“You people in the front row think you’ve got the good seats. You’re about to get pummeled”
Tis has been the season to be jolly about guitars!
December has brought a surfeit of six stringers roasting solos by the open fire, with Peter Bernstein, Larry Koonse, Yotam Silberstein, Michael Landau and Mike Stern gracing the local clubs. Adding to the festivities, Joe Bonamassa hit the Baked Potato for his annual visit, trading his shark suit, shades and multitude of axes for sweats, a baseball cap and his one Gibson ES 335, along with a relaxed attitude that comes with not being the leader, but simply a member of “ a humble jazz band that carries its own gear”.
And as the 80 minute set revealed, it was a true band, with everyone contributing an important element to the holistic unit and getting a chance in the spotlight.
The team of Tal Bergman/dr, Ron De Jesus/g, Mike Merritt/b and Renato Neto/keys has not changed much in the four years I’ve covered these yearly reunions, but the music has definitely progressed. First, very few of the songs over the years have been repeated, keeping everything fresh. Secondly, this time around, the band was in a particularly swinging mood, and everyone got a chance to stretch out and bask in the heat of soloing.
The opening “We Want Groove” and “In The Groove” had Bergman supplying a Tower of Power backbeat teamed with Merritt’s palpable bass line to lay a hip foundation for some searing work from De Jesus before Bonamassa jumped in with some laser beams emanating from his axe. Neto’s swirling keys filled the room with wondrous energy as he wove around the rhythm team like punt returner.
Merritt, Neto and Bergman than joined in with the chunky guitar chords for some soul train “what it is” feel to a foot stomping “Steppin’ In It” before the keyboardist tapped into his inner Weather Report for a fused foray, with the whole team stepping aside for Bonamassa’s aria that had his strings bringing it down low and inside for a called strike three.
The funk factor continued with the rhythm team steam rolling through a double timed “Spaztastic” that had Neto’s splashy keys riding over Bergman’s jackhammer pulse. Things took a bit of a breath when Neto introduced the CTI-ish “Ode To Gee” with a dreamy soundscape and some Deodato’d soloing, and a slow and swampy “This Tune Should Run For President” had Joe B in tasty restraint, tapping into his inner Johnny Smith for some chirping and chiming notes of delight.
Closing with a rocking “Work”, the two guitars locked horns like battering rams before letting Bergman give not just a solo, but a workshop on how a drum can talk, shout, whisper and cajole, with the band ending on a note tighter than Beyonce’s Super Bowl outfit.
When asked afterwards what he was thinking during his wild ride of solo and support, Bergman simply smiled and said, “Sometimes, you just gotta take chances. That’s why we play”
And showing by he appreciation , with a crowd that included legend Albert Lee, that’s why we all came.
Upcoming shows at The Baked Potato include Jeff Lorber Fusion 12/21-22, Mike Garson Trio 12/23, Billy Childs 12/29-30 and Don Randi 12/31