From jazz to rock, 'The Slip' to 'talk'...

Seeing 'The Slip' is always an occasion to celebrate, and I only wish I had seen them kick off the tour in their (newly adpoted) hometown of Montreal. I had to settle for seeing the next two nights in Burlington, VT and Albany, NY, and was happy to hear a new facet of their music brought out. There was a slightly rougher edge to their playing, more aggressive than what I've come to typically come to expect from this trio.

The band themselves concurred on this point, and said that perhaps it had something to do with the rock n roll sound of one of their opening bands. (Apollo Sunshine played a very unique set of blues-influenced electro-rock, with a guitar sound that recalled the dirtier sound of Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn)

The Slip's new material is addictive, and I delighted to see the new ways in which they're approaching songs, like the sneaky, funky way they found their way into "I Hate Love" at the Red Square in Albany. 'The Slip', in my opinion, are creating some of the most creative and thoughtful music out there, and surely must be the most underrated band on the Jamband scene. Experienced, talented, and always interesting.

A couple days later, 'The Wood Brothers' held their CD release party at Joe's Pub, and delivered a great, short set that included original material and brilliant, tight, groovy takes on classics like "Fixin' a Hole" and "Get Outta My Life Woman". The brothers continue to amaze audiences with their harmonies, giving Chris Wood a chance to use a microphone for the first time in his instrumental career, and Oliver Wood consistantly hits the sweet spot in his vocal delivery. Chris even proved to be a bit of a ham that night, offering up physical proof of what his brother calls 'his antics', to the delight of the crowd, which included their microbiologist father.

Thursday brought San Francisco's Tea Leaf Green to the Knitting Factory for a two-night stand. While I can't deny the energy in their music, I often find it a little predictable. The first set did nothing to change my mind, although I appreciated seeing Josh Clark take the opportunity to slow down his solos. His talent is undeniable, but I find that when he takes the time to deliver the energy of sixteen notes in just one, the effect is greater. Thus, I was happy to hear less of Hendrix and Anastasio in his playing, and even (dare I say it), heard a little Jerry Garcia in those slower sections. The second set delivered more opportunities to rock right out, which I did quite happily at times, but I left the Knit thinking that I'd seen them play that material just like that before.

Friday brought Canadian band Metric to Webster Hall for a sold out show whose audience was on the younger, hipper side. Because Webster Hall turns into a nightclub at 11pm, most shows there are short and sweet. The one set delivered by Metric didn't hit its stride till midway, and still I was left wondering about the appeal of their music. Emily Haines is undeniably a captivating frontwoman, and is clearly not afraid of mixing high hemlines, highheels, and high kicks. But musically, I couldn't tell if I had just seen a good or bad Metirc show, or if there's a difference. There was very little interplay between musicians, and I doubt if they veered from anything they'd done in the past. Metric is worth seeing for Ms. Haines, but not much else in my opinion.

Saturday sent me to Brooklyn to check out a Montreal trio called 'Land Of Talk', and this proved my musical find of the weekend. A touch of Broken Social Scene, maybe a touch of Portishead, but really, a sound all their own for this up-and-coming band. Elizabeth Powell's vocals are unlike any singer I've heard recently, and I sometimes felt like I was listening to a 4th instrument instead of a vocalist. Her unique sound extends to her guitar playing, and she is joined by two very talented musicians on drums and bass. They'll be playing at the Mercury Lounge in NYC on March 24th, so see them. And visit they're Myspace page to hear samples...(www.myspace.com/landoftalkmtl) I'm ready to defect to the Land of Talk.

After that little discovery, I jetted over to the Blue Note for a Late Night Show by the Jacob Fred Jazz Orchestra. I had never seen this group before, and as it was the Blue Note, I got a particularly jazzy introduction. Brian Haas normally plays a Hammond, and here he had a Grand Piano at his disposal, and he certainly impressed. Reed Mathis was the standout of the three, delivering solos on the bass that made me sometimes dizzy, wondering how that guitar sound managed to appear amidst all that bass. They were joined, briefly, by Mike Dillon on percussion and Skerik on sax, which was a somewhat refreshing antidote to all that...jazz. But the highlight, guestwise, had to have been when Marco Benevento (of The Duo) joined Brian Haas on his piano bench for some clambering around the keyboard, crawling around him at times and infusing an irresistible energy to the stage. Who, Marco? Energy? Naawwww....