The Black Experience @ Durty Durham 5.3.13

The Black Experience, one of North Carolina's most forward-thinking jazz combos, took the stage at The Pinhook Friday night at the Durty Durham art collective's "Hyperspring" fundraiser.

The Black Experience likes to jam long in an open-ended way, pushing canonical jazz through a prism of contemporary and popular references, from Ray Charles to Black Sabbath. What we heard Friday might be the zenith of what they've accomplished so far. Leading one to ask:  Can The Black Experience get any better? I think it's safe to say that The Black Experience will go on and on, getting better and better, with something important to communicate.


Larry "Q" Draughan and Will Darity 


Ernest A. Turner II

Collectively, it's a band with deep North Carolina roots, impeccable musical pedigrees, and a huge reservoir of experience as educators, sidemen and bandleaders at the area's top jazz institutions and venues. The co-founders of the project are William Darity, electric guitar, Larry Q. Draughan Jr., drums, and Ernest A. Turner II, piano/organ. We also heard Brian Horton on sax and flute, and a special drop-in guest, Lynn Grissett on trumpet. (Educated at NC Central, Grissett travels out of town a lot with Prince. Yes, that Prince.)


Prince sideman Lynn Grissett sitting in with The Black Experience.

Here's some video of Grissett called on stage to solo with The Black Experience. Also features solos by Brian Horton on flute, and Larry "Q" Draughan on drums:






Among the local artists and musicians who turned out for The Black Experience: vocalist Kim Arrington, keyboardist Victor Moore and visual activist Luis Franco.

Shana Tucker @ NCMA (9/2)

Shana Tucker gave a gift to the North Carolina Museum of Art on September 2: a free concert to lure visitors in for the last day of the exhibition, "30 Americans." Attendance that night broke records, according to Museum program director George Holt.



Her quartet featured Mark Wells, Peter Kimosh, and Stephen Coffman. Here is her lovely take on Nora Jones' "Wish I Could":



Young people were especially delighted with Shana's big finish: a New Orleans version of "You Are My Sunshine." Here's a montage of the dancing that ensued.




COUNTERPOINT

Here's Shana with a trio, performing the same tune, in a different style. With Mark Wells, piano, and Brevan Hampden, percussion, here's her Latin version of "You Are My Sunshine" one recent evening at Brasa Brasilian Steakhouse:

Bull City Leans Forward for Shana Tucker, Peter Lamb @ Casbah (8/20 Review)

forward-leaning jazz: Peter Lamb & The Wolves

If you were at Casbah on August 20th, you know that Shana Tucker's double bill with Peter Lamb and The Wolves was remarkable. People came to this show with a certain hunger for a serious listening experience, and they got it: two of the Triangle's most innovative acoustic jazz groups, together in one night for the first time ever.


chambersoul: Shana Tucker Quartet

The chambersoul songstress and her cello opened, backed by Stephen Coffman (drumset), Mark Wells (piano) and Darion Alexander (acoustic bass). Shana's banter between songs, rambling, funny, and animated, brought the receptive crowd in even closer. It was a pretty ravishing set; highlights included Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and Bill Withers' "Who Is (S)he and what Is (S)he To You?" both of which featured strong interplay (musical and satirical) with her bass player.



She burned down the house, at least among all the ladies present, with a new original tune about a certain type of annoying phone call and/or text message (it may not have an official title yet, but she jokingly called it "The Booty Call Song"). Wolves Peter Lamb (sax) and Al Strong (trumpet/flugel) came out early to solo on "Bye Bye Blackbird" while Shana sang. Here's one of Shana's originals from her album Shine, a song called "November" that hits me every time:



After an intermission, Peter, Al, Mark and Stephen returned, joined by George Knott (double bass/bass saxophone) and guest Brevan Hampden (congas), to play The Wolves' set. I've never heard the horns sound better, in fact sound overall at Casbah (Sound by Evan) was peachy. If one had a request, for the artists' sake as well as the audience, it would be the installation of central A/C in this important venue. Near the stage, and especially on it, the heat from lights, etc. made for trying conditions. That said, nothing was going to stop this from being a glorious, expansive night of music. Here's "Mona Lisa," veritably busting with incredible solos by Mark Wells on piano, Peter Lamb on sax, and Al Strong with the melody on flugelhorn:



The Wolves did their usual powerranger-morphing through Astor Piazzola, Ray Charles, Nat Cole, et al. A lot of older, jazz/pop standards have cryptic Latin cover versions, or vice versa, and sitting at the bar, one popped out at me that night that, for some reason, I had never noticed before: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Veinte Años," the latter best known in a version by the Buena Vista Social Club. The former is credited to songwriters Harry Warren/Al Dubin, the latter to Maria Teresa Vera.

