Lee Fields and the Expressions 8/24/24 Levitt Pavilion Westport

 Many towns have summertime shows at woodshop gazebos with Samyo  sound systems and underemptied port-olets. With acts like the Ghosts of Memphis or Bowzer’s (from Sha-na-na) cousin, not Westport. This town has a cool shopping area, riverwalk, modern library, ample parking, that houses a beautiful outdoor amphitheater known as the Levitt. Beautiful green space, excellent sound and sight lines, and high ticket backers make for a pleasant, and many times free concert experience. Martha goddamn Stewart is a resident. So it is no surprise that modern soul  wailer Lee Fields and his crack Daptone band The Expressions got a chance to tear it up. Septuagenarian Fields is a legit force. He says that he injured his knee and had to cut out twirls and splits. Lee’s bio has him mentoring other members of the Daptone label, Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley (both,sadly, no longer with us). The Brooklyn based label has made a name for themselves by coaxing musicians out of retirement, pairing them with seasoned hipster session musicians and getting them in front of audiences. Lee has had a renaissance with these guys. The band was trumpet, sax, drums, organ, electric bass, and guitar. Fields stature and movements had me thinking of James Brown, he even led the sax man around the stage with his microphone. The setlist included some gems: Never Be Another You, Wish You Were Here, Ladies, and closed with the chestnut Honey Dove. As an old black man soul singer, some of the subject matter and lyrics were cringeworthy in the Me-Too era. What was also startling, Lee Fields appeared to be the only black person in attendance. White organizers, white crowd, even the Expressions were Caucasian. Lee had the crowd involved by exhorting “are you happy?”, and”somebody scream!”. He even had the honkey hedge fund managers counting out the hours for his work around the clock song. I am thankful for the Levitt and the apparatus needed to wrangle these shows. Cultural appropriation? Modern day minstrelsy?  Straight up sexism? Or a down home soul stew? Maybe all of the above.

The Chameleons 8/9/24 Space Ballroom

 It’s been 40 years since the Manchester based post- punk legends released their opus Strange Times. The Geffen release was critically acclaimed but never received the popularity it deserved. A small clatch of pre-adult bandits masquerading as UConn students thought it would be a good idea to gobble some hallucinogens and drive through the woods to Providence, visit a rickety low ceilinged club to catch a glimpse of  The Chameleons lightning in a bottle. Fast (or maybe lurch) forward to 2024 and the magnetic front man vocalist bass player Mark Burgess along with original guitarist Reg came back to these shores for the reincarnation of Strange Times. With a younger crew of keys, drums, and second guitar the new Chameleons launched. The Ballroom was packed with grizzled punks and new appreciators, even some of those same bandits 40 years hence. The setlist was stellar: Mad Jack, Caution, Tears, Soul In Isolation ( snippets of The End, Be My Wife, Eleanor Rigby, and There Is a Light),  Swamp Thing, Time/ The End of Time, Seriocity, In Answer, Childhood, I’ll Remember, Ever After. The encores were jacked: Where Are You, In Shreds, Nostalgia,Second Skin ( snippet of Please, Please, Me), and Don’t Fall ( snippet of Cracked Actor). Burgess has not skipped a beat, older, paunchier, but the same level of magnetism. The crowd was rapt, I even spied my friends singing along with each tune. At one point, Mark spit a short rhyme “ time is not a thief in the night, time is an embezzler, time….is your enemy now.” Forty years is a long time, the LSD and Panama Red was replaced with Prevagen and Statins, the music on the other hand was decidedly the same. Lightning. One thing is for sure, “it is autumn before the winter”, and I experienced “ man’s last mad surge of youth”.

The New Pornographers w/ Gustav 8/8/24 Hartford Live

 Opening show for the 2024 HL series. Free shows put on behind the Old State House attempt to bring non-business people to town. Unfortunately a rainy day with the promise of nighttime drizzle kept the crowd to a minimum. First up was Brooklyn glammy punks Gustav. Female-centric band had four women and a B-52s-ish Fred Schneider on guitar and vocals. The ladies each had a Darth Vader button on their mics which moved the music toward creepy glam. When more than one hit this button, the music devolved into freak show territory. There is a reason that a Darth-Chucky-Jason-Freddy quartet was never a thing. Lead singer had a Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs singer) complex in how she prowled the stage.

The New Pornographers were a treat to catch for free. Under the radar outfit from Vancouver is a launch pad for other popular indie artists. Warbler Neko Case was a member, Dan Bejar from Destroyer was a member. Founder Todd Fancy has taken those elements and continues the tradition. The group has been around since 2000, scoring some familiar power pop gems. Two female singers, guitar vocals, bass, and drums held the damp crowd. The Neko Case replacement was excellent and played some keys. Kudos to the Infinity Hall crew to keep this series going.

