Legendary electric bassist Bunny Brunel put the “fuse” back into fusion with an electrifying 110 minute set at the acoustically adroit Bogie’s Bar. Mixing material from his days with Chick Corea as well as his own CAB band, Brunel and his core team of Chad Wackerman/dr, Joe Calderon/g and Dennis Hamm/key mixed elements of rock and jazz like musical mad scientists.
Pieces such as the searing “The Prankster” and the funky “Tony Mac” had Hamm bringing in swirling keyboard solos a la vintage Return to Forever, while Brunel and Wackerman dug deep and exotic grooves reminiscent of Weather Report and Calderon’s gritty guitar filled the brim to the top with metallic and adventurous solos. Bass and drums jabbed back and forth between Calderon’s sinewy lines on the aggressive “Tempermental” before Hamm’s velvety intro to “Vlad” led into a kinetic, intricate and Frantic climax.
Everyone had a chance to stretch out in each song, finding a path through the complex lines and melodies. Brunel’s use of hands on his 5 stringed bass showed hand faster than eye dexterity, using strings and pedals to create sounds and moods that were both ethereal and visceral, with his hands in certain positions during his improvisations in positions that defied anatomical explanation.
Joining the gents for a few songs was Kaylene Peoples, armed with her warm and feathery flute which soared over the percolating pulse of the Corea-associated “The Slide” before gliding over Brunel’s simmering pulse and Wackerman’s relentless high hat on the mystical and dreamy “500 Miles High.”
Closing the set with the popular blues rocker “Stratus,” Brunel laid down a relentless bass line while Calderon and company rollicked the evening to an avalanche of a climax. The mix of sophistication and complexity could easily have turned the evening into a night of self indulgence in lesser hands, but with Brunel at the helm, it was an evening of inspiration.
Upcoming shows at Bogie’s include Lindsey Webster 10/11, Pablo Cruise 10/14, Dave Garfield 10/18, Venice 10/21 and TrioKat 10/23