Erik the Bassist played his first virtual gig years and years ago but then had to leave. He is back on the grid after some while away and he played at Cat's Art MusikCircus on Wednesday. I had never heard him before and did not know what to expect.
In fact, no-one knew what to expect as Erik the Bassist brought his friend, LuvofMusic, to dual stream with him.
The set started solo with Erik the Bassist using all kinds of techniques to make the music and my understanding is he was playing most of the instruments. I'm not fully clear on how he was doing it but he makes some very cool arrangements and you've got to figure that from anyone who is playing a six-string bass. (Basses forever have had four strings but they have been evolved over the last fifteen or twenty years. It doesn't become a new instrument but, in the hands of a skilled player, it becomes a much more capable one.)
One of the most personally striking pieces was when Erik the Bassist said he would cover "Little Wing." At first I groaned as it's particularly agonizing listening to almost-cool covers of that song but he approached it differently and played it on his bass without a Hendrix-style lead line. The result was surprising cool and I thought he did an excellent job of his interpretation.
That was a surprise but he had more as no-one knew LuvofMusic would sing with him and she has an excellent singing voice with a wonderful a range and great flexibility and confidence in using it. This is when they went all the way downtown as this was funky like it only happens downtown. They did a great set together and I know Erik will be back on the 17th. Cross your fingers that LuvofMusic comes with him.
This was definitely a Downtown Night as Chicagosax played next and he knows those downtown Chicago blues as well as anyone alive and he sure knows those Chicago jazz stages.
There was some poignance as Chicago has been playing sax for a long time and he wanted to recognize the passing of Bobby Keys, the saxophonist for the Stones for decades. The extraordinary thing is that Chicago met him years ago when his band, The Missing Links, opened for the Stones in when they played Chicago. He even met Brian Jones.
No need to go deep into the history behind the names as you will hear the influence of it in everything Chicago plays. He knows downtown.
There was yet another surprise as Vitorsur wanted to sing after that and I thought, hmm, this is brave to follow Chicago as that sax makes such a cool vibe. But brave he was and he stepped right up to sing. Vito is in Brasil and he sings with tracks. The songs won't surprise you as everyone knows Tony Bennett but the way he does them is a delight. He so obviously enjoys what he does that everyone feels it.
There was circus magic all around last night.
In fact, no-one knew what to expect as Erik the Bassist brought his friend, LuvofMusic, to dual stream with him.
The set started solo with Erik the Bassist using all kinds of techniques to make the music and my understanding is he was playing most of the instruments. I'm not fully clear on how he was doing it but he makes some very cool arrangements and you've got to figure that from anyone who is playing a six-string bass. (Basses forever have had four strings but they have been evolved over the last fifteen or twenty years. It doesn't become a new instrument but, in the hands of a skilled player, it becomes a much more capable one.)
One of the most personally striking pieces was when Erik the Bassist said he would cover "Little Wing." At first I groaned as it's particularly agonizing listening to almost-cool covers of that song but he approached it differently and played it on his bass without a Hendrix-style lead line. The result was surprising cool and I thought he did an excellent job of his interpretation.
That was a surprise but he had more as no-one knew LuvofMusic would sing with him and she has an excellent singing voice with a wonderful a range and great flexibility and confidence in using it. This is when they went all the way downtown as this was funky like it only happens downtown. They did a great set together and I know Erik will be back on the 17th. Cross your fingers that LuvofMusic comes with him.
This was definitely a Downtown Night as Chicagosax played next and he knows those downtown Chicago blues as well as anyone alive and he sure knows those Chicago jazz stages.
There was some poignance as Chicago has been playing sax for a long time and he wanted to recognize the passing of Bobby Keys, the saxophonist for the Stones for decades. The extraordinary thing is that Chicago met him years ago when his band, The Missing Links, opened for the Stones in when they played Chicago. He even met Brian Jones.
No need to go deep into the history behind the names as you will hear the influence of it in everything Chicago plays. He knows downtown.
There was yet another surprise as Vitorsur wanted to sing after that and I thought, hmm, this is brave to follow Chicago as that sax makes such a cool vibe. But brave he was and he stepped right up to sing. Vito is in Brasil and he sings with tracks. The songs won't surprise you as everyone knows Tony Bennett but the way he does them is a delight. He so obviously enjoys what he does that everyone feels it.
There was circus magic all around last night.
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