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The crowd of a few hundred mingled through the lodge-like upstairs of The Last Day Saloon in anticipation of Vinyl. The eight-piece latin funk/groove band headlined Friday night’s show which featured Taos Hum to open. Vinyl took the stage to an appreciative crowd who eagerly awaited the first set of funk to follow. Following the first set, Tony Mindel, co-producer of their latest studio effort, Flea Market, touted Vinyl’s presence and musical authority by remarking that “the whole [of Vinyl] is greater than the sum of its parts.” While the insight was appreciated, that had already become quite apparent shortly after the band took the stage for its first tune of the night.
Alexis Razon (drums) and Geoff Vaughan (bass) provided the driving force behind the jams, playing with consistent precision and unparalleled energy throughout the night. The band, whose eight members include three percussionists, offered up a Caribbean/Latin sound on percussion with Antonio Onorato on congas and brother Sean on the bongos. They fed off of the energy of each other and took turns providing fills on maracas, tambourines, cowbells and even, at one point, the triangle.
Jonathan Korty provided glimpses of excellence on the Hammond organ while exciting the crowd with his speed, flavor, funk, and diverse styles and skills. He often invoked visions of a John Medeski-type sound, albeit less developed and on two sets of keys instead of four. And at times, he unleashed solos standing over the keys. Despite experiencing some first set monitor troubles, Billy Frates shined with his driving rhythm and, at times, lightning quick solos as the lone guitarist onstage.
Topping off the mix were Danny Cao and Doug Thomas, complementing each other beautifully on the horns. Cao’s style and sound ranged from slow, melodic, Miles Davis-like flows to a more fast-paced style reminiscient of Dizzy Gillespie. Cao fed not only off of Thomas and the rest of the crew, but the crowd as well, as his head-bobbing, boyish excitement permeated the crowd. Balancing the mix were the diverse styles and sounds of Thomas, who excited the crowd with his electrifying sax and flute solos that commanded attention.
Following a solid sixty-minute first set, the band took the stage, and subsequently the crowd, to a higher level for round two. Any desire to hear Korty rip four keyboards instead of two dissipated when he wowed the crowd with a high-energy harp solo halfway through the second set. The solo injected an energy into the crowd and kept everybody moving while Cao, Thomas and A. Onorato fired off some serious solos. They hit a high point and didn’t look back.
Following, they slowed it down for a number, perhaps saving their energy for a cover of Gussie. L Davis’ “Sweet Potato Blues,” (made famous by Lonnie Johnson’s rendition on his Steppin’ On the Blues release). The song was complete with a crowd sing-along that lasted through Korty’s excellent showcase and halfway through Cao’s jaw-dropping exhibition, leaving the crowd speechless with their bob-and-sway dancing. Thomas closed out the jam with another fine performance.
The band played one more tune before closing out the second set at
sixty-plus minutes. After a few minutes offstage, the crowd compelled them to return for an eight-minute encore that featured memorable solos by Cao and S. Onorato and featured what was perhaps Vaughan’s best bass groove of the night to finish the show with a collective bang.
Rarely does an eight-person ensemble find such balance, precision and
excellence in its grooves. Pair that with an intimate venue that’s played home to such greats as Merl Saunders, Son Seals and Taj Mahal and it makes for an unforgettable night of grooves.
Vinyl is:
Doug Thomas - Saxophone /Flute
Jonathan Korty - Hammond Organ/Keys/Harp
Antonio Onorato - Congas/Timbales
Sean Onorato - Percussion/Bongos
Danny Cao - Trumpet
Billy Frates - Guitar
Geoff Vaughan - Bass
Alexis Razon - Drums
Dewey Hammond
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