Drug Bunny Holiday Party | 12.16 | Philly
By Team JamBase Dec 21, 2009 • 1:55 pm PST

The Drug Bunny Holiday Party
Featuring: G. Calvin Weston, Billy Martin, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Jeff Lee Johnson
12.16.09 :: The Trocadero :: Philadelphia, PA
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A neighborly, cross-cultural vibe grew as onlookers sat on any surface they could find. The floor was transformed into a haphazard living room, with puffy winter coats becoming makeshift cushions. Various elixirs from the bar and some tempting aromas lulled us into a state of relaxed euphoria as several warm-up acts tossed us treats, including an early searing cover of Parliament Funkadelic‘s “Maggot Brain.” NYC’s Whatever exemplified a Miles Davis state of mind as M.J., their expressive guitarist, played back and forth across the stage in a chicken walk and knee-bending display of funky melodious communication.
There was more than just an electrical buzz and hum to the air as the headliners plugged in and loosened up. Host Jay Michael Harrison, of WRTI fame, introduced the main act as if he was welcoming James Brown to the stage for a final performance. I lost track of how many times he made the crowd applaud for each artist. They each deserved the accolades and perhaps more as their collective resumes would be as long and impressive as Santa’s List. These were gods among men who pushed us directly into the deep end, offering no sympathy for those who could not tread their heavy waters. Unlike other combinations of jazz and funk, this session was delightfully easy to ingest. It was a testament to each of their individual talents. No matter where their free form jams went there was always a danceable groove waiting around the next turn. Fans of all degrees were lit up like proverbial kids on Christmas morning. The gifts were hidden within the intricately built music that spanned the globe of funk and jazz.
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It’s no wonder Martin and Weston complemented each other so well; they had sparked their brotherly bond over two decades ago in John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards. The two have created magic together since as the duel percussionists and drummers on a handful of albums including Live at Houston Hall and For No One In Particular with DJ Logic. But, it wasn’t their recorded work that had us excited as they filled the air with different beats that miraculously fit together in a complex jigsaw puzzle of synchronicity between four sticks and four feet. The pair explored ethnic percussion and free jazz, with Weston adding poignancy as he employed a trumpet several times throughout the performance. In our tight quarters their explosive twin bass drums maintained a pulsing beacon from which Tacoma and Johnson could easily steer the complex jams back as they packed each moment with funky thoughts and searing expressions.
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Tacoma was all business as his bolo hat bounced in time to his menacing thumps. His connection to Weston is from three decades ago during the Ornette Coleman days of Prime Time. Each time I see him he has seemingly gotten more vibrant and more vicious in the pocket. He whipped his bass around as he wrapped up each jam with a funky bow. Tacoma’s slogging marches turned to solos as he demonstrated his diverse repertoire by adding in classical sounding, finger plucked runs that could have been danced to by sugar plum fairies one moment and screwed to by an aging porn queen the next. Unlike Johnson, as the show wore down Tacoma only gained steam as he bounced along with a little extra holiday cheer in his dance.
The hour and a half romp finished with a massive flowing jam that brought the house down as Weston’s classic screams of delight bubbled over because of the spirited interplay. The Drug Bunny had cometh and it brought together the legends of jazz and funk past and present. G. Calvin Weston, Billy Martin, Jamaaladeen Tacoma and Jeff Lee Johnson. Remember those names, because they are both naughty and nice. And to all you freaky people, a funky good night.
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