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Tonight, Victor Wooten and his band took the stage at the Funk Box. It's been about a year or so since the last time I caught the show at the FB, and things have changed.
For one thing, it's all new material, all the time. While there were hints at older tunes (a little You Can't Hold No Groove during a solo, for example) and one or two cover tunes here and there, it was pretty much all tunes from the upcoming album. As luck would have it, I managed to hear a little of the album before the tour started, so it wasn't a complete mystery to me.
There's a new singer in the group this time. Adding to Derico, Reggie, Anthony, Divinity and Joseph is Saundra Williams on vocals. Having more vocal options fleshes out some of the songs, adding depth and texture to the mix. It's a nice plus.
There are some new elements to the show, mostly relating to the Soul Circus element (the same name as the new album). There's also a fair amount of the same type of stuff as the prior tours (which is hardly a bad thing, mind you).
Easily the highlight of the evening was the solo trade off between Anthony and Victor. Prior to Victor's solo, he and Anthony started to trade some licks back and forth between the two of them (with Derico holding the beat behind them). While I've seen/heard Anthony playing a few times, this was one of the only times that I've seen him play where he didn't hold back even in the slightest. Absolutely the best part of the show for me.
Tonight, I caught the Indigo Girls at the 9:30 club. It was just the two of them, much like the last time that I caught one of their shows. The two of them took to the stage, Emily stage right and Amy stage left. While I appreciate their sound with a full backing band, the starkness of the two of them really brings out their harmonies.
This time around, they didn't play too many new tunes. Actually, I think they only did two new songs (one each). Otherwise, they were mostly running through their catalog of material. I'm not sure as to why they chose to do this show, but I'm not going to be one to complain.
While the show was good, one of the more interesting things in the show was two younger girls who were at the show. They had gotten to the venue sometime around 9am that morning. It was their first show (ever, I think), and they were just so excited about everything. So, some of us took a sheet of paper, wrote a sign big enough for both Emily and Amy to read from the stage that said "It's their first show," with arrows pointing down. Then we held it over their heads. Emily looked over, read the sign, then waved at the two girls and said "Hi." They were so happy that the pretty much melted into the floor. But, to top it off, after the show was over, Emily walked over to them and handed them each a pick. I think they were probably a step away from full cardiac failure (but in a good way).
All in all, it was a good show. It felt a little lifeless in some ways, as if they were just going through the motions here and there. Still, these two phoning it in is better than quite a few bands on their good days.
And, speaking of other bands, the opening act. I think they were called the Great Unknowns, which I can promise will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Uninspired stage show, meandering and repetitive songs, the less said about them the better.
Kodo, the Japanese Taiko drumming group, came to Constitution Hall tonight. I've been a fan of the group for some time -- and anytime you've got major percussion in the music, I'm going to be all kinds of happy.
This show did not disappoint. Two hours (counting the intermission) of solid drumming expertise. The sheer power radiating off of the stage had to be felt to be believed (having fourth row seats didn't hurt in that aspect, mind you). It was more than just force of will from the drummers.
For one song, nine members of the troupe kneeled at the front of the stage before some small drums. They all started to play in a syncopaited rhythm, each of them moving around within the steady beat. One would start to play louder, then another, then a third; when the fourth would start, the first would fade back to normal. Absolutely riveting.
The small detail of some guy's cell phone going off about thirty minutes into the show was a travesty. What made it all the worse was that he (or she, to be fair) ignored it, just letting it ring and ring until the voice mail picked it up. I'm not a fan of venues that use cell phone blockers (what about actual emergency calls), but this was just ridiculous.
For the final number, all I have to say is that you could not be in this group without having a good body image. Three of the group came out wearing nothing but loin cloths. They played a huge taiko drum, one member on each side. Don't get me wrong, they had the body to get away with it (unlike me, natch).
The playing style of the drummers could only lend itself to those physiques. Frequently, the drummers would sit in front of a large drum, place their feet around it (one on each side), lean back at a sixty degree angle and play their butts off for about seven or eight minutes at a stretch. To be honest, it kinda hurt just to watch.
Tonight, I finally got to see a show I have been looking forwards to for quite some time. Ever since I saw Bona play for the first time, to be precise. Tonight was Richard Bona as a solo artist, not as a side man.
I had some very high expectations for this show. In some ways, things were less than I expected; in other ways, even better. The show started to a Jaco tune (Liberty City) and then went through a highlight of tunes from all three of Bona's albums. While I didn't get the whole set list (I was too busy enjoying the show), here are some of the songs he played for the set I saw:
Mike Stern's I Know You/Dina Lam/Painting A Wish (medley)
I'm guessing about this set list; if you have corrections, please let me know.
One of the things that I really love about Bona's playing is the emotion that all of the songs are infused with -- overflowing with it, truth be told. This joy was in abundance throughout the entire performance. I'm glad that I got the chance to catch Richard in a small venue; it's been a while since I've been to a show like this, and I forgotten how much fun it can be. Being that intimate with the artist allows for the audience and the performer to have very direct communication. And Bona is a consumate stage personality, interacting with the other musicians and the crowd with ease and aplomb.
There was one aspect of Bona's show that somewhat disappointed me; namely, the instrumentation of the band on hand. The band consisted of a sax player (Aaron Heick), a keyboardist (Etienne Stadwijk), a drummer (I'm sorry; I didn't catch his name and that annoys me, because I'm pretty sure that I've met him before), a hand percussionist (Samuel Torres) and Bona on bass and vocals.. I do not mean to even slightly denigrate the performances of any musician on stage; but the version of Engingilaye that I'm used to hearing (on the CD, natch) is a heavily afro-Latin kind of song, with a full throated horn section. For whatever reason (and I'm quite sure there's a good one), the tune live was played with the keys player simulating the horn section. While good, not quite as good as the real thing. A quibble, though.
After the set, the band was hanging out at the bar. I walked over to thank Richard for his show and we talked for a wee bit. Then, the strangest thing happened. Richard asked me my name, and I told him "Casper." He cocked his head to one side, looked at me funny and asked me if I had a website. Completely shocked that he would know something like that, I said that I did. He said that he remembered seeing the photos that I had taken at a Mike Stern show last year. You could have knocked me over with a feather. A nice and gracious way to end the show.
No photos this time around, though. Sorry; I'll get some next time.
To sum things up, though, this was one of the best jazz shows I've seen in quite some time. It was completely worth the six, seven hour drive to NYC to catch the set. The only thing I'll do differently next time is try to go up for a weekday show, when the band will have more time to stretch and flex and not have to worry about clearing the room for the next set.
Tonight, Rob and I hiked up to NYC to catch another round of the Bass Extremes show. This time around, Victor, Steve, Oteil and Derico were joined by the living legend Anthony Jackson.
This was the first time I had ever been to the Iridium. It's a small, underground venue, reminding me much of Blues Alley with it's setup. The band was playing three sets for the night, but we we were only going to stay for the first set.
