Since Snarky Puppy has curtailed its touring due the draconian COVID restrictions, a couple of its whelps have been getting together at the Baked Potato. Describing his teamwork with saxist Bob Reynolds as “The Laurel and Hardy of Jazz”, guitarist Mark Lettieri and the tenor titan led a hard hitting quartet with the rhythm section of bassist Travis Carlton and drummer Gary Novak to heat up the Potato until steam was coming out of the front doors on this chilly night in Studio City.
The gents mixed up material from each other’s solo ventures, joint ventures and some Puppy chow as well. Lettieri’s own “Summer Salt” opened t hings up with a sleek pulse delivered by the rhythm team that was as tight as Jay Lo’s NYE outfit, as the composer dug out some deep blues around Reynolds patented fog machine of a tenor. His “Lotus” started off with an eerie mist of an intro by Reynolds that eventually coalesced into a dark and rich soul pulse.
Speaking of soul, the band sprayed on some Afro Sheen and turned into a mix of the Famous Flames and Tower of Power as Lettieri wacka wooka’d his way through “Hold Tight” before rocking it and socking it with sparks flying off of his fingers over and through Carlton’s deep groove. Likewise Reynolds had a brand new bag as he volleyed back and forth with Lattieri and then rode over Novak’s avalanche on the get out funky “Goon Squad”.
Reynolds gave a tour de force exhibition of lyricism as his horn sighed with agonizing long tones through the lyrical “Unlucky” floating over Lettieri’s deft support and Novak’s brushes before the team took a turn into the exotic on “ Spark and Echo” which had the leaders gallop up to a riveting climax, racing to the tape at a photo finish.
Not only was the music refreshing, but so was the interplay with the audience. How many guys introduce their wife and kids to the crowd as Reynolds did between songs? It’s that mix of musical and social enthusiasm that will get us Angelenos back on the track that we’re used to.
Upcoming shows at the Baked Potato include 01/14-15 Scott Henderson, 01/15-17 Box of Noise with Percy Jones, Ruggeiro Plays Monk 01/19, Michael Landau 01/21-22 and Graham Dechter 01/31