Chickenbone Slim: “The Big Beat” (2017) CD Review

I figured from the cover of this album that I was in for some fun, maybe with a bit of a classic rock and roll sound (because of the title). And we could all use some fun these days, right? Chickenbone Slim is the stage name of Larry Teves, a blues musician based in San Diego, and The Big Beat is his second album, following Gone. The Big Beat features all original music, written by Teves, and yes, it is some good blues to lift you from the mire and get you on your feet.

The album opens with its title track, a fun blues tune, with touches of rock, a strong rhythm and some great work on harmonica. This song kind of invites the listener to dance, “Once you got the beat, you just can’t get enough/We got the big beat/We got the big beat/The way that you move makes you feel the heat/We got the big beat.” I fucking love that classic 1960s-sounding guitar, and this song develops into a good and totally enjoyable little jam. I wish it went on longer actually. Chickenbone Slim takes us in a more blues rock direction with “Long Way Down,” a song with a catchy rhythm. “You never try and you never fail/You won’t get shocked if you don’t touch that rail.” This song features some excellent work on guitar.

Chickenbone Slim then dips into country with “Hemi Dodge,” a fun driving song which I’ll be adding to my road trip play list. This one has more good work on harmonica, and a playful vocal performance. “Ain’t no tread left on my wheel/But I’m waking up the dead with this souped up Detroit steel.” “Vodka And Vicodin” is more in the folk realm. Maybe I’m crazy, but something about this reminds me of Fats Domino’s “I’m In Love Again,” maybe if you speed it up just a bit. Anyway, I dig this song. “Get myself some chemical motivation, because sometimes reality sucks/I wouldn’t tell you how to live your life/Everyone does what they think is right/I medicate my blues away.” Then we get more heavily into the blues with the delicious “Long Legged Sweet Thing,” which features some nice work by Marty Dodson on drums. There is more great drumming on “Do You Like It?”

“Me And Johnny Lee” features a good, meaty blues jam led by the harmonica, and then later by guitar. That’s followed by “Man Down,” which is blues with a funky edge, and is one of the album’s strongest tracks. The CD then concludes with “Break Me Off A Piece,” another fun track. Yes, the album cover did not steer me wrong. “It’s hard to keep on traveling/Keep on moving all the time/I need a little something/To ease my worried mind.”

CD Track List

1. The Big Beat
2. Long Way Down
3. Hemi Dodge
4. Vodka And Vicodin
5. Long Legged Sweet Thing
6. Do You Like It?
7. Me And Johnny Lee
8. Man Down
9. Break Me Off A Piece 

The Big Beat is scheduled to be released on September 15, 2017.

Whitney Rose: “Rule 62” (2017) CD Review

I became a fan of Whitney Rose’s music upon hearing the first song of her 2015 release, Heartbreaker Of The Year. Then earlier this year she followed that with South Texas Suite, an excellent six-song EP. Well, her new CD, Rule 62, is even better. It is a masterful and delightful album of mostly original material. Whitney Rose is in control here, her excellent voice driving, or at least guiding, the music, and our mood as well. So just give in, and let her take over for forty-four minutes. It will be the most enjoyable forty-four minutes of your day.

The new CD opens with “I Don’t Want Half (I Just Want Out).” This song has a glorious old-time country sound (I can imagine Dolly Parton or even Patsy Cline singing this one), and yet it’s an original tune, written by Whitney Rose. Boy, she can really tap into that timeless country magic, and she has the voice for it. She’ll be able to draw tears from her audience if that’s her goal, or make them fall for her if she so desires. This song is about the end of a marriage. I love this line: “You take the house, dear, I’ll take the train.” And the lines about the cat make me laugh: “And you can even keep the cat/I never liked that selfish brat.” This song features some nice work by Aaron Till on fiddle, and by Chris Scruggs on steel guitar. “Well, don’t you worry about me, or what becomes of my life/It’s already better now that I’m not your wife.” Whitney follows that with a more lively and fun number titled “Arizona.” This is one I saw her perform in Burbank in March of this year, and I’m glad she decided to include it on this album. Max Abrams joins her on saxophone, adding to the joyous atmosphere of the track.  At that show, she also covered Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” and Whitney’s own “Better To My Baby” has something of that early 1960s pop feel. Her voice is perfect for this kind of material, as well as for that great country stuff.

