MyWeek in Music April 11th to April 18th
by Scott Zensen
Photos by: Scott Zensen
Well another week of good music has come and went. How many shows did you get to! I made it to five shows this week. Soon I'll be back up to may usual 7 to 10 show's, but who's counting! First show I made it to this week on Wednesday was Farmer's Market where I listened to a Jazz band called "Blue 44" an ensemble band that has up to 13 different musicians that play with the group. At Farmer's Market there were 3 musicians two of them founder's of the group and a drummer. The two founders were:Adam Wolff-keyboard, Larry Davis-Bass, Now I can't confirm who the drummer was because their website says they have two different drummers that play with the band, till I get more info I will list both here...Issac Crow-Drums and Salvatore Follsi-Drums, take your pick. The band describes themselves as a new urban fusion sound that is sometimes called Acid Jazz. I used to listen to a lot of Jazz like this but haven't listened to it for a while.
Just the night before this I listened a band who did jazz and did a few old Booker T and the MG tunes. But Blue 44 does have the new urban sound they were talking about. What they also have is an exceptional keyboardist in Blue 44 founder Adam Wolff. I do like jazz but this guy was awesome I haven't heard that kind of jazz piano or keyboard work since...since. Well my jazz history is not that good. All that comes to mind as far as jazz piano is Dave Grusin or Earl Garner. I haven't listened to either of them in so long, I don't know if their styles are similar or not. All I do know is Adam is what I liked about the band. I liked the drummer a lot too but the bass player didn't show any special appeal while I was listening. Still they had the crowd at Farmers market groovin. I met up with Ed Decker while I was there and he was enjoying their groovin sounds. Ed Decker is a writer and a denizen of OB. If you have never read any of his poetry. Pick up a copy of Barzilla by Edwin Decker. If you want to read some really great words and oratory written on the web then go to his
www.edwindecker.com website blog. And next time you see a venue listing with the band Blue 44 then check out their great sounds. And come on down to Farmer's market, always fun, always free!
Later that evening I went to see Brenda Panneton's CD Release part at Hot Java Cafe. There were lots of fun folks who showed up to play along with Brenda and do a couple of their own songs. Michael Tiernan and Sven-Eric Seaholm, Hot Rod Harris and Doktor Dave Sawyer, Anna Troy, Alicia Ruggerio, and one other to be named later. The evening was a lot of fun everybody was in great spirits and the music was great too! Brenda's music can be very emotional at times but it is excellent songwriting at its core. It comes from deep down and this is a way to bring those emotions to the surface. There were lots of great moments sometimes in duet with Brenda or own their own. I really liked the spots where Hot Rod and Brenda were singing and playing with Doktor Dave playing in the background. I also always enjoy anything Michael Tiernan does and I am looking forward to the dual cd release show at The Belly Up for Michael and Sven-Eric Seaholm on April 15th. Anna Troy has been doing a lot of gigs lately with her band "The Dirty Shame", but I always enjoy seeing and hearing her do a solo spot of her songs. Alicia Ruggerio one of the best violinists in town backed up Brenda on a few songs. I love hearing her violin in the background of other people's music it always gives it a special depth to the sound of the songs. Sven-Eric Seaholm seemed to be having a very good time. He played percussionist for most of the evening shaking a mean banana or egg shaker. He has a great smile and it was in use this night as he enjoyed himself on stage. Unfortunately, I missed his set of the show when I went out to get some air. Last in the show another young lady played violin with Brenda and did a number on her own as well. Brenda did a number or two to end the show. It was a successful show everybody enjoyed th evening very much! If anyone would like to pick up Brenda's new CD then they can pick it up at CD Baby!
