“Tonight we’re plugging my life story!”
So joked legendary saxist Tom Scott Friday night, proving that musicians always return to the scene of the crime. It was just over 50 years ago in the same venue that Scott’s “original” LA Express introduced So Cal ears to his creation of a new style of music, namely “ jazz funk”, which Scott described as “Not boring, melodic and not complicated”. This style set off a whole new genre of sound, with Scott’s almost singlehandedly making modern jazz accessible and yes, enjoyable.
The latest rendition of the band had Scott playing alto and tenor sax as well as the crafty aerophone with the crème of the LA crop, namely Gary Novak/dr, Chris Colangelo/b, Mitch Forman/key and Grant Geissman/g. Funk with a swinging backbeat was in the air Friday night, with Colangelo and Novak forming a formidable collection of deep grooves, kicking into cruise with Scott’s rich tenor sax on “TCB”, while the leader took the roll of a Baptist preacher as he pounded the pulpit on “Chunk O’Funk and dug up deep earth as he got down over the foot stomping “Nunya” with the rhythm section kicking up the butanes of some Famous Flames soul.
Scott’s plugged in aerophone glided over Colangelo’s slinky bass line on the mellow (when was the last time you heard THAT word) mood of “Tom Cat” with Forman’s keys sleek and sensuous. Scott’s alto sang bel canto on the vintage R&B groove of “I Want To Get Closer”. Scott’s molasses thick tenor longboarded over the white caps formed by Novak and Colangelo on the sizzling “Sneakin’ In The Back” while his solo intro to the closing “Ode To Billy Joe” was so swampy that Geissman almost jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge due to his drop dead slithering slide guitar work. Laid back is back!
While most fashions and fads from the 1970s have long been gratefully forgotten, and have aged terribly (anyone want a shag carpet for sale?), Tom Scott demonstrated that his musical creation, like a fine wine, as aged amazingly well. May we all make the same claim ourselves!
Upcoming shows at the Baked Potato included Pops Magellan 05/14, Jamie Kime Group 05/15, Brandon Fields All Stars 05/16 and John Daversa 05/22-25