On the one hand, this show was not as enjoyable as the Birchmere outing. The time constraints did not allow for the musicians to stretch as much or be as comfortable with their playing.
On the other hand, Anthony Jackson say in for two songs. Jackson is one of the most influential bass players around, innovative beyond words (he pretty much singlehandedly invented the six string and contrabass, he's played for just about everyone in New York -- Chaka Khan, Steely Dan, Buddy Rich for three quick examples). If you can't think of why I'm talking about, go listen to this clip -- that's Anthony Jackson. He also doesn't play out all that much anymore, so the opportunity to see not only the masters of Bass Extremes and Anthony Jackson on top was too much to resist.
Jackson joined the group for two songs, What Jamacian? and a free form jam. He didn't have the pyrotechnics that the rest of the group did, but he was all about rock solid, thunderous groove. His playing style was interesting, too; as he got into his playing, he would dance around a little, jerking his head to the beat. What a treat to catch one of his rare outings.
A small detail that I noticed is that each bassist was using Epifani heads. Since they are nominally Ampeg artists, this was a bit of a surprise. In any case, some photos from the night can be found here.
Tonight was the Bass Extremes show at the Birchmere. The lineup for tonight's show consisted of Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Oteil Burbridge and Derico Watson.
Bass Extremes was born sometime around 1993 when Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten met during a hardware endorsement photoshoot. The two of them hit it off and then recorded a instructional book/CD. Since then, an additional two CDs followed over the next eight years. On each album, Oteil Burbridge sat in some of the tracks.
I'm not aware of Steve and Victor touring together before on a formal tour. I know that they have given clinics together from time to time, but that's about it. So, the opportunity to catch them play was a rare treat. The show opened up strong, heavy grooves with pounding rhythms. To try and list out all the amazing things that happened during the show would almost be pointless -- these are three of the best bass players around, bringing their A game to the stage.
One example, though. During the Dump C tune, they each took turns soloing (for about four bars a piece). As each bass player ended up their round, he would call out the new key signature for the next player's solo. Very cool.
Let me put it to you this way: A lead guitarist that I know was at the show. He later told me that it was like watching Jimi Hendrix at his prime. I think he also said "I will never look at bass players the same way ever again."
Some photos from the show can be found here.
Set List
Tonight, I caught Bruce Hornsby (and, one would presume, The Range) at Wolf Trap. I had been looking forwards to this show for quite some time -- I had previously had two opportunities to catch this show, but things feel through for one reason or another.
As the show got started, the weather was clearly going to be an issue. A stereotypical DC summer day, hot, humid with little wind wasn't going to do much to address physical comfort, much less the tuning issues of acoustic instruments. But, I guess that's one of the drawbacks of dealing with outdoor venues.
The show got started, and things were moving right along. But something was amiss. I'm not sure if it was the stifling humidity or what, but the crowd was comlpetely dead. Not a spot of energy from the crowd. And that affected the band. After a while, it seemed like the band was just phoning it in.
The music itself was unremarkable. Given Hornsby's playing history (some bluegrass, some jazz, lots of years with the Dead), I had expected more. This show was jazzy-ish improv for people who don't want surprises. Everything was safe, no challenges to anyone.
A word about the band. It featured Sonny Emory on drums, Doug Derryberry on guitar/backing vocals, JV Collier on bass, Bobby Read on sax/woodwinds/vocals, John "J.T." Thomas on second keys, Bruce Hornsby on keys/vocals and R. Hornsby (his nephew, local to NoVA) on second guitar. Bruce's nephew just seemed to be scared and out of his depth the entire time. He did some nice soloing, but his accompaniment playing was sparse and it seemed like he was just trying to find his way through the tunes. It's nice of his uncle to give him a break, though.
I did manage to take some photos. The seats were in the 2nd row, but way over to the side. So not only was there a rather limited visual range, we were out of the throw of most of the main speakers. The show actually got much better walking around the back of the venue on the lawn.
Tonight, I went out to Merriweather Post to see Sarah McLachlan on her latest tour. She's doing a run of arenas in support of Afterglow. Tonight marks both the first time in six years she's been to Merriweather and the only shed stop on her US run.
First, the venue. I hate going to Merriweather. It's in an inconvenient location, the egress to the facility is horrible (one single, narrow footbridge over a stream from the parking lot) and the acoustics are subpar. I usually avoid going there -- I'm even going to skip a Flecktones show because of the venue.
Sarah McLachlan's got pipes. No fakin' there, she can solid sing. Her backing band consisted of Kathryn Rose on backing vocals, David Kershaw on keyboards and bass, Vince Jones on keyboard and backing vocals, Sean Ashby on guitar, lap steel and backing vocals, Brian Minaldo (I think) on bass and backing vocals, Luke Doucet on guitar, lap steel and backing vocals and Ashwin Sood on drums and vocals. Given McLachlan's stature as a singer, it's small wonder that she stacks her deck with an army of singers. Vocals were definitely the highlight for the evening.
It certainly wasn't spontaneity. I felt almost like I as sitting through the recording of Mirrorball. The songs that she played were the same as how she played them on that tour -- note for note, and almost certainly inflection for inflection. I'm even wondering if her facial tics are the same during each show.
Having said that, it's probably not a bad thing. Her audience almost certainly wants her to sound just like her record. Well, she did that in spades. To that end, the band was way overequipped. The guitarists changed guitars on every song. That in and of itself isn't a big deal. But they rotated through about fifteen different guitars. There isn't so much difference between a two pickup Les Paul and a three pickup Les Paul to justify the hassle of carrying both of them around. Not to mention enough toms to build a second drum set and then only using those toms for two minutes in one song. Must be nice to have roadies.
The show itself was very well done. Transitions were tight, the energy level of the show never lagged, and McLachlan's got on stage charisma for miles. She's one of those performers who can make each person in the audience think the little half smile was for them and them alone. The stage design was a bit strange, though. I'd call it Greecian farm -- tall Dorian columns (like 30 feet or so), lots of stairs like a veranda with green turf/carpeting (to look like moss?). A backdrop hung behind the band, allowing various video projections. A side note about the backdrop -- the way it framed the video overwhelmingly reminded me of a Yes album cover.
And the 70's references didn't stop there. There was a country-ish feel to the backing band, from the lap steel playing, to the abundance of cowboy hats. It reminded me a lot of The Eagles and/or 70's Linda Ronstadt.
All in all, it was a pleasant show. I don't know if I would go again, but I didn't regret going this time.
-- Update --
The NY Times reviews a Sarah show as well.
Tonight, I caught a combined bill of Oteil Burbridge And The Peacemakers and Garaj Mahal. I've seen them both before (Oteil here and Garaj here). Given the hgih level of musicianship between all the members of the band (and especially Oteil and Kai), I was looking forwards to the show.
