elmerthegreat

Another little video from Ross Byron.

Sandwiched around St. Patrick’s Day, Ross, Vinnie, and myself give you a soundtrack to keep your drinking going.

Though shows like this in NYC do not pay as well as other places, I do appreciate the fact that most clubs have a backline. For the laymen, backline is when a club provides amplifiers and speakers. That mean I only need to show up with my bass and whatever pedals I may require. For clubs, it allows a quicker set-up and breakdown between acts. It means that I do not need to lug around any amps.

March 16, 2009 at 11pm
Ross Byron
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
New York City 10002
212-477-4155
(Google Map)

March 18, 2009 at 11:59pm
Ross Byron
Trash Bar
256 Grand St. between Driggs & Roebling
Williamsburg, NY 11211
(Google Map)

So what is the allure of playing in NYC? The possibility of being discovered? The chance of building a larger fan base because of the dense population on Manhattan island? If I had to play these gig for my sole source of income, I’d starve to death. Does that mean I don’t enjoy them? Absolutely not. I love it. Playing these rooms are fun. Getting new people to hear your original music is quite a rush. Nevertheless, in many ways, it is a more a labor of love than labor for profit’s sake.

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.