Newport Jazz Festival 8/3/24 Fort Adams Newport RI

 Came back for the Saturday of jazz. A breezy sunny day  was excellent for stage hopping.

Jonathan Blake’s Pentad: Caught the last bit of drummer Blake’s group. A young supergroup, the quintet had Immanuel Wilkins on alto, David Virelles on piano, Joel Ross on vibraphone, and Dezron Douglass on bass. These guys all have other jobs but we’re able to come together for a strong start to the Saturday.

Artemis: If the previous listing was a male supergroup, Artemis is the all female counterpart. Bandleader Renee Rosnes on piano, Ingrid Jensen on trumpet, Nicole Glover on sax, Noriko Ueda on bass, and Allison Miller on drums. Good set on the main stage with the added bonus of a Wayne Shorter medley complete with Footprints, one of my favorite tunes.

Anat Cohen Quartetinho: Clarinet master fronts the Quartetinho (little quartet). With Tal Mashiach on bass, Vitor Goncalves on piano and accordion, and percussionist James Shipp.  This set leaned on Latin numbers from Jobim and Gismonti. I love the sound of the jazz clarinet and Anat is usually the Downbeat poll winner for the year.

Terrace Martin:  LA multi- instrumentalist and producer took over the Quad stage. This guy has worked with Snoop Dogg and Herbie Hancock and has multiple Grammys for his work with Kendrick Lamar. Martin told a hysterical story of being on house arrest in LA. He couldn’t travel more than a mile from his house which was tracked by ankle monitor. He decided to go hang out with an old guy who danced at the entrance to the freeway. When he happened upon the man, he offered him a twenty. “ I got plenty of twenty’s, I don’t need yours”. Martin taken aback, said “ I just assumed you are dancing for money”. Turns out the man was a retired exec who danced to make people feel happy, there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

Samara Joy: We saw Samara last year at this fest. At 24, with three Grammys for her debut record, she has graduated to the main stage. Commanding stage presence for such a young artist, Samara seems comfortable in her own skin. 

Elvis Costello: Wait, why is he here? Just because his wife, Diana Krall, headlined the Saturday last year. Christian McBride knows how to assemble a lineup. Elvis is a musical chameleon who I have seen at hippie fests, folk fests, and now a jazz fest. I am a huge fan of his music and with a catalog of over 500 songs, some scrape the jazz vein. Elvis’ resume is too extensive to list. On this outing, Elvis has enlisted young jazz lion Donny McCaslin on sax. Donny worked with Bowie on his final Blackstar record. Unfortunately the sound man was snoozing during the opener Watching The Detectives. The dubbed out bass heavy version had a farting noise to accompany the tune. Elvis plodded forward with Almost Blue and some tunes from the excellent Wise Up Ghost record he did with the Roots. A story and a song from the Painted From Memory release he did with Burt Bacharach. He also  performed his somewhat obscure Shipbuilding, a song that was famously covered by Robert Wyatt. I guess when I reread this paragraph, Elvis is a logical choice to perform here.

Stanley Clarke and 4 ever: Late start for Stanley’s group on the small Harbor stage. Somebody didn’t do the math on Stanley’s popularity as the small stage was overly packed for his set. With a crew of young band members in tow, the legendary bass player toggled from electric to acoustic for a delicious set of fusion and standards. Paying homage to the bass virtuoso Charles Mingus, Stanley did an excellent reading of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. The title cut from Clarke’s School Days record has arguably the best bass work of the 70s.

Thievery Corporation: The global dance electronic outfit helmed by Eric Hilton and Rob Garza got the crowd moving at the Quad stage. We saw this band in the spring and the fest-abbreviated set did not disappoint.The setup is the same, Garza on turntables and beats, Hilton on percussion, guitar, bass, and some brass were the backdrop to a rotating crew of singers. A sultry Brazilian woman shimmied in thigh high boots and what looked like a black table cloth fastened with one safety pin, a neo- soul young man who did vocals on my fave  The Richest Man In Babylon, a young Jamaican sounding woman, and a young male rapper all circled through the vocal duties. This band is fascinating with socially conscious themes pulsing through most tunes. This band has a polished show and I recommend seeing them if they come near you.

Dinner Party: Another supergroup to end the day. Terrace Martin on sax vocals and keys, Kamasi Washington on sax, and Robert Glasper on keys, beats and samples. I am not familiar with this group, but the familiar theme of mining the junction of jazz rap and soul  was on full display. Long day of music with excellent weather.

Newport Jazz Festival 8/2/24 Fort Adams Newport RI

 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of this storied event. Ever since “Jazz Night in America” host Christian McBride took the reins, the festival lineup has been varied, interesting, and ambitious. Let’s talk about the Friday:

Aneesa Strings: Young black woman on standup bass and vocals. Like a more grounded Esperanza Spalding, Aneesa sang and rapped to great effect. Good version of the Nina Simone chestnut My Baby Just Cares For Me.