The Peacemakers started off the evening. Actually, they were late taking the stage (about twenty minutes or so). Looking around the audience (52 people -- I counted -- including venue staff), perhaps they were trying to decide if it was worth it. They came out and started up their set. The audience was appreciative, but not all that engaged. The Peacemakers were not quite as energetic as the last time I saw them; perhaps it's because they weren't doing a full night, perhaps because of the crowd, I don't know. Oteil would occasionally get into the show, doing his dancing thing that he does (a B.B. King side-to-side as well as full on limb-flailing dance steps), but not as much as I have seen on other occasions. Towards the end of their set, the crowd had about doubled, and they were starting to get into the music (even with some dancing going on, in that jamband, hippish style).
Oteil's band consisted of Oteil Burbridge on bass, Chris Fryar on drums, Mark Kimbrell on guitar, Jason Crosby on keyboards and Paul Henson on vocals. The majority of their set came from the Family Secret album. The show was capped by Oteil playing Amazing Grace as an unaccompanied solo. His version is no where near as kinetic as Victor's, featuring lots of chords as well as the occasional scat singing, but it's equally enjoyable.
After the set break, Garaj Mahal took the stage. The opening numbers were a bit slow and atmospheric, but then they went to one of their more popular tunes (Meatless Patty), an upbeat, fun, grooving song. The crowd completely went with the music, dancing and having fun. Garaj kept the pace moving, never letting the feeling stop.
As far as the musicians go, Kai was just on fire. Easily the best I have ever seen him play. Lots of rapid fire, staccato style with complex rhythms. Alan's pocket was so deep that even dead people couldn't help themselves but groove along to his drumline. Fareed played well, while Eric probably overplayed his vocoder/breath adapter a little too much.
At the culmination of Garaj's set, they invited The Peacemakers back on stage. Kai asked the crowd to clap out a beat (which ended up being something slow, around 102 or so), and they started jamming from there. The first tune went on for ten or fifteen minutes, mostly showcasing the guitarists (Fareed and Mark) as well as the keyboards (Eric and Jason). After a while, the song started to fall away, so Kai stepped up, laying down another thumping assault. The drummers jumped in soon afterwards, and it was a rhythm section bonanza for several minutes while the melody instruments either looked on or filled in light chords. After a while, the melody guys jumped in and a full bore funky song was underway.
While this was going on, Oteil kind of sat out a bit, smiling and enjoying the music around him while also seemingly trying to figure out where he was going to fit into the music. He played a few notes here and there, but that was about it. Towards the end of the piece, he stepped up to the mike and started his scat thing, which required all the rest of the musicians to find space for him (vocals tend to do that). This didn't last long, though.
As hard as this might be to believe, Kai then stepped up his playing during the jam. Oteil headed towards the back of the stage, took off his Fodera and grabbed his Modulus. As soon as I saw that, I knew that the serious bass playing was about to begin. Oteil likes his Fodera for the melody style stuff he does, but the Modulus is his slap machine. This was no exception; the full bore double thump Wooten-esque style bass playing was here to stay.
After the show, the members of the band came out into the crowd and talked for a while. It was interesting to overhear Kai and Oteil talk with each other. It seems like they really enjoyed playing together, as well as respected each other's playing. In fact, I'd speculate that the two of them playing together is probably what spurred Kai's level of performance that night.
CDs were also made on the spot for that night's show. I don't know if this is a Garaj thing (which I suspect it is, given that they had pre-printed, silk-screened CDs ready to go), a State theatre thing, or an independent 3rd party thing. In any case, I think it's a good idea.
Tonight, I lucked into some good seats for The Gipsy Kings at Wolf Trap. I've seen the Kings several times before, and Wolf Trap is a great venue for them -- there's something about hearing flamenco-style music in an outdoor ampitheatre that brings the music to life.
The show almost didn't happen, though. What with the torrential downpours and flooding in the DC area last night, the show was veering towards cancellation for a short period of time. Thunder and lightning started the consternation, but the wind blowing rain into the ampitheatre was the deciding point. It's kind of hard to play music with electrified instruments in those conditions.
In any case, the decision was made (coin came up heads?) and the group took the stage. I'd like to be able to tell you what the set list was, but I'm not sufficiently familiar with their material to be able to recognize all the songs in a live setting. Not speaking the language doesn't help much, either. This tour was in support of the Roots album, so quite a few songs from that disc were featured, as well as a number of their standbys. In any case, the show was about two hours or so of upbeat, energetic Latin/flamenco style music. There's something about seven acoustic guitars playing together, producing a vertiable wall of sound.
I know that traditional flamenco players don't like the Gipsy Kings all that much, and I can understand why. It's watered down from the traditional style (no 12/8, lots of extra instrumentation, etc.). While that makes it less pure, it has the side effect of becoming very accessible to the gringos in the audience. The crowd was very enthusiastic through the entire show, dancing in the aisle (more on this in a second), singing along as best they could and having a good time.
The dancing. The last few times I've been to see the Kings in concert, they have brought someone on stage to dance while they play (for some strange reason, almost always picking young, attractive women). While they probably have lots of reasons for doing this, I would suspect that part of the logic is that they are all in their 40's and 50's and have probably played a lot of the same songs for years and years. So bringing up a dancer on stage gives them something new in their show and takes some of the burden of entertaining off of the musicians.
The Gipsy Kings are playing again tomorrow night at Wolf Trap. If you can swing by, I'd recommend it.
-- Update --
The photos from the show are up.
-- Update 2 --
I did a little digging and found out who was playing at this particular show. Here it goes:
The Kings themselves were André Reyes, Patchaï Reyes, Paul Reyes, Nicolas Reyes, Tonino Baliardo, Diego Baliardo and Canut Reyes. Backing musicians were Xavier on bass (I can't find his last name), Cyril on keys (again, no last name), Stephanie Lambatte on drums and Rodolfo Pacheo on percussion.
So, I took a stab at trying to name who was who in each picture. I'm probably wrong, but I did make the attempt.
-- Update 3 --
Cyril found me on the web, and sent me the info on the backing musicians:
on the bass: Xavier Padilla
on the keyboards: Cyril Barbessol
on thr drums: Stéphane Lambotte
on the percs: Rodolfo Pacheco
Thanks for the update!
Tonight was the Marcus Miller show at the Birchmere. I've been to the Birchmere a number of times; it's a great venue with good sound and a good environment.
Marcus, on the other hand, I've only seen once before. Marcus is an absolute monster player, massively influential (to me and legions of others). Seeing him play live is a near religious experience for a bass player like myself.
Miller's road band consists of Marcus Miller (natch) on bass guitar/alto sax/bass clarinet, Dean Brown on guitar, Poogie Bell on drums, Bruce Flowers on keyboards, Roger Byam on sax/flute and Michael "Patches" Stewart on trumpet/fluglehorn. These guys have been with Marcus for a long time and it shows. They have real chemistry on stage, play off each other's cues and seem to have a real good time in the process. They are also first class musicians in their own right. Poogie Bell is one of the better drummers I've seen play like (just a huge, deep pocket, no matter how complex the drum line), and Patches Stewart is probably the best trumpet player I've ever seen live -- bar none. Marcus is no fool when it comes to staffing his ship.