I'm not sure who deserves the first credit, and they differ enough past the distinctive opening bars to probably legally qualify as different songs. But my instincts lean toward Maria Teresa Vera, who was born in 1895, and wrote "Veinte Años" as a habanera (the Cuban style of contradanza, whence tango got its bassline). Nat King Cole did "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" with a Latin percussionist (Jack Costanzo), and the English lyrics not only treat a similar theme (broken dreams/long lost loves), but also mention an "old Cathedral town," which seems like an allusion to Latin America.





In any case, the really important question is this: Has anyone merged these songs? How breathtaking would that be? Wolves, you have your mission...

Danke schön, in the meantime, for restyling my brain to take in this German drinking song, "Du, Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen," sung by with Mark Wells as if he were Jeff Buckley at an Oktoberfest. This was a juicy encore:



If you missed it, you missed it.

Peter Lamb and The Wolves and Shana Tucker both have new albums; listen and learn more at their websites.

Soul Rebels Brass Band...in Durham 6/3

Scenes from last fall, never posted...the first annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County was a big hit with me, and about 15,000 other people, according to their website; featured performers included Chuck Brown, godfather of DC gogo, and Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. Look for this festival again on Labor Day weekend, 2011.



This Soul Rebels Brass Band footage is making me wish I could attend New Orleans Jazzfest coming up in late April-early May.



Next best thing: Soul Rebels play Papa Mojo's Roadhouse on June 3 [ReverbNation event link].

aLive Tuesdays: The Beast + Greg Humphreys 3.8.11

Chemistry, timing, and musical diversity have always contributed to the magic of The Beast, Durham's live hip hop/jazz dynamo. Now those qualities get showcased every other week at Jack Sprat, at a free live show from 9-11 pm called aLive Tuesdays with The Beast.



What makes these evenings so much more than a live rehearsal is the way the sets are structured: the two hours are subdivided into four, gem-like sets, covering three or more genres, and featuring one invited guest.

This week began with instrumental jazz by The Beast Trio (minus Pierce). Then singer/songwriter Greg Humphreys did a solo set of his originals. Greg really kills it on the mic in a warm, intimate setting like this, expertly modulating his tone from jazz to soul to country. The full Beast convened next, doing 2 or 3 new songs. (Pierce said they are getting ready to record again this month.)





This headliner set always leads off with The Beast's "Sample of the Week," a live-composed jam based on a sample chosen by a different member of the band. This time, pianist Eric Hirsh went with a classical riff from "Venus," from Gustav Holst's orchestral suite "The Planets." Here's the beautiful, spontaneous result:



Finally, Greg joined The Beast for a closing set. Greg did this classy, witty ballad, "Must Be The Moon," already recorded with The Beast Trio, to be released on Greg's next album in 2011. Here's part of it, with a nice little piano solo by Eric:


"Must be the Moon" (Greg Humphreys/Nancy Armstrong), (c) Phrex Music BMI.

The set (and show) ended with this slamming collaborative version of Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up," which Greg often performs with his band Hobex. It featured an added rap by Pierce and a guitar solo by Greg:



So many pretty, cross-pollinated performances in one night...can't think of the last time I got so many kicks in two hours, for the price of a beer.



The next aLive Tuesdays with The Beast will be March 22, featuring "ChamberSoul" cellist/vocalist Shana Tucker.


Photo Credit: Tiona Fuller

Shana's debut CD Shine was just released a few weeks ago, give a listen on her website.

Hobex Redux + Fat Tuesday Alert

Video of Hobex from Saturday night (3/5), at the Pittsboro Mardi Gras Festival at Chatham Mill:



Peter Holsapple (organ), Cyril Lance (guitar), Andy Ware (bass), Rob Ladd (drums), Tim Smith (sax), and frontman Greg Humphreys (vocals, guitar). Greg had his table steel standing by, but did not deploy. Still it was a grand and festive evening. Some of my favorite Hobex originals, a tune from Greg's recent solo release, and some zydeco and soul covers kept the costumed pirates and merrymakers of Chatham County dancing.



FAT TUESDAY ALERT:

See Greg Humphreys tonight (3/8) at 9-11 pm @ Jack Sprat as a special guest at The Beast's "aLive Tuesdays." Raaaawwwwr!

4 short sets:
1) jazz set with The Beast Trio (Eric Hirsh, Peter Kimosh, Stephen Coffman)
2) solo acoustic set with Greg Humphreys
3) hip hop set with full cast of The Beast
4) The Beast + Greg Humphreys as special guest.

