Louisiana visits with pianist Davell Crawford tonight at the Cock ’n Bull in Galway and Terrance Simien and his Zydeco Experience on Friday at the Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose (1002 Western Ave., Albany). Both return where they played terrific shows last time.
In January, Crawford made big sounds on the Cock ’n Bull’s small piano, playing Fats Domino or Allen Toussaint. He’d planned to play all New Orleans music, he said, “but I guess I moved away from that!” — roaming confidently, masterfully into blues, gospel, reggae, jazz, country, soul and rock.
He started in New Orleans with Chris Kenner’s “Something You Got,” closed two hours later with Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” and returned often to hometown sounds of Fats, Toussaint, Professor Longhair, James Booker, and his own grandfather, James “Sugarboy” Crawford. We could feel Crawford thinking his way from song to song in fluent, fun glides. $60 dinner and show, $15 standing room. 8 p.m. 882-6962 www.thecocknbull.com
Last March, Terrance Simien played a great show at the Massry Center, showing off similar skill and range to Crawford’s. I wrote here that, “Nobody left . . . without a smile, sore feet and some beads . . . ‘You gotta feel this in your feet; you can’t feel it in your seat!’ — so everybody danced and the music earned it.”
Simien’s Saturday show at Massry Center features free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. show time. $20, students $10, children $5. 337-4871 www.massrycenter.org. Like Crawford, Simien plays Jazz Fest in New Orleans late this month/early next.
BREAKIN’ IT DOWN
I love Keith Pray’s Big Soul Ensemble’s monthly Van Dyck gigs, biggest sound in town; but hearing some of the guys in smaller bands this weekend was great fun, too.
Pray’s quartet at the Van Dyck last Saturday (Jeff Siegel, drums; John Menegon, bass and guest pianist Henrique Haneine) took the blues around the world including, maybe most surprisingly, Mongolia; and into unexpected times and chords. Pray cut WAY loose on alto, face red, fingers and riffs flying; Haneine earned his guest-star stripes and Siegel and Menegon laid a supple foundation. That show should be an album!
The Schenectady-Amsterdam Musical Union’s Sunday afternoon free Jazz Appreciation Month show at Proctors Robb Alley featured three Pray band stalwarts in the Dylan Canterbury Quintet: regulars Ben O’Shea, trombone, and Brian Patneaude, tenor sax; and frequent sub trumpeter Canterbury. Pray big-band drummer Bob Halek anchored headlining Colleen Pratt & Friends. Both bands played strong, spirited sets for loyal jazz fans and random “The Lion King” matinee-goers drawn to the sound.
SAM BUSH
After Proctors, I hit The Egg on Sunday for the versatile virtuoso “Newgrass”/jazz-rocking Sam Bush Band.
After a wild romp through banjoist Scott Vestal’s blistering “By Stealth,” mandolinist/leader Bush said, “That’s all the notes we know!” in mock farewell. Then he sang “Circles Around Me,” a super-sincere expression of gratitude for, well, everything. What could follow but Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire”? — and then an anarchic hoedown “Whayasay” before the band left and Bush soloed all over the map.
Back at full strength, Bush introduced songs from an album in the works, starting with “Lefty Clark” (written in the 1970s, lost until recently). Other new tunes shared the same jazzy glide and bluegrass zip as the faves fans shouted out to hear.
They encored with “Workingman’s Blues” by the late, great Merle Haggard before revving way back up on “Nine Pound Hammer.” Heavy as that was, and the set-closing amped blast “Laps in Seven,” Bush and the boys played with a fleet, light touch mostly, bearing down in fireworks solos that dazzled and amazed. What a joyous night of deep-rooted, high-flying music.
Reach Gazette columnist Michael Hochanadel at [email protected].
Categories: Entertainment