Mr. Miller is not as kinetic a player as other bass players I respect, but he's an amazing player in his own right. Not a lot of flash and tricks, but solid, undeniable groove. From some new material from a forthcoming album (a pretty straight ahead funky R&B tune with some rap/singing thrown in called Gonna Get Hurt and a very tribal feeling tune called Ethiopia) to some Miller standbys (Cousin John, Panther, Amazing Grace, and a medley of Power, Marcus' take on Jaco's Teen Town and Tutu) and quite a few covers (Red Baron, Frankenstein, Come Together). Not to mention some songs that Marcus has written for other people: Maputo for David Sanborn and Bob James (although I really prefer Marcus' take on it to theirs) and Da Butt for E.U.
Let me promise you, there has never been any rendition of any Beatle's song that ever grooved as hard as the Marcus Miller version of Come Together. No matter what was going on, you could not resist the power of that bass line. Just like Frankenstein -- I can remember that song from the 70's, but the Miller take would have had dead people up and dancing.
One of the things that I have noticed about Marcus' show is that it is very clearly his show. He usually starts the tune, he gives very clear direction to his bandmates (like mimeing how he wanted Poogie to play his drumline at a few points during the show) and calls solos as the song progresses (pointing to which member of the band is to solo and when their solo is to end).
During the encore of the show, Marcus took requests from the audience, played through a medley of his tunes (if it was rehearsed, they sold me on the performance -- it felt like there were just making it up on the spot) and then closed with Da Butt. That pick makes since, given that D.C. is the birthplace of go-go music. He even got Sugar Bear (the lead singer of E.U.) up to perform the singing.
I managed to get good seats to the show, and I took quite a few photos. I'll post them up tomorrow when I get the chance.
-- Update --
The photos are up.
Tonight, I went to see the Rites of Strings show at Wolf Trap. Rites of Strings consists of Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, Stanley Clarke on bass and Al DiMeola on guitar. No other musicians played during their set.
Di Meola and Clarke played together in Chick Corea's Return To Forever (one of the supergroups of the 70's), and Clarke played with Ponty even before then. The three of them released a CD in the mid-90's, toured once to support it and then pretty much went their separate ways. Their current tour is the first time they have played together in about ten years.
The three of them played like the grand masters of their instruments that they are. You can tell that they each have a long history between each other, just on the chemistry that was so very evident throughout their performance. In fact, the only two criticisms I would have about their performance would be a tendency to overplay (particularly Di Meola), shoe horning in ten notes when one would do, and the lack of cleanliness of those fast notes. I suppose that when you're playing so many notes that the staff is painted black, just sheer odds are going to catch up with you, but it seemed like there were a lot of whiffs and futzes.
The absence of a drummer caused Clarke to lay back and play a near completely supporting role. Not that he didn't step up and solo during the songs, but his playing felt more like a musician's playing rather than a soloist waiting for his turn. Each musician played entirely acoustic. The instruments were miked, but they were all acoustic -- a flamenco guitar and an Ovation for Di Meola, an upright and an acoustic Ovation for Clarke and a single violin for Ponty.
The opening three songs were from the Rites of Strings album (Indigo, Song To John and Memory Canyon which was followed by a standing ovation). Each musician took an extended solo during the course of each song. Clarke's solo during Song To John was so dynamic and he was so into his playing that he actually lost control of his upright, and it slipped out of his hands as he was playing.
Then, each musician took time to play an all-alone solo (I really need to come up with a word for this) -- first Di Meola, then Ponty (standing O), followed by Clarke (standing O). Afterwards, they played a Ponty tune (Renaissance), Stanley's signature tune School Days (standing O) and then used Di Meola's Mediterranean Sundance as their encore (standing O). Since I was noticing how many standing ovations there were, I should probably mention that some people gave them a standing O just for walking out on stage. Not what you would call a hostile crowd.
Photos of the show can be found here. Sorry that there aren't any more of them, but the ushers at Wolf Trap were going all picky about taking photos. I don't think they threw anyone out, but they definitely gave the evil eye to anyone even trying to take a picture (photo or not).
Tonight, I caught Belá Fleck and The Flecktones down at the Performing Arts Center in Charlottesville, VA. This is the, well, I actually don't know how many times that I've seen these guys live, but I've pretty much seen them every chance I can since 1991. They are one of my favorite jazz bands and have been for quite some time.
Tonight was the first time that I have ever been to the Performing Arts Center. I was rather surprised to learn that it was in a high school. I suppose the location would account for the exceedingly high number of rather young kids who were in the audience. Not that it's a bad thing, it just contributes towards my feeling old.
We got to the show a little late (thank you ever so much, MapQuest), so the show was already started. The crowd was rather sedate. I'm not sure how much of that can be attributed to the median age of the audience, or how much can be laid at the somewhat heavy security presense, but there wasn't a lot of energy in the crowd.
And that affected the performers. While I rather like the Flecktones and will absolutely catch the next show I can, this show didn't feel quite up to the normal Flecktones standard. Perhaps it was the fact that they had driven all night from Vermont. Maybe it's that they have been on tour with only a few months here and there off since March 1994. Possibly it was the crowd being as slack as they were. I don't know why, but I've seen shows with better energy than this before. And I know that I'll see better in the future.
Don't take this to mean that I didn't like the show; the Flecktones on a bad night are better than most bands on a good one. Vic's solo was amazing (as usual), the interaction between Futch and Belá was worth the trip. They also changed the way that the solos occurred. With the exception of Vic's solo starting off the second set, the entire band would segue into one of the musician's solo. Then one or two of the member would come back out, play with the soloist and then the rest of the band would hop in.
Afterwards, we hung out for a bit, chatting with the members of the band. If I heard correctly, the Flecktones are considering taking about a year off from touring (a well deserved rest), so if you get the chance to catch them, you really should make the time. To that end, here are their next shows (as of right now):
| 5/1/2004 | Alys Robinson Stephens PAC | Birmingham, AL |
| 5/2/2004 | Beal St Music Festival | Memphis, TN |
| 6/14/2004 | Liberty Hall | Lawrence, KS |
| 6/15/2004 | Blue Note | Columbia, MO |
| 6/16/2004 | Rococo | Lincoln, NE |
| 6/18/2004 | Telluride Bluegrass Festival | Telluride, CO |
| 6/20/2004 | Hollywood Bowl - Playboy Jazz Fest | Hollywood, CA |
| 6/26/2004 | Saratoga PAC Jazz Fest | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 6/27/2004 | Cape Cod Melody Tent | Hyannis, MA |
| 6/28/2004 | Hampton Beach Casino | Hampton Beach, NH |
| 6/30/2004 | Downtown Jazz Toronto | Toronto, Ontario Canada |
| 7/2/2004 | Ottawa International Jazz Fest Confederation Park | Ottawa, Ontario Canada |
| 7/3/2004 | Symphony Hall | Montreal, Ontario, Canada |
| 7/4/2004 | Love and Music | Acme, PA |
| 7/25/2004 | Oregon Zoo Amphitheater | Portland, OR |
| 7/27/2004 | Stewart Park Music on the Half Shell | Roseburg, OR |
| 7/28/2004 | Woodland Pak Zoo | Seattle, WA |
| 7/31/2004 | Deer Vally Resort - Utah Symphony | Park City, UT |
| 10/2/2004 | State Theater | Easton, PA |
As you can see, not too many shows anywere near the DC area, so I think I might be hosed. Maybe one of the PA shows.
