From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

Bonerama was the last band to play Power Plant Live, which was at the same time as the end of B.B. King's set. I caught the bulk of their show, which was pretty lively. It was the first lively show I've seen at the plaza over the past three days. There were people dancing, and the music was James Brown-influenced funk. The band was led by four trombone players, backed by a tuba player handling the bass part, and guitar and drums.

One of the best songs of the set was a beefed-up rendition of the Eagles' "The Long Run." A crowd of roughly 60-70 was dancing attentively in front of the stage. Undoubtedly, some of these were probably the band's dedicated fans -- Bonerama performs frequently in the area, especially at the 8x10.

It was an energetic, funky cap to the evening. The guys were playing hard, covered with sweat, and the music was unrelenting -- and really good.

Now that it's come to a close, I can say that the festival definitely has potential. It was well organized for its first year, though it would nice to have more acts that focused on jazz.

We'll see what happens next year.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

The early part of B.B. King's show at Pier Six was beset by technical problems -- mikes kept going out during the first song, and you couldn't hear him at all, so the house started booing (aimed at the sound men). They were seen scrambling on the sides of the stage trying to figure out the problem.

B.B. was also frustrated and half-jokingly shook his fist at the sound men at the right of the stage and held his head in frustration. Finally, midway through the second number, the microphone was fixed, but B.B. was still overpowered by his eight-piece band with four very loud horns.

His show overall was a bit soft because of the sound problems and his advanced age (81). He's still a powerful singer, but his approach is much more laid back and subdued these days.

It's great that he's still performing, but the sound system issues definitely interfered, and the arrangements were a little too Vegas for a blues show. Just B.B. and his guitar would have been absolutely perfect, but the excessive arrangments made it feel a little bloated.

I'm heading over to Bonerama at Power Plant Live next for my last report on the festival.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

I just saw Little Richard perform with a very high octane 10-piece band. He hobbled out to the stage on crutches to get to the piano, and he was wearing a silver and purple irridescent suit and gold, glittery shoes. He was looking very much the star he is. He is still a powerful singer and gave the kind of show you would expect -- very loud and concentrating on the songs he recorded between 1955 and 1957.

It was a big, fun nostalgia trip.

After the show, I talked to Baltimore-based beautician and part-time singer Selah Coleman, wearing long braids down her back, a gorgeous green-and-white sundress and piercings in her lip and nose. She said, "I thought the show felt a little contrived. It was maybe what the audience expected, but I don't know if I was feeling Little Richard very much."

Asked if she caught Al Green, she said, "Yeah, he was great, but I wish he had sung more of his own songs."

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From Sam Sessa:

The sun is gone, and you can see the city lights from Harbor Pointe. Rusted Root is on stage, sending out ambient, drifting jams. Audience members are standing and sitting in folding chairs, and just as many people are talking to one another as are watching the show. There are hundreds of audience members now, and more still coming.

The music is supposed to go until 11 tonight, and though Harbor Pointe is hard to get to, the view is beautiful once you're there.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

The Rev. Al Green started his set throwing roses out into the crowd.

Women, many past middle age, rushed the stage like teenage girls to get them. Security had to tell them to back it up and please return to their seats.

Though eager, the women were not viciously competitive, as they were when I saw him a few years ago at Constitution Hall in Washington.

The last woman to get a rose tonight also got a kiss on the lips from Green. I ran into her afterward as she was standing in line buying a pretzel and a Heineken.

"I was in competition with another woman for the rose. But I got it," said Sue Takovich of Baltimore, as she dangled the rose. Takovich is a freight agent with Northrop Grumman.

"I love his personality, and his smile is wonderful. I love Al Green."

Posted by Anne Tallent at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

At one point, Little Richard was scheduled to be the first act on the Saturday-night bill at Pier Six Pavilion. But as a Seventh-Day Adventist, he doesn't perform before 7 p.m., so the Rev. Al Green was first to appear before the sold-out crowd. The fans generally appear to be middle-aged and older, racially mixed, classy and affluent.

Green came out in a tuxedo, cummerbund, Star of David and white gloves. Having seen him before, I can tell you: He's always in preacher mode.

He seemlessly blended his gospel and his secular hits of the 1970s; he also did a medley of Motown and Sam Cooke hits from the 1960s. It might have seemed scattershot, but it made sense as a mix of the Al Green sound.

He had a big, 12-piece soul band. Two male dancers were a distraction.

It was a powerful performance. Vocally, he's still got it. He looks good, perhaps a little thicker around the middle.

Posted by Anne Tallent at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Booking local funk rockers the Bridge was the right idea.

A wave of early twentysomethings descended on Harbor Pointe just before the Bridge started their set. Something like 150 more people must have just showed up -- the audience doubled in size. The Bridge had a four-week residency at the 8x10 in Federal Hill, and I hear the shows are close to sell-outs.

Even better -- a few dozen people are down in front of the stage dancing. Someone is even blowing bubbles. It's about time this crowd woke up.

It took the sound guy a song to get the levels balanced, but the Bridge is sounding pretty darn good right now.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

When the 15-member Latin Giants of Jazz finished their last song, a Tito Puente cover, the Harbor Pointe crowd gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.

It was the first standing ovation I've seen at one of the festival's free shows. The Giants brought their south-of-the-border sound for more than an hour, complete with splashy brass, layered percussion and Spanish lyrics.

Kenny Liner, beatboxer for the Bridge (the next act today), was digging the Giants. He clapped his hands and bobbed his head from the side of the stage where he stood.

"These guys are amazing," he said. "It's great to have music available in Baltimore for free. It was a great idea. I hope they do it again next year."

Posted by Sam Sessa at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The question of the hour: Could the Latin Giants of Jazz fit any more musicians on stage?

The New York-based outfit has a full brass section, three percussionists, an upright-electric bassist and a keyboardist. There must be 15 of them in all. For a band with so many people, they're right on point, too. I'm impressed.

Last night I thought the Shuffle Demons, with their three saxophonists, was a brass attack. That makes these guys an army. So far, things are running about a half-hour behind schedule at the Harbor Pointe stage.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Organ trio Paradigm Shift got the series of free shows at Harbor Pointe rolling with some high-stepping jazz funk. The levels were a little out of whack, and at times the organ's high register was ear-piercingly loud. But overall, the group's instrumental jams were warm and inviting -- just like the weather.

Police officers estimated the crowd at 50, but more people are showing up.

"Thanks for being here," said guitarist Melvin Henderson. "This is a small but mighty crowd." 

Harbor Pointe is pretty isolated from the rest of the city. There is only one entrance, which isn't well marked. It won't get the same kind of foot traffic that the Bond Street Wharf Landing stage enjoys. But the stage area is ringed by vendor booths offering everything from beer to bank accounts. 

A light breeze is blowing, and there is barely a cloud in the sky. What a perfect day for a jazz festival. The Latin Giants of Jazz are up next,

Posted by Sam Sessa at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The third and final day of the Paetec Jazz Festival is under way at the Harbor Pointe stage.

Though Harbor Pointe is larger than the Bond Street Wharf and has a panoramic view of the city, I'd take the wharf's grassy strip over the Pointe's gravel-covered peninsula any day.

A few dozen people were here to see the start of organ trio Paradigm Shift's set about 12:15 p.m. Audience member Mitch Wiygul was one of them. Wiygul, a 49-year-old who lives just north of the city, has been recording audio of the free shows since Thursday. His favorite so far has been Skerik's Syncopated Taint Trio at Power Plant Live's plaza yesterday.

"Guys like Robert Walther and Karl Denson -- you can mention them in the same breath as Skerik," he said. "All the ones I saw at Power Plant Live were wonderful."

Posted by Sam Sessa at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Got to Rams Head Live last night in time to catch Pocket Protector, the opener for Guru's Jazzmatazz.

Pocket Protector is a local funk/jazz/hip-hop outfit made from members of two Baltimore groups, Written Prisms and the Mark Hopkins Band, I believe. They were an excellent group of musicians with some great grooves. But if you're playing to a hip-hop and jazz crowd, you really have to sell it to the audience. Only the bass player looked like he was really into the music -- the others were pretty rigid on stage. So in turn, the audience's response was lukewarm.

