MAY2011

JP SOARS & THE RED HOTS

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

WILLIE LOMAX

LURRIE BELLMARTIN BEJERANO DEBBIE DAVIES

MAVIS STAPLES MONTY ALEXANDER HERBIE HANCOCK

CHRISTIAN TAMBURR

TAJ MAHAL

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WINNING SPINSMORE BEES WITH HONEY, JP SOARS’sophomore album, both ignores and embracesits title. Figuratively, the guitarist doesn’tsweeten or commercialize his sound toappease more mainstream listeners. But literally, his stinging licks and buzzing slideconjure a whole swarm of angry yellow-jackets. Of course, listening to the recordingis a lot more fun than being attacked by bees,but Soars’ sonic approach is equally relentless.

The followup to his 2008 debut recording,Back of My Mind, More Bees showcases Soars’blunt-force six-string assault, which recalls thebuzz-saw dynamics of Howlin’ Wolf’s right-hand man, Hubert Sumlin. And, of course, Wolfis the primary inspiration for Soars’ sawdust-and-moonshine vocal style, a raspy holler fullof glint-eyed malevolence. Soars’ rhythm crew,drummer Chris Peet and bassists Donald“The Cougar” Gottlieb and Todd Edmunds,also generate just the right mix of stomp-down menace and party-hearty exuberance.

Since the release of Back of My Mind,Soars’ career has soared. Representing theSouth Florida Blues Society, the guitarist andhis band, The Red Hots, took top honors atthe 2009 IBC, from which Soars also broughthome the prestigious Albert King BluesGuitar Award. Increasingly in demand, he’sbeen touring steadily. And More Bees mightjust raise his profile again, as he stretcheshimself as a performer.

The album kicks off with its title track, ahorn-fueled, Memphis-style jukebox jumpersung as a duet with the late Robin Rogers.The top-shelf tenor-sax team of Terry Hanckand Sax Gordon Beadle blow the roof off thejoint, as Rogers’ gritty-sweet vocals shadowSoars’ Wolflike growl. Soars dedicates thealbum in part to his singing partner, whopassed away in December 2010 from cancer.

An acronym for “Keep Your Nose OuttaMy Business,” the original “K.Y.N.O.M.B.”sounds like vintage Wolf. Peet is especiallyeffective here, his drumming echoing like thefootfalls of a big man coming to collect therent. Harp master Jason Ricci provides knife-edged texture that accentuates the guitarist’sbrass-knuckle bravado.

Soars and Ricci team up to stunning effecton the low-down slow-burner “Chasing

Whiskey With Whiskey.” Alternating amongacoustic and electric axes, Soars sings abouthis preference for the hard stuff—even as hewryly winks at concoctions such as sex on thebeach and buttery nipples—and cuts to thebone with his whipsaw slide. Ricci kicks likea slug from a fifth of Jack.

An appealing blend of styles, More Beesprovides a showcase for the guitarist’s skills.“So Many Times” is a gruff-but-pretty balladfeaturing Soars’ heartbroke vocals and theatmospheric Hammond organ of TravisColby. “Hot Little Woman” starts out at abreakneck jump-blues tempo, but turns on adime. The tune lurches forward like yourdrunken uncle, stutter-stepping toward thedance floor at your cousin’s wedding andthen cutting loose once he gets there. Soarsoffers an urbane, jazzy sound that makes fora cool contrast to his rawhide vocals.

by Bob Weinberg

JP SOARS

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And there’s even more variety. The autobiograph-ical “Back of My Mind” employs a celebratory,almost manic mambo groove, while “Doggin’” putsSoars into stone-cold, acid-funk mode. But perhapsthe most fresh-sounding track is “They’ll Do ItEvery Time,” a Mississippi Hill Country rompplayed by Soars on his homemade two-string electric cigar-box guitar. But this is no hideboundtraditionalist’s take, as Soars digs in on a head-banging, metal-edged solo and just wails.

Soars is a multifaceted musician whose histo-ry encompasses everything from heavy metal toGypsy jazz. Rather than running from his past,he uses various components of it to make hisblues all the more compelling. More Bees is an honest reflectionof Soars, and all the better for it.

JP Soars and the Red Hots perform May 1 at Common Grounds in Gainesville;May 6 at The Back Room in Delray; May 7 at Snook Haven in Venice; May 8 atAce’s in Bradenton; additional Florida dates throughout May. Visit Jpsoars.com.

