Live Review: Saint Paul & The Broken Bones + Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty

w/ St Paul & The Broken Bones

The Chelsea, Las Vegas

Saturday 26 August 2017

I felt a tad overdressed for the gig tonight. But I was in Las Vegas, and dress codes are strict here, so I opted for something slightly nicer than the fluro cheetah print spandex top I’d worn to Steel Panther the night previous.

First act St Paul & The Broken Bones were actually the drawcard for me. They were also dressed to the nines, so perhaps my nice shirt was a good choice. There were eight of them onstage – three in the brass section, bass, drums, guitar, organ and vocals – all well presented and experts on their instruments. Frontman Paul Janeway rocked a dapper red suit with checkered labels.

And they could play! I heard someone near me call them “this generation’s white James Brown”. I’ll leave that to you to decide on, but they sure could channel soul music as well as the best I’d seen.

Janeway was a real character. He was possessed by the music, letting it control him. He would “conduct” the rest of the band, adding his angelic coos to the music. At one point he removed his golden shoes and threw them over his shoulder. Next he rolled around on the floor as he sang, before crawling under the drum riser – emerging from the other end like a caterpillar crawling across a leaf. I was in stitches. Janeway managed to do all this without missing a note, so I imagine he is well-practiced at this caterpillar routine.

The band played a mixed style, with some down-tempo soul music interspersed with upbeat funky numbers. Either way, it was great for dancing. Whether they laid down a groovy jam, struck up a flute solo, or let loose on the organ, it was all brilliant.

The band played for 80 minutes, despite only having two albums of material to draw from. And truth be told, I could have quite happily left after that set satisfied.

I’m glad that I didn’t though. Because as great as Saint Paul & The Broken Bones were, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were a step above.

That band – what a band!- they were a sight to see. To start with there were two drummers.

Two!

Drummers!

I don’t know if that excites everyone the way that it excites me, but two drummers in one band is something that I get very worked up about. They last time that I saw a band that featured two drummers was Tortoise, and they were outstanding. There was a dedicated percussionist as well – who may as well be a third drummer.

SO MANY DRUMS!!!!!!!

And moving on….

The excitement doesn’t stop there. There was bass – smooth, groovy bass. There were two guitarists – ridiculously talented shredders. Three talented backing singers (sat criminally low in the mix). And a trio of brass players, with two on saxophone and the star of the show adding his trademark trombone (and occasionally trumpet) to the trio.

I think back to when I first saw Gary Clark Jr play, opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2013. His very presence exuded coolness. And his playing only confirmed how slick he was. Seeing Troy Andrews – better known as Trombone Shorty – evoked exactly the same thoughts and feelings in me.

The man has talent. Whether he was singing or riffing along with the saxophones on the trombone, he impressed. I guess if you grow up around the hottest players in New Orleans, some of that talent is guaranteed to rub off on you.

It was all on. 12 people on stage will do that. Everyone was dancing about and enjoying themselves – both on and off the stage. It was so infectious. The lights added to the fun, although there was a touch too much strobing that made me dizzy. And I swear that the floor was flexing underneath me!

Trombone Shorty cut his teeth with the best, learning from an early age. And using all that knowledge and experience, he has fused the genres of his town to create fantastic, fun music, and assembled a stellar band to help him present it to the world.

As if it wasn’t enough to play such a great set, they finished the night by throwing a dozen free t-shirts into the audience. It was a generous notion, considering that those shirts cost almost the price of admission at the merch table.

I came to The Chelsea tonight hoping to see some class acts representing their respective cities musically, and wanting to dance. And sure enough, got both in spades. Now I can tick Saint Paul & The Broken Bones off my bucket list after their soulful set. And Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue blew me away. What better way to get a taste of the south?

Joseph James

Album Review: Emeli Sandé – Long Live The Angels

Emeli Sandé – Long Live The Angels

I first became aware of Emeli Sandé when my younger sister sang her hit single “Next To Me” at my grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary ceremony. I was taken by the power of it, so made it my business to seek out the original artist. Turns out that Sandé was a pretty big deal – beating chart records set by The Beatles and boosting the biggest selling record of 2012. Four years later, Sandé has released her follow up album, Long Live The Angels.

Long Live The Angels is explores Sandé’s identity. Her half-Zambian, half-Scottish heritage, her failed marriage and strained relationships, her aspirations and desires realised since she dropped her medical studies to pursue a music career. Here is someone who reached such great heights with her début album, but lost herself in the process. Long Live The Angels is the story of a powerful singer desperately climbing back up to her former throne.

“Selah” starts the album with a powerful tone. Sandé shows off her gorgeous voice by reducing the instrumentation to a minimum, and instead using the service of a goosebump-inducing choir to add ambiance to her poetic singing. The gospel overtones continue with the uplifting first single “Breathing Underwater” – a euphoric victory cry in ballad form.

