elmerthegreat

Last night, I was rehearsing with Sick Logic. We were putting the final touches on songs for our next show. Since we only had two hours booked, time is of the essence. We called out song after song in an effort to get ourselves more familiar with new material.

Among the new songs we’ve added is “I’m Eighteen” by Alice Cooper. As we’re getting into the second verse, the door opens and a few guys check us out. We think nothing of it since they have smiles on their faces and they’re bopping along. We think, “Cool, they like us.” After we’re done, they come back in and introduce themselves. Turns out, one of them is Dennis Dunaway, Alice Cooper’s bassist! He was in the studio recording his new project 5th Avenue Vampries.

Dennis is a very nice guy. He chatted with Joe, Guy, and I about opening for Black Sabbath, opening for Ike and Tina Turner, and seeing Yes in the early days. He even let me play the bass he used to record “School’s Out“, a very nice Fender Jazz.

The other fellow in the picture below is Richie Scarlet, bass player from Mountain, guitarist alongside Ace Frehley, and other assorted projects. Also a very cool guy.

All Access Magazine.com’s Rob Swick reviews Ross Byron’s self-titled CD.

Beowolf Productions also reviews.

Some pictures from the Red Star gig on April 11, 2009:

Created with flickr slideshow.

Another little video from Ross Byron.

It may be that my girlfriend is into dance, it may be that I am beginning to appreciate dance more, since I’ve been working as an accompanist, but whatever the reason, I went to see Savion Glover’s SoLo in TiME at the Joyce Theater.

As a musician, I think it is easier for me to dial into tap as opposed to other forms of dance. I can close my eyes and appreciate tap. I can listen to it like listening to a drummer.

The first time I saw Savion Glover is around the same time that most of America saw him, in Tap with Gregory Hines. He was only 15 or 16 at the time, but for many people, he stole the show. Later, I hear he was on Broadway in Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk. Thereafter, it was on the big screen again in Bamboozled.

Sunday was my first chance to see him live. The performance SoLo in TiME is a combination of tap and Flamenco. Though I am no dance expert, I can appreciate the work involved. The interplay between music and movement is something special. A performance like SoLo in TiME, though it may have intricacies I may never appreciate, was wonderful to watch. I would highly recommend it for a dance novice or armchair appreciator.

The show features Savion and two other dancers, Cartier Williams and Marshall Davis, Jr.. They danced in unison, took solos, and at least to my ears and eyes did some spontaneous improvisation. Taking the center of the stage on three platforms, the dancers (or Hooferz, as Savion likes to say) were flanked by three musicians, Arturo Martinez on guitar, Carmen Estevez on percussion, and Andy McCloud on bass. The format changes from piece to piece. Sometimes, one dancer and  multiple musicians are on the stage, other times, the dancers perform solo. Flamenco dancer and vocalist, La Conja also came out for a few numbers.

Was the performance a successful amalgamation of Flamenco and tap? I have no idea. Is this a revolutionary fusion of styles? You are asking the wrong guy. I do know that there are no dead spots in the approximately 90 minute show. It keeps moving, not to say that all the pieces are fast, but even the least sympathetic could feel the energy and emotion coming off the stage.

Tickets for this performance are reasonable, between $19 and $50. The Joyce is intimate enough that you can purchase the $19 tickets and still get a great view and hear everything clearly. Only at the space for a few weeks more, I highly recommend carving out some time to enjoy this event.

Additional Links:
NY Times Review of SoLo in TiME
Star Ledger photos of SoLo in TiME

A little video from Ross Byron.