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The Garaj Mahal show at Yoshi's went way beyond the typical sit-and-stare jazz performances the venue is famous for. Yoshi's is one of the most respected jazz venue on the West Coast --Pharaoh Sanders, Branford Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Joshua Redman and many more jazz legends have all held court within Yoshi's intimate, sophisticated jazz club setting. Tonight, however, was different. Garaj Mahal, who recently acquired their name from among more than 800 fan suggestions, fought hard to have the tables and chairs removed from the main floor to free up space for getting down. It was the first time in Yoshi's history that the dancefloor was used for its true purpose, and for good reason: the band knew there was going to be some serious booty-moving going on at their first gig since August of this year.
Made up of virtuoso musicians from diverse musical backgrounds, Garaj Mahal specializes in spiraling, freeform improvisation launched from a platform of rock-solid funk and groove. Comprised of drummer Alan Hertz (KVHW, Steve Kimock Band), bassist Kai Eckardt (John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Trilok Gurtu), Fareed Haque (Blue Note Records) on guitar, and Eric Levy on keys, tonight GM also featured special guests Dr. Didj on didgeridoo and techno-freak Roto on turntables, sampler, and effects. Dr. Didj's subliminal buzz started the show off and hummed throughout both sets, a droning, subsonic bass line countering Eckhardt's complex rhythmic flights perfectly. Eckhardt's serious jazz credentials didn't keep the man from getting down and dirty; in fact all night long Eckhardt sported a sly, mischievous grin while laying down flowing, harmonic runs on his 5-string fretless bass. Alan Hertz kept the beats as tight as spandex, building towering rhythmic structures that balanced scorching, exploratory jams with precise, gut-wrenching funk. Hertz and Eckhardt were totally locked in throughout the night, and though it was clear that most of the tunes were off-the-cuff improvisations (more than a few songs were written only the day before), the communication within the band's rhythm section was extrasensory. Eric Levy on Hammond and Rhodes burned hot, adding a bluesy, soulful dose of keys to an already heady concoction. And with one hand on his guitar, another holding a glass of whiskey, and a third on the Fender Rhodes for a couple tunes, Fareed Haque proved that versatility doesn’t always preclude skill. Haque was everywhere, his guitar a sonic kaleidoscope, ripping blues runs one moment, strumming syncopated funk the next, elevating into another dimension by the end of the night. These guys are definitely into some other shit, treading musical terrain rarely explored by less adventurous jazz/jam musicians.
After a more restrained (read: sober) first set, the band really ripped it up when they returned for the second. Bay Area guitar hero Will Bernard hit the stage, laying down sitar-slide licks that carried the sound to the deserts of the Sahara and back to the Oaktown streets. SF rasta-folkie Jethro Jeremiah added sultry, passionate vocals on a dub-jazz cover of Bob Marley's "I Don't Want to Wait in Vain." With Bernard and Jeremiah on stage, along with Dr. Didj and Roto, the full sound of eight musical musclemen was a force beyond resistance. Last night Yoshi's was rocked like never before, and maybe like never again.
Jonathan Zwickel
JamBase Bay Area Correspondent
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