Roy Ayers – August 12, 2015

Roy Ayers  –  Marcus Garvey Park  –  August 12, 2015

Ayers has had a two-stage career, initially as a jazz vibes player who rose to prominence in the 1970’s.  Some of his licks have been sampled and gained placement in various parasitic (or should we use the more generous “symbiotic”) genres that are strong on recycling selected grooves.  Nowadays his pop fame tends towards the acid-jazz r&b funk ilk, with more singing and less mallet work.  Abundant groove, less structural complexity.  While it’s not my favorite destination for talent, I can abide.   Much less acceptable is the painfully loud volume of the music, to me a crutch that does not reflect well on the overall effort.  The opening “act” was the Mobile Mondays DJ team/dance troupe; about 40 or so hip-hoppish dancers rotated (as in took turns) on and off stage to the ministrations of three alternating DJ’s, extending the high decibel endurance aspect of the gig.  Security access to the green room has been stepped up at this venue, so no autographs.

Roy Ayers

Larry Peoples

Jamal Peoples

Bill Saxton

John Pressley

Donald Nicks

Operator Emz

Money Mike

Natasha Diggs

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Iris Dement – August 9, 2015

Iris Dement  –  Lincoln Center  –  August 9, 2015

This was a part of the same Roots of American Music series as the previous day’s three-set smorgasbord.  Dement was the sole afternoon attraction, but no “Our Town”!  Her current album is based on the poetry of Anna Akhmatova, a Russian active in the early part of the 20th century.  That takes the acquired-taste aspect of whole shebang to a whole other level, beyond Iris’s warbly voice and approach.  Works for me!

Iris Dement

Jon Graboff

Chris Donohue

Bryan Owings

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roots of American Music – August 8, 2015

Roots of American Music  –  Lincoln Center Out of Doors  –  August 8, 2015

Yikes!  So much!  The afternoon piece of this series takes place on Hearst Plaza where, in contrast to the big dog Damrosch Bandshell, the chairs are more comfortable, the stage not so high, and the access to artists after the performance is feasible, welcome arrangements all.  There were three acts and I worked my butt off to get every single player, no matter how fleeting.  Quebe Sisters specialize in Texas swing fiddling (all three sisters play and sing), keeping that tradition strong and sweet.  Sam Outlaw is based in southern California, has imbibed the Bakersfield variant ethos (yeah, mixed metaphor), and plays appropriately.  The band’s full sound includes rich complementing vocal harmonies when called for.  Chambers is from Australia, but you wouldn’t know it from her sound.  This band is also somewhat of a family affair; she was schooled by her dad, who is her strong lead guitar player.  Her tales of childhood were awesome: her father was a fox hunter in the outback, so that’s where the family was raised, face-to-face with so many aspects of nature, and all sorts of lifestyle adaptations.  But the musical influences in her upbringing leaned heavily towards  American country and rock.

Grace Quebe

Hulda Quebe

Sophia Quebe

Daniel Parr

Simon Stipp

———————————————————————————————————————-

Sam Outlaw

Jeremy Long

Molly Jenson

Jason Loughlin

Daniel Rhine

Darla Hawn

——————————————————————————————————————

Kasey Chambers

Bill Chambers

Brandon Dodd

Josh Dufficy

James Haselwood

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jimmy LaFave – August 4, 2015

Jimmy LaFave  –  Ballard Park  –  August 4, 2015

LaFave got into the late 1960’s Texas alt-folk-hippie groove and has remained there since.  He covered at least four Dylan tunes.

Jimmy LaFave

Anthony DaCosta

Andrew Pressman

Bobby Kallus

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Susan Werner – July 30, 2015

Susan Werner  –   Ridgefield  Playhouse  –  July 30, 2015

When it rains, the CHIRP series moves indoors, so that’s where this concert was.  Werner’s songwriting and performance penetrate with simultaneous pathos and humor, and she knows how to play to her voice’s strengths.  She started out from the rural midwest, and one of her earlier albums had a farming theme; her insight and assimilation of the folk idiom show us that “urban” is not a prerequisite for sophistication.  One highlight was an acapella trio number with the young daughters of one Werner’s friends.  Lorkovic accompanied on keys, splitting time between an acoustic piano and a small squeezebox.

Susan Werner

Radoslav Lorkovic

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Zion 80 – July 19, 2015

Zion 80  –  Bronx Music Heritage Center  –  July 19, 2015

Zion 80 has some Matisyahu lineage,  but is a strictly instrumental combo.  They channel Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, among others, through the lens of Fela; it’s an intense groove and LOUD (at least it was inside this small venue).  Bobby Sanabria, a big cheese in the Bronx Music Heritage scene, sat in on drums.

Jon Madof

Marlon Sobol

Bobby Sanabria

Jessica Lurie

Shanir Blumenkranz

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bill K – July 9, 2015

Bill K  –  Onekahakaha Park, Hilo  –  July 9, 2015

This evening event, which included dinner, was part of the doings of the Pacific Ecosystems meetings, run out of Stanford U. by Peter Vitousek.  Since Bill K. was the name that someone seemed to recognize, I went with that for the title.

Bill K

Kalani Aki

Lono

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Joe Camacho / Darlene Ahuna – July 4, 2015

Joe Camacho / Darlene Ahuna  –  Cooper Center, Volcano  –  July 4, 2015

The 4th of July is big doings in Volcano, with various festivities and everyone local out to talk story.  At a certain point, I’m not sure who the bigger name is among the entertainers.  It sure wasn’t the bass player.   Some impromptu hula dancing added a hunk of gusto to the affair.

Joe Camacho

Darlene Ahuna

Bob Banks

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Raenette Hernando – July 3, 2015

Raenette Hernando   –  Puna Hongwanji Mission, Kea‘au  –  July 3, 2015

The Obon ceremony is a Buddhist rite where the recently departed ancestors are remembered and honored.  The ceremony seemed to be modeled after more familiar Christian church services; we felt like we shouldn’t go the festivities without first participating in the service.  The entertainment started off with the Puna Taiko drummers, who were not on long enough for my liking.  The Bon dance proper followed; it is a circular sashaying affair around a central tower.  After the drummers, we scored some local scarf, watched for a bit, and were done.

Raenette Hernando

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Richard Zazzi – July 3, 2015

Richard Zazzi  –  Punalu‘u Bake Shop  –  July 3, 2015

We stopped into to the Punalu‘u Bake Shop for a bite to eat, and were pleasantly surprised to have live music, so out came the sketch materials for a quickie.

Richard Zazzi

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment