| A BIG YES and a small no @ Sullivan Hall | | Print | |
| Tuesday, 11 March 2008 05:13 | ||||
|
Kevin Kendrick would squat down center stage, smiling, take a sip of beer and let his band of excellent musicians do their thing. This happened a couple times, but never lasted long enough. Kendrick is the clear leader here, with his hyper-articulate mouth and upturned smile, the self-assured keystone of the band. The music fits to serve the lyrics of the songs, which are coy, understated personal narratives in sing-speak. The musicians, however, are at odds with the structure of the music. The neatness of Kendrick's pop composition seems to choke off the band's drive to really let loose. These instances where they were allowed room to breathe, to flex some muscles (for instance, a call-and-response jam between stellar keyboardist Erik Deutsch and guitarist Jonathan Goldberger), were the most exciting parts of the evening. Their jazz-rock-fusion bent is steeped in progressive traditions that take time and linger on. These are the kind of musicians who shine when afforded time to settle into the groove. Kendrick's formulaic pop is contrary to their natures. Perhaps it was this, with their energies focused inward, that kept them from fully engaging us as an audience. words and photo by Mark Jaynes
|
||||
The band would find a groove, get some legs and it would too soon be time to move back into the song. This is how it went when Kendrick and his post-Fat Mama outfit, A BIG YES… and a small no, demonstrated their brand of self-described "jazz-rock-fusion shit" at Sullivan Hall Friday night.