Not a lot of photos from the show (didn't have the best of seats), but what I took you can find here.
Showtime ran Britney Spears Live From Miami on their channel tonight. As per a reader's request (check the comments), here are my thoughts on it.
To say that it sucked would be to do a disservice to all the things in this world that really do suck. The set design and motif of the show are pretty clearly coming from the addled mind of some benighted soul who was heavily influenced by Cirque Du Soleil but couldn't afford to actually get a good act to populate the performance. The singing was, well painful. She has never had a good voice, and lip synching didn't make it any better. She did, however, make a lot of costume changes -- each more skimpy than the last.
On the plus side, she did individually introduce each member of her band, and she gave them each about thirty seconds to show off. That was a nice thing for her to do, particularly on live TV. Hopefully, it will help their careers.
The most vapid moment of the night had to be when she "wanted to bring it down a bit and get real". I present you a transcript of Britney's deepest thoughts:
I don't know if you read the press or know what's going on with me, but the last couple of months have kinda been like a rollercoaster. There has been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, that's what makes you who you are.
{applause and cheering}
And I also think, ultimately, we all know how to laugh, we know how to cry, we know how to be held tight, we know how to back, we all know heartbreak. But the world keeps moving and we keep moving with it and everything we experience makes us realize how beautiful like really is.
Stunning, isn't it? That many words without actually saying anything. In any case, I really couldn't take much more after this, and I just stopped watching this dreck. If you want a larger review, check somewhere else, 'cause I just don't think I would have been able to suffer through any more of this.
Note to self: Just because a reader asks for something, that doesn't mean I should do it.
After catching SLim perform, I dropped by Willie & Reed's in Bethesda for the CD release part of Band Of Blue. I had seen these guys play once before (at Ragtime), and I really enjoyed their set.
Jeff (from Last Second Comeback) had recommended these guys to me, and I'm glad that he did. They have a good groove, doing lots of good time party blues. I picked their CD while I was there (hey, you gotta support local music).
If you get a chance to see these guys and you like bluesy kind of music, check them out; it's worth your time.
As a side note, Christine from DH/CC was there with Jeff. It's been a while since I had seen or hung out with her, and it was good to see that she's doing well.
Tonight, I caught Angelique Kidjo at the Ram's Head in Annapolis MD. I have had three other opportunites to see her live, and things just never worked out. I really like her work, so I was pretty much going to go and see this show come hell or high water.
The show was one of the more higher energy shows I have seen in quite some time. I've been to several shows at the Ram's Head, and this is the first one that most of the crowd was up and dancing for a majority of the time. Granted, Ms. Kidjo was rather insistent that people get up and enjoy themselves, but her music has such an infectuous rhtyhm that she didn't have to prod all that much or all that hard. She even invited the entire crowd to come up on stage with her for one song for a communal dance.
Her backing band has been with her pretty much non-stop for the last three years, and it shows. They were very tight with each other, with good communication and sharing. I didn't manage to catch their names, though. Sorry 'bout that.
Most of her set came from her latest album Black Ivory Soul, with a healthy helping of her most popular songs from albums past.
This show marks the second time that the encore was an actual encore. Angelique did the usual thing, where she walks off stage, but the house lights don't come up, nor does the band even pretend that they aren't coming back. So they came back, and went through two more songs. When they were done, though, the backing band started to move to take off their instruments and go off stage when Angelique waved them off to play another song. She did this one more time, and then said that they really had to go.
All in all, this was a really good show; I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys world or pop music.
Tonight, I saw Paco de Lucía live at the Warner Theatre. I had never heard of Paco before; the main reason why I was going was that Aref invited me to go as a way of returning the favor of me taking him to see Victor Wooten a while back.
What a revelation this was. According to several write-ups I have seen, Paco is generally considered to be one of the best flamenco style guitarists alive today. I can see why, and I largely feel the fool for not hearing of this guy before now. He plays very cleanly, infused with vibrant passion. Yes, it's fast as all get out, but that's not all that his playing is. One of the more impressive things that he did (well, at least impressive to me) was playing a single note extremely fast (sextuplets at least, maybe even sixty-fourth notes) with each individual note being distinct and clear.
The remainder of the band was comprised of a bass player, a drummer/percussionist, a secondary guitarist, a wind player (sax and flute) and two female vocalists. They all did a good job. Neither the drummer nor the second guitarist got a chance to really cut loose. The other members of the band took a few solos from time to time, each of them performing admirably. Nevertheless, it was still very clearly Paco's show.
The first set of the show varied from Paco playing solo, to having some backing percussion instruments join him, to having the entire band come out (doing handclaps and vocalizing). The second set featured the entire band as a ensemble.
As a side note, this was the first time in a long time that I have been to a show where the encore was not a foregone conclusion. You know, the band walks off stage, but the instruments are still out, the house lights are down, there's absolutely no indication that the show's actually over. This time, the instruments were left out, but the house lights came up and the sound crew at the rear of the venue started to break down some gear. However, the band did come back out and play an encore.
Last night, I caught the Raditators at the Birchmere in Alexandria VA. I had never heard of this band before, and was only going at the invitation of a manager in the music industry.
When I got there, the venue was about half full. The demographics of the audience were pretty varied, but skewing towards the older side (the largest category of people was probably between upper 30's and mid 40's). The dance floor of the Birchmere filled up pretty quickly, a number of people ready to dance.
I had no idea what kind of music the Radiators were going to play. As it turns out, blues. Any kind of blues you might want (shuffles, Nawlin's style, pedal, honky-tonk etc.), but blues nonetheless. Well, occasionally a rock tune. If you like blues, you'll be in heaven. They're good at it.
The band have been playing together for 26 years and it shows; very tight, very together. There were minimal (if any) transitions. Songs would end, one of the musicians (typically the keyboardist) would almost immediately tickle out a few notes, and the rest of the band would jump in.
The Radiators are comprised of Ed Volker on keyboards/vocals, Frank Bua on drums, Camile Baudoin on guitar, Dave Malone on guitar/vocals and Reggie Scanlan on bass. Ed's vocals are very reminiscent of Dr. John, while Dave has a very strong whiskey blues timbre to his singing. The Radiators are a very guitar dominated group with keys present primarily as color. The drummer held a nice groove, and the bass player was competent. Each musician's sound is pretty stable; occasionally one of the guitarists would bring in a Leslie cabinet to change his tone, but not often.