Brenda Panneton: An Emotional Woman
On Friday I went to go see Allegra at Kirin Sushi a favorite haunt of mine. Especially as I can go see a show at Kirin and still be able to see another show later that night as was the case tonight. Kirin Sushi has a easy going atmosphere. The decorations are very pretty, but I have heard people complain it is too bright in there. Of course this is a restaurant that just happen's to have music on Friday's and Saturday's and not a bar where the light is slower. Still its even a little bright for a restaurant. The musician s don't have much room to set up and you won't be seeing any large bands here because there just isn't enough room. At most I have seen three people up and they had very minimal musical instrumentation with them. You can here the music from any point in the restaurant but they do use a small PA system. This was the case tonight with Allegra, but she almost doesn't need the mic. Allegra has a lot of lung power under her complete control. A beautiful voice and she can pretty much do with it anything she wants from a quaver to a scat. She is very versatile and while watching and listening she does lots of covers and intermixes her own songs here and there. She sells her CD when she comes to Kirin, sometimes she is flexible on what she will take for it. But you won't care what it costs because you will just enjoy her singing. I couldn't stay for her full set but she made the most on tips that i have ever seen anyone get in Kirin. She also sold all her CD's and that was before the first break when I had to leave. She is also to only person I have ever heard outside of Kirin while I was waiting for the bus, but hen perhaps that's not fair I don't often have to leave before the singers I see there are finished for the night. Still I have heard her before and she left me speechless for her talent and as I go from show to show I wonder why all these wonderful people are not nationally sponsored acts. Some every bit as good as some of our corporate favorites already out there. Can we have too many artists or too much music? No, I don't think that's possible.
So from Allegra's beautiful melodies I went to have my ears numbed at O'Connell's to listen to my friend's in Johnny Different. Johnny Different is a heavy rock band with their feet dipped in punk. They get on a lot of punk bills but I am not sure they are a punk band just a really good rock band. But then again yeah they are punk too! they play really fast and hard! When I got there I found out from Johnny Miller (lead Guitarist) that they were not going on till 11 pm. Which isn't all that strange for O'Connell's. Shows normally are supposed to start at 9 pm, but inevitably start late. I wasn't there by nine but the first band was still going. They were called "Arroyo" and I wasn't a big fan but maybe they have to grow on you. Next up was a band called "Leopold and his Fiction. A two piece band from San Francisco. They didn't do any pre-setup with the drum kit so it took almost 20 minutes to set up for this two piece band, the guitarist had two guitars. but it still should have been a smoother transition than this! The band was a little more than disappointing and if not for Johnny different I would have actually left a gig. I don't usually do that unless its because of a ride issue. The band thought they were the white stripes reincarnation. They did their own songs but in White Stripes fashion sometimes the guitar playing wasn't up to it in my humble opinion, but other times I almost got into it. But then he opened his mouth. He sang it like he was Jack white and I have never heard anyone make that work for them except Jack White. I couldn't tell if he just had a bad singing voice or if it was he was trying to sing that way, But for me it didn't work and I asked a couple of other patrons and they weren't diggin' it either. Johnny Different's playing time was dwindling by the minute. The first band ran a little long and this one took a long time to setup and then played their full set. Johnny Different's time got bumped to about 12 pm. Still plenty of time, but most bars want to start the wind down at 1:30 am but Rick was being cool about it and let them do a full set.