Deep Blues in Durham

Aaron Mills Project @ Broad Street Cafe

Came across this by chance at Broad Street Cafe: former Cameo bassist Aaron Mills with his Project, playing the Cafe's no-cover Sunday Night Jazz Series. Here's a snippet of their nice jam on a Bill Withers classic:



It is amazing how the original, just a two-minute blues, has proven so memorable and so durable:



Thanks, Bill.

Aaron Mills Project's next date at Broad Street Cafe is Sunday, Sept. 5.


Pianist Victor Moore

LINKS:

Events at Broad Street Cafe

Live at Pour House: Q-bex + Isti Kaldor

From the backlog: Video from the remarkable Q-bex show at the Pour House, way back on May 8! Q-bex is frontman Greg Humphreys and bassist Andy Ware of Hobex, with drummer Jeff Sipe of Apt. Q-238. Sitting in on the gig was saxophonist and vocalist Tim Smith.

This short clip makes me sad because of the footage I didn't get--I was so into the rocking that I just didn't reach for my camera soon enough. Even so, these last few drops of "Pink Champagne" demonstrate Greg's inimitable way of squeezing the last soulful drop from a blues.



Special guests on stage included Caitlin Cary, Robert Cantrell, and John Teer of opening band The Jackets.



One of the night's highlights was John Teer, on violin, trading huge solos with Greg on table steel, on the Shuggie Otis cover "Sweet Thang." Just over 10 delicious minutes, so this is in two parts!





I also went gaga for their long rendition of "Groove, Baby"--the first Hobex tune I fell in love with, live at a long ago Shakori--with an ingenious detour through James Brown's "Sex Machine," and back again.

Durham artist Isti Kaldor "live painted" this show. With his dropcloths spread out in a niche in front of the Pour House sound booth, Isti quickly painted this large oil canvas as we listened--and watched:



Isti only paints to music, and signs his paintings with a simple handprint on the back, insisting that, "it's not about me--it's about everyone."

Here's the palette Isti used to paint that at the Q-bex show, which he gave me, and which is still drying on my wall 10 days later:



Meeting Isti is one of the things I love about Durham, and the whole Triangle music scene. Musicians and artists contribute so much to the quality of life we enjoy here. I love Isti's approach of using creativity to make connections, and making painting more interactive (i.e., more like live music.)

Says Isti, "Painting a moment in time creates a sense of belonging in an otherwise judgmental world."

Born in Hungary, Isti Kaldor has lived in North Carolina since 1992. He didn't paint until the onset of his first bipolar episode in college. Filmmaker Kevin Cullen is making a documentary about Isti, called "A Moment of Clarity." Check out the film website for great stills and more info!

Dap Mania Hits Cradle

It's been a few years since I last saw Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The show hasn't changed much, but her stature as a crossover phenom has: Sharon's been all over the late night talk shows, mainstream R&B radio and The Apollo Theater in recent days. I'm happy to be paying out a little more if it keeps Miss Jones in sequins and fringe. That lady is a short stack of dynamite, and I, like so many others who caught Dap fever at the Cradle last night, refuse to maintain a safe distance.







Still, I'm a little wistful for the days when you could just walk up and pay your money. A capacity crowd at the Cradle is a little frightening to tell the truth, a lot like a packed flight. Sure, there IS a bathroom, if you can get to it. Mostly, it just wasn't worth it to move around except in place.

You could move around on stage, however, if you were lucky enough to be handpicked from the crowd. The former corrections officer Jones kept order among the more boisterous volunteers, including a wannabe Isadora Duncan, mouthing "WTF!" to the crowd behind the ballerina's back. A really nice young man named Chauncey caught special favor by giving Sharon the Oshun treatment with a large Spanish fan. This, this, was appropriate homage for the Queen of Dap, and as due reward, she tapped him on each shoulder with the fan; arise, Sir Chauncey, Knight of the Dap Kingdom.

Here's another lucky fellow, laying claim to the Americas with Sharon on an adamant, "This Land is Your Land":



Opening act Fitz and the Tantrums was a perfect fit, with a 60s Motownish retro sound that was light, uptight and all right. It was kind of like The Killers with addition of a young Diana Ross/Martha Reeves. Female vocalist Noelle Scaggs told me afterwards she has followed Sharon for years, so it's a thrill to be opening for her.

Scaggs is also a tambourine virtuoso, and I say that with highest admiration. Sharon brought her out for the encore, which started with a bari sax solo-led rendition of "I'll Be There." Here's ten minutes of it, including band role call for the Dap Kings:



I bought Sharon's two most recent albums, to complete my 4-vinyl set, and stayed until the throngs dispersed to get them signed. I saw sick piles of money being counted behind the merch table as they were closing out for the night.

Godspeed, Miss Jones. Thank you for stopping in our town.