One of my personal favorites is “You Never Cross My Mind,” with Whitney giving us an intimate and beautiful vocal performance. “Everything can be controlled/No one here’s growing old/This life goes by so slow/It don’t fly right on by/You never cross my mind.” Really, it’s a captivating performance, over some beautiful playing by Chris Scruggs on steel guitar. Raul Malo also contributes some wonderful work on guitar. And here is where Whitney Rose may draw some tears from your eyes, as she tries to deny the truth of her feelings while simultaneously baring them. “You Never Cross My Mind” is followed by “You Don’t Scare Me,” another song I saw her perform in Burbank earlier this year. She paired it with Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” to conclude the first set.

“Can’t Stop Shakin’” is another of my favorites. It has a fun mid-1960s feel, like a song a band would be playing in one of those scenes taking place at a go-go, with girls in sweaters and tall boots dancing with clean-cut but somewhat enthusiastic boys. That rhythm, that guitar – and then the horn! That’s Max Abrams again on saxophone. And Jen Gunderman provides some wonderful work on organ, particularly during the instrumental section. This is pure fun. At least, the music is. But then listen to the lyrics. Here Whitney sings, “Someone please turn off the news/I’ve got the six o’clock blues/I can’t stop shakin’/No, I can’t stop shakin’/I ain’t going to let him win/No, I ain’t giving in.” So while the sound might take us back to another time, the lyrics are firmly in the present, in a very screwed up time where a delusional racist twit occupies the White House. And perhaps she’s helping us deal with our anxiety and fear, by turning one kind of shaking to another, to a more positive kind. It’s a case of dancing our blues away, and this is the song to do it.

Whitney Rose then turns to sweeter tones for “Tied To The Wheel,” one of only two covers on this album. This song was the title track to Bill Kirchen’s 2001 release, and Whitney Rose’s version features Jen Gunderman on accordion. The other song on the album not written by Whitney Rose is “You’re A Mess,” which was written by Carol MacQuarrie. It’s kind of a delightful pop tune that opens with these lines: “I’m trying to love you, baby/But it’s so hard.” Whitney Rose then ends the CD with a rockin’ country number titled “Time To Cry,” with a 1950s rock electric guitar part and plenty of good vibes. Yeah, she leaves us in a good place. “But now you’ve got the nerve to say you need me/To say you can’t believe I said goodbye/You watched me shed a thousand tears and then some/And now it’s your time to cry.”

CD Track List

1. I Don’t Want Half (I Just Want Out)
2. Arizona
3. Better To My Baby
4. You Never Cross My Mind
5. You Don’t Scare Me
6. Can’t Stop Shakin’
7. Tied To The Wheel
8. Trucker’s Funeral
9. Wake Me In Wyoming
10. You’re A Mess
11. Time To Cry 

Rule 62 is scheduled to be released on October 6, 2017 through Six Shooter Records and Thirty Tigers.

Sven Curth: “People Never Seem To Amaze Me” (2017) CD Review

People Never Seem To Amaze Me, the new release from Sven Curth, is an excellent album mixing folk, country, rock, bluegrass and other styles, sometimes tackling serious subjects but doing so with a sense of humor and a largely friendly vibe. These tracks feature a lot of seriously good lyrics, lines that stood out to me the first time I popped in this disc, like these from “Better Off Alone”: “No matter what I try, I keep on getting it all wrong/But as long as I stay pessimistic, I'll always be pleasantly surprised.” Oh yes, that sounds just about right. By the way, this really is a solo album, for in addition to writing all the tracks, Sven Curth plays all the instruments on every track (with one exception). Sven Curth is based in Lake Placid, New York.  This is his third solo release, and it’s one of my favorite albums of the year so far.

The album opens with “Get Out,” a playful tune about being a stranger when traveling, and not liking strangers when at home. The chorus has a country swing feel, which I totally dig. “They say, ‘Get out, I don't like strangers/You don't look like me, you don't talk like me/You don't come from where I'm from/Ain't no doubt, your life's in danger/Get on out the same way you got here, and go back where you belong.’” Yes, it’s that old message about treating folks the way you yourself want to be treated, but delivered with humor, particularly in relation to the use of guns.  “So, from here on out when some funny-looking stranger comes to town/I'll resist the urge to shoot him, and turn my frown upside down/Of course, it's all for selfish reasons that I'll be acting so nice and sweet/So as when I travel someplace else those folks won’t shoot at me.” And, well, it seems we need to be reminded of this lesson again. This song gets in one last laugh at the end.

“You Don’t Walk Alone” has something of a classic sound, and is one of my favorites. This song offers a shoulder to lean on, but no solutions, and often that’s what people need – just to know they’re not alone. Check out these lines: “When you come out of the shadows/And when you weather the storm/You may have lost a few battles/But you're in good fighting form/Maybe you tested your courage/Maybe you sank like a stone/As long as I'm breathing/You don't walk alone.”  And I really like that lead guitar section, over the simplest drum beat. This song works so well, and each time I listen to this disc, I appreciate this song even more. “You may feel like no one out there cares at all/But this is me saying I do.” “You Don’t Walk Alone” is followed by “It’s Our Last Night To Get Drunk,” a playful but honest song with bluegrass elements and an Irish folk feel (and I’m not saying that just because it’s about drinking, so quit stereotyping). It opens with this line: “It’s our last night to get drunk, our last night to get drunk, our last night to get drunk ‘til tomorrow.” Here Sven is joined by Lowell Bailey on mandolin and Ichabod Gunn on accordion. This is the only track to feature any musicians other than Sven, and there is a nice instrumental section with the mandolin taking a prominent role. This track also features an excellent vocal performance, and some wonderful lyrics. “But I make no excuse for the shape that I'm in/I may one day give out, but I’ll never give in.”

We don’t always fall for the right person, but most of us don’t get it quite as wrong as the fellow in “She May Be Fat But She’s Definitely Crazy,” an absolutely delightful song with a fast-paced bluegrass chorus.  “Well, she may be fat but she's definitely crazy/She's a big old, batshit, wild and wacky lady/You can't hold her down, you can't fill her up/No matter what you've got, she can't get enough/She's got a real mean tooth and a deep sweet streak/She's got a sunny disposition once or twice a week/She's a whole lotta trouble, and the trouble is she’s mine.” I love this tune, with some delicious work on banjo. And check out that guitar-playing at the end! If you’re looking for a fun tune, you should definitely check out this song. That’s followed by “What A Day To Be Alive,” which features more good work on banjo and some sweet vibes. This one has both folk and pop elements. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I often wonder how the people 'round me seem to know exactly where to turn/I've got no answers, only questions, the more I know the more I know I have to learn/Some days my doubts command the upper hand and leave me laying helpless in a hole/Some days it's all too clear: my doubts and fears are mainly what support my self-control.” Have I mentioned how good this album’s lyrics are? “I went to bed last night not feeling right, my mind consumed with worries of the day/The more desperate I am for sleep, the more the chances of its coming slip away.”

