The Steel Wheels 11/16/12 Cafe 9

Oregon string band billed as a cross between The Avett Bros. and Old Crow Medicine Show was a very apt descriptor. Made it in for their second set which was great. Lead singer played acoustic and banjo, a second acoustic with mandolin, fiddle , and string bass rounded out this very tight quartet. Made great use of their old-timey microphone for There's a Rain Comin Down with close-vocal harmony and shaker stick. Covered a Tom Waits tune and closed with a great Shape I'm In by the Band.

Blitzen Trapper w/ The Mercies 10/27/12 Arch St Hartford

Opener Mercies starts off this show with a Grizzly Bear-esque set. Manic Productions making use of Arch St in the gentrified Convention Center section of Hartford. Blitzen Trapper takes the stage for a country-rock-metal set. Three guitar army with harmonica, shakers, multiple keyboards, capable bass, and drums. Hits from eponymous debut and Destroyer of the Void and two recent releases make for a rousing set. Covered Hey Joe, Dukes of Hazard Themesong, and concluded the evening with an awesome cover of Zeppelin's Good Times, Bad Times. BT had a good spot at Newport Folk and opened for Wilco on tour of the west. Portland Oregon natives BT are a band to watch.

Satchmo At The Waldorf Long Wharf Theater 10/16/12

Satchmo is a play about the end of Louis Armstrong's life and reflections of race, respect, and the early jazz industry. Masterfully acted by John Douglas Thompson, the actor switches personas with lighting changes. The two central characters are Armstrong and his manager Joe Glaser. In an age of segregation, Glaser a Chicago jew with mob ties manages the career of Armstrong and handles while profiting from stardom. Spurned by the beboppers, Armstrong was regarded as an Uncle Tom. Armstrong wants to set the record straight that he paved the way for the artists of the 60s. The interplay ( by the same actor!) of Armstrong and Glaser was powerful. Glaser commanded the rights and riches to Armstrong's catalog and appeared to be blackmailed into handing them over to mob affiliates. Armstrong like so many artists of the time was stripped of the rights to his music. This powerful play is an excellent depiction of race and the early days of jazz.

Jamie Saft Trio Firehouse 12 9/28/12

Billed as the "New Zion Trio", this incarnation with pianist leader Saft was just that. Roots-dub-jazz is the best way to describe this sound. Echo, delay, reverb attached to the repetitive drum and bass laid the back drop for Saft's soundscapes. Saft moving from Steinway to organ to casio played a variety of layers on the dub anchor. Plug Saft into Pandora and you'll get dub, jazz, jewish folk, and metal. With that kind of affiliation the world, and definitely Firehouse 12, is his oyster. Closed out the set with a jazz classic I couldn't place woven with the kitsch reggae of "Pass the Duchy".

Love of Everything 9/5/12 Bar

Love of Everything was a Brooklyn duo with a habit of looped phrases with a decided indie-rock sound. A free Wednesday show at Bar needs to grab you to stay...this one didn't.  It's not that I'm only partial to the loop in the jam context, a la Keller Williams. LOE had a good idea in the use of the loop, but lost me with muddy angst vocals.  With guitar and voice, and drums, this duo had potential just needed to lean on the loop more

Tauk 8/12/12 Cafe 9 New Haven

New York's Tauk makes it up to New Haven for some pizza and show at the 9. Four piece instrumental only band. Organ, drums, bass, and stellar guitar. These guys have chops and have been together for a while, I remember them in Bridgeport a few vibes ago. While this combo sounds like it could get monotonous, these four kept it moving. Intricate guitar shreds over solid rhythm section did wonders for the cover of I Want You/ She's So Heavy. Decent crowd for a Sunday night.

Paleface 8/1/12 The Outer Space Hamden

While the rest of the CT concert going folk were rocking to Jeff Tweedy and Wilco at the Bushnell, I rounded up twenty strangers to go to the Outer Space for the legendary Paleface. Cutting his teeth in the subway stations of New York in the 90s, Paleface's DIY brand of freak folk is still amazing. Love song to New York, Little by Little were standouts. Now hailing from Charleston, Paleface with gal pal Mo on drums and a friend on electric were a real treat got the NC attention of the Avett Brothers who lend a hand on his recent release One Big Party.....love this guy.