Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Yellowjackets Blind Boys of Alabama The Legendary JCs

Diana Krall

Guitar Shorty Kenny Drew Jr. Levon Helm

Benjamin Herman Chick Corea

Ray LaMontagne

NOVEMBER2010

Soulive

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WINNING SPINSSINCE THE BREAKUP OF THE BEATLES40 years ago—and even before—jazz and popartists from Ramsey Lewis to Frank Sinatrahave been putting their stamp on the music ofthe Fab Four. With stellar tribute albums likeGeorge Benson’s The Other Side of Abbey Roadand Booker T. & the MGs’ McLemore Avenuedating back to 1970, Soulive isn’t exactlyreinventing the wheel on its own new instru-mental ode, Rubber Soulive (Royal Family).But the disc certainly merits comparison, asthe group updates a couple of classic tunesfrom Rubber Soul, plus a variety of other hitsfrom The Beatles’ catalog.

Last year, Soulive celebrated the 10thanniversary of the first recording session bykeyboardist Neal Evans, drummer and brotherAlan Evans, and guitarist Eric Krasno at thebrothers’ home studio in Woodstock, NewYork. Their resulting 1999 debut Get Down!catapulted the funky organ trio into jam-band stardom through its mix of funk, rock,jazz and R&B. Rubber Soulive, which lends thesame flavor to compositions by John Lennon,Paul McCartney and George Harrison, makesa fitting bookend to the band’s first decade.

The two tracks from The Beatles’ 1965gem Rubber Soul appear among RubberSoulive’s first three. “Drive My Car” is trans-formed from pop song to funk vehiclethrough Alan Evans’ sonic backbeat andKrasno’s rhythm-guitar prowess. Thisapproach also funkifies the ballad “In MyLife,” albeit with a creative, harpsichord-inspired solo by Neal Evans.

The Hammond organist’s left hand alsoinjects danceable new life into McCartney’snimble bass line on “Taxman,” Harrison’sleadoff composition from the 1966 albumRevolver. He also mimics the vocal melody, oneof the few tracks where that responsibilitydoesn’t fall to Krasno. The other Revolver trackis one of Rubber Soulive’s most experimental.“Eleanor Rigby” opens with an unrecogniz-able, trancelike melody before Krasno bringsin the vocal hook on guitar and the Evansbrothers break into double-time rhythm.

All of Soulive’s song choices hail from whatwas arguably The Beatles’ most fertile peri-od, the mid-to-late 1960s, and RubberSoulive’s centerpiece is a three-song set from

Abbey Road (1969). Lennon’s “I Want You(She’s So Heavy)” is given a reverential, near-note-for-note treatment, right down to NealEvans’ unaccompanied, left-hand McCartneybass runs and the trio’s chanted chorus (thealbum’s only vocals). Another Lennon master-piece, “Come Together,” is given an insistentdouble-time cadence by Alan Evans, whileHarrison’s beautiful ballad “Something” fea-tures melodic, bluesy figures by Krasno.

Two tracks also stand out from the 1968double-album The Beatles (commonly referredto as the “White Album”). A high-octanearrangement transforms Lennon’s “Revolution”from mid-tempo rocker to gospel raveup,complete with propulsive piano by Neal Evans.Like many Beatles fanatics, the members ofSoulive also recognize the under-harvestedgreatness of Harrison’s songwriting. The CDcloses with his epic “While My Guitar GentlyWeeps,” on which Alan Evans turns RingoStarr’s original beat inside-out as his brotherand Krasno recite the lyrics with their hands.

The title track from the 1965 release Help!also jumps at double the speed of the original.Yet Soulive straddle the fence on “DayTripper”—which The Beatles recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions but releasedas a double-single with “We Can Work It Out”—by playing half-time verses and double-time choruses.

by Bill Meredith

S O U L I V E

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The only weakness of Rubber Soulive is the obvi-ousness and sameness of having Krasno state mostof the vocal melodies. But those traits rarely applyto the band’s live performances. Soulive’s burn-ing, self-titled 2003 live CD; the recent Live at theBlue Note Tokyo; and the forthcoming, star-stud-ded Bowlive DVD all offer testimonials to theirconcert prowess. The Beatles’ greatest hits arelikely to receive a B3 shot from Neal Evans’Hammond organ, plus funky melodic andrhythmic doses from Krasno and Alan Evans,as they ring out over the beautiful SuwanneeMusic Park during Soulive’s Bear CreekMusic Fest performance.

