BP Recommends: April 2009

JIMMY HERRING

Lifeboat [Abstract Logix]

In recent years, the South has been home to fusion’s freshest, most foward-leaning flamekeepers—musicians who value groove and grit with their chops and changes. Georgia guitarist Herring and his assembled crew of Kofi and Oteil Burbridge, drummer Jeff Sipe (plus guests like Derek Trucks and Greg Osby) are match-head examples. On his long-awaited debut, Herring indeed opens with the fast fuze-boogie of “Scapegoat Blues.” But the currents quickly change, and Herring’s guitar takes second billing to his songs, much of them deliberate, dark, and dense. This includes the murky minor chords of “Gray Day,” “New Moon,” and a cool cover of Disney’s “Jungle Book Overtue.” Elsewhere, his “Lifeboat Serenade” boast an angular progression best described as Allman Bros.-meets-“Giant Steps.”

Down below, Oteil Burbridge’s versatile rhythmic prowess and complete harmonic awareness make for superior support. The backbeat funk of “One Strut” is a blank canvas for his groove improvisations and mind-locks with Sipe. On brother Kofi’s straightahead “Splash” and the Wayne Shorter jazz waltz, “Lost,” Oteil displays an upright-like sensibility and sound. And on “Transients,” his trademark chordand- note-flurry solo fills the track like wind in a sail. In short, this Lifeboat is anything but adrift.—CHRIS JISI

THE POWER TRIPLETS

Ta-Da [ThePowerTriplets.com]

Virtuoso bassist and eclectic composer Trip Wamsley has already established himself as a master of solo bass on fretless and fretted alike, with deeply warm tones and exquisitely refined technique sprinkled liberally throughout his past solo releases. But he’s got a rowdy side to his playing as well, and on Ta-Da he lets loose with a downright rude barrage of overdrive, heavy picking, power chords, aggressive rockslapping, and open jam madness. Wamsley’s interplay with guitarist Chris Nix (a Beck/Johnson/ Morse-influenced revelation in his own right) and drummer Tom Hurst is raw and unafraid, it defiantly occupies the ample space necessary to make this power-trio’s interesting material work, and it leaves nothing on the table. (BB)

BRIAN BURACKER

Within This Brief Time [www.brianburacker.com]

With a stated goal of being able to express himself on bass the way his singer-songwriter influences sing and play guitar, Brian Buracker issues a sonically compelling 11-track debut. Right from the hammer-and-double- stop sub-hook of the opener, “Follow the Sun,” Buracker’s bass claims an integral role in his dreamy and droning diatonic creations. The further enhancement of guitar, drums, soprano sax, and Buracker’s sparse, heartfelt vocals—perfect when cast against his rich, baritone chords—reveal influences like Dave Matthews, U2, and Peter Gabriel. “Baby’s Breath” and “Hard to Believe” are among other seamless marriages of instrument dexterity and introspective lyrics. Meanwhile, “Counting Lucky Stars,” with its Creamy power trio riff, and the Marcus-like, slapped sub-melody of the bluesy “You Lied” introduce other colors from Buracker’s plush palette. (CJ)

JOHN MONTAGNA

Senza [JohnMontagna.com]

With five intensely musical creations on his EP Senza, Brooklyn, NY native John Montagna blends influences that seem difficult to mix— the classic Brit-rock melodic bass-playing and lead vocals of Paul McCartney, the sharply picked tones and layered overdriven bass of Chris Squire, the vocal textures of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, folk-rock treatments applied to bass guitar as a lead instrument, and his own raw, quirky, stripped-down songwriting and production choices—and provides the blueprint for a bassist/singer/songwriter’s place in a world usually occupied by acoustic guitarists and pianists. The beauty of the solo bass/choirvocal piece “You Are Safe” alone warrants the extremely rare exception to older releases (2007) being reviewed in this space, but every tune on here is a special treasure for bassists and songwriting aficionados alike, and Montagna’s doing something no one else is doing at his level. Very highly recommended. (BB)

FUNK FILHARMONIK

Everybody Get Down [funkfilharmonik.com]

While tribute bands have never been more popular and plentiful, Long Island’s 12-piece Funk Filharmonik has been covering Tower Of Power (with a dose of Earth, Wind & Fire) for over 20 years (during which time a handful of members have recorded and toured with T.O.P.). The unit’s overdue debut is an energetic set of originals, mostly by trombonist/producer Ozzie Melendez, plus a pair from noted N.Y. producer/bassist Gary Haase. Beneath the hollerin’ horns throughout, Jack Knight’s bass binds with taut, Roccolike precision, especially on the Tower-esque title track, “We Get the Notion,” and the Nuyorican- tinged “Everything 4 Free.” (CJ)

REWIRING GENESIS

A Tribute To The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [ProgRock/SPV]

Talk about your chocolate- in-my-peanut-butter ideas: The signature 1974 Genesis progressive catalog title gets a thorough reworking by…Nashville session musicians? With a horn section, live strings, woodwinds, accordions and banjos, and theatrical Broadway-style rearrangements? And it works? Sure, when the bassist is veteran producer/ bassist Dave Martin, who takes a classically thick groove and tone seasoned by years of vintage soul and R&B, applies it to this otherside- of-the-universe project, and somehow, against all odds, makes Genesis swing. Producers Mark Hornsby and Nick D’Virgilio (who also sings lead) are key in bridging the gaps between the progressive and Nashville worlds, but it’s the funky soul of Martin and his studio, where it was tracked, that gives it enough grease to actually work. If you’re a fan of the original record, this inventive re-imagination is a must-have. (BB)

TOUR PICK

If you saw Springsteen’s slick stage slide during halftime of Superbowl XVIII, you know what’s up—the Boss is back! Bruce and the boys will be ripping up stages across the nation this April and May with Garry Tallent on bass. (BF)

4/1 San Jose, CA
4/3 Glendale, AZ
4/5 Austin, TX
4/7 Tulsa, OK
4/8 Houston, TX
4/10 Denver, CO
4/15 Los Angeles, CA
4/16 Los Angeles, CA
4/21 Boston, MA
4/22 Boston, MA
4/24 Hartford, CT
4/26 Atlanta, GA
4/28 Philadelphia, PA
4/29 Philadelphia, PA
5/2 Greensboro, NC
5/4 Uniondale, NY
5/7 Toronto, ON
5/8 University Park, PA
5/11 Saint Paul, MN
5/12 Chicago, IL
5/14 Albany, NY
5/15 Hershey, PA
5/18 Washington, DC
5/19 Pittsburgh, PA
5/21 East Rutherford, NJ
5/22 East Rutherford, NJ

BF Brian Fox
BB Bryan Beller
CJ Chris Jisi