I try to never miss a Marcus Miller gig at Catalina’s, because the famed bassist/producer always brings some sort of surprise singer into the show, and he always mixes up the grooves and moods to cover his richly hued career.
Sunday night at the packed club was no exception, as Miller put together a team that ranged from get down grooves to Kind of Blue-ish tones. Setting the tempo of the evening with his patented thumb slapping bass work, Miller got his team of Russell Gunn/tp, Donald Hayes/as, Anwar Marshall/dr and Xavier Gordon/key into a rivulet of a funk fest on the deeply fried “Detroit” with the horns steaming and keyboards humming. Miller and Marshall linked arms for a lilting cadence while Gordon’s keys took on a kalimba’d tone for the African-toned “Maputo” that was hipper than a white rhino in Tanzania. With Gunn muting his trumpet, Miller got things into a slow and deep blues on the sinewy “Untamed”, with Miller’s guiding strings, immediately identifiable and distinct, were palpable in their texture. This served as an undercurrent for Hayes, who took his alto to the Baptist pulpit and preached it for a foot stomping climaxing solo.
And speaking of preaching it, the ringer of the night was vocalist Leon Timbo, who looked like he just got off of his horse, cowboy hat and all, to take in the spirit of Luther Vandross for a passionately swaying take of “Never Too Much”, while his own “Don’t Call” had a tender Sunday Morning feel besides Gordon’s keyboards before he closed things off his appearance with a gritty and hip hugger of a R&Ber that sounding like he just got off the Chitlin’ Circuit. Who let him off his leash?!? WHEW!
Back to the instrumentals, Miller gave a salute to his hero/employer Miles Davis with a read of “Mr. Pastorius” that hinted at The Dark Prince’s days of Kind of Blue, as Gunn took in the fellow East St. Louis horn man’s spirit for a penetrating solo/cadenza, while Hayes rolled like a Cannonball over Miller and Marshall’s gears shifting like a Maserati. Closing up by going from solo to trio to full band on the lyrical yet staccato’d stomp fest of “Run For Cover”, Miller showed the audience, as he once told his boss Miles Davis, that yes, you might be putting on old clothes at times, but you can look good in them as well. The mix of vintage sounds with forward thinking presentations was a nod to the past and a look to the future. Miller time well spent.
Upcoming shows at Catalina’s include Pete Escovedo 10/20-21 , Richard Bona 20/27-28, Bob James 11/04, Mon David 11/08, Gordon Goodwin’s BPB