If you were wondering why there were no rhythm sections in LA Thursday night, it’s because all of the local drummers in town joined with the “regular” fans to fill the Baked Potato in order to see legendary stick man Gary Husband, fame of Holdsworth, McLaughlin and fusion worlds beyond.
What made the night so special was the fact that Husband’s trio included a newfound “friend” in guitarist Michael Landau, who although was playing with him for the first time, sounded like they were childhood friends. Completed with bass meister Jimmy Johnson, the trio shook the foundations of the club with 90 minutes of flying sparks.
The team got out of the gates running hard, as Johnson’s thick bass line grooved with Husband’s rumble serving as a foundation for Landau’s sinewy solo on “Vagabond Hill”. Tasty and spacey guitar effects slinked around the rivulet of “Ghouls and Goblins” with Johnson digging deep like a member of a chain gang. Landau then tapped into his inner Jeff Beck for some wand work for the Fender Bender “Led Boots” dedicated to Jeff Beck, with Husband supplying a big bluesy beat. Johnson served as the sorghum thick cornerstone throughout, soloing here and there as on “City Nights” or just jumping into the mosh pit on the three way freeway jams.
Most exciting were pieces like the snappy “Stratus” that had Husband simmer along at a certain pace, and then, like a race car driver, suddenly pop the clutch, change into overdrive and steer the band into a hairpin of a different direction. The band rollicked in an avalanche of energy here, then adding extra punches and jabs to the thick chords as the band thundered to the titter tatter finish line of “I’m Buzzed”.
Between songs, Husband gushed that the evening “was like a dream come true”. To think that such playing occurred with nary a practice before hand was more than a dream, but an inspiration from On High.
Upcoming shows at The Baked Potato include Dean Brown 08/12, Jason Harnell 08/13, Andrew Synowiec-Kait Dunton 08/25 and John Daversa Progressive Big Band 08/31-09/-3