Review: Dr John and the Lower 911

Dr John. Photo credit: Mark Mitchinson

Dr John and the Lower 911
(Under the Bridge, Friday 1st July. Part of Bluesfest London. Review by Fran Hardcastle.)

The visit of Mac Rebbenack to Under the Bridge on Friday night brought with it a human definition of the essence of cool.

Sharp suited down to his snake-skin shoes, Dr John (as Rebbenack is universally known) and his unmistakable sound brought the room to attention. The infamous languid drawl was delivered with the perfection of a studio record. Working tirelessly through a long set of new and old classics, Dr John offered lyrically phrased piano licks covering preaching gospel, soul and intense blues. Support came from the powerfully grooving rhythm section of the Lower 911. Silky backing vocals came from bassist David Barard and guitarist John Fohl proffered solos with an understated bite.

Dr John. Photo credit: Mark Mitchinson

Tunes such as Wild Honey and the rabble rousing Renegade got every head bouncing. Lyrical content swept through the witty spoken word of Renegade to the political messages brought by Only in America and Save Our Wetlands. All neatly packaged in an insouciantly delivered stage show, skulls and voodoo paraphernalia dispersed over piano and organ and prayer like dances thrown in for good measure to a greedy gleeful audience. At nearly 71, Mac Rebennack’s stamina is hard to beat.

Dr John. Photo credit: Mark Mitchinson

Review: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
Under the Bridge, July 2nd, 2011. Part of Bluesfest London. Review by Rod Fogg)

Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews is a New Orleans native from the Tremé (pronounced “TreMAY”) district near the centre of town and grew up as part of an extended family of musicians. The marching band culture in New Orleans means kids there grow up wanting to play brass instruments rather than guitars, and Troy began playing in brass band parades when only four years old – his nickname comes from the fact that the trombone was larger than he was. Although only in his mid-20s he has already performed and toured with many leading artists including Lenny Kravitz and U2.

Andrew’s main outlet for original work is Orleans Avenue, a seven-piece band that’s the baddest, funkiest and tightest you’ll hear in a long, long time. They are: Trombone Shorty, trombone, trumpet and vocals; Michael Ballard, bass; Pete Murano, guitar; Dan Oestreicher, baritone sax; Joey Peebles, drums; Dwayne Williams, percussion; and Tim McFatter on tenor sax. These guys seem to have several things in common; their connection to New Orleans, their youth, and their ability to play to a very high standard.

“Supafunkrock” is Andrews' chosen name for their style of music. It's not easy to sum up, but the majority of their tracks are instrumental, and feature dynamite unison or 'call and response' horn riffs played over a weighty bass/drums backbeat and accompanied by funky single note riffs or choppy chords on guitar. That's an over simplification and the music is way, way better than that might sound. The baritone sax is punchy and deep, the tenor sax fluent and jazzy, and Pete Murano’s guitar solos (several of them lengthy) demonstrate his amazing chops.

All of which makes Andrews even more impressive because I've never heard the trombone played the way he does it. He has speed, fluency, musical invention, power and excitement that put the old ’bone on a whole new level. He's also a fine singer, taking the lead on original tracks and some cover versions such as Allen Toussaint's "On Your Way Down", or Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On". His party piece is circular breathing, and he blew a single note continuously for what seemed like minutes on end. It may not have been the most musically inventive part of the gig but for technical prowess it was seriously impressive.

This band don't just play funk with a rock influence; you can also add a dose of rap, hip-hop and all other post James Brown dance styles to the mix. After hurricane Katrina it may have been tempting to see New Orleans as a city whose glory days are in the past. If it can still produce music of this quality, then the future is looking pretty good too.

http://www.bluesfestlondon.com// http://www.underthebridge.co.uk/

Review: Booker T. Jones

Booker T. Jones. Photo credit: Frederick Bernas

Booker T. Jones
(Under the Bridge, 3th June. Part of Bluesfest London. Review by Frederick Bernas)

Roman Abramovich’s new venue is a welcome addition to London's live music scene. A cross between Ronnie Scott’s and the kind of nightclub where you might expect to meet the more unruly Chelsea stars on a rumbustious night out, it is an intimate space and has accomplished sound engineers. The voluble Booker T. Jones – a veteran hard worker of the US music scene – looked right at home in his pork pie hat on the glittering stage.