The long and short of it is that the Radiators play toe-tapping, fun blues. It's not my personal cup of tea, but I wouldn't be opposed to catching the again at some point in time. You don't hang around in the music business for 26 years without being pretty good at what you do. Most of the people who came to the Birchmere show were into the performance, did a lot of dancing and had a good time. Can't ask for more than that.
I came late to the Grammys (given a choice, I'll take the Simpsons over much anything else that's on TV), so I'm picking up about a half hour into the show. Apparently I missed Prince, Dave Matthews and several others.
As an overall observation, the backdrops for the performances were well done. If only the same could be said for the technical issues. For a show all about music, you would think they'd have the sound rock solid. Such was not the case, though.
The White Stripes -- I've never been all that big a fan of their work; going for them is a raw intensity, going against them is a raw intensity. They did a medley of some of their tunes, with pretty good results.
Martina McBride -- I think I've caught snippets of this song on the radio from time to time. The arrangement of the performance tonight seemed to be more stripped down in general, but also with a full string section swelling during the middle section of the tune.
Alicia Keys -- Alicia was introduced by Patti LaBelle, and she played well, with the exception of a little diva-esque oversinging. To be honest, I didn't recognize the tune (it was a Luther Vandross song), but it came off well
Celine Dion -- You know, if it wasn't for me wanting to be complete, I would have turned the TV off. I'd rather listen to lawn mowers than Celine. So, imagine my sheer delight when the CBS audio feed completely dropped out during the opening of the tune (replaced by several audio techs struggling to get the backup online). Unfortunately, they fixed the problem. Richard Marx accompanied Celine (so glad to see that he is getting work). Luther's song was very touching; even Celine couldn't kill it (I wonder how much of a threat they had to issue to keep her from doing her trademark over the top singing shtick). For what it's worth, here's to hoping that next time it's Luther who belts it out.
Sting and Sean Paul -- These two did the Police standard Roxanne. If I didn't know any better, I think that Sting was using the original Fender jazz bass that he used for that album. Sean Paul came out and added a heavy dancehall aspect to the song. Since the Police pretty much always had a heavy reggae feel to their music, this fusion worked.
Justin Timberlake -- To me, it seems like a bad thing when the singer has to ask people to get into the music. Also, given that Timberlake's primary asset seems to be his dancing, why would he choose to spend his one shot at this audience sitting behind an electric piano? Anturo Sandoval sat in for a bit of the song, doing a trading licks thing with Timberlake. It's just me, but I would have so much rather listened to Sandoval for an entire song than Justin's, um, crooning.
Black Eyed Peas -- I caught these guys performing on SNL a while back. This was a better show. Perhaps having more real estate in which to move around let them be more active on stage.
Beyonce -- The stage show was, um, unusual. Again, her forte in the past has been dancing and very high energy dance music. So she decides to go with a slow, showy, way over the top song? Even if it's the title track of the album, I think there would have been better choices.
Earth, Wind & Fire, Outkast, Robert Randolph, George Clinton and Funkadelic -- I've always loved EW&F. This performance was Shining Star, and they did a bang up job; great energy. Phillip Bailey probably was ragging out his voice just a bit on the higher end. Outkast did their hit tune I Like The Way, and EW&F jumped in harmony. Robert Randolph turned a country instrument (a pedal steel guitar) into a funky explosion of gospel tinged passion. As much as I love Clinton and Funkadelic, they sounded ragged out and tired on Tear The Roof Off. It was good to see Bootsy having fun, though. And, if they ever do this again, please someone muzzle Samuel Jackson.
Foo Fighters with Chick Corea -- This was a match that I would have neither thought of nor made. Corea's laconic style and the Foo Fighters' aggression would have seemed to naturally clash. But what do I know. The result started as a very laid back version of the Foo Fighters' song Times Like These. After the first verse and chorus, the song reverted to the more normal Foo Fighters version. Unfortunately, that left Chick Corea trying to fit in his playing to their tune. And it was not a good marriage.
Sarah McLachlan -- McLachlan performed well. I have a soft spot for her and have liked her work for the better part of a decade, so I'm a little biased. Allison Krauss sat in on violin. I'm not real sure as to why; the intrepid Grammy sound engineers struck again and Krauss could not be heard when she played. And could just barely be heard when she sang.
Outkast -- Outkast came back to perform their other tune, Hey Ya!. This rendition seemed particularly soulless and empty, though. Even adding the marching band towards the end of the performance only highlighted how little there was actually going on. I have no idea what was going on with the whole Native American theme, though.
Tonight, I caught Mike Stern at Blues Alley. The backing band was comprised of Richard Bona on vocals and bass, Dennis Chambers on drums and Bob Franceschini on tenor sax.
I've been looking forwards to this show for some time. I was not disappointed. I had seen Bona play before as a side man to Pat Metheny. All I have to say is what an idiot Metheny must have been to have wasted such an unbelievably talented musician like Bona the way he did.
I spent almost the entirety of the show with a big ol' smile on my face. There was a font of positive energy flowing from all the members of the band that didn't let up for the whole set. They all had a very relaxed enjoyment about them, cracking jokes, goofing through a Rolling Stones tune (and then turning it into Stanley Clarke's School Days just for grins). Unlike most of other shows I have seen, Chambers occasionally departed from his normal bored/chewing gum look that he normally adopts for a much more engaged persona, openly laughing and smiling as well as showing passion and intensity during his solos.
The opening two numbers had every member of the band taking a solo. Stern took an empty stage solo a few songs later. One of the things that I really like about Mike's playing is both his restraint and his expressiveness. Many people compare Stern to Metheny (and I can see why; they tend to produce a similar voicing in their playing). A major distinction that I would draw between them is that Pat has a tendency to overplay, as if to try and prove how great a player he is. Mike holds back, playing as many notes as are needed and no more. Which is not to say that he can't fly around. I just think that Stern gets it the space between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves.
Stern has a history of surrounding himself with highly accomplished musicians; tonight's show thoroughly kept in the same vein. Chambers is one of the best drummers in the business today and Bona is an incandescently hot up and comer. To be honest, I can't really tell how good Franceschini is, not being a big sax guy and all.
From a technique point of view, Chambers and Bona pretty much held a clinic (which is not to say that Stern or Franceschini didn't, just that I'm a bass player with roots as a drummer, so that's where my focus is). Bona primarily plays fingerstyle, frequently utilizing all four fingers (but keeping each note clear and distinct) either in a clear articulation or in a rake. His occasional thumping showed Bona popping with his thumb as well as his first two fingers. Bona's playing is extremely clean. I absolutely cannot wait to catch him on his own.
Chambers laid in the background of the music, but never dropping control of the groove. Dennis also showed off his brush technique several times. Unlike so many drummers that I have heard, his brushing is infused with passion and power. During his third solo of the set, Chambers reprised a solo technique (from the previous Stern show I caught); he kept his hands at the same tempo and meter, and then began alternate between speeding up and slowing down either the entire drumline or only specific parts of it while maintaining the groove and meter of the song. What's left of the drummer in me was stunned.