Soulive will perform at 11:20PM on Nov. 12 at the Bear CreekMusic and Art Festival at the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak. Eric Krasno andChapter 2 perform at 10:45PM on Nov. 13. For a full schedule and ticket info, visitBearcreekmusicfestival.com.

WINNING SPINS

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GUITAR SHORTY9 FLORIDA DATES IN NOVEMBERVISIT JAZZBLUESFLORIDA.COM FOR INFOBare Knuckle is an apt title for David “Guitar Shorty”Kearney’s latest recording. Vocally and instrumentally,Shorty delivers bonecrunching sonic beatdowns. Atage 71, the Texas-born, Kissimmee, Florida-raisedguitarist is hardly a museum piece. In fact, he continuesto craft some of the most-potent and up-to-date blues-rock available. “Please Mr. President, lay some stimuluson me,” he desperately entreats on the opening“Please Mr. President,” “’cause I’m just a workin’ man,tryin’ to feed my family.” The steely wail of his guitarmakes the case just as forcefully as his blast-furnacevocals. Of course, it’s not all politics, as Shorty cele-

brates “Texas Women”on the song of thesame name, and callsout mistreating loverson “True Lies” and“Betrayed.” Shortyand co. return toFlorida for a handfulof dates this month,including an after-noon slot at St.A u g u s t i n e ’ sLincolnville HeritageFest. For informationand the full lineup, visitLincolnvillefestival.com. BW

S P O T L I G H TRAY LAMONTAGNE/LEVON HELMTIMES UNION CENTER OF PERFORMINGARTS , JACKSONVILLE/NOV. 2POMPANO BEACH AMPHITHEATRE/NOV. 4RUTH ECKERD HALL, CLEARWATER/NOV. 5With his cottony, impassioned vocals and penchant forrootsy ballads and deep soul, Ray LaMontagne hasearned comparisons to Van Morrison. His fourth studioalbum, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, finds thesinger-songwriter in excellent form on slinky funk,front-porch blues and mellow roots-rock. Throughout,the New Hampshire native heartbreakingly relateshis struggle to retain his humanity in a world wherethe odds are stacked against it. It’s safe to say that themusic of The Band influenced LaMontagne, and one

of that group’s drivingforces, drummer andsinger Levon Helm,will share the bill onthis tour. Afflictedwith cancer of thevocal cords in recentyears, Helm wasn’tsure whether he’dsing again. But theArkansas native, whoalso plays mandolin,fought his way back.His CDs Dirt Farmerand Electric Dirt wonGrammys in 2008 and2010 respectively. BW

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YELLOWJACKETSHARRIET HIMMEL THEATERWEST PALM BEACH/NOV. 11One of the most popular acts in contemporary jazz, theYellowjackets actually started out as session musicians.Band members played on guitarist Robben Ford’s 1977album The Inside Story, and Ford returned the favoron the Yellowjackets’ early recordings, including theirself-titled 1981 debut. But the group has certainlycarved out its own identity since Ford’s departure.Mix the fusion muscle of founding bassist JimmyHaslip with the smooth-jazz leanings of co-founderRussell Ferrante on keyboards and the big-bandknowledge of saxophonist Bob Mintzer, and you havea blueprint for contemporary jazz. The Yellowjackets’

latest CD, Lifecycle,was its first to featurea guitarist (all-star palMike Stern) in nearly25 years. DrummerWill Kennedy (whowas with the bandcirca 1986-1999) hasreturned in time forits upcoming release.The quartet consis-tently delivers stellarlive shows by eschew-ing smooth studionuances in favor of itstraditional jazz andfusion roots. BM

