SCONE, ROBERTS, & DEITCH – Live at Brooklyn Bowl – REVIEW

For those that made the trip over to Brooklyn Bowl on Monday night, you

would probably agree that there couldn’t have been a better way to spend your evening. With a fairly close to last minute announcement of a power trio made up of Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Break Science), Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), and Adam Scone (Mofro), there was a nice little turnout that had the pleasure to see these gentlemen play some straight-up 60’s-70’s era jazz-funk.

For a genre that was not accepted in theUnited Statesin its earlier days, you sure couldn’t

have guessed it by the appreciation people were showing it on this night. I mean, people were getting DOWN. With no traditional setlist in sight, it appeared that these three were simply choosing songs off the cuff, and just taking us on a journey back to a time and place where not many of us in the crowd had ever been. While there were some songs in mind, this was the case for all intents and purposes, as each member took turns calling out different numbers to play.

At one point during the set, watching Roberts take the lead, someone said to me, “Can you believe that this British guy is killing it like he is?” – making reference to this dude fromEnglandowning a style of music that is considered to be purely American. While this would appear to initially be true from the outside looking in, jazz-funk is a genre that didn’t really catch on inAmericaduring its early stages, as it was looked down upon by jazz purists. This sub-genre of jazz became a British phenomenon in the 70’s and 80’s, as many of the artists over here (in the States) were finding some popularity across the pond. So, am I surprised that Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds can tear through these songs? The answer is definitely not; my man grew up with this music.

This show wasn’t about any specific song or setlist; it was about finding that swing and that groove and taking it to the next level; though there were a couple of choice cuts from the evening that really brought the heat. ‘Where I’m Coming From’ by Stevie Wonder was awesome; ‘Chicken Half’, which is an original by Adam Scone with his group Sugarman Three was particularly special given the fact that it was thrown in with some heavy-hitters. The Little Feat number ‘Texas Twister’ was also a real nice treat. There was some serious playing going on Monday night at the Bowl, despite the laidback feel of the evening.

There were a couple of surprise guests as well. The ever-soulful Alecia Chakourcame out to sing two songs, one of them being a stellar version of ‘Do Your Thing’ by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band; ‘Message from the Meters’ by The Meters saw Cochemea Gastelum (sax player from Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings) and DJ Logic having a grand old time sharing the stage with their friends. The two joined the trio on several songs which gave this performance even more of that spontaneous feel that makes shows like this that much more special.

After the music ended, it was tough to make that final exit; we all wanted some more. The cuts that Deitch, Roberts, andSconeprovided were so tastefully chosen and played even better. The fact of the matter is that these guys can flat-out play with each other. Let’s hope this happens again…real soon.

SETLIST:

The Long Drive Home

Louisiana Slim (Louisiana Slim)

Chicken Half by (Sugarman Three w/ Adam Scone)

Flood in Franklin Park (Grant Green)

Where I’m Coming From (Stevie Wonder)

Peepin w. Cocheme

Texas Twister w. Cocheme & DJ Logic (Little Feat)

Fast’in w. DJ Logic

Message From The Meters w. Cocheme & DJ logic (The Meters)

Good Thing w. Alecia Chakour

Do Your Thing w. Alecia Chakour & DJ logic (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band)