WINNING SPINS

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DEBBIE DAVIES BANDBAMBOO ROOM, LAKE WORTH/MAY 12BRADFORDVILLE BLUES, TALLAHASSEE/MAY 13SIMS PARK, NEW PORT RICHEY/MAY 14Not just any guitarist could pull off an expert, all-instrumental salute to the blues and jazz greats whoinspired her without seeming overly derivative. ButDebbie Davies does just that on Holdin’ Court, as shepays tribute to Otis Rush, Gatemouth Brown, DukeRobillard, Kenny Burrell, and of course, Albert Collins,with whom she recorded and toured for three years.Another of her heroes, John Mayall, tapped her for his1990 album A Sense of Place, and she returned thefavor on her superb 2003 recording Key to Love: ACelebration of the Music of John Mayall. Of course,

Davies can indeed singthe blues with greatauthority, and surely,she’s been absorbingthe vibes of topflightcollaborators includ-ing Tommy Castro,Coco Montoya, JanivaMagness, Ana Popovicand the late RobinRogers, with whomshe toured in 2010.Last year, Daviespicked up a BluesMusic Award for BestTraditional FemaleArtist. BW

S P O T L I G H TLURRIE BELL with SCOTT CABLEACE’S, BRADENTON/MAY 16BOSTON’S, DELRAY/MAY 17CHEF JOHN’S, JUPITER/MAY 18BEACH SHACK, COCOA BEACH/MAY 19MCWELL’S, ORLANDO/MAY 20BRADFORDVILLE BLUES, TALLAHASSEE/MAY 21A fiery and imaginative guitarist, Lurrie Bell craftsstinging solo statements and sings in an emotive vibrato.Certainly, Bell learned from the best. As the son ofChicago blues-harp master Carey Bell, he enjoyed afront-row seat for the all-star rehearsals that tookplace at his childhood home. Pianist Lovie Lee firstsneaked him into a South Side blues club to perform atage 14, and though he’s endured many ups and downs,

Bell’s been astoundingaudiences ever since.Based on the strengthof his 2007 CD Let’sTalk About Love—aswell as his muscularwork on his and Carey’sGettin’ Up Live—Lurrie was votedLiving Blues’ Artist ofthe Year in 2008. Healso took Most Out-standing Guitaristhonors. On this tour,Bell is joined by gui-tarist and producerScott Cable. BW

http://earlshideaway.com

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WILLIE LOMAX WITH SHAWN BROWNCOTEE RIVER SEAFOOD FEST, SIMS PARK,NEW PORT RICHEY/MAY 14Guitarist Willie Lomax is not only an expert in a varietyof blues styles, but he has a knack for assemblingcrackerjack bands. For the Willie Lomax BluesRevue’s 1996 recording Give Me Back My Teeth, thelongtime Tampa resident recruited firebrand vocalistJames Peterson, fellow string-slinger Ronnie Earl,harmonica maestro Rock Bottom and blues-drummerextroardinaire Sam Carr to interpret original material.For Ribs are Ready, the Revue’s next disc, Lomaxintroduced listeners to Hammond B3 wizard and powerhouse soul-blues vocalist Shawn Brown. TheRevue returned to Royal studios in Memphis for

2003’s Best BluesMoney Can Buy, onceagain spotlightingBrown’s soul shoutand atmospheric B3,and Lomax’s heatedlicks and savvy origi-nal songs. Lomax, whogrew up in Miami, isthe son of a jazz drum-mer. While he startedon trumpet, Lomaxswitched to guitarafter seeing MuddyWaters perform inTallahassee. BW

S P O T L I G H TTAJ MAHAL TRIOKNOLOGY CLEARWATER SEA-BLUES FEST,COACHMAN PARK/MAY 7Over the years, Taj Mahal has put his gravel-roadvocals and deft picking skills to everything fromAfrican, Hindustani and Hawaiian music to reggae,soul and R&B. But the man born Henry St. ClaireFredericks is best known as one of the great bluesinterpreters of his generation. In the 1960s, Tajopened for Otis Redding and The Temptations. Healso met blues greats Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters,Lightnin’ Hopkins and Sleepy John Estes. Theseexperiences proved indelible, as Taj burst on the scenewith his 1968 self-titled debut LP, announcing thearrival of a blues star as comfortable with country and

