Quincy Loves New Orleans
Rebirth Brass Band by SuperDee |
Throughout the weekend, there was a strong presence of that NOLA vibe. You know
the one... That melodic drumbeat, the blasts of brass, the feeling of revelry,
and the bitter sweetness that comes with rebirth after destruction. Costume parades
marched throughout the pathways, photos from the Crescent City were on display,
and the Vaudeville Tent was decorated in dedication to the Bayou. To see the Rebirth Brass Band in their pre-late night set next
to a giant alligator installation on the stage was something to behold. The great
thing about brass instruments is that sound really carries, so during their mid-day
Big Meadow set, folks could be getting their Bayou boogie on as they strolled
through the grounds. Even the babies were dancing for this one.
Robert Walter by Jon Bahr |
Another great NOLA treat was Robert
Walter's Super Heavy Organ, which featured Robert on Hammond B3, James
Singleton on bass, Skerik on sax, and Johnny Vidacovich on
drums. Stanton Moore joined the group for a few numbers during their Vaudeville
Tent set. It still boggles my mind how when Stanton plays a drum solo, you can
hear the song's melody. More big names from NOLA, George Porter, Russell
Batiste, and Brian Stoltz (PBS),
threw down the power funk on the Big Meadow stage. And even though they are technically
a West Coast band, that cajun vibe could still be felt during The
Greyboy Allstars' set to close the Grandstand Stage on Sunday night.
Henry Butler by SuperDee |
The absolute gem from The Big Easy was The Rhythm Council, which came early
in the weekend on Thursday afternoon at the main stage. The great thing about
High Sierra is you get to see bands that never existed before and maybe never
will again. The Rhythm Council was Robb Kidd on drums, Kirk Joseph
on tuba, Papa Mali on guitar, and the legendary Henry Butler on
keys. I happened to be standing with a young woman who had never heard of Henry
Butler before. I smiled as the set began and told her she was in for a treat.
As the music played on, there was no resisting that infectious beat, and when
Mr. Butler graced the crowd with a few beautiful piano solos, her eyes lit up
and she excused herself to get a closer look. Butler is a true virtuoso, and I
thank the High Sierra folks for bringing him to Quincy this year.
- SuperDee
Stanton Moore & Charlie Hunter in Garage A Trois by Dave
Vann
Attacking Mallets: Hairy Apes BMX
Mike Dillon by Dave Vann |
A manic vibraphone blur, Mike Dillon looked vaguely possessed on Friday
night. Inside the oh-so-humid Vaudeville Tent, beneath a lysergic visual storm
projected directly above the band, the Hairy Apes BMX took us with macho
force, shoving our faces into their mad mud pie of high-end jazz chops, junk-in-the-trunk
beats, and devil-may-care sonic terrorism. Brian Coogan (synths), JJ
"Jungle" Richards (bass, vocals), and John Speice (drums) ably aided
Dillon, everyone engaged in a wide-eyed game of musical chicken. Truly a Butt-Movin'
Experience (that's the meaning of BMX), the set erased the line between clean,
sprightly melodies and disorienting ear shrapnel. In their schema, pretty can
be ugly and vice-versa. And no damn guitars! One of the Apes stated agendas is
"to destroy the music world's string dependency as if it were staging an intervention
for a junkie." Never once did I long for guitar pyrotechnics while mallets attacked
the marimba and aqua boogie keys wrestled strangers to the ground. The vocals
had the tickling force of camp songs delivered by a particularly inspired stream-of-consciousness
camp counselor who'd once won freestyle competitions. For sheer imagination, musical
muscle, and buoyant energy, there are few better than the Hairy Apes, who reminded
us with skull-ringing authority.
- Dennis Cook
A fine feathered friend by Dave Vann
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