Sun Ra Arkestra: The legendary, interplanetary troupe files on to the main stage. Sixteen strong, the band four saxes, three trumpets, two trombones, guitar, drummers, keys, and a female singer. To be accepted in this group, you must wear shiny, sequined, flowing costumes. The baritone sax player was dressed in full shiny King Tut headdress. While Sun Ra departed this astral plane years ago, the show must go on. I was hoping to get a glimpse of Sun Ra’s “veep”, Marshall Allen. Original member and saxman Allen turned 100 a few months back and still comes out to honk at the heavens. Another sax player and obvious bandleader stated that Marshall had “other business”. Dip in to the Sun Ra catalog and you are just as likely to get bossa nova as you are free jazz blowouts. The bandleader, also in his 70s, thought it would be a good idea to do multiple flips and breakdance during one tune. When he returned to his seat, I saw one elder sax player mouth “you crazy motherfucker” at him while he was laughing. Sun Ra’s indelible mark on jazz was a great start to this fest and a rousing rendition of Angels and Demons at Play put a big smile on my face.

Jaleel Shaw: Alto and soprano sax player Shaw has done time with the Roy Haynes Quartet. Shaw’s quartet featured some young lions; pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Joe Dyson Jr. The tunes were all originals and tasty.

Bill Frisell Four: Bill on guitar, Greg Tardy on saxes and clarinets, Gerald Clayton on piano, and Jonathan Blake on drums. Frisell seems to be on the spectrum, the far reaches of the jazz spectrum that is. His stop start delivery must be difficult for band members to follow. Like Monk, I’m sure the music resides very much in Bill’s head and the trick is to take the band along for the ride. What better way to start than a cover of Monk’s WellYou Needn’t. Having played with the likes of Bill Laswell and Ginger Baker, Frisell’s low key chameleonic presence is a joy to watch.

Brandee Younger: Jazz harpist Younger must  get tired of the Alice Coltrane comparisons. Younger has contributed to such distinguished artists  as Common, Lauryn Hill, and Pharoah Sanders. During the pandemic, she streamed some excellent music from her living room with partner bassist Dezron Douglas.

Galactic w/ Irma Thomas: New Orleans jam staple Galactic has been grooving audiences since the early aughts. Helmed by sax man Ben Ellman and drummer Stanton Moore, this group is the house band for the NOLA jazz fest.  The group recently purchased the legendary music venue Tipitina’s to have a home base and collaboration hub. On this tour, Galactic shares the bus with NOLA vocal legend Thomas. Irma is responsible for the Stones hit Time Is On My Side.Today’s set had them reach way back to their first record Crazyhorse Mongoose.

Corey Wong: Guitarist Wong is a repeat performer at the fest. Speedy runs and big band flash were dizzying. Wong pulls Dave Matthews sax man Jeff Coffin on stage for some jammy workouts. Wong’s nerdy presence is outshined by his fret work virtuosity.

Aja Monet: Sultry poetess Monet spit socially conscious verse over a jazzy backdrop. A power to the people vibe was on full display. One fella played this odd instrument that looked like an elongated brass bass clarinet, seemed like a pantooker or a jing-tingler from Whoville.

PJ Morton:  Grammy winning r and b big band fronted by singer Morton. PJ explains they recently came off a tour of Africa from Capetown to Cairo. Morton is musical director for Beyoncé’s sister Solange. The set effortlessly swayed from soul to gospel.

Andre 3000: Dre came to fame as creator of Outkast. Whenever the song Hey Ya came out, you could not go anywhere without hearing it. Fast forward an Uber famous decade and Andre decided to take a detour. Legend has it that Andre was playing his wooden flute in a park when some random old guy told him to take the music on the road. OK. I’m sure that Andre doing the Wordle will attract a million views, so playing a new age flute set on the Newport Jazz stage seems like a good fit.

Kenny Barron: Philly piano legend Barron took his trio to the harbor stage. Playing with such jazz luminaries as Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan, and Dizzy Gillespie, the resume is unparalleled. Nice standard jazz set with the piano, bass, and drums.

Brittany Howard: Alabama Shakes vocalist does a decidedly neo-soul set. A commanding stage presence coupled with a tight band delivers an excellent set. Songs of love and loss are expertly delivered. While I never fully latched on to the Shakes sound, I will do some digging on Howard’s solo work.

Kamasi Washington: Kamasi is a young torch bearer of the world of jazz. Bridging the jazz rap soul plexus he effortlessly blows life into all three. Travels with an LA based troupe of musicians, a modern big band of sorts. The music is sprawling and ambitious. Each Kamasi release is pored over by the jazz elders. Ricky Washington, Kamasi’s sax wailing father comes out for a family skronkfest. Exhausting but fulfilling day.