Another of this disc’s highlights is “I’m Getting Old,” with these opening lines: “I'm getting old, and that's okay/In spite of my objections, I keep waking up each day/One day I won't, and that's okay too/At least I will have spent a couple of sunny days with you.” It has a great folk feel at the start, and then it takes a surprising turn early on, turning serious with a spoken word section, and that section ends up being the main part of the track. “And we're pointing our fingers, we're boiling with rage/But don't the Chinese deserve a living wage?/They're building us exactly what we require/The affordable garbage that we so desire/And we'll use it twice and then throw it away/It'll end up in the ocean, or just trucked away to be buried somewhere/Out of sight and out of mind/Gotta make some more room, so that we can keep buying.” At the end, it returns to that opening folk vibe, and boy, it certainly has a different feel this second time around, following as it does that spoken word section – an interesting effect. “What If All You Are Is…?” seems to perfectly capture and reflect the current state of humanity. It would be depressing if it weren’t delivered with bluegrass flair. The album then concludes with “The Trouble With Earth Is The Humans,” another song about the sad state of humanity. “What do you do when you wake up each day and you don't like the person you are/And you don't like your family, and you don't like your friends/And you're bored with your house and your car/And you're sick of your country, but you hate all the others.” Like “I’m Getting Old,” this one also has a spoken word section offering a different perspective. “And what a ludicrous joke it is to obsessively engage in the pursuit and maintenance of such mundane trivia when we are such fleeting participants in a such a wildly enormous cosmos.”

CD Track List

1. Get Out
2. You Don’t Walk Alone
3. It’s Our Last Night To Get Drunk
4. Better Off Alone
5. She May Be Fat But She’s Definitely Crazy
6. What A Day To Be Alive
7. GDM (Goddammit Margarete)
8. I’m Getting Old
9. Of Weddings
10. I Don’t Like You
11. What If All You Are Is…?
12. The Trouble With Earth Is The Humans

People Never Seem To Amaze Me was released on May 24, 2017.

The Jerry Garcia Band: “Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead NY 29 February 1980 Late Show” (2016) CD Review

Sometimes after a long day of work, the only things that will satisfy me are a cold beer and some Jerry Garcia Band music. I’ve had a week of such days, and turned to a two-disc set titled Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead NY 29 February 1980 Late Show. No, not a very imaginative title, but an accurate one. It’s another of those unofficial releases based on radio broadcasts, and it includes the complete late show that The Jerry Garcia Band performed that night. Though it’s a radio broadcast, the opening tuning is included, which I appreciate (often that is cut). The crowd is clearly excited. And Jerry leads off the late show with “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” The sound might not be perfect, but Jerry’s voice sounds great. “I want to stop and thank you, baby.” Interesting to hear this version from a time before Jaclyn LaBranc and Gloria Jones joined the band on backing vocals. I miss them here at times, but it’s still a good version. They keyboard lead part is strange, with a very electronic sound, a sound I don’t really associate with Jerry Garcia Band. But Jerry’s lead is exactly what I’m looking for. And this song makes me think of that special someone in my life, a person I want to celebrate the way this song celebrates that unnamed woman. The band, by the way, at this time consisted of John Kahn on bass, Ozzie Ahlers on keys and Johnny DeFonseca on drums. No backing vocalists. Ozzie Ahlers played keys with Jerry Garcia for only a year or so, and Johnny DeFonseca was with the band even less time.

After a pause, Jerry follows that with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” When the Grateful Dead did this song, it was Bob Weir who sang lead, so it’s cool to hear Jerry’s take on it. (You can also hear him sing this one on Santa Cruz Blues.) The band gets a nice easy-going jam going, but the lead keyboard section still seems odd to me, that electronic sound seeming to come on suddenly, as if popping in from another concert. The jam after the next verse picks up some steam and Jerry really starts to take off. Man, I love the way Jerry delivers certain lines, like “On a train ride so bumpy that I almost cried.” The way he dips low for “cried” surprised me. He did that on a couple of other lines too.