S P O T L I G H TTHE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMALINCOLNVILLE HERITAGE FESTST. AUGUSTINE AMPHITHEATER/NOV. 7For a group who can trace their origins back to 1939,The Blind Boys of Alabama have remained remark-ably relevant. Attribute it to tight harmonies, ferventgospel feel or savvy marketing, but the Blind Boys areriding a crest of popularity. The group has collectedfive recent Grammy Awards and found new audiencesthanks to some very hip collaborations. Their latestrecording, Duets, chronicles some of those teamups,culling tracks from the Blind Boys’ inspired pairingswith the diverse likes of Ben Harper, Toots Hibbert,Bonnie Raitt, John Hammond and the late SolomonBurke. The current lineup features the powerful voice

and charisma of found-ing member JimmyCarter, who is joinedby fellow vocalists BenMoore and BillyBowers and a three-piece rhythm section.Join them for aSunday afternoonGospel Brunch at St.A u g u s t i n e ’ sLincolnville HeritageFest, following Floridasacred-steel band TheLee Boys. VisitLincolnvillefestival.com. BW

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Log on to www.bostonsonthebeach.comfor our complete lineup, menus, photos and more!Located on the waterfront in Delray Beach, Boston’s is the ideal place

for casual dining, live music and sports viewing in our first-floor restaurant, The Beach. Or enjoy great cuisine and cocktails

upstairs at our fine dining restaurant, The UpperDeck. And be sure to check out our Back Bay Tiki Bar for a tropical cocktail

while listening to some of the area’s finest musicians on our outdoor stage. Boston’s… something for everyone!

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WILLIE “BIG EYES” SMITHACE’S LOUNGE, BRADENTON/NOV. 11BACK ROOM, BOCA RATON/NOV. 12PIONEER PARK, DUNEDIN/NOV. 13Willie “Big Eyes” Smith made his name as MuddyWaters’ drummer, but his swinging, locomotive rhythmsare hardly all he has to offer. Smith started out as aharmonica player, but took up the sticks in 1957 so hecould work more frequently. Now, Smith is making upfor lost time, as he continues to release outstandingblues albums on which he sings and blows harp. Onhis latest recording, Joined at the Hip, the 74-year-oldSmith joins forces with fellow Muddy Waters alumpianist Pinetop Perkins for one of this year’s best tra-ditional-blues releases. The two display an effortless

mastery as they workthrough a set of sub-lime Chicago blues,incorporating strongDelta roots and plentyof jump rhythm. Greatbacking is provided byguitarists John Primerand Little FrankKrakowski, bassist BobStroger, and Smith’sson, Kenny, on drums.Willie Smith sings andblows harp with therhythmic sensibilitiesof a drummer, neverfailing to swing. BW

S P O T L I G H TTHE LEGENDARY JCSFLORIDA CITRUS BOWL, ORLANDO/NOV. 6DOWNTOWN SANFORD/NOV. 11PIONEER PARK, DUNEDIN/NOV. 13BEAR CREEK FEST, LIVE OAK/NOV. 14COMMON GROUNDS, GAINESVILLE/NOV. 20Delivering gritty Southern soul, blues and R&B withgospel intensity, The Legendary JCs come across likea modern incarnation of the Chambers Brothers, OtisRedding and James Brown. Like their predecessors,the JCs—short for “Joint Chiefs”—can pack a dancefloor with their sweat-raising vintage-soul update.During the past decade, the eight-piece, Winter Park-based groove machine has been doing just that with high-energy performances. Lead singer Eugene Snowden

displays a supremelysoulful presence andreceives superb back-ing from horns, guitarsand a right-on rhythmsection. For a taste,pick up one of theirthree live CDs or hitone of their gigs thismonth, including theDunedin Wines theBlues Fest (Dunedinwinestheblues.info)and The Bear CreekMusic and Art Fest( B e a r c r e e k m u s i cfestival.com). BW