Some photos from this show can be found here. I would highly recommend making the trip to catch Bona play any chance you get. Anytime that Chambers plays in a jazz club (particularly a smaller one), it's worth the cost of admission. This marks only the second time that I have seen Stern play, but there will be a third.
I didn't find any of the musical performances particularly motivating or all that interesting. The main issue with musical performances at an event like the Super Bowl is that the producers try to cram so many diverse musical acts in a rather short period of time that no performer can make any kind of impact. They only perform shortened versions of songs before the focus shifts, and then usually to a different style of music. As a result, the pacing is uneven and the overall feel doesn't flow.
Aerosmith -- If there was more of a pre-game show, I didn't see any of it. These guys sounded okay as they went through a medley of their songs (as well as a one or two blues songs), but man, they are starting to look their age. Joe Perry should have kept his hair long; it's a better look for him.
Josh Groban -- He performed a truncated version of one of his songs to honor the members of NASA space shuttle Columbia. It's the first time I've ever heard him sing. I think that he was lip-synching, but he sounded okay.
Beyonce -- She sang the national anthem. Singing-wise, she hit all the notes, but her performance would have been much more apropos at some Destiny's Child concert than at the Super Bowl. She did some small gyrations, hand waving and the usual vocal flip-flops of the Britney set. I suppose you can dress her up, but she's still a teeny bopper singer.
Jessica Simpson -- What did she do to earn a credit other than scream "Houston, choose to party!" Minute thirteen and counting...
Janet Jackson -- Very produced and heavily choreographed. Again I suspect lip-synching since her voice never flagged, no matter what dance move she was doing or how her mouth was facing in relation to her headset mike. After Kid Rock, the focus returned to Janet as she reprised Rhythm Nation, both the music and dance steps from the video, for some reason. After the song, she went to a breakdown with a drumline -- easily the best part of her act.
P. Diddy -- Didn't do all that much in the first three seconds he rapped. Came back just for a bit after Nelly's Hot In Here.
Nelly -- He did the "Hot In Herre". Clearly lip synching -- he dropped the mike away from his mouth at the end of his first verse and the words still came flowin' on.
Kid Rock -- Thankfully, he was clearly not lip synching; the vocal line matched his exertions. He did the first verse from Bawitdaba as well as the initial verse and chorus from Cowboy
Justin Timberlake -- Came out after Janet's Rhythm Nation, did his Rock Your Body tune. Also did a lot of close freaky dancing with Ms. Jackson -- possibly a little dig directed towards Britney?
-- Update --
Apparently, Janet and Justin also had a little pseudo-nudity during their act that I just completely missed. Probably because I was more listening than watching. It's kind of sad when you have to do pull those kind of stunts to get sales.
-- Update 2 --
Drudge is now reporting that the whole Jackson thing was pre-planned and CBS knew about it in advance. If this is true, then I'm just shocked -- shocked I say!! -- that this happened. Of course, it is Drudge, so take it with a grain of salt.
-- Update 3 --
The FCC is investigating the Jackson incident for indecency. More to come...
-- Update 4 --
A reader has pointed out to me that I made an error. Joe Perry plays guitar for Aerosmith. Steve Perry sang for Journey. My apologies.
-- Update 5 --
BlogCritics has lots and lots of coverage about Janet and her, um, Super Bowl publicity stunt here. Note that some articles have been cross-posted both here and there.
Tonight, I caught Garaj Mahal at the State Theatre. It was my first time for both -- I've never seen or heard Garaj Mahal before, nor have I ever set foot in the State Theatre.
Garaj Mahal is comprised of Alan Hertz on drums, Eric Levy on keys, Fareed Haque on guitar and Kai Eckhardt on bass. I'll openly admit the only reason why I decided to see this show is because I wanted to catch Kai playing. I played with him briefly while I was studying under him, but it's a very different thing to see someone playing out on their own as opposed to imparting knowledge.
First, some words about the State Theatre itself. It's a pretty well done place, art deco architecture and decor, and it reminds me rather much of a few Cinema/Drafthouses I have been through. They had an interesting choice of entertainment in between acts, though. A movie screen scrolled down from behind the top curtains and then actually ran a reel of bands that would be playing there soon (Coming Attractions, I suppose).
Garaj led out with a strong, pocket groove. Alan laid down a monster pocket and didn't let up for the entire evening (J.D. would have been proud of this guy). He and Kai locked in early and stayed tight all night. The band has an overall jazzy feel to it, which fits with the backgrounds of both Fareed and Kai. I noticed a number of songs were in odd time signatures (5/4, 7/4 and one that was either 9/4 or 17/8 -- I sort of lost it for a bit). There's a heavy jam band component, though, particularly in the segues between songs.
They did take a short break. When they got back, Alan was doing some interesting techniques on the drums. He held in his hand a cymbal hanging on a string that he would bounce a stick between the hanging cymbal and other instruments on his kit. He also was doing this "pull-off" -like technique on the high hat that was really well done. Garaj saved their more interesting music for the end of the second set. For those who left early, you really missed out.
Some words on Kai (since I am a bass player, you'll have to forgive me when that's my focus). He has such a nice feel when he plays; he's a kind a giving guy, and that comes through in his playing. His technique is such he mostly plays fingerstyle, but when he thumps, he only single thumps. I've gotten so used to seeing Victor and Anthony double thump that seeing well done, quick single thumping was a nice change of pace. I noticed that he doesn't look at his hands much, particularly when soloing. And, speaking of soloing, his solos were elegantly phrased, blending high octane runs with dynamic emoting.
Would I go and see Garaj again? Yeah, I probably would. The band I would compare them to is the Flecktones; a jazz foundation, lots of other influences thrown in on top. They are not the same at all, but they mine a similar vein. Garaj played some funk, some jazz, some Celtic music, some blues, some gospel -- in short, all the things that make jam bands fun. You never quite know what's going to be next. I also picked up their studio album while I was there. More on that in the near future.
There was an opening band. I suppose I should say a few things about them as well.
The opening band was G13 from Ocean City, MD. Their sound seemed to be a cross between Phish and the Allman Brothers, just without either's passion or depth of musicianship. Well, truth be told, only the lead guitarist sounds like that. He had a complete Dickey Betts rip-off going on, and that's just about all he did. Both singers left quite a bit to be desired: the bassist's was too nasally and whiney, while the guitarist's was way too much a whiskey voice for what he was trying to sing.
Actually, the only highlight of the set was the drummer, who had nice chops and a good feel. The kit drummer, I should specify. I can only surmise the percussionist is a good friend of the band or a family member, because he added almost nothing sonically. The only thing that he did add some movement on stage. For this band, that will have to pass as stage presence.
Overall, the band suffered from the general curse of low- to mid-level jam bands -- songs that last forever (their shortest one clocked in at 16 minutes) without going anywhere or saying anything.
Something that I learned from Anthony yesterday; Victor's shows at the 9:30 and the Funk Box both sold out. Congratulations, guys.