But for me, things start to get really good with “Russian Lullaby.” Jerry’s take on this Irving Berlin song is so cool, sometimes surprisingly smooth. The band strikes a kind of delightful tone, with a smoky jazz feel and then switching to a fun, peppy old-time feel, all flowing so well. And the keyboard does not strike me as out of place here. In fact, I love that lead section on keys. And it’s followed by a bass lead by John Kahn, which is wonderful. Jerry Garcia Band really is going in a jazz direction here, with each musician taking a turn at a solo (except there is no drum solo). The bass solo is allowed to go on for a while, John Kahn given a chance to strut his stuff, and this is a highlight of the first disc.  Of course, there is plenty of excellent stuff from Jerry on guitar. This track is a delight from start to finish. Then Jerry Garcia Band turns to reggae for a fun cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come.” You get the sense Jerry Garcia is trying to keep it relatively quiet and restrained at the beginning, holding back a bit so that he’ll have a place to go to. And yes, he gets there, his guitar rising and singing over that good groove. The keyboard part, once again, initially catches me off guard, but soon I’m into it. The first disc contains nearly the first hour of the show.

Robert Hunter was one of the two main lyricists for the Grateful Dead, co-writing (with Jerry Garcia) songs like “Uncle John’s Band,” “Eyes Of The World” and “Ripple.” He’s also released several albums of his own, including Tiger Rose. The second disc opens with Robert Hunter joining The Jerry Garcia Band for two songs. Jerry introduces him: “We’re gonna get Robert Hunter out here and have him sing some songs.” The first song they do is the title track from Tiger Rose, which is a whole lot of fun. It takes a second for his vocal microphone to come on, but this is a really good version. “Come on and show me something I don’t know.” In addition to vocals, Robert Hunter plays harmonica on this tune. They follow that with a powerful rendition of “Promontory Rider.” These two tracks are the main reasons I purchased this two-disc set, and certainly they are highlights. I still have the Robert Hunter material on cassette, and I hope someone re-issues these albums soon. I think the CD versions are currently out of print.

After Robert Hunter exits the stage, Jerry Garcia gives us a good “Dear Prudence.” His guitar work during the jam is particularly wonderful and expressive. The ending is a bit abrupt and awkward, and that’s actually the end of the set. I love that this disc includes the crowd noise before the encore. Often that is cut, even on the official releases, or at least shortened. But here we get the whole thing, which gives us a stronger sense of being there. The encore is an absolutely delightful rendition of “Midnight Moonlight.” I love Jerry’s guitar here. But, hey, does it remind you at all of “Throwing Stones,” just that one repeated phrase, or is it just me? This two-disc set contains no radio station identifications. There is an outro at the end, but it was done from the stage, as we hear the crowd react.

CD Track List

Disc One

1. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
2. When I Paint My Masterpiece
3. Russian Lullaby
4. Harder They Come

Disc Two

1. Tiger Rose
2. Promontory Rider
3. Dear Prudence
4. Midnight Moonlight

Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead NY 29 February 1980 Late Show is available through Keyhole CDs.

Tom Craig And Soul Patch: “Get Ready For Me” (2016) CD Review

Tom Craig And Soul Patch are an east coast band, playing good blues and soul music, led by Tom Craig on vocals and guitar. Get Ready For Me, which was released late last year, features all original music written by Tom Craig. The band consists of John O’Connell on drums, Rando Branning on bass, Eric Johnson on keys, Vince Gleason on tenor saxophone, Mark Gallagher on baritone saxophone, Skyler Hagner on baritone saxophone, Dan Young on alto sax, and Sean McCusker on trombone. On certain tracks, Dave Gross joins on bass and backing vocals, and Mikey Junior plays harmonica and contributes backing vocals.

