Devil, Jack-a-roe, Black Throated Wind, Jack Straw, Wharf Rat, King Solomon’s Marbles, Yazoo Street Scandal, The Golden Road, Althea, Lost Sailor, Saint of Circumstance, China Doll. If you’ve been following the geometry Grateful Dead homage it’s varied. The Dark Star Orchestra recreates entire set lists, Keller Williams Grateful Grass bluegrasses even the non bluegrass numbers, and JRAD weaves chestnuts and lost nuggets from the back catalog. Joe Russo on drums, Marco Benevento on keys, Dave Dreiwitz on bass, Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton on guitars. These guys have been anchors of the jam scene since it’s inception, and treat the GD covers with care. I joke that Joe must be a meter maid in New Haven by day, while playing this venue at night. He seems to play here several times a month. I guess you can’t knock success, he packs in the fans regularly. I always love me some Wharf Rat, and the excellent rendition of China Doll was sung by the lead guy from The Fruit Bats.

Steve Gunn with Ellison Jackson 7/29/21 Cafe 9

 Hooray! The pandemic is over and two of my favorite guitar slingers share the bill at Cafe 9. Cue a humongous record scratch, because the opener , Nashville based William Tyler tests positive for COVID. Replaced by former NewHavenites and now chilly scenesters EJ. I have seen these guys with a larger group back in the day, tonight it was two, vocals and guitar and standup bass. These guys have aged well and the singer’s style reminded me of a nicer, less obtuse, Stephen Malkmus from Pavement. They did an admirable last minute fill in, but it was hard not to regret William’s absence. You know he would have played some duet work with Steve.

Versatile guitarist Steve Gunn has been positively reviewed in this blog before. A resident of Philadelphia as well, Steve has had quite the evolution. He has some punk roots, played jazz  and instrumental work with drummer pal John Truczinski, ambient soundscapes and more. In the past few years he has discovered an ability to sing, albeit in a fractured freak folk fashion. The song lyrics are hard to follow but his voice and playing are captivating, especially when it’s just him, acoustic guitar, and some effects pedals. He played a tune from Tyler’s catalog in homage. Some new material including a great reading of The Byrd’s Wild Mountain Thyme was featured. Morning Has Mended from recent The Unseen Inbetween and the title track from Way Out Weather, were excellent. Gunn appears to be “on the spectrum”, and I mean that as an asset to his craft. He gets bothered by crowd noises, which was not a problem from this rapt pandemic-addled crowd. As with any adversity, the new normal will present subtle (or maybe not so) changes to the live music experience, I’m just happy to be back.

Basel and the Supernaturals 6/25/21 New Haven Green

 Still under-attended finale of this years International Festival brought Chicago funk outfit Basel and the Supernaturals. Basel, the chapeaud frontman is an American whose parents emigrated from Aleppo, Syria. He spoke of the genocide and war atrocities of his parents home country and the constant peril his extended family has to endure. The music was bass slapping poppy funk which is an incongruous juxtaposition to talk of genocide. Basel had a Jamiroquai complex with his attire and vocal style. I hope next years festival entry boasts a renaissance in talent and attendance as we emerge from lockdown.

Ladama with Chili Wille Groove Band 6/26/21 New Haven Green

 Funksters Chili Willie warmed up a sparse International Festival crowd on the green. This festival has gotten a little weaker in recent years, and a pandemic and ensuing “protocols” didn’t help matters. The evolution back to normality not only requires de- virusing the world, but convincing people that normal is possible. Funk is some good glue, even if Chili Willie coaxed a mild hip swivel from the crowd, it’s live music.

Ladama is billed as an international female activist collective. A member from Brazil, one from Colombia, one from Venezuela, and one from Brooklyn. They sang in multiple languages, played percussion, guitar, drums, and congas. They were very happy to be in front of a live audience after a year of international zooming. Show highlight was a speedy rendition of the Eugene McDaniels/ Roberta Flack chestnut “Compared To What”.

Dr Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps 5/2/21 Best Video

 Mayday! Mayday! Live music is in free fall due to global pandemic. Luckily for us, with the help of vaccines, sweatpants, Netflix, and the desire to live, small signs of life are sprouting from this beloved scene. Who better than Doc C to get the ball rolling. The group was five with singer accordionist Adam Matlock, violin, guitar, drums, and standup bass. The set started with a gypsy flair, dove into some show tune type material. Matlock and crew are musical omnivores and the set could have gone in any direction. A plucked violin loped into an excellent rendition of London Calling with the violin player singing lead. The ground is still sparse for music events, and masked singing must be trying, but credit this crew and the supporters who showed for a toe in the water.