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.