The album opens with a seriously cool and catchy tune titled “Louita.” What initially made me really dig this tune is the work on horns, particularly that bit where each horn player responds in turn after Tom sings, “Louita.” Each time it happens, I am just completely delighted, and I think you will be too. Check out this song when you get the chance. “Well, early in the morning until supper time/Got this feeling deep down, can’t help but pay it mind/Got to have some of what you’re serving up/Satisfy my hunger with your lovin’ stuff.” Oh yes, seems the best way to spend a day. This song has a classic rhythm and blues feel which is wonderful. “Louita” is followed by “How Did I Break The Rules,” with more nice touches on horn. This is an easygoing, groovy blues number, a perfect summer blues tune, so pop it on while the weather is still warm. It has that innocence, heard in these opening lines: “Did you lie to me, baby, when you told me that you liked my moves/Were you for real when you said that you thought that we’d really groove/You said to take it slow, we got nowhere to rush off to/Come on, baby, tell me how did I break the rules?” I really like John O’Connell’s playing on this track. Dave Gross plays bass on these two opening tracks.

“Get Ready For Me,” the album’s title track, has a kind of slower, heavier groove, with a bit of funk to the playing. More good drumming by John O’Connell and some nice work on organ by Eric Johnson make this one worth paying attention to. But it is Tom Craig’s bluesy lead on guitar halfway through that stands out. That’s followed by one of my personal favorites, “Can’t Stop Thinking About You.” This is a track that I can’t help but love immediately, with its delicious, playful and catchy groove. Plus, Mikey Jr. plays harmonica on this track, delivering some wonderful stuff. This song also features what is probably my favorite vocal performance by Tom Craig. “I’m having one of those days/With everything going wrong/Every day has been like this/Since you’ve been gone/And I’m sad, lonely and blue/And I just can’t stop thinking about you.”  Then in “She Did It To Me (She’ll Do It To You),” there is an excellent section when the organ leads, and the horns help keep that good groove going.

“Ballroom Dancer” has a classic Sam Cooke-type feel, which I always love. But its first line caught me off guard, with its use of the word “flip flops.” Is this the only rhythm and blues song to make use of that word? I think so. At least, I can’t think of another one offhand. “Couldn’t even finish my beer” is one of the saddest lines I’ve heard. I am fortunate to have never suffered that particular trouble. “Please Forgive Me Baby” also has a classic vibe, and features some wonderful work on guitar. “Don’t know why I do the things I do/No matter how hard I try, I just keep on disappointing you.” And I love Tom Craig’s delivery on these lines: “I’ll give you anything that you want/Baby, please give me what I need/I’ll even spill some blood for you, baby/Just tell me who needs to bleed.” Fantastic!

Both Dave Gross and Mikey Jr. join the band again on “I Can’t Help Myself,” and their backing vocals echoing “I can’t help myself” add a great deal of fun to this tune about a man with a certain weakness for women. And I love that sax (hey, is there just a bit of a nod to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue,” or is that just me?). Tom Craig delivers more fun with “Nothing That A Man Can’t Do,” a playful, innocent, fast-paced tune. The album then concludes with “Every Woman,” a sweet love song. “You wouldn’t want her to cry/When you hang up the telephone/You don’t want her to be lonely/When you have to leave her alone/Gotta tell her how you feel/Let her know she’s your whole wide world/Because inside every woman resides a little girl.”

CD Track List

1. Louita
2. How Did I Break The Rules
3. Get Ready For Me
4. Can’t Stop Thinking About You
5. She Did It To Me (She’ll Do It To You)
6. Ballroom Dancer
7. Captain Funk
8. Please Forgive Me Baby
9. Tornado
10. I Can’t Help Myself
11. Nothing That A Man Can’t Do
12. Every Woman

Get Ready For Me was released on December 28, 2016.

Grateful Dead: “50 Shades Of Black & White With A Touch Of Grey” (2016) CD Review

Yes, 50 Shades Of Black & White With A Touch Of Grey is another of those unofficial releases, based on a radio broadcast. And yes, I have mixed feelings about the title. And though the liner notes say this two-disc set contains the complete show that the Grateful Dead performed on April 7, 1987, it’s actually missing one song – the encore, “Quinn The Eskimo.” I should also note right away that there are a few station identifications, as heard in the original broadcast.

