Dr. Lonnie Smith
Reviewed by Chris McHale
 The
beautiful and arcane Hammond B-3 is a sonic chamber of electro-magnetic
fun, with dual keyboards, an array of pedals and sliders to mix and
match millions of combinations of harmonics and create an endless
variety of tones. Not an instrument for the faint-hearted. Recently, at
the Jazz Standard in New York City, the Dr. Lonnie Smith Nonet put on a
B-3 clinic, which featured wild and imaginative flights of compositional
fancy. In the master’s
hands, the B-3 sings.
Imagine a tightly arrayed band, three saxophones, three trombones, drums
and guitar, with a commanding presence in the middle, a musical
alchemist with a long fabulous beard, dressed in flowing black silk and
wearing a black turban. Dr. Lonnie Smith presents an imposing figure and
his playing demands attention, but more than anything, expressions cross
his face that could only be interpreted as pure joy for what is being
created around him.
The set began with “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” sparked by smooth,
cruising, blues-tinged riffs from Dr. Lonnie’s B-3. In a world of
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The Moody Blues Concert
 The
crowd that came out to see the iconic Rock band The Moody Blues perform
at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada’s Jubilee Auditorium on October 3rd
was for the most part middle aged and seniors, but that did not stop
them from forming a mosh pit in front of the stage, dancing to the music
and reliving memories. Although, the concert was often marred by a poor
sound mix, the performers overcame the challenge, as they frequently
brought their fans to their feet, only moments into several familiar
songs.
An offstage voice offered this simple introduction
to the concert, “The Moody Blues,” and the band led by original members
Justin Hayward (guitars and lead vocals), John Lodge (electric bass and
lead vocals) and drummer Graeme Edge, took the stage, as they launched
into the quick tempo song “The Voice,” from their 1981 album
Long Distance Voyager. Stage
left, Alan Hewitt was on organ and electric keyboards, while on stage
right Julie Ragins was also on keys, as well as guitar and background
vocals. The two remaining members of the band, drummer Gordon Marshall
(yes there were two drummers) sat on a raised platform, several feet to
the left of Edge and flautist / guitarist and background vocalist Norda
Mullen joined Lodge and Hayward at the front of the stage and to their
right.
Hewitt introduced the slower “The Day We Meet Again,” with electric
keys, as the screen at the back of the stage burst into a kaleidoscope
of colors and the stage was bathed in bluish-green light.
Wearing a long black and red
dress,
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Pearl Jam For Two Nights
Reviewed by Chris McHale
 It’s
easy enough to skip over Pearl Jam and follow the restless tides of the
music sea onward, these days off to the Williamsburg indie matrix or
over to the back alleys of electronica Berlin, or just kick back and get
assaulted by every possible variation of four on the floor known to man,
accompanied by a headache inducing corral of identifying adjectives. And
that’s not even including the layers of hip-hop that tend to fold back
and give birth to new tribes every six months or so.
For the last twenty years there has been a consistent voice coming out
of the northwest, flag firmly planted on Blistering Groove Hill, lyrics
that tear right to the heart of the matter and I mean the heart, the
emotion, no truth left unturned. Pearl Jam was birthed in Seattle, an
on-growth from the band Mother Love Bone and it has endured for twenty
years, a rare feat in A.D.D. World. September 3-4th, 2011,
was designated the time to celebrate this achievement. PJ20 it was
called, and 40,000 of the faithful flocked to the woods of Wisconsin to
let this band know just how they felt about it all.
How did they feel? One clue might have been the gigantic line stretching
up the steep hill to
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Nikkole
By Susan Ferrari
 There
was a non-stop beat on the night of February 20th, during the NBA
All-Star weekend at the Key Club in Los Angeles, where the singer/songwriter
/producer Nikkole
was on the bill opening for Bobby Brown. The crowd warmed up before and between
artists with a generous mix of hip-hop and old school favorites courtesy of DJ
Unknown, whose banner declared “We shake buildings worldwide.”
DJ Unknown did not fail to deliver on his promise, seeming to know just
what the audience wanted at every moment.
He was helped by the host of the show at the microphone, who urged the
audience to get into the music with every change.
Nikkole
and her band took to the stage determined to keep that high energy flowing and
immediately launched into a tightly choreographed set of songs, reflecting her
disco, R&B, and hip-hop influences.
Flanked by her male and female backup singers,
Nikkole
danced confidently while reaching out to the audience on the dance floor.
Her singing voice spanned several octaves, from a low growl to screaming
notes in the upper range, and she
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Sarah Slean In Concert
 It
is always a love affair between Sarah Slean and her fans whenever the
dark haired singer – composer, pianist (keyboardist) and genuinely funny
lady performs. That was the case once again when the Canadian artist
took to the Myer Horowitz stage on the University of Alberta’s campus in
Edmonton, Canada recently, as she performed several songs from her new
album Land & Sea and
satisfied at least some in the audience by digging into the vault for
old favorites such as “Get Home,” from The Baroness album (2009) and
“Wake Up,” from her 2004 CD Day
One. Ms. Slean who often
performs solo with a grand piano, was backed on this evening by drummer
Lyle Molzan, electric bassist Paul Matthew, guitarist Derek Downham and
the multi-talented Karen Kosowski on keys, acoustic guitar and
background vocals.
Sarah Slean is the consummate storyteller and
perhaps the most underappreciated artistic genius that Canada has
produced in the past quarter century. Her ability to weave tales, some
based from personal experience, is only rivaled on the Canadian music
scene by Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot.
The rich vocals were showcased
wonderfully with her meandering ballad “Attention Archers,”
from Land & Sea. The poignant
“Get Home,” is soul searching with lines like “Mr. Masquerade, you are
getting good at charade,” a song about falling in love and then
discovering that you are in love with someone who is married. It is
about calling it for what it is and cutting the ties, yet the heartbreak
is no less.
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Keith Urban Concert
 Keith
Urban’s music transcends genres and generations, as evidenced by his
performance on September 21st at Rexall Place in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada, where children, teenagers, young adults and seniors
were up on their feet for most of the concert, clapping to his blend of
crossover country music and rock.
He
opened with the quick-tempo, rocking confession of love, “Put You In A
Song,” which featured ripping guitar riffs by Urban who was flanked by
multi-instrumentalist (this time playing guitar) Danny Rader and
longtime friend Jerry Flowers playing bass guitar. “Put You In A Song,”
is from Keith Urban’s current album
Get Closer.
Dressed In a navy blue tee shirt and blue jeans and alternating between
playing and singing from the center of the main stage, one of the mini
stages to the left and the right and in front of the main stage, as well
as another micro stage in the center of the audience, Urban was at his
best when engaging his audience, which was often. After spotting a sign
held by one of his fans, far removed from the stage and announcing her
birthday and that of a friend, Urban eventually invited them onto the
stage, so they could be serenaded appropriately.
At another juncture during the concert he picked three people from the
audience, a young girl, a man and a twenty-something woman to sing a
verse from “Kiss A Girl,” from his
Defying Gravity album.
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