JMP, VB, & SPAM ALLSTARS SHAKE UP FLORIDA

"It's not every day that a Vermonter gets to play outside in January," quipped Jazz Mandolin Project founder Jamie Masefield after delivering "Country Open" to kick off what would be an outstanding evening of music. JMP and the Spam Allstars-enhanced Vida Blue would touch on a dizzying array of musical styles by the end of the night.

It is also not every day that this reporter gets to see a show of such brilliance in a tiny outdoor venue, nestled between an office building and condominium complex in lovely downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The setup was reminiscent of Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans, with shorter lines for less expensive beer, of course.

By Adam Foley

Masefield introduced their unique take on Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun" with a simple, "we did not write this song." Masefield eased a gorgeous mandolin prelude to the familiar central riff of this Jimi classic, and the band worked elements of jazz, traditional, folk, and even some fiery rock riffs into the proceedings. Mad Dog, known for his work with Ray's Music Exchange, offered some percussive piano work at one point, quickly locking in with Fishman to aggressively flesh out the bottom.

By Earhart

The band ended with "Oh, Yeah" (also from Jungle Tango), which allowed both Masefield and Fishman to be featured for extended sections, where Masefield electrified the crowd with some brilliant slide mandolin. All four musicians locked in at breakneck speed to end the set with a lightning blast of energy, and they stood before the Florida crowd who were disturbing the locals with loud roars of approval. During the break I roamed the crowd, chatting with a bunch of folks to get a feel for how the JMP set was received. Everyone I spoke with had thoroughly enjoyed the set. One gentleman named Craig Cobb (who has been playing guitar for over 25 years) was very pleased that he had made the trip from Orlando. "I've never seen anyone play mandolin with a slide and pull it off that well before," he gushed. "That whole set was great!"

I found myself explaining the Spam/Vida Blue connection to many people. I told folks that The Spam Allstars have, in the last few years, become a phenomenon in Miami, and they had even taken up residence with regular gigs at SOB's in New York City. DJ Le Spam (founding member Andrew Yeomanson) had sat in with Vida Blue a few times last year, and Vida Blue/Phish keyboardist Page McConnell had responded in turn by sitting in with The Spam Allstars in New York last fall.

The groups chose to open their second collaborative show with "Ochimini." This song, along with "Perfume de Heliotropo" (performed later in the set) is reportedly part of the Spam Allstars next (and first studio) release. Each showcased their outstanding ability to work Latin and funk flavors into their relentless improvisation. The way DJ Le Spam wove spoken word into the body of these pieces was indicative of his familiarity with dub. While his input was less prevalent than the previous night in Miami, we still were treated to a display of his amazing abilities. Vida Blue bassist Oteil Burbridge sprinkled some exquisite high bass lines behind the "Chil-li-leer" and later "Jay-lah, Jaaaay-lah" chants led by the SPAM percussionist. John Speck (trombone) and AJ Hill (saxophone) seem very young, but they displayed the listening ability and restraint of veterans whether they were engaging in interplay during ensemble sections or stepping up for leads on their own.

While the Vida Blue members seemed to have varying levels of success finding their space in the Spam songs, the Vida Blue tunes and well-chosen covers came off as true collaborative jaunts. The Spam members were very careful not to step on anyone's toes, but they refused to be overly shy as well. "Most Events Aren't Planned" was improved incredibly by guitarist Adam Zimmon's input, alternating subtle feedback-laced flavoring and well-placed clusters of notes. This has always been a great song, but it had never been as explosive as it was tonight, with the youthful vigor breathing new life to the piece. The horns in particular added much needed muscle. Vida Blue drummer Russell Batiste delivered a strong solo of his own, with Oteil spurring him along with scrumptious bass work. Russell also shared lead vocals with Page McConnell on a surprise version (VB's first, I believe) of "Just Kissed My Baby," (which was written by The Meters, and is often performed by the spin-off of that band which has been Russell's other main gig for over a decade now, the funky Meters). Each member of the wind section would dance fervently during the others' solos, and Mercedes Abal offered a lithe flute solo. "Who's Laughing Now" found Hill jumping on his solo as if he had been playing the song for many years. This is a challenging song for Page to sing, but he was up to it on this night, offering expressive, at times appropriately delicate lead vocals on this lush version. (Some savvy members of the audience at the Jackie Gleason Theater the previous evening responded audibly to the line in this song that references the legendary comedian).