This show was exactly one year before my first show, and the band opens it with “Touch Of Grey,” which is the same song with which they’d open my first show a year later. The sound isn’t perfect (a bit muddy), but the energy is high, and the band is clearly ready to deliver. Oh, “We will get by.” I still believe it. The band then goes right into a good, thumping “New Minglewood Blues,” and we get some delicious bursts on organ from Brent during the jam, followed by Jerry taking it higher on guitar, and all the while that pulsing rhythm continues to keep us all on our feet – like a train cutting through a jungle. “And it’s T right here in Jersey where the little girls know what to do.” Though it’s a radio broadcast, it sounds like an audience recording rather than a soundboard. But I’m into it. A lot of my old tapes are audience recordings, and I kind of miss that certain sound quality. It puts me there, you know? Gives us more of the atmosphere of the place and all.

Jerry delivers a good “Friend Of The Devil.” The jam is sweet, with some nice work by Brent on keys, and perhaps a little more energy than some later renditions. There is a radio station identification over the sound of the audience before Bob leads the band into a slightly relaxed rendition of “Beat It On Down The Line.” There is a bit of a false start to “Stagger Lee,” and does Jerry laugh? He seems to be having a damn good time with this one, and as a result it’s a really good version. Another station identification comes after it, however, breaking up the energy. Then Bob goes into a breezy, fun pairing of “Mama Tried” and “Big River.” The guys are really cooking on “Big River.” There seems to be a weird cut as they go into “West L.A. Fadeaway.” It’s a pretty good version, and they follow it with another song from In The Dark (which would be released a few months after this show), “Hell In A Bucket.” This one has a false start, the band humorously adding a big finish to its false start. “At least I’m enjoying the ride.” They then finish up the first set with “Don’t Ease Me In.”

The second disc contains the complete second set. It’s eighty-three minutes. For some reason, I’d been under the impression that CDs could only be eighty minutes. I was wrong. Anyway, Phil kicks off the second set with “Box Of Rain,” joking with the Jersey crowd by singing “What do you yous want me to do?” They follow that with “I Need A Miracle,” which very quickly leads to an energetic “Bertha.” Jerry then slows things down with a really good rendition of “Ship Of Fools.” Which is more expressive here – his voice or his guitar? Both make this one of the set’s highlights. After a pause (rare in the second set in those days), the band launches into “Man Smart, Woman Smarter.” It’s not the best version, but it’s still fun to dance to. The crowd claps along at the end, and “Drums” flows straight out of that, holding onto that rhythm for a little while, and making this a damn good “Drums” segment. The energy is fantastic, and you can hear the crowd responding. Even though this is a good show, there really isn’t a lot of jamming. No “Playing In The Band” or “Eyes Of The World” for the band to stretch out on, and it turns out that at fourteen minutes, “Drums” is the longest tune of the night. And as it builds, we actually get the addition of guitar, which is surprising and wild. The guitars begin to overpower the drums as the band slides into what turns out to be a really nice “Space.”

From there, “Gimme Some Lovin’” emerges. It’s a halfway decent version, and it breaks down to give way to “Morning Dew.” Jerry’s vocal performance is fantastic, emotionally charged, powerful – and so, even though the version is a bit messy at moments, it ends up being another highlight of the set. The jam at the end is beautiful. But the band isn’t done. As they start “Throwing Stones,” there is a radio station identification, the only one to actually interfere with the music. This is a good “Throwing Stones.” “The future’s here, we are it, we are on our own.” It leads straight into “Not Fade Away” to end the second set. As I mentioned before, the encore is not included.

