Friday, September 17, 2010

Steve Gadd's "Live at Voce"

Last November, Gadd brought an all star line-up to Yoshi's in San Francisco with keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Ronnie Cuber and guitarist Paul Bollenback. Now comes a live album featuring that band, "Live at Voce". A well-respected drummer who has appeared in many types of settings in many genres, Gadd's impressive technique and flexibility have been influential during the past 20 years. He started playing drums at the age of three, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie when he was 11, and after extensive study and a stint in the Army, Gadd became an important studio drummer beginning in 1972. Among his more significant jazz associations have been with Chick Corea (starting in 1975), Bob James, Al DiMeola, Tom Scott, Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, the group Stuff, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet, and his own impressive band (the Gadd Gang) which recorded for Columbia in 1986 and 1988.

Gadd's website features a review of the aforementioned album, recounted below by Malcolm Moore who wrote, "This has been a simply stellar year for Steve Gadd. Between tours, recordings, and performances with world renown artists such as Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Alain Clark, and Edie Brickell, he somehow also managed to record and produce 3 albums himself, the first of these being Steve Gadd & Friends "Live at Voce."

It’s the debut CD by a band that has actually been touring sporadically since 2007. Steve Gadd & Friends is comprised of Gadd on drums, Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond organ and trumpet (!), Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Paul Bollenback on guitar. Even though Gadd is a master at all genres, it’s easy to tell that this is the type music he truly enjoys playing the most. The music seems to effortlessly breathe with its deep groves and emotional expressionism. It was recorded at an intimate setting, in Scottsdale Arizona, at Voce’ Lounge. If you listen with headphones on, it’s as if the band is playing right in front of you. You can hear the ambiance of the gig; counting off of the tunes, people cheering, shouting, and clapping, and the clinking of occasional drink glasses.

On one hand it’s a nod to the past, as Gadd and Cuber played for many years together in The Gadd Gang. But on the other hand, they’re charting new territory with DeFrancesco taking it into the stratosphere with the Hammond and Bollenback painting the canvas with a fusion that seamlessly glues it all together. The music is immediate and intense. Despite the laid back feel of "Bye Bye Blackbird ", with its hip brush strokes, muted trumpet, dripping guitar phrases, and submarine sax, these four gentlemen are symbiotic, fluid, and cohesive. They conjure up myriad sonic landscapes outside of space and time by dousing the audience with pure musical joy.

Gadd always knows when to leave space and just groove, but he also provides some brilliant and dazzling drum solos, too. "Sister Sadie" is a perfect example. What starts out as a blazing strait-ahead tune, with Cuber blowing bolts of lightening, and then Bollenback flailing away into hidden fretboard realms, gradually turns into Gadd trading fierce fours with DeFrancesco. He throws off the snares, picks up the brushes, and then unveils a tribal masterpiece. Just as enjoyable and revealing is his new take on the Gadd Gand classic "Way Back Home." This version is a bit wider, looser, and dirtier, with the raunchy sax and organ screaming back and forth like rabid, territorial jazz cats. Gadd rips into his solo here with the exuberance and finesse of a wise master craftsman.

"Them Changes" is a chef d'oeuvre that only seasoned professionals like these four friends could cook up and then actually pull off. It’s an abstract and Barfly-esque study in funk. Twists and turns abound as they speak in music to each other. Their interplay is beatific as the euphoria fills the room. In a time where most music relies on computer enhancements, this is an organic anomaly straight from the source. If this is their debut recording, one can only image what they will do next! Don’t miss out on this astounding new release..."

Friday, September 3, 2010

The 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival Comes to Speedway Meadows

Next Saturday, September 11, 2010, visionary musician and human rights worker, Michael Franti, along with Guerrilla Management present the 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival (PTTP) at Speedway Meadow in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Beginning in 1998, this diverse music, arts, action and yoga festival has become a premiere San Francisco tradition dedicated to educating attendees on issues of social justice, non- violence, cultural co-existence and environmental sustainability. With over 70,000 attendees, PTTP has grown from a local community based event to one of the nation’s largest free annual music festivals in the U.S. PTTP features a variety of international musicians, visual artists, renowned keynote speakers and over 200 exhibitors and green vendors.

The Power of the Peaceful movement has reached a new level by gaining international recognition. PTTP is committed to sustainability via innovative recycling programs, initiating partnerships with other sustainable organizations and encouraging the use of “green” yoga products. Past artists and speakers of the event include: Ziggy Marley, Alanis Morissette, Indigo Girls, The String Cheese Incident, John Butler Trio, KRS-1, Digital Underground, Woody Harrelson, Angela Davis, Saul Williams, Dennis Kucinich, Blackalicious, Alice Walker, Talib Kweli, The Coup, Keller Williams, DJ Spooky, King Britt, Lyrics Born, and many more.

Recognized as a pioneering force in branding music as a vehicle for global social activism, Michael Franti's reputation as a poet, activist, social humanitarian and musician has encompassed a wide range of projects and social justice initiatives through the years. His 2006 documentary I Know I'm Not Alone chronicled the chaos and devastation taking place in the Middle East and garnered Franti universal praise and rave reviews. Michael Franti and Spearhead have also organized and contributed to numerous humanitarian efforts throughout their career have become one of music's most riveting live concert performers.

The band has shared the stage with a diverse range of superstar artists including the Dave Matthews Band, U2, REM, Ziggy Marley and many others. With an acclaimed 2009 release, All Rebel Rockers, and the successful single, "Say Hey (I Love You)” as one of the most added records at multiple formats including, Top 40, Hot AC and Alternative radio in 2009, Michael Franti is now poised to release The Sound Of Sunshine on August 24, 2010.

The upcoming record is a bright, beautiful and often buoyant song cycle created to bring all kinds of listeners a sense of hope during rough and rainy times for so many in our world and arguably the most cohesive, romantic and life-affirming album that Franti and Spearhead have ever made, The Sound Of Sunshine reflects the fact that, as Franti puts it, “With time, you get a better sense who you are and how to put together all your musical passions into your own sound. I feel like for a long time, I dabbled in other sounds. Like `Let’s do something with a reggae vibe here.’ Or `Let’s really rock here.’ But now, I write everything from the acoustic guitar up -- which keeps you honest.

12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Music and Arts Festival Schedule:

Friday September 10TH
POWER TO THE PEACEFUL FESTIVAL OFFICIAL PRE-PARTY AND CARE GLOBAL ACTION FILM PRESENTATION
4:30pm – 9:30pm
The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115

Saturday, September 11th
POWER TO THE PEACEFUL FESTIVAL
Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
9am: Call for 1000 Yogis w/Seane Corn
11am - 5pm: Festival
Admission is FREE ($5/donation requested-no one turned away)
Saturday September 11th
POWER TO THE PEACEFUL FESTIVAL AFTERPARTY
The Rockin’ Heads
Michael Franti and Spearhead
The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115

Sunday September 12th
OFFICIAL POST POWER TO THE PEACEFUL FESTIVAL YOGA/BRAZILIAN ARTS & MICHAEL FRANTI’S FAMILY MATINEE
9:30am – 5:30pm
The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115

Complete information for the festival and all related events can be found at: www.powertothepeaceful.org