If you’re a guitar fan, the month of December at The Baked Potato is your dream come true, as three of the blues swings on six strings hit the famed club. Now, THAT is a stocking stuffer!
Starting things off was the return of Joe Bonamassa’s Rock Candy Funky Party of Tal Bergman/dr, Ron DeJesus/g, Mike Merritt/b and Renato Neto/keys. Just coming off a tour with his “regular” band, Bonamassa looks more at home, and definitely more relaxed, jamming with these gents. No shark suit, no shades, no merchandise to sign, no multiple guitar changes, as Joe B stated “we’re just a struggling jazz band trying to make it in a mean world”.
And they meant it opening night, with the 70 minute set opening with a thundering “Token Ballad” that had Bonamassa and DeJesus searing in unison and in acidic solo fashion over Bergman’s volcanic sticks and Neto’s synthy excursions. Neto and a visibly joyful Merritt laid down a ‘get down’ beat for the funky and kinetic “We Want Groove” with Bonamassa tapping into his inner Bobby Bennett and famously flaming the pulse, while the team delivered a mix of slinky soul and metallica on the the foreboding stomper “This Tune Should Run For President”.
The twin guitars gave a chunky strut to “Low Tide” before trading off some solos, with DeJesus’ Strat going toe to toe with Bonamassa’s Les Paul going toe to toe, while Joe B kicked up the Butanes and mixed a dash of wacka wooka with a red hot solo that was seared with extra dry rub BBQ sauce on “Ode To Gee”. WHEW!
The team was having so much fun that they threw in an extra song to give Merritt a chance to let his fingers do the walkin’ before closing things out with “Heartbeat” allowing Bergman to solo around the relentless riffs and lines.
The level of talent in this band that can go from jazz to rock to blues and funk without batting an eye, particularly since they only get together during December after doing t heir own gigs for a year, is nothing short of remarkable, as well as inspiring. The December guitar fest has started with a bang, just keep it coming and no one gets hurt.
Upcoming gigs at The Baked Potato include Nerve Bundle 12/14-16, Mike Stern 12/17-18, Donati-Machacek Band 12/28-29, Bunny Brunel CAB 12/29 and Don Randi 12/31