CD Track List

Disc One

1. Touch Of Grey
2. New Minglewood Blues
3. Friend Of The Devil
4. Beat It On Down The Line
5. Stagger Lee
6. Mama Tried
7. Big River
8. West L.A. Fadeaway
9. Hell In A Bucket
10. Don’t Ease Me In

 Disc Two

1. Box Of Rain
2. I Need A Miracle
3. Bertha
4. Ship Of Fools
5. Man Smart, Woman Smarter
6. Drums
7. Space
8. Gimme Some Lovin’
9. Morning Dew
10. Throwing Stones
11. Not Fade Away 

50 Shades Of Black & White With A Touch Of Grey was released on October 7, 2016.

Oscar Feldman: “Gol” (2017) CD Review

The first time I popped in “Gol,” the new album by saxophonist Oscar Feldman, my intention was for it to be background music while I unwound after a long and tiring day at work. But four or five minutes into the first track, that tremendous piano part by Leo Genovese commanded my attention. Then of course I began listening more closely to Oscar Feldman’s sax part as well, and I was hooked. I set aside the other things I’d planned to do around my apartment, and sat down and listened. And what a joy it was to do so. Gol is a vibrant album, an album of celebration, of community. It features Oscar Feldman on alto and soprano saxophone, Antonio Sanchez (of Pat Metheny Group) on drums, John Benitez on bass, and Leo Genovese on piano and keyboards, as well guest Guillermo Klein on one track.

That first track is a cover of Duke Ellington’s “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart,” and it features some wonderful playing by the entire group, and goes in some delightful directions. It’s followed by “La Canción Que Falta,” which was written by Guillermo Klein, who provides vocals and plays keys on this track. The vocals have something of an intimate sound, which is great, but for me the saxophone is the more expressive voice. Oscar’s playing is beautiful. Then three and a half minutes in, the tune changes its feel, and the piano takes over as lead instrument. There is something playful and delightful here, and yet the tune does not lose any of its beauty, but rather rises to a different level of joy. Then just as it’s ending, this song goes in another direction. This album features a second Guillermo Klein composition, “N.N,” which John Benitez starts off on bass. This track has a great rhythm, and features some rousing playing by Oscar Feldman and more fantastic drumming by Antonio Sanchez.

“Viva Belgrano,” the album’s only composition by Oscar Feldman, begins with the sound of a sports announcer (that’s Matias Barzola). Belgrano is a soccer team of Cordoba, where Feldman grew up, and this tune celebrates an important goal in that club’s history (making it sort of the album’s title track). As the announcer fades out, the tune begins, the drums leading into it. This too has some interesting changes and features more wonderful work on both keys and saxophone. And check out that bass line. But perhaps my favorite section is when Antonio Sanchez on drums take over, with Leo Genovese holding down the groove on keys, the drums acting as lead instrument. This track has an exciting feel throughout, but that section, for me, really is the highlight. And it is during that section that Matias Barzola comes back in, clearly thrilled about a soccer goal. It is interesting how integral the announcer feels to the tune, how well the whole thing works.

The music then takes a turn to something prettier, more thoughtful, with a relaxed rendition of “Murmullo.” As the song grows, Oscar Feldman’s playing becomes more powerful. And then suddenly it leads to a cool lead on bass by John Benitez. Oscar Feldman covers Beck’s “Nobody’s Fault But My Own,” the bass at first doing what would be the vocal line, and later the saxophone taking over that line and stretching it further. Four and a half minutes in, the song gets more interesting for me, going into territory not explored in Beck’s original. At moments, it feels like anything could happen – the tune could explode, it could ease us gently back into a pop realm. As it ends, it drifts off into a strange electronic realm, leaving us there. Well, not for long. The next track, “Is That So,” the Duke Pearson composition, begins with a more standard groove and feel, sticking closely with the original. But it’s not long before it gets interesting, and there are short drum solos and bass leads. The CD then concludes with a Beatles number, a lively, fun, excellent rendition of “I Feel Fine.”

CD Track List

1. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
2. La Canción Que Falta
3. Viva Belgrano
4. Murmullo
5. N.N.
6. Nobody’s Fault But My Own
7. Is That So?
8. I Feel Fine

Gol was released on August 4, 2017 through ZOHO Music.