18-Piece BT ALC Big Band Launches JamBase 25th Anniversary Concert Series

The JamBase 25th anniversary weekend kicked off last night with a performance by the BT ALC Big Band at Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville, Massachusetts. The band featuring a rotating lineup has a monthly residency at the bar but added an extra August date to celebrate JB25.

Comprised of drums, percussion, two guitars, four trumpets, five saxophones, four trombones and an organist, the band’s massive sound was perfect for a rowdy Thursday night.

In the absence of their bass player, keyboardist Sam Gilman covered all the low end parts with ease while simultaneously ripping incredibly fluid solos.

Each member of the band had an opportunity to shine across their two sets, unleashing well-crafted solo sections among the excellent array of original songs and two covers.

The first set started strong with “Bring Forth Change,” highlighting the interlocking horn harmonies from the get-go before they chose “What Will You Do,” a song recorded on their latest album with legendary keyboardist John Medeski.

Trumpeter and co-bandleader Alex Lee-Clark energetically called cues to the band throughout the night, projecting his evident love for the music and his position in the band very clearly.

During the set-closing “Breaking Bread” by Fred Wesley, trombonist and co-bandleader Brian Thomas took one of numerous opportunities to shout out JamBase’s 25th anniversary and also noted that legendary musician Wesley would be performing with BT ALC next month at Soundcheck Studios.

The band didn’t miss a beat at setbreak and neither did the crowd as they fired up “Jammer Time,” from 2016’s The Herd Sessions, Vol. 2. Aptly named, this loud and aggressive song had the two tenor saxophonists battling back and forth over an extended solo section while other band members looked on with huge smiles. The packed room was grooving hard, with sporadic cheers erupting each time a crazy lick was played.

Another amazing musical moment came within “Superhero Dance Party,” where the fluid trombone and guitar parts seemed to finish each other’s sentences.

With the closing song “Open Your Eyes” by Bobby Caldwell, Lee-Clark took the opportunity to engage the audience in some singing, an amazing moment of participation that ended the night on a high note.

The JamBase 25th Anniversary Quadranscentennial Silver Jubilee Weekend continues tonight with Club D’Elf as well as Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino at the Boston Harbor Distillery before two nights at Soundcheck Studios close out the weekend.