Saw SMV on Tues, wow! Lots of bass players in a packed house.
Local critic
David Alder has a good review in today's
Inquirer (the link may not last long @ the Inky site, try searching his name there or check the ARTICLES, ETC link on his site in a few weeks). Bless him for getting the keyboardist's name: Federico Gonzalez Pe?a, who's extended solo on Mongoose Walk. just killed. Chic who?
I would add that Derico Watson was great, Marcus's bass has always been fantastic but his bass clarinet and tenor sax playing have continued to improve these last few years: He really can stand on his own as a soloist with the former. Victor's solo feature began with a dedication to ...a good friend who just passed... (LeRoi Moore?), I'm pretty sure the theme was Nearer My God To Thee, done first as a chordal motif, then as lines with some type of pitch shift (Eventide Harmonizer?), very freaky sounding, then a brief passage with looper and then back to the chordal motif. Stanley's upright solo feature was incredible, quotes galore going back to his orchestral school daze @ PMA (now U-Arts), Children Of Forever era and up to the present. His sound was much cleaner than at the Mann w. RTF the other week (not surprising given the acoustics/PA differences btwn the venues).
If they're playing near you run do not walk to get tix!!!