Booker’s biography reads like a Who’s Who of R&B, soul and rock – it’s easier to count the big names he hasn’t worked with. While his groundbreaking MGs group produced classic cuts such as ‘Green Onions’ and ‘Soul Limbo,’ they also backed up a whole host of cult figures on the Stax Records roster throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Unsurprisingly, Thursday’s concert featured a rich vein of feelgood hits – cherished by a knowledgeable crowd – that was effectively combined with newer material from the 2011 album Road To Memphis, recorded in collaboration with The Roots, Philadelphia’s live hip-hop supergroup.

Bombastic organ grooves were Booker’s order of the day, characterised by his trademark minimal style and metronomic beats from drummer Darian Gray, who doubled up as MC on a couple of tunes. Highlights from the recent release included pulsating instrumentals like ‘Everything is Everything’ and ‘Harlem House,’ while the shameless spaghetti western hero music of ‘Hangin High’ was an unexpected treat.

Booker himself even exited the picture at one point, leaving guitarist Vernon Black completely alone to belt out an enjoyable cover of Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’.

The sizeable old school revival crew was not left wanting, however, as Booker’s band rounded off nearly two hours of music by returning to its prodigious historical repertoire: ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and ‘Take Me to the River’ were reeled off in quick succession to leave the audience partying like it was 1975.

www.bluesfestlondon.com / www.underthebridge.co.uk

Review: Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama
(Under the Bridge. 28th June 2011. Part of Bluesfest London. Review by Adam Tait)

The Under The Bridge club, underneath Stamford Bridge football stadium is remarkably stylish, and has been constructed with the highest musical standards in mind. No gimmicky football memorabilia adorns the walls. No signed shirts or photographs of great teams gone-by. In fact, once you descend the stairs into the club you swiftly forget that you are actually located in a sporting arena. Under The Bridge is the complete music venue in every sense.

That feeling of a special occasion was entirely appropriate for a performance by The Blind Boys of Alabama, almost to the point of feeling that any other London jazz venue could not have done the event justice. A gospel band that has been around since 1939, formed of blind members suggests something other than the ordinary, much in the same way that a blues club situated under Chelsea’s home ground does.

As Jimmy Carter, Ricky McKinnie and Ben More took to the stage, sharply dressed in matching blazers and dark glasses, hands firmly clutching the shoulder of the band mate in front of them and led by a stage hand who positioned each of them between their respective microphones and chairs (they aren’t young men, after all), the already wildly appreciative audience could not help but be impressed and excited about what was to follow.

What followed was remarkable. Musicians of a younger generation are put to shame by the vitality and virtuosity of these men’s performance. A soul-tingling rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ and a heart thumping performance of ‘Spirit in the Sky’ moved the audience as one entity. They brought smiles to all faces, glued every pair of eyes in the audience to the stage. Songs such as ‘Take the High Road’ (title track of the group’s new album) and ‘Free at Last’ demonstrate the group’s exceptional and uplifting songcraft. Regardless of the message of the lyrics, their delivery inevitably makes you feel better for hearing them.

A performance by a group like The Blind Boys makes you realise the reason for their longevity: they absolutely love it. The music flows through them, it lifts them up out of their seats, it moves their bodies for them, it dispels any concern of misjudging where the edge of the stage is that would trouble other blind individuals. The only way a group could keep doing what they do for 70 years, and doing it successfully at that, is if it’s members are entirely immersed in what they do. It is this that makes them so popular with audiences, audiences more diverse in terms of age and race than I have ever seen.

It is not their age that is impressive, nor the fact that they are blind. What stays in the mind about a Blind Boys performance is how they palpably just love the act of performing for an audience, and how much the audience, any audience, will take them to its heart.

http://www.blindboys.com/ /   http://www.underthebridge.co.uk/   /   http://www.bluesfestlondon.com/