I love the production on this album. Everything feels very deliberate. By reducing the amount of instruments in each song, Sandé has more space to let her voice take center stage. Take for example “Sweet Architect”. It’s just piano and vocals, with choral harmonies and organ used to add depth towards the end. But it makes an impact.

In “Happen” we feel Sandé’s despair and loss, until a guitar chimes in – almost squealing – and Sandé answers defiantly. “Hurts” adds urgency with a fast hand-clapped beat and brass section. Lovely acoustic guitar number “Give Me Something”, however, feels more simple, yet effective.

The album takes a sharp turn half way through, with a more contemporary pop approach. Jay Electronica lays down some rapping for a verse in “Garden”, and the next track “I’d Rather Not” features hip-hop drumming. The two songs don’t fit well within the context of the rest of the album. Compared to the more soulful other songs, these more urban tracks feels forced – with “Garden” in particular clearly manufactured with the intention of becoming a hit. Album closer “Babe” and a few of the bonus tracks come close to straying into this territory as well.

Not to let these urban intrusions derail the album, Sandé saves one of the best tracks for later – the feel good family affair “Tenderly” – a nod to her Zambian heritage. From here on in the mood feels lighter and more carefree. Using her voice to convey emotion and gravitas works, but injecting fun energy into tracks like “Highs and Lows” is simply more enjoyable.

Long Live The Angels feels emotionally raw, covering the entire spectrum from desperation to elation. Sandé uses the album as her phoenix fire, emerging from heartbreak and loss to rise stronger than before. The production is stunning, but not nearly as impressive as her voice.

Simple, effective, and emotional: Long Live The Angels is a defiant statement from a talented singer claiming back her stake in the music industry

Joseph James

Interview: Jay Power

Soulful Australian singer Jay Power is crossing the Tasman to play Meow in Wellington on Wednesday night next week, before heading north for a show at The Old Stone Butter Factory in Whangarei on Friday, and four slots at Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival over the weekend. Will Not Fade shot off some questions to try and get a taste for what to expect at Jay’s shows.

Hi Jay, how are you?

Pretty pumped to be coming to New Zealand for the first time. I hear it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world and I will see it for myself!

I can’t argue with that. I’m sure that you will agree when you see for yourself soon enough. For the uninitiated, how do you explain your sound to first time listeners? And what song would you play to show what you are all about?

It’s pop music with soul and jazz flavours over funk and hip hop beats. ‘When You Got Love’ might be a good indication of how I like to play. Laid back grooves with and upbeat feeling.

You’ve just switched from using your real name to the Jay Power moniker. Did this change represent something more?

It’s partly practical (less letters, more simple ….Google approves) but it’s also liberating to reinvent myself artistically and enter a new phase in my career, which is what I was doing with the music too. I’ve enjoyed doing something new with a new name that’s punchy and to the point.

Sounds good to me. Following on from that, what is your reaction to the following short clip?

It never gets boring, it’s genius every time.

Your bio states that you were a finalist for South Australian Female Artist of the year last year. Tell me about what that involved.

It’s a yearly awards ceremony to recognise what’s happening in the local scene. I’d just released my album and I was nominated as a result of that. It was nice to be recognised by my peers, but I think the best bit about the event was being a part of something bigger and seeing what other artists are creating and achieving. And buying a new dress for it was pretty cool too.

Nice! In fact, your overall bio is an impressive read. What do you consider you greatest achievement to date?

Really? Thanks! The thing I’m most proud of is my album, a labour of love two years in the making alongside some of my favourite people in this world. It’s a big deal, making and album and it’s hard to make something that’s interesting and true to yourself, I think we mostly achieved that.

On this upcoming tour you’ve got both headlining shows, and festival slots. Does each type of performance require a different approach?

Yes it does and that’s part of the adventure. You connect with people in a different way each time and it brings something new out in your performance. In fact on this tour it’s even more varied since we’re playing at a jazz festival, so we might sneak in a jazz tune or two.

Your band boasts an impressive line-up. How did you manage to secure such talent?

Last year I had the pleasure of supporting Hollie Smith while she was touring in Australia. Darren Mathiassen and Marika Hodgeson (both from NZ) played in Hollie’s band and I was of course, super impressed. When I knew I was coming to New Zealand I got in touch to see if they would play with me – lucky me, they said yes. I’m also bringing Mikey Chan with me from Melbourne Australia, we just toured England together and he’s a pretty special guitarist.

You’re playing Wellington on a Wednesday night. Convince me that it’s worth missing out on sleep to come out and see your show.

It’s a Wednesday. What could you possibly be doing on a Wednesday that’s better than coming out to see seriously soul musicians in a great venue like Meow? Add to that the opportunity to see Spitfire play (Myele Manzanza, Ed Zuccolo and Justin Firefly – hell yes!) and I can guarantee Netflix simply can’t compare.

Consider me convinced! Ed Zuccolo used to play with Adam Page a lot so he is a drawcard for me in his own right. I can imagine that you will be busy on this upcoming tour, but you are travelling through some incredible parts of the country. Do you have any non-music plans for your time in New Zealand?

