There’s nothing like a Western Swing band to show what’s wrong with both today’s Country Music and Jazz. As violinist Kenny Sears said at the beginning of the show, “We’re called the Time Jumpers because we play music that is timeless.” What makes music timeless and keeps it from descending into the superficiality was demonstrated for two hours at Pepperdine by ten Nashville Masters dedicated to keeping the flame alive originally kindled by the likes of Bob Wills.
The three violin team of Sears with Joe Spivey and Larry Franklin was a thrilling example, mixing together and roaring on the tracks like the Union Pacific on “Undecided” and “Locomotive,” rollicking at 8 to the bar as well as anything delivered by Count Basie. Meanwhile the guitar team of Vince Gill, Andy Reiss and “Ranger Doug” Green picked and grinned with style on irresistible pieces like “Corrina, Corrina” and the two stepping “My San Antonio Rose” with 16 bar solos being passed around quicker than a hat at a rent party. Throw in a little humor by Green as he sang “cautionary tales of woe” such as the ribald “Bloodshot Eyes” or the Moose Lodge special “Big Ball In Cowtown” and you’re ready to grab a partner.
For extra measure the band throws in an irresistibly relentless rhythm team of Brad Albin on the walking upright bass with Billy Thomas on the drums who uses his brushes to make the rhythm float like smoke rings from Marlboros as he sang on “Blue Highway Blue.” Jeff Taylor steps up and delivers Saturday at the saloon piano riffs or squeezing emphysemic chords on the gospel drenched “Trouble In Mine” with Spivey’s moaning strings, mixing the church with the VFW.
And we haven’t even gotten to Vince Gill’s singing yet. Sometimes he sang with harmonies from the band that were as rich as an autumn sunrise on the easily lilt of “Hiding Things Together,” and then by himself he was soft and reassuring on “Faint of Heart” or comfy as a Bark O Lounger on a relaxed “Together Again.” He sang without an ounce of guile, making you feel like you were on his back porch.
And, of course, American music wouldn’t be complete without some yodeling, and “Ranger Doug” delivered a beaut as he challenged us to join him in “Yodel Blues” before the band closed the evening with the lazy indigo’d “Six Pack To Go.”
When was music this much fun? As Reiss stated after the show, “I used to play jazz before moving to Nashville. Both jazz and country musicians have to stop being such snobs and make it fun again.” This night in Malibu reminded the packed house why they fell in love with music in the first place.
Upcoming shows at Pepperdine’s Center for the Arts include Tony DeSare/Oct 7 and Robert Cray/Dec 8