One of the “regulars” at The Baked Potato, Graham Dechter, took a night off from his usual Lineage Trio to team up with Hammond specialist Larry Goldings, also playing hooky from his long time threesome, and brought in drummer Mark Ferber for a swinging evening of showing what creative minds can do just by listening to each other and musically communicating.
All three gents are veterans of the studio, and t hey showed their dexterity and prowess right from the git go as Dechter gave some tasty guitar treats around Golding’s boogalooing B3 and Ferber’s coaxing sticks on a bluesy read of “Tom Thumb”, with the three closing out the tune with a delicate fade out you would have thought took hours to rehears.
The heads of the customers were bobbing for the bopping push and pull of the gents laid down by Golding’s bass pedals hitting the viscera as he teamed up for the deep rivulet of “Purple Gazelle”, while the samba “Estate” had Goldings in a dreamy bel canto role, as he floated through Dechter’s lyrical lines. Goldings pulled out all of the stops as he rhapsodized a swirled like a Dairy Queen Sundae on the sweetly toned “Close To You” with Ferber having his brushes dance a soft shoe. “Bangles, Baubles and Beads” had Dechter strut and strum out the melodious aria, before he made his strings moan like a man on the chain gang on “Ain’t Got Nuthin’ But The Blues” with Ferber riding the sticks like he was riding on the wagon train.
A night off for the leaders? Maybe, but it was an “on” night for the packed house.
Upcoming shows at The Baked Potato include One Shot Deal 02/10-11, Ruggiero Plays Monk 02/15, Stick Men 02/17-19