I saw more than my share of live music in 2013, including some
new groups. a number of one-off collaborations, and some outstanding
perforances by the usual suspects.
Paring a year of music down to a dozen top events wasn’t easy, but here’s
what I came up with, listed in chronological order.
Billy Cobham Spectrum 40 Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz. 1/31/13. Drummer Billy Cobham helped define
jazz fusion in the early 1970s on seminal recordings by Miles Davis and as a
member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Celebrating the 40th anniversary
of his ground-breaking solo album Spectrum, Cobham brought a top drawer
ensemble to Santa Cruz including guitarist Dean Brown, keyboardist Gary
Husband, bassist Ric Fierabracci and his
old Mahavishnu bandmate Jerry Goodman on violin for a set of intricate electric jazz that sounded fresh,
with Cobham in top form as he moved freely from light percussion interludes to
full arena bombast with his oversized kit.
Rolling Stones – HP Pavilion, San Jose 5/8/13. Few musical ensembles have persisted
for five decades, and the Rolling Stones certainly can’t attribute their
longevity to a clean and healthy lifestyle. Keith Richards was moving a bit
slower than the last time I saw the band, but, they still managed to rock
mightily at the local stop on their 50 and counting tour. Guest shots by Bonnie
Raitt and John Fogerty, a cameo by ex-Stone Mick Taylor, and deep cuts like “No
Expectations” and “Paint It Black” were all highlights, but it was a special
thrill to see our hometown student ensemble, the Choraliers, onstage with the
Stones for their first encore, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
North Mississippi Allstars Duo (with Phil and Grahame Lesh)
Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael. 8/3/13.
What was billed as a duo show by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson turned into
a rowdy jam session when Terrapin proprietor Phil Lesh and his guitarist son
Grahame joined the Dickinsons for this long, rootsy show that was equal parts
blues-rock classics and familiar selections from the Grateful Dead songbook.
The already furious pace of the show amped up further when Lesh’s new best
friend, guitarist Anders Osborne, came onstage for a few numbers, ultimately
bringing it home with a rowdy pairing of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Turn
On Your Lovelight
Phil Lesh and Friends – Terrapin Crossroads 8/11/13. I spent
a lot of evenings in San Rafael this year, but this matinee, a last-minute
addition featuring the ensemble that played the previous two nights for the
mixed-media Tree of Life event, was particularly memorable, one long set of
joyous rock and roll. Lesh clearly has a special bond with multi-instrumentalist
Larry Campbell and his vocalist wife Theresa Williams, and has found another sympatico
collaborator in New Orleans guitarist Anders Osborne. Drummer Tony Leone grounded the ensemble,
while jazz funk keyboardist John Medeski provided groove with an avant-garde
edge.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops with Regina Carter– SF Jazz
Center, May 12. The Carolina Chocolate Drops were guests of SF Jazz Artist in
Residence Regina Carter on the final night of her May residency. The youthful
Chocolate Drops have rediscovered African American string band music of the 19th
through early 20th century and made its energy and classic
compositions accessible to contemporary audiences. Although this was primarily
the Chocolate Drops’ show, Carter joined them on violin for several tunes.
Rock Collection Unplugged – Moss House 9/22/13. House
concerts are a wonderfully intimate way to see as well as hear great musicians
up close and personal. This event featured a rare acoustic performance of the
Bay Area’s rock collection, slimmed down for this event to a trio comprising
guitarists Dan Lebowitz and Mark Karan and bassist Robin Sylvester. Both Lebo and Karan are world class lead
guitarists, but they also excelled at subtle, tasty rhythm and fills when the
other guitarist was soloing. The show’s two long sets were a mixture of old
favorites, new material, and the usual Dylan and Dead covers.
Christian McBride Trio – Kuumbwa October 7, 2013. Bassist
McBride has played Kuumbwa many times, most recently earlier this year as part
of the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour ensemble, but he seems most in his element
leading his own trio, featuring drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and pianist Christian
Sands. Although McBride is hardly a veteran, his pairing with these two younger
virtuosos definitely keeps him on his toes. The intimate but music-friendly
confines of Kuumbwa always bring out the best in McBride, so this evening’s set
of standards and material from the trio’s recent release was particularly
inspired.
Brokedown in Bakersfield – Terrapin Crossroads 9/6/13. Southern California spawned its own
unique blend of country music in the 1950s and 1960s, and this occasional
ensemble does Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Gram Parsons proud. Nicki and Tim Bluhm, who had done a stellar
set in the same room a couple of weeks earlier with their other band, the
Gramblers, took the bulk of the lead vocals. The band is rouded out by
telecaster master Scott Law and three fourths of bay area jam-funk phenoms ALO
(Dan Lebowitz on pedal steel and vocals, Steve Adams on bass, and drummer Dave
Brogan.
Bill Frisell and Friends – SF Jazz Center 9/15/13. The SF Jazz Center chose wisely in
selecting guitarist Bill Frisell as one of their initial artists in residence.
Frisell wrapped up his September residency with a bit of a free for all
featuring all of the artists that played with him individually on the previous
three nights. This wildly eclectic
ensemble featured vocalist Pieta Haden, viola player Eyvind Kang, bassist
Thomas Mayer, saxophonist Greg Osby, and drummer Rudy Royston. While the
musicians filed on and off stage in a variety of combinations, cartoonist Jim
Woodring drew a fantastic tableau on a screen behind the stage.
Furthur – Greek Theatre, Berkeley 9/29/13. People have either loved or hated
this touring vehicle for Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, but the group had a successful
five year run that ends with a set of shows in the Mayan Riviera next month.
Their final bay area show, at the Grateful Dead’s old stomping grounds in
Berkeley, was something special – brilliantly played on a glorious Sunday
afternoon that saw almost everyone up and dancing.
Joshua Redman Quartet – Kuumbwa 11/15/13. I’ve seen Berkeley
saxophone player Redman in a variety of settings over the years, most recently
as part of a duo with table player Zakir Hussain at the SF Jazz Center, but I
have never seen him more energized or in better form than at this performance
with his new quartet, comprising pianist
Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Redman
was leaning hard into his instrument from the first notes, pumping his leg
continually as if to summon up more air from his lungs. The group’s first
number lasted half an hour, and featured the dense ensemble playing that
characterized the whole show.
David Nelson Band - Terrapin Crossroads 11/17/73. Although they only do a couple of tours a year because of other commitments (Nelson with the New Riders and guitarist Barry Sless, bassist Pete Sears and drummer John Molo with Moonalice), the David Nelson Band's shows have captured much of the rhythmic magic that characterized the Grateful Dead in their prime. This Saturday show, the middle of a three night Txr stand, was pure fun from start (with Nelson pulling out Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell." to the triple encore of "White Lighting (featuring a rare lead vocal turn by Molo), "Sisters and Brothers," and "Earl's Girls," A significant portion of the audience attends every show this band plays - and I can see why.