Johnny Different is a three piece band consisting of John Miller (lead Guitar and vocals), Jay Culbertson (Base and lead Vocals for most songs) and their drummer John Spaid. Now these guys really crank it up a notch. Yes they are loud but I like that in a band. They are my second favorite local rock band next to Sweettooth and third on that list would be Superunloader. But I have heard these guys play more than a few times but tonight I learned a few new things. John can play his guitar a whole lot better than he has been letting on in earlier shows I have seen. And John Spaid is a hard working, great drummer. He really does a great job and its tough to play in a band that is skirting the punk rock genre. They play fast and hard and don't do very many ballads or slower beat rock tunes. They do a few covers one of them is a punked out version of an old Jerry Reed song. Its the best version i have ever heard of the song. But favorite songs are "Growin' Up" and "Arab Oil" or "Late 20's Lament". But if you just want to get crazy listen to "The Wine Song" it will rev your body into overdrive. There were a few semi-drunk girls there that understand what i meant because they were up and dancing or just jumping up and around for most every song. I learned something else I didn't know about potential rock star's...they can get a little flabbergasted like the rest of us. One girl upon leaving walked over and pinched Jay while he was playing. He kept on playing like a pro but he had shocked look on his face. And John Miller was distracted a little when one of the girls decide to let out her very large breast in a flash to the band. You don't see that very often in O'Connell's. that kind of thing happens a lot in rock n roll but usually at outside venues where it would be hard to get arrested. Luckily no one but John and Jay saw, but John's wife was laughing out loud. I don't know if she just found it funny or John's reaction to it? Its fun to get drunk once in a whiles but I am usually pretty conservative on my actions while inebriated. I think this poor girl would have been devastated had she gotten busted and woke up the next morning in jail. Having to explain why she exposed herself in public to family and friends. Of course I think it was just the booze and her friends that coaxed her into it. I doubt had she been there by herself with out the friends if she would have done it in the first place. Course I sound like an old fuddy duddy, but personally I don't care and don't mind seeing a pair of breasts out for a night on the town but I sometime get too empathetic for people. Its just in my nature. Too bad I missed it myself! Funny thing is I was watching them dance around most of the night. I just looked away at the wrong moment. Oh Well! [grin]
The next night I went out was Saturday. The plan was to go see Brooklyn at Kirin Sushi at 7 pm and then go see Superunloader at O'Connell's at 9 pm. Course they say the best laid plans... Well let's just say the night didn't go as planned. I had gone over my mother's house to help with a video project we have been working on for while and while I was there she made me dinner. My mom was a good cook when i was growing up but when i moved away while raising my family I guess things changed. She can still cook fairly well but she isn't very fussy on her ingredients. sometimes she lets meat or some foods sit out way too long and it doesn't bother her. If she eats stuff that some people would think was spoiled but I guess I don't have the cast iron stomach I thought i had. Anyway by the time I got to Kirin Sushi I was really not feeling my best. I thought it would pass and went ahead and took pictures and tried to act like nothing was wrong. Even so far as to make plans to get a ride with Brooklyn because she was interested in seeing Superunloader too! I though it was going away but after having a glass of water, it got worse. I listened to both sets Brooklyn did but when she was done I said my goodbye's and left for home. Brooklyn had plenty of company and friends that showed up as she always does. As far as Brooklyn sets they were better than usual she seemed more interested in doing her songs than normal and seemed more practised. Now that's not saying she sounded bad at other time's, I really don't think Brooklyn can sound bad if she tried. But practise makes us all sound or do better. No matter what it is! She did tell me earlier in the week that she was practising and not coming out to play or listen. Earlier in the evening she was excited that a friend of ours (Tim Flack) was going to be joining her as part of her band and maybe even going to Ireland with her when she goes! I've heard Tim play and he's pretty good! Brooklyn's Cd will be coming out soon and then people can come get one of her CD's and enjoy her singing as much as me!
I don't know if anyone has noticed but I bought a camera in order to get better pictures for the readers of this site. The Gallery is up now but not finished. But pictures are up for the last few weeks of blogs postings. Be sure and stop by the Gallery and check out the individual galleries for each show I have been talking about. If any artists are interested in any pictures then just note the picture name or number under the picture in the slide show as it goes by and then send me a message requesting the pic. No charge, I only ask a credit wherever you post it. But be advised I may put on a watermark to keep my copyright.
Well that's the end of the week for me. I would have gone out and listened to more great music this week, but I still have lots more to do for the site. So I am not back to just being able to go to shows and do a new issue each week. But till then I will just get to as many shows as I can and try to balance it out with work that still needs to be done for the site.
Ciao
Come have some Sushi while listening to great music and have a few Sake Bombs. Restaurant for all ages. the Sake isn't!
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