Chicago blues as withrock and soul. Backedby versatile trio matesBill Rich on bass andKester Smith ondrums—with whomhe headlines theClearwater Sea-BluesFest—Taj might offeranything from theindigenous music ofZanzibar to classicjukebox R&B to thecountry blues forwhich he’s rightlyrevered. Visit Clearwaterseablues.com. BW

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Log on to www.bostonsonthebeach.comfor our complete lineup, menus, photos and more!Located on the waterfront in Delray Beach, Boston’s is the ideal place

for casual dining, live music and sports viewing in our first-floor restaurant, The Beach. Or enjoy great cuisine and cocktails

upstairs at our fine dining restaurant, The UpperDeck. And be sure to check out our Back Bay Tiki Bar for a tropical cocktail

while listening to some of the area’s finest musicians on our outdoor stage. Boston’s… something for everyone!

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MAVIS STAPLESJACKSONVILLE JAZZ FEST, HEMMING PLAZA/MAY 29There aren’t many vocalists who command the moraland spiritual authority of soul queen Mavis Staples.The Staple Singers, her family band, blended soul andgospel on hits such as “I’ll Take You There” and“Respect Yourself,” which became anthems of blackpride in the early ’70s. As a solo artist, the Chicagonative has displayed a gift for finding new audiences.In 2007, she released the masterful We’ll Never TurnBack, a stunning evocation of the music and spirit ofthe Civil Rights struggle, produced with the rootsyexpertise of Ry Cooder. Last year, Staples teamed up with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy for You Are Not Alone, a

mix of spirituals, well-realized original tunesand smart covers ofRandy Newman, JohnFogerty (a beautifulread of CCR’s “Wrotea Song for Everyone”,)Allen Toussaint andLittle Milton. Therecord earned Staplesher first Grammy—for Best AmericanaAlbum. See this Rockand Roll Hall of Famerat the JacksonvilleJazz Fest. Visit Makeascenedowntown.com. BW

S P O T L I G H TPRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BANDSUNFEST, WEST PALM BEACH/MAY 1Named for their historic headquarters in NewOrleans’ French Quarter, the Preservation Hall JazzBand has been exporting the city’s signature tradi-tional jazz for five decades. Allan and Sandra Jaffeopened the venue in 1961, and the house band begantouring in 1963. The couple’s son, Ben Jaffe, nowserves as the band’s artistic director and tuba/bassplayer, performing alongside Hall mainstays such astrumpeter Mark Braud, clarinetist Charlie Gabriel,saxophonist Clint Maedgen, trombonist FreddieLonzo, pianist Rickie Monie and drummer JosephLastie Jr. While Jaffe still stresses New Orleans tradi-tion, Preservation Hall continues to branch out. Their2010 CD, Preservation, featured guests from TomWaits and Dr. John to indie rocker Ani DiFranco andMy Morning Jacket’s Jim James. Their latest release,American Legacies, pairs them with bluegrass vetsthe Del McCoury Band, and a second hall is in the

works for theM i s s i o nDistrict of SanF r a n c i s c o .The band willp e r f o r mSunday at2:15PM atSunFest. VisitSunfest.com.BM

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MARTIN BEJERANO TRIOMINIACI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER,DAVIE/MAY 14Miami-born pianist Martin Bejerano graduated fromNew World School of the Arts with a scholarship toattend Florida State University. He then won anotherscholarship from the University of Miami, where he received his masters. Armed with knowledge andprodigious talent, the young pianist moved to New York City in 2000. In less than a year, he was dis-covered by legendary drummer Roy Haynes. A popu-lar 2007 YouTube video shows Chick Corea sitting inwith Haynes’ quartet and sharing a piano withBejerano. The pair trade blues licks before engagingin some telepathic unison playing. That same year,

Bejerano released hisdebut CD, Evolution/Revolution, whichshowcased his classi-cal technique andseemingly limitlessideas. For this SouthFlorida JAZZ concert,Bejerano’s trio withbassist Edward Perezand drummer LudwigAfonso will premierethe pianist’s PotentialEnergy Suite, commis-sioned by ChamberMusic America. BM