For the second time in three days, I went to see Victor Wooten. Tonight's gig was at the 9:30 club. I haven't been to the 9:30 club in about a year and a half, and I think I remember why now. Not in the best of neighborhoods, really expensive food and drink (for what you get), unusual acoustics and standing room only facilities. And on that note, parquet flooring over cement makes for very hard floors; pick shoes accordingly....
Just because I'm human, I'll be spending some time comparing this night with the Monday show in Baltimore. I think I liked the Funk Box show more; much more intimate, better acoustics (I don't know what the difference is between the two shows, but the kick drum in Baltimore hit like a sledgehammer), and the spring loaded floor definitely helped with the comfort level. Working in the 9:30's favor was a stage about twice the size (so more movement and more things on stage), a venue about six times the size (and pretty darn packed, too) and a much more robust lighting rig (which definitely helped the show out).
The band this time had the same members (Regi, Derrico, Joseph, JD, Divinity, Anthony, Victor), but this time they had enough room to set everyone up. So JD had a small percussion kit set up on the opposite side of Derrico. Joseph has his Theremin out for this show. Since DC is near where the Wooten's grew up and where JD went to college, they had lots of friends and family in the place.
The show was rather similar to the Baltimore show (not a big shock) and different in others. Some highlights:
I'm going to include the photo of JD and Victor in the body of this blog (which I normally don't do) just because it's such a great picture. I actually took about 143 photos at the concert. I'm not that much of a photo person, but where I was (front row, dead center) I had such perfect lighting that I found myself taking lots and lots of photos. Check em out! Annie Liebowitz I'm not, but some of them are pretty good.
-- Update --
I was on my way to rehearsal tonight when I was thinking about this show. It was just an embarassment of riches at this show. 4 top flight drummers (JD, Derrico, Isaiah, Futch) and 4 bass players (Victor, Anthony, Divinity, Isaiah's dad). What a night for the rhythm section!
-- Update 2 --
Anthony's put up his review of the show.
Tonight, Isaiah Williams opened up for Victor Wooten at the 9:30 club. This makes the third time that I have seen him play, but this was the first time that I have seen him play a full set on his own. Actually, tonight was the first time that anyone has seen him play a full set on his own -- that's right, tonight was the professional debut of the Isaiah Williams Project. On his own, Isaiah got his start four years ago on Showtime At The Apollo when he was five years old.
Futureman (Victor's brother and bandmate in The Flecktones) joined Isiah on stage, as well as Isaiah's father (Drue Williams) on bass and his uncle (James Dudley) on keys. Man, that kid can solid play. He has solid time, good groove and great stage presence. His dad and his uncle are pretty solid as well. Futch played a kit this time out, instead of his usual Drumitar. Victor also came out and sat in for a song.
After the show, I picked up a copy of Isaiah's CD. Both he and his father were gracious enough to sign it, but the experience reminded me that for all his brilliance, he's a nine year old kid. He just seemed to be really tired and cranky (it was a bit shy of 1am at the time).
Isaiah and Futureman are touring in February. Check him out. So long as he keeps his head screwed on straight, he's going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with.
-- Update --
Anthony's put up his review of the show.
Tonight, Victor Wooten and his band absolutely killed at The Funk Box in Baltimore, MD.
The band was comprised of Regi Wooten (guitar), Joseph Wooten (keys), Derrico Watson (drums), MC Divinity (vocals, alt bass), Anthony Wellington (second bass), J.D. Blair (drums/percussion) and, of course, Victor Wooten (bass). I had never seen Derrico play before, but he was amazing. He started out the show by himself by just laying down a thunderous groove. Regi was his usual self, Joseph's playing has become a bit more restrained (which is a good thing), Divinity's performances have gotten stronger since the last time I saw her play and Victor was, well, Victor. J.D. didn't play a kit tonight, because the stage was too small to support two kits. That should change at the 9:30 club.
One of the things that I was most looking forwards to for this show was seeing Anthony play on his own. Tonight, Victor introduced Anthony and let him have a long, extended solo. Anthony played very well; his solo was very tasteful with great phrasing. After he was done, he gave a very touching and heartwarming thanks to his wife. She's a great lady, and they are a wonderful couple who very much so deserve each other.
The structure of the show was interesting; there was no opening band. Instead, about halfway through, Divinity played three or four songs, and Isaiah Williams came up for a tune. Regi and Joseph also had a solo piece on their own.
Some highlights of the show:
If you ever get the chance to catch Wooten playing live, I'd recommend it -- particularly if you like funk and jazz. If you're a bass player (like I am), it's just about a religious experience.
I had never been to the Funk Box before, but I really like this club. It's very small and intimate, with great acoustics. The floor there is also wood, mounted on springs. I'd absolutely love to play there someday.
I caught the Oteil Burbridge show tonight with his backing band, the Peacemakers. I had really never heard the band before; I had caught Oteil playing on a Victor Wooten DVD once upon a time.
They put on a rather good show. It had a heavy jazz feel to it, as well as a good funky groove (not that those two idioms are incompatible...). If I had to classify it, I would probably say it was "funky bohemian Southern jazz." The band really had a high level of energy. They were really tight and together. Everything had a great groove, and the crowd really got into the show.
Having said that, the crowd was something like twenty, thirty people. That had to be a let down for the band. I can understand; I've played my butt off for empty rooms before -- it just goes with the territory -- but that doesn't mean it's a lot of fun. My hat's off to the Peacemakers for keeping their energy up anyway -- particularly after having driven 9 hours from Connecticut.
The Peacemakers featured Oteil on bass (of course), Paul Henson on vocals, Mark Kymball on guitar, Jason Crosby on keys and Chris Fryar on drums. Paul had a really good voice for the kind of music they were playing.
While I was there, I picked up their latest CD Family Secret while I was there. I had thought about ordering it from Amazon (which is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly since I resell for them from time to time), and I found a copy of the disc in a Border's the other day. But I decided to buy the CD at the show. I figure that way the artist gets most of the money.
Tonight, Oracle threw a party for all the people who are attending the conference. Live music, open bar, open buffet. It was held down at Pier 48 (and when I say that, I mean the entire pier. The food was decent enough and the wine was okay, but I really wasn't expecting all that much for free.
The opening band was some local SF band. They played this kind of trance-Latin thing. It was interesting enough, but they never drifted beyond a rather small set of playing. I also don't know if it was the most appropos of bands to book, given the demographics of an Oracle conference.
The next band was Train. To be honest, I was rather suprised that they were booked for a private party. They aren't the hugest of bands, but they have had a few hits and seem to be up and coming. They played much better than I had expected, and they have a pretty good live sound. It doesn't hurt that they have a good front man (not pipes-wise, but good presence/looks).
And then the "headliners" came on. I couldn't believe that the Violent Femmes were the headliners. I know they've been around forever, and they might even have more "hits" than Train, but it's been, what, a decade or two since their last release to chart? Anyway, I couldn't believe that they were 1) still touring, 2) still together and 3) still alive!