Guru and his crew were on hip-hop time, which meant they took the stage almost an hour after they were supposed to. Fisrt, producer Solar came out and teased the crowd with a song off a new album that should come out next year, he said.

Then, about 11 p.m., Guru finally walked out on stage and launched into a two-minute speech about why his new album was so awesome. I felt like I was watching an infomercial.

When Guru and Jazzmatazz (a keyboardist, trumpeter, drums, DJ and six-string-bass player) eventually got down to business, the show was decent. The band, which sounded great, played a mix of songs from the new album and their earlier material. But the highlights of the set were when Guru led the band through tunes from his former project, Gang Starr.

The crowd, what there was of them, was dancing along. The upstairs level was closed off and the downstairs was comfortably full. I'd say there were about 300 people there, all told. 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Anders Osborne Band, the ragtag, multiracial quartet that performed last night at Power Plant Live plaza, was close to an hour late getting on stage. The band, I was told by festival publicist Tim Richardson, had gotten lost en route to the venue.

Once on stage, the guys took their sweet time setting up. The huge crowd of mostly college-age adults milled about the plaza, ignoring the quartet, which included a tuba player, a drummer, a saxophonist and Osborne on guitar and vocals. A blonde girl behind me said, "Is that a tuba? What's going on here?"

The band finally played. And the music was an insufferable mix of swampy rock-funk rhythms with meandering solos on top. Osborne, who's Swedish, sang with a slurred, affected, faux Southern accent. And he sounded a mess. Joann Solomon, an attractive 40-something woman visiting from Dallas, rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what to make of this," she said. "For them to come on so late and you get this?"

My sentiments exactly.  

Posted by Rashod Ollison at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

Grammy-winning Swedish singer-songwriter Anders Osborne made his commercial breakthrough with the album Which Way to Here? Its release seems oddly prescient.  

Tonight, the Anders Osborne Band was running a bit late for its set during the Paetec Jazz Festival. The group was scheduled to start at 10 p.m. at Power Plant Live. At 10:37, they were just getting to the venue and setting up on stage.

The problem? Getting lost on the way here.

But there's a good crowd waiting. The plaza is filled with college-age students who seem preoccupied with heading in and out of the surrounding restaurants, bars and clubs.

Posted by Anne Tallent at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

The Earth, Wind and Fire show was excellent: Energy was up all the way through.

There is a very professional sheen about an Earth, Wind and Fire show. There are stagey dance moves. But the music sounds very much like it did back in the 1970s. For the jazz fest, the songs were stretched out with more improvisationsal solos.

Earth, Wind and Fire's music has always had jazz overtones to it, especially in the early part of their career. They brought more of that back into it.

The crowd was enthusiastic for the show. As I was leaving, they were playing "September," and the whole house was dancing; there were couples dancing in the aisles.

A chain of women were holding each other by the shoulder and doing a kick line, like the Rockettes. One of them even kicked me as I was walking by. I was like, "Look out, girlfriend."

It was a very fun set.

Posted by Anne Tallent at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison: 

At the Earth, Wind and Fire show at Pier Six Pavilion, I ran into an interesting couple noshing on loaded hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches: Brian and Bonnie Marchetti of Essex. Brian, 40, owns a used-car dealership, Cars 4 Sale; Bonnie, 35, is a registered nurse with Johns Hopkins.

Bonnie: "This is my first Earth, Wind and Fire concert. I grew up with their music in the '70s. My parents used to play them, and I play their song, 'Got to Get You Into My Life' every morning before I go to work."

(Granted, it was a Beatles hit first. But EWF made it an R&B hit in 1978.)

Brian rolled his eyes: " I hear that song every morning."

Brian and Bonnie are a large couple; Brian, in particular, is a big guy.

Brian: "I like the atmosphere of the pavilion. I wanted to see Earth, Wind and Fire when they were at Rams Head Live when they played last year. But the show was standing-room only. I'm a big guy, and I can't stand for two-and-a-half hours."

Posted by Anne Tallent at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

As the Shuffle Demons get deeper into their set, their schtick started to wear a little thin.

