This title,
I suppose, is my way of
not naming EVERYBODY in the title
without sounding TOO exclusive. Too many people
to try to fit in...and too little space to NOT be
exclusive in some way.
Oh.
And up front.
I didn't take any photos that night,
so everything here is the result of me trolling around.
I'll give credit where I know what's what,
and will add credit if someone id's
a photo as their work.
Saturday. March 3rd, 2012.
So here's Jade,
who got the night going,
as Gino hit the chords that made
me absolutely sure, under NO uncertain terms,
that we were about to start the night with Jade Bennett
singing Hunter/Garcia's Eyes of the World!
One of my ALL time fav's!
(the above photo, I THINK I took. Me, or this guy Adrian, who was using my camera at that moment. This was on the same night that I spent some time drawing on Jade's arm.
The Vault. Redlands. I DID take the below photo)
Well,
Eyes of the World is not at all what
they started with, but I swear the chords were right.
Or at least the first chord and a kind of
da-da-da da-da
da-da
da.
And now I really wanna
hear a Jaded (as it were) version of that song.
But anyway.
It was a fantastic night
to be at the Mission Tobacco Lounge
in Riverside...a fit night to be representing
Ripcat Records.
(from a gig a couple of weeks prior to this writing - left to right: Joey Delgado, Trevor Monks, Jade Bennett, Tony Nouhan, Gino Matteo, James Breker)
The first set
began with an introduction
of Jade Bennett as the newest recording
artist to be signed to Ripcat Records, joining
Gino, Joey Delgado, and more.
Joey...one of the Delgado Brothers...
an East LA staple over the last 30 years.
Between The Delgados, Los Lobos, Tierra,
or over the last 15-ish years, Gino too - if you grew up ANYWHERE around East LA...
...SOME of these folk probably
...SOME of these folk probably
played at your first wedding.
(I've gone on to repeat this joke with nearly the same reference. Didn't realize this. Good thing I write this stuff down)
Joey was in the audience at at this point,
later to join on stage. Since he wasn't on just yet,
then it was also at this point that I was sitting with a
bunch of Jade's family, silently projecting, "Hey Joey.
Learn Eyes of the World. Learrrrrrn Eyessssss of the Worrrrrrrld. You are getting SLEEEEeeeepy.
EYESSSsssss of the Worrrrrrrld".
He probably already knows it. But hey!
(photo by Mike Ingram, circa 11/11)
Backing Jade this evening
was the same line up as when
you go to see Gino Matteo play.
Gino on guitar, Trevor Monks on drums,
James Breker on bass, and Tony Nouhan
on keyboards, and the occasional vocals. The
name of the first tune escapes me at the moment.
It was an original - to be recorded on an
upcoming cd. She followed with
Shakin' All Over, If You Call,
and SO much more.
During the first few tunes alone,
between Jade's vocals and Gino's guitar,
I found myself lost in the middle of my own notes
while getting caught up with what
was going on onstage.
In the past,
In the past,
I've described Jade's
singing as a kind of sultry, smokey-bar blues. If you had to stick her in a genre? Maybe blues...more of a Soul and RnB thing, really. But it's RnB the way it USED to be presented. Not...whatever it is now. If you wanna get a picture in
your head of what she sounds like...think Adelle.
Or maybe Janis Joplin.
But I really hate to
jump to such obvious choices.
She'll sing softly...then she belts it out.
You'll hear her bending the notes - like a
guitarist would. In only the last few months,
this is something I've seen mature SO incredibly.
When she covers someone else, she completely owns
the tune she's singing. Most of the nights I've seen Jade,
she's covered Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. This is
a good example. I didn't even KNOW it was a cover,
but then again my only exposure to THAT tune was
with Winehouse, a drunken idiot, stumbling all over
the stage in Belgrade...leaving most of the
words out, and making the
rest - well, painful.
What, too soon?
Jade stepped down for the next set,
as we saw Joey Delgado introduced as the
Godfather of East LA blues guitar. Also joining
at this point, the INCREDIBLE Jason Ricci on harmonica
(and some vocals). They started with material to be found
on Gino's new album...out REAL soon! And Gino, by
the way, will be on Jason's new album. I believe this'n
will also be out on Ripcat Records.
This was a great night for this band.
Gino was in the pocket. He was doing what
I love so much - going into solos hitting short
SHORT notes - OH so quietly, then following with
a major shred! Joey shone - not showing off what he
could BE doing, but rather humbly sliding in as a fifth
member, rounding out the sound. James wasn't just
hitting the bass notes. He was running up and down
the fretboard with a cool, funky drive. Made you
wanna look up to see who's doin' it. "NOT that
quiet quy standing in the back", you'd think to
yourself. Sho' 'nuff though.
Trevor - I don't know
how else to say it - he was locked in!
But he always is. Look at his eyes sometime
when he's playing and You'll see what I mean.
(photo by Mike Ingam)
Tony Nouhan provided
great work on the keys, while popping
in for some occasional vocal work as well.
Ricci's harmonica sounded at times like a third guitar.
And the way he changes tones and delivery...I made a
note to compare it to some Steve Vai kinda thing.
No kidding.
Some other highlights for the evening?
At one point, Gino went cordless to go outside
and serenade Jade. On his way there, and back,
he'd stop and play for various tables, maybe
borrowing a lighter to serve as
an impromptu slide.
During My Grandmother Told Me
(another original - out on Gino's upcoming cd)
Joey had a solo that was just so incredibly intense...and moving...have you ever seen a guitarist prop his elbow
onto his fret board, and cup his chin in his hand,
watching another guitarist on the same stage?
That was Gino, blown away, watching Joey go.
Jason also. Normally his hands are near the mike - gettin' ready to blow us away on the harp. During Joey's
solo...Jason's hands were at his side. He was just
staring. Along with Gino, just watching in awe.
We all were. Thank you Joey. Gino followed
with a particular ride on the sustain, more
shredding, a whinney or two...
My God!
They played one of
my favorites - Soulshine. Dan Davis,
of Lunchline Jones, stepped in for a few moments
here for some wonderfully soulful vocals, Gino blew
us away with his soloing, and Tony Nouhan finished it
up with, again, some great great vocal work. He shone
again with Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Again - I have to point out Jason Ricci. This was an
incredible treat to have him back in the music
world, and with us in Riverside that night.
Before the night was over,
almost as a bookend, Jade took a break
from wondering what kind of notes I was taking
to join on stage once again. Nice thing was...it was
a song ABOUT her.
Other nice thing. It's just fun.
Clearly!
Just SO glad I was there.
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