S P O T L I G H TCHRISTIAN TAMBURR QUARTETHEIDI’S, COCOA BEACH/MAY 6MAGNOLIA SQUARE, SANFORD/MAY 7ALTAMONTE CHAPEL, ALTAMONTESPRINGS/MAY 8Few bandleaders can hold audiences’ attention as afeatured soloist on more than one instrument, butChristian Tamburr ranks among them. The multi-instrumentalist is primarily a Milt Jackson-influencedvibraphonist. Yet he’s also served as pianist and musicaldirector for Julio Iglesias. Tamburr plays the drums,and world and orchestral percussion as well, and hisflexibility has earned him gigs with Cirque de Soleiland at private functions for the likes of Julia Robertsand Michael Jordan. On his quartet’s 2004 debut CD

Move and on his latest,Arrivals, Tamburr playssome piano. But for themost part, he concen-trates on the vibes ashe navigates swingingsets of originals andstandards. Ira Sullivanprovides trumpet andsax on Arrivals, whichalso features Tamburr’slong-time rhythm section—bassist ElisaPruett and drummerJustin Varnes—alongwith pianist LouisHeriveaux. BM

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MONTY ALEXANDERREGGAE JAZZ FUSIONBROWARD CENTER, FT. LAUDERDALE/MAY 22A Jamaican native who chose a career in jazz, pianistMonty Alexander created his own brand of reggae-jazz fusion. For this concert, he and his band willshare the stage with vocalists Maxi Priest and A.J.Brown, and guitarist Eugene Grey. Alexander is cele-brating the 50th year of a career that began with hisfirst group, Monty and the Cyclones, in Kingston. Thepianist moved to New York City at age 17, and hismixture of Jamaican influences with techniquesinspired by Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson caught theears of Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and DukeEllington. Alexander’s jazz-reggae mashups have been

showcased on a stringof Telarc recordings.His recent CD Upliftfeatures his trio (withbassist Hassan Shakurand either HerlinRiley or Fritz Landes-bergen on drums) onstandards from “SweetGeorgia Brown” to“Body and Soul.” Thist r a d i t i o n a l - j a z zrecording will soon befollowed by a morereggae - in f luencedre lease , Harlem-Kingston Express. BM

S P O T L I G H THERBIE HANCOCKJACKSONVILLE JAZZ FEST, DOWNTOWNJACKSONVILLE/MAY 29Like fellow jazz legends Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea,Keith Jarrett and John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancockrose to prominence while playing with Miles Davis inthe 1960s. The keyboardist then fused jazz and funkwith his Headhunters band during the 1970s; droppedone of the most-memorable music videos of the ’80s(“Rockit”); and started a gradual turn from synthesizerstoward acoustic piano in the 1990s with jazz interpre-tations of pop hits on his CD The New Standard.Hancock’s distinctive piano style has graced like-mindedprojects ever since. His 2007 Joni Mitchell tribute, River:The Joni Letters, won a Grammy for Album of the Year,

only the second jazzrecord to do so innearly 50 years. Hislatest, The ImagineProject, was recordedin seven countries,and features interac-tions with everyonefrom Shorter, JeffBeck and Derek Trucksto Dave Matthews, LosLobos and India.Arie.Hancock, who turned70 last month, performsat the JacksonvilleJazz Fest. Visit Makeascenedowntown.com. BM

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MARTIN BEJERANO TR IO / SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ 3BEVERLY LEWIS 15BOSTON ’S ON THE BEACH 7BOSTON ’S ON THE BEACH RED , WHITE & BLUES 11BRADFORDVILLE BLUES CLUB 15BUCKINGHAM BLUES BAR 8CHEF JOHNS 13DRUMMERS ONLY 9EARL’S H IDEAWAY 9EARL’S R IVERFRONT MUSIC FEST IVAL 5FT. P IERCE JAZZ & BLUES SOC IETY 14GOLD COAST JAZZ SOC IETY 6JAZZ IMPRESS IONS 14JAZZ FOUNDAT ION 14JP SOARS & THE RED HOTS 11MT. DORA BLUES & WINE FEST IVAL 12NATHAN A IELLO TR IBUTE SHOWNICK TR ILL & THE THRILLSEEKERS 11ORIENTE /SUPERB ART ISTS 10RANDALL BRAMBLETT & GEOFF ACHISON BAND 14REGGAE JAZZ FUS ION 9SELWYN B IRCHWOOD 8SUNDAY JAZZ JAM/BLUE JEAN BLUES 4SUNSHINE JAZZ ORGANIZAT ION 6VESTAPOL ITANS 4