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CHICK COREAMINIACI PERFORMING ARTS CENTERDAVIE/NOV. 20Witnessing a solo performance by pianist Chick Coreacan be both exhilarating and challenging—the onlything a listener can predict is his brilliance. The 69-year-old keyboardist boasts a 45-year recording careerthat encompasses everything from acoustic jazz andelectric fusion to traditional Latin and classical music,all of which display his singular touch, sense of adven-ture and melodic gifts. He might perform a piece fromone of the Miles Davis albums he appeared onbetween 1968 and 1970 (Filles de Kilimanjaro, In aSilent Way and Bitches Brew), or material from one ofhis own solo landmarks. Perhaps he’ll revisit his mod-

ern standard “Spain”f r o m R e t u r n t oForever’s 1972 releaseLight As a Feather, ora p i e c e f r o m h i sG r a m m y - w i n n i n g2008 duet CD withvibraphonist GaryB u r t o n , T h e N e wCrystal Silence. WhenCorea performs, whathe actually performsis secondary. Expect aone-of-a-kind perform-ance from this 17-timeGrammy winner andjazz legend. BM

S P O T L I G H TDIANA KRALLVAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALLSARASOTA/NOV. 20A gifted pianist with a breathy, conversational singingvoice, Canadian-born, Berklee-trained Diana Krallbecame one of the breakout jazz stars of the ’90s. Krall’s1993 debut recording, Steppin’ Out, caught the ears ofveteran producer Tommy LiPuma, who crafted thesound of her 1995 sophomore effort, Only Trust YourHeart. Momentum built toward the 1999 smash WhenI Look in Your Eyes, a collection of standards thatearned her a Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammy.The disc was also the first jazz release to be nominatedby the Grammys as Album of the Year in a quarter-century. Krall’s talent, looks and crossover success

have since resulted inher appearing on thepop-oriented Lilith Fairroster and in films.Married to ElvisCostello since 2003,Krall co-wrote somedeft original materialwith her husband on2004’s The Girl in theOther Room. Last year’sQuiet Nights reteamsher with arrangerClaus Ogerman for anset of bossa nova stan-dards by the likes ofJobim and Porter. BM

http://www.southwestfloridabluesfestival.com

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BENJAMIN HERMAN QUARTETBYRON CARLYLE THEATERMIAMI BEACH/NOV. 13The name of Dutch alto saxophonist Benjamin Hermanmay not yet be recognizable to most jazz fans, butthat could change after his current debut tour ofNorth America. While he was named “Best DressedDutchman” of 2008 by Esquire magazine, Herman isno retro poseur. As is sometimes the case withEuropean jazz musicians, Herman isn’t burdened byexpectations of tradition within the American artform. He freely injects R&B, punk, surf and funk elements into the mix. Recent Herman releasesinclude Blue Sky Blond and the double-discHypochristmastreefuzz. The latter features composi-

tions by avant-gardepiano legend MishaMengelberg and abonus CD of the saxman’s performance atthe 2009 North SeaJazz Fest. The quartetis stocked with like-minded players inbassist Ernst Glerum,drummer Joost Patockaand guitarist AntonGoudsmit, who waswildly entertaining inMiami Beach last yearwith trumpeter EricVloeimans. BM

S P O T L I G H TKENNY DREW JR. WITH LARRY CORYELLHILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGEPERFORMING ARTS BUILDINGYBOR CITY/NOV. 21Like his father Kenny Drew (1928-1993), Kenny DrewJr. is a New York City-born pianist. But while his fatherplayed bebop and traditional jazz with the likes ofCharlie Parker, John Coltrane and Buddy Rich, DrewJr.’s career has straddled jazz and classical music sincehe won the Great American Jazz Piano Competitionin Jacksonville in 1990. The St. Petersburg-basedpianist’s MySpace page alone features his bluesy,swinging original material, jazz classics by MilesDavis and Thelonious Monk, and classical pieces bySchubert and Liszt. The classical influence started

through lessons fromhis mother and grand-mother after his fathermoved to Copenhagenin 1964, yet Drew Jr.has dedicated record-ings to his father andrecorded with the likesof the Mingus Big Band,Stanley Turrentine,Stanley Jordan andSlide Hampton. Thepianist will performwith guitar greatLarry Coryell atHillsborough Com-munity College. BM

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