These two artists recently released their debut collaboration, The Illustrated Band (a fantastic listen, by the way), but "Little Miami (Reputation)" was the only song from the release performed at Jannus Landing. The lengthy version featured a fantastic solo from Speck, and Hill culminated his featured segment with some first spiraling and then deliciously held notes. This one also found Burbridge scatting over stop-starts, and McConnell moving between his mountains of keyboards to offer a variety of textures to the mix.

Burbridge and Batiste each took the role as front man at various times. "Get Ready," from Oteil's Family Secret disc, had the crowd shaking early in the set, although it paled in comparison to the wildly energetic version the night before. Oteil's lead vocals left me wondering why he doesn't sing more in his various musical outfits. "Russell's Tune" is clearly a band favorite, as the stage was decorated with many a smile during the journey through this eclectic piece. Some juicy scatting from Oteil, and some tasty Burbridge/McConnell interplay were the most memorable parts of the ride for me. Zimmon again raised the eyebrows of the guitar-loving Phish faithful on hand, as he took an extended, but certainly not indulgent, guitar solo. Batiste also spearheaded a percussion/drum section on this piece, inspiring many to dance wildly on the fringes of this cozy venue.

The set ended with what continues to be Vida Blue's best jam vehicle, "CJ3." Page delivered some incredible artistry from his Hammond, and the entourage moved through the song ferociously, to the delight of the crowd. Abal again offered some sweet flute to this one, responding to inputs from Page, AJ, and John without straying from the thought she was developing on her own. The band caught a tidal wave of energy midway through the piece, stirring up our souls as they rode the wave to a climactic finish.

Page returned alone to begin the encore segment with a solid, solo reading of "Strange Design," followed by Elton John's "Amoreena." While some of "Amoreena" seemed just a bit out of his range, it was still a much better version than the full-band train wreck that Vida Blue had subjected me to at The Variety Playhouse about a year and a half ago. My personal highlight of the night was when The Spam Allstars returned to help Vida Blue bring forth a very, very moving version of "Final Flight" (another live debut for Vida Blue, I believe--this is the Vida Blue song Phish covered in Worcester last February). Fishman then returned to the stage to help the band tear through and extended version of Phish's "Cars, Trucks, Buses," with each lead instrument taking a solo, and Page not allowing the song to end without pointing to Fish and compelling him to engage Batiste in a shared drum lead as well. Reportedly, this show will soon be offered at www.livephish.com, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

After the show, I checked out the "Green Room" at the back of the venue, where local band Middle Rhythm Session was holding court for the after show party. Alex Hymer of Albuquerque handed me one of their CDs, and then proceeded to rave about Vida Blue. "They are so much better with the Spam Allstars," he said, "I love the horns, the arrangements, and the whole vibe. They remind me of Alpha Blondy's old bands, with the large group sounding as one instrument at times." Will Bartholomew of Tampa told me, "I LOVED the whole show. The Jazz Mandolin Project set was great, but it seemed a little quick. But to see Vida Blue do all that great music, and then end with 'Strange Design' and 'Cars, Trucks, Buses' made my night."

Hymer also raved about Middle Rhythm Session, who clearly have a local following, as the dancing floor in front of them was full of local hippies and lovelies grooving to their "session." One piece had some nice, aggressive changes that the band stormed through, powered by their drummer; another song moved from a gentle rhythm, to that sort of "Blue Sky" meets "Franklin's Tower" feel that the Allman Brothers have been dabbling with quite a bit lately. Their version of the old classic "Don't Do It" caught my attention. This song has been covered by many groups since Marvin Gaye recorded it as "Baby Don't You Do It" some forty years ago (the versions by The Band, The Who and Bruce Hornsby are my favorites), and MRS gave it a nice jamband workout centered around the guitar work of the blonde dreadlocked Blake Yeager. The band has potential, but they are clearly searching for their own voice, which they may find will ultimately spring from the versatile keyboardist Joe Cosas. Cosas even stood up to lead the band with a trombone solo.

There was a little pool hall opposite the stage where pictures of Dickey Betts, Ratdog 2000, The Neville Brothers, Cake, and Morphine mingled with those of Skid Row, Tesla, Warrant, The Mighty, Mighty Bosstones and Dishwalla. Galactic and Leftover Salmon must be a favorite, as each band had two separate pictures! I would have stayed to catch more of MRS, but the prospect of a drive down a particularly bland stretch of I-75 to Fort Myers forced me to hit the road.

Rob Turner
JamBase | Florida
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