E. Doctor Smith's Blog

Bill Macbeth's fabulous little club, The Ivy Room in Albany, has seen it's share of musical diversity; blues, rock, folk, and even experimental. San Pablo Ave. is no stranger to a rich musical heritage either, having seen acts like the legendary Johnny Cash to the irrepressible James Brown. Thursday nights, Macbeth has flung his doors open to the ever popular Hip-Hop scene, hosted by "LCJ" and his spin master "True Justice", and featuring some of the best and brightest stars the bay area has to offer. One of these luminaries continues to captivate me with it's glare; the trio known as Triple Ave. Led by a veritable titan of the turntable, "Hyp", Triple Ave. rounds out it's sounds with the sultry "Gypsy Luv", the silky smooth "Louie Da Saint", and bassist Mike Shea. This is not some high class kareoke band, playing to only CDs, Triple Ave. is a live, spontaneous, performing group, whose infectous grooves and l...

Local tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Matt Renzi is one the most prolific musicians on the scene, and his latest album, "The Cave", is another fine effort. Like many other listeners, I had not been much of a fan of the "sax-bass-drums" trio concept, however after spending time with Seattle's great trio known as "Critters Buggin'", with the legendary "Skerrik" on saxophone, and the former rhythm section of Edie Brickell's New Bohemians, old friends, Brad Houser on bass and Matt Chamberlain on drums, I became a convert. Renzi's pairing with bassist David Ambrosio and drummer Russell Meissner, and their beautiful work on The Cave, can most definitely be added to that ever growing concept. After listening to The Cave, and reading a multitude of stellar reviews, I found myself turning once again to the words of All About Jazz senior editor, Canadian John Kelman, who wrote, "While not an uncommon format, the saxophone...

Well no, not exactly. The members of Subterraneanz have gone their separate ways since their demise a few years back, LCJ is hosting "Just Scratch 2", and "Live Hip Hop", Thursday nights at Berkeley's Ivy Room. Their spinmaster supreme, "Hyp", singer "Gypsy Luv", and "Louis Da Saint", formed the trio "Triple Ave.", keyboardist and Subz co-founder "Nyambezi" continues his exciting solo career, and the incredibly talented bassist Mike Shea somehow finds a way to still perform with all of them. As for the inimitable "Tranque", he has apparently re-surfaced in Brooklyn, New York's Hip-Hop scene. All of these forces are scheduled to collide, (minus Tranque), at the Ivy Room, late tonight, March 9th. This will NOT be a Subterraneanz reunion in the strict sense of word; each act will be performing separately, however one can only imagine there will be some "sitting in" that night. We...

Four of my favorite percussionists, masters in their respective disciplines, come together for a highly-charged musical exchange; explosive, unpredictable, and unusual. Doudou N’Diaye Rose (Senagalese master of the sabar ), Chad Wackerman, (Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth), Luis Conte (Madonna, Michael Jackson), and Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks), are known internationally as the World Drummers Ensemble. For those unfamiliar with, or unpersuaded by, the astonishing and increasing grip of the percussive arts as an innovative force in music across continents, this new Dual Disc CD/DVD, "A Coat of Many Colors", offers conclusive proof, were any needed, that rhythm beats at the heart of all things. I've worked with both Bill Bruford and Luis Conte, and I've seen the work of both Chad Wackerman with Frank Zappa, and Doudou N'Diaye Rose with Youssou N'Dour, so my anticipation of this new release has been extreme to say the least. A true cult...