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The organic, grass roots nature of buzz on the scene is beautiful in the way so many live music addicts share their love for certain acts and help them get off the ground. With no links and no web site, new bands like the one put together by Robert Randolph can only market themselves with what they have to share and, in his case, it's a gem of a gift better than anything you'll find by the Menorah or Xmas tree. For those unfamiliar, Robert's been around quite a bit the last few months playing with the North
Mississippi All Stars, Medeski, Martin & Wood (creating a spectacular Halloween finale), and has opened for Derek Trucks
and Victor
Wooten. Does that sound busy? Well, based on the perma grin you'll notice on Mr. Randolph's face, it's easy to see that this is a labor of love. Originally from New Jersey, this pedal steel guitar virtuoso learned his craft playing in church which is where the sounds of gospel that form the foundation of his songs come from. It's not a flavor I encounter too often on the scene but, regardless of any religious affiliation you may have, gospel will fill your soul and lift you very high.
Playing with his cousins Marcus Randolph (drums) & Daniel Morgan
(bass/vocals), and John Ginty joining for certain dates on keys,
Robert's held court for a string of Tuesdays at the Lakeside
Lounge down in Alphabet City. As the weeks went on and the word
began to grow, that little bar packed more and more with his expanding
fan base. Last night, anyone who arrived any later than 9pm for his 10 o'clock start found little room to stand, let alone sit at one of the half dozen or so tables set in front of the stage but no matter because this band will get you up on your feet and moving in a matter of moments.
Starting lightly with some Hawaiian type tones on the slide, Robert took us into Sweet Noise, which warmed me to thoughts of country music on the beach. He loves to get it going on the steel pedal, pulling out the WEEEEEEEEEER sounds that'll hook you and
flip you like fresh fish. Their second piece, Ted's Jam starts
out with a busily picking rip from the lead that opens into a swingin', kick your socks off and hang 'em on your ears boogy. That repetitive phrase is the groove and provides a nice platform for you to move on while Ginty's Hammond fills the bar and the cousins jive. The Lakeside crew must have anchored the kit this time because when last I caught them, Marcus was going at it so hard that the bass kept inching away from him, and I'm sure that hampered his sense of freedom, but not last night. Marcus shined, showing his talent for the skins and mixing up hard core funk and R&B for those who needed some muscle stretching.
Moving into another diddy called Marching Shoes, the guys defined the phrase "goin' off." I love anyone who puts together master macrome as Robert does and the whalingly deep sound of the slide hits the top of my stomach with the same vibrancy that you'll hear in John Medeski's keys. Adding some soul, Daniel's high soprano range is exactly the tone I'd want someone to be at when speaking the word and his slung, grimy bass enhances every funk roll in which they partake. You Got to Move and I Don't Know What You Come to Do both give him the chance to take the lead, egged on by his cousin who obviously loves to hear Daniel's voice. With a Sly & the Family Stone groove throughout, the band also played a song called Boogie On which funked hard and balanced some of their more Southern Blues type stuff. All music accompanies some activity perfectly and Robert Randolph is my first choice next time I'm swinging from one chandelier to another high above a cathedral.
At the end of the night, the band's intensity and moments of crowd
participation had the energy levels spilling out onto Avenue B where
many passers by couldn't complete their journey without hearing just a
little bit of what was going on inside. As the last note faded, the
entire crowd exhaled screams and hoots from all of the excess energy
built up by what had gone down over the previous hour. That's why it's no surprise the next time we'll be able to check out Robert Randolph's band is when they open for Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at the Bowery
Ballroom on the last night of what will be an epic three night
celebration of Karl's birth and life in general.
Howie Greenberg
JamBase NYC Correspondent
Go See Live Music!!
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