I cracked up when they started playing an Average White Band-like song called "Cheese on Bread." During it, they sang:

Cheese /

cheese on bread /

I want cheese /

cheese on bread

More like cheese on band.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Toronto-based jazz fusion group the Shuffle Demons brought their brass attack to an 8:15 p.m. set at Power Plant Live's plaza during the Paetec Jazz Festival.

The five-piece band (three saxophonists, an electric upright bassist and a drummer) strolled through the crowd jamming and clapping their hands. That broke the ice right away. The audience, which now numbers about 200, clapped and danced along with the band.

Each band member is sporting a black suit covered in crazy white patterns. These outfits should have never left the 1990s. The drummer, with the sides of his head shaved and his hair combed back and no shirt underneath his suit, looks hilarious.

The music is just as fun as the getup: a tri-saxophone attack backed by swinging bass notes and hammering drums. I'm just afraid that after a few more songs, it's going to start getting repetitive. I'll keep you posted.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison: 

Earth, Wind and Fire is a few minutes late getting started at its Paetec Jazz Festival set at Pier Six Pavilion, but there appears to be a capacity crowd: mostly middle-aged and predominantly African-American.

It's a classy-looking assemblage, but perhaps the savviest group is not even under the pavilion: A number of fans are camped out on the other side of the water, east toward Fells Point, right across from the Scarlett Place condos. Around the pavilion, listeners are settling into lawn chairs.

I'm under the pavilion now, looking at an elaborate stage setting: two sets of congas; drums; piano. The music of Earth, Wind and Fire is heavily percussive, so it should be a vibrant show.

Posted by Anne Tallent at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The MC was dead-on when he called Skerik's Syncopated Taint Trio "most excellent."

The Hammond B-3, saxophone and drums outfit tore it up for a little more than an hour in Power Plant Live plaza. In addition to their cohesive swing, funk and jazz jams, they also played a few cover songs. My favorites were their version of "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the Darth Vader theme music from Star Wars.

During a tease of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile," the saxophonist put some gritty distortion on his instrument, which made it sound like a harmonica. For only three instruments, they created a pretty large soundscape.

The Shuffle Demons are up next at 8 p.m.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison: 

Long Island native TK Blue is getting toward the end of his set at the Paetec Jazz Festival. Playing saxophone and flute, he has a more varied approach than Todd Butler. Where Butler was uptempo, soul-jazz fusion, Blue is doing more of a traditional jazz approach. With ballads and midtempo numbers, he evinces a romantic feel.

Blue and his three sidemen — a drummer, a bassist and a keyboardist — have been producing solos with muscle, passion and warmth.

Neither Blue nor Butler has been particularly chatty: They introduce the songs and keep playing.

The crowd has grown to about 50. It's still mostly middle-aged and older but more attentive than the last one: Nobody is reading, and the toddler is gone. People are paying more attention to the music.

The weather is noticeably cooler now. TK Blue’s more romantic set seems to complement the environment (or is that the other way around?) with the sun going down, nice breezes and lower humidity.

Posted by Anne Tallent at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

 From pop music critic Rashod D. Ollison:

I just talked to some new Baltimore arrivals: Beth Renzi, who teaches autistic children in Rockville, and her boyfriend of three-and-a-half years, Andrew Walton, a researcher for the federal government. They’re both in their early 30s and look the professional part: Renzi had glasses, with her hair pulled back in a bun; Andrew was a little nerdy-looking but very nice.

The two just moved a month ago from Washington to Canton. They heard about the jazz festival last week and decided to come down, eliciting some thoughts on Baltimore vs. Washington:

Renzi: "I think Baltimore is better-suited for a jazz festival. It’s more laidback, and there are more locations along the water."

Walton: "I agree. I think it would have been better to have it in a place like Baltimore than D.C. or a closed-in area like a fairground."

Both were sitting along a rock ledge that frames the grassy yard. Suitable to their new environment, they were drinking Jazzberry wine from Boordy, the Baltimore County vintner.

Renzi: "I hope the fest continues. This would be great for a city like Baltimore."

Posted by Anne Tallent at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)