There will be non-music travel activities, but I don’t know what they are yet. I plan to go with the beautiful flow and see everything there is to see along the way. From my understanding I won’t be stuck for things to see and do.

You will be spolit for choice, trust me. I love my hometown of Wellington, and the places up north are stunning. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. I hope to see you play at Meow on Wednesday.

Thanks for the interview Joseph.

J Jay xx

JAY POWER LINKS

NEW ZEALAND SHOW DATES

Wednesday August 10 – Meow Wellington, with special guest Spitfire

Tickets available here

Friday August 12 – The Old Stone Butter Factory Whangarei

Tickets available here

Saturday 13 August/ Sun 14 August – Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival

Album Review: Gary Clark Jr – The Story of Sonny Boy Slim

I’ve seen Clark play on both his visits to NZ. The first time he opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Vector Arena in 2013. It was only a four-song set, but it was enough to blow me away. When he came back to our shores earlier this year he proved once again that he is a musical force to be reckoned with.

There was never a question of whether The Story of Sonny Boy Slim was going to be good. Gary Clark Jr has the midas touch of the guitaring world. The question was whether he would be able to capture his sensational live energy on his sophomore studio full-length.

The problem was that his Black and Blu album wasn’t comparable to his stage sound. The dirty rawness got lost in the production. The songs were good, but didn’t allow the true brilliance to shine through.

Before I discuss the music, I must note that this album is visually stunning. I bought the 2LP gatefold vinyl and the art is great, with a contrasting colour scheme of red, yellow and black. The best aspect is side D, which features the scene from inside the gatefold laser-etched onto the disc.

Side D, with laser etchings of the picture from inside the gatefold

Clark has taken more control over this second album. No co-writers are credited this time round. He also dominates with the instrumentation, playing bass, keyboards and drums as well as the expected vocals and guitar. This would suggest that the record could sound more clinical, having been recorded in so many separate takes. But it doesn’t. And kudos to Clark for having the ability to pull off the work that usually requires a full band. He roped in some mates to help out at times, including saxophone, horns, organ, piano, and flute to flesh out the sound.

The Story of Sonny Boy Slim is also a bit of a family affair. Clark’s fiance Nicole Trunfio and son Zion feature in the intro of ‘Hold On’, and his sisters Shawn and Savannah provide backing vocals on a three tracks.

Speaking of intros, the start of first track ‘The Healing’ has an odd little pre-amble that sounds like something Son House would sing. It’s not a strong introduction to the album, but it does foreshadow that this album is more of a nod to older styled blues.

‘Grinder’ is the designated crowd pleaser – the rock number with the obligatory guitar solos the whole way through. But The Story of Sonny Boy Slim is not an rock record (surprising, considering that the release date coincides with the commencement of a tour supporting rock titans Foo Fighters). Instead most of the songs sit back in the groove. This is the album that requires being in the moment. There’s no hurry. There doesn’t need to be.

Take, for example, ‘Star’. It has skanking guitar and falsetto singing riding upon a delicious bassline. It stays strong and steady the whole way through.

Some of the stand out tracks include ‘Hold On’ – a more ballsy song that features a horn mantra and squealing guitars; ‘Wings’ -which showcases Tameca Jones as the amazing guest vocalist who sings above the infectious syncopated snare patterns; and ‘Can’t Sleep’ – with more squealing guitars and a bouncing beat.

We hear nod’s to the inspirations from the past in the Motown-sounding ‘BYOB’, and the ho-down that is ‘Shake’ goes full-vintage with prominent slide guitar. Harmonica and organs and brass instruments all feature heavily throughout the album, too, giving a New Orleans flavour.

Final track ‘Down to Ride’ is like ‘You Saved Me’ version 2: the longer hazy extended jam. It takes me back to when I saw Clark play last, drinking in the soulful tunes in a hazy, dimly lit venue.

Clark is no longer the promising young guitarist from Austin who needs to impress and make a name for himself. He has proven himself already, so now he can sit back and play music for his own satisfaction. And taking a more personal approach may have reduced the sell-ability of the album, but it also lifted the overall quality and cohesiveness. He doesn’t need the co-writers, the producers or show-off songs. His songwriting is strong enough that he can let the music sell itself. This is an album designed as a whole, rather than a collection of singles.

Listen to ‘Church’ (featured above), a track that Clark previewed at his Wellington show earlier in the year. It’s nothing flashy. Hell, it’s straight up basic. But there’s something that I can’t quite pick that makes it utterly electrifying.

If you’re after the next Hendrix, then this album will disappoint. But if you are happy to settle for some stunning blues, saturated in a relaxed vibe and some thrilling instrumentation, then this will suffice. And of course the guitar playing is still brilliant.

Clark is Sonny Boy Slim. This is his autobiography. And it’s well worth a listen.

Joseph James