This is a new regular feature (ha!) of this blog devoted to discovery: we will present bands you probably haven't heard of, but that we suspect that you will feel deep gratitude for knowing once you come out the backside of this here scribbling. Shall we begin?
First (and not just in our hearts-- topping the charts in Canada! Take that, Brad Mehldau!) is Rabnett 5, a jazz quintet from the western reaches of the north country. The 5 used to make Vancouver homebase, but the guts of the operation, Rich Rabnett, opted to keep it über-heady by heading deep into the Kootenays (Nelson, B.C.) some years ago. There, he keeps busy Drive If You Must , but he continues to make sexy jazz sounds with his Rab 5 pals Mike Kennedy (bass), Dan Gaucher (drums), Ian Cox (keys), and Kiyoshi Elkuf (tenor sax) when he can (and in fact, the quintet will be making a spin through western Canada this summer).Scott Harding (producer to the likes of MMW ) to say that he was back in Vangroovy and had some time to record. Two very full days in the studio later, the 5 rabis emerged with Leopardism Ropeadope has jumped on board to release it digitally on June 3rd. Check out the lead track, Illegal Leopard: do it-- just click here, and tell me if it isn't just... oh, how do you say, irresistible?Jazzfest flow that is only possible in New Orleans. You start the evening at one show in the French Quarter, and on the advice of a friend or stranger ("You Gots to See These Guys!") you find yourself hopping in a cab solo and cruising to Les Bon Temps to squeeze in a quick session before heading to Tipitina's for the late show. Now, I will state up front that I have a bias: I have a small animal that I keep in the house called 'Good Times'. So when a friend told me I had to see Good Enough For Good Times , at Les Bon Temps, no less, well, I didn't need to be beaten over the head with too many more indications that I had to check them out.Galactic 's Robert Mercurio (bass) and Jeff Raines (guitar), and a duo of hep newbies rounds out the quartet: Simon Lott (whom you might have seen as the shades-wearing drummer for Charlie Hunter 's trio) and Joe Ashlar (left), an organ player I'd never heard nor seen, but who truly made me praise the Lord.always needs to be turned up, no?). Lott is a mind-blowing young talent with a just a teensy-weensy little penchant for making sure you know how mind-blowing he is, and Ashlar is just flat-out amazing. For a lady who spends a lot of time filling her ears with some other organ's output , I will just say that I could hardly wait to tell Marco about this kid. There was more than one point where the crowd nuzzled right up to his organ, holding their arms outstretched to just touch the machine and be healed. Ahhhhh, jazzfest. The gospel tent is, in fact, everywhere. If there's one thing I learned at Jazzfest 2008 (as my friends will attest), it's that it's not about us, it's about Jesus*! (*insert your own personal savior here...)(won't you step into the teaser) Jammy Awards with Galactic, and filled me in on some of the GEFGT back story. He said that the moniker stuck after a couple of rehearsals, when they decided that their loose musicianship was passable considering the venue they were playing. Hence, Good Enough For Good Times was born. And that's sho good 'nuff fo me.rab5 dial . Those who are still swampin' it up down south, you get yourself to Les Bon Temps and get some Good Times while the gettin' is good. And people everywhere, legally download your own Illegal Leopard next week and keep the good times rollin'.
