E. Doctor Smith's Blog

Béla Fleck is no doubt, one of the premiere banjo players in the world and has made a name for himself as a virtuoso instrumentalist unbounded by genre. His band The Flecktones - Victor Wooten on electric bass, Jeff Coffin on sax and flute, and Future Man on electric and acoustic percussion - are equally talented and adventurous as Fleck himself. Last year's holiday CD "Jingle All the Way" is still all of that, with bells on - Christmas music as it's never been heard it before, with unique tonal textures, hot solos and tight ensemble arrangements that make every measure new. The Flecktones last appeared at Yoshi's on Fillmore 2 years ago, promoting this album with several memorable shows. They skipped the West coast last year however, for a memorable tour in Europe, reuniting them with original member, pianist and harmonica legend Howard Levy. Last night, they returned to the Fox Theater in Oakland for another stellar, Christmas-time performance. Released two tear...

This Saturrday night, the Meridian Gallery at 535 Powell will present the CD release show for the Emergency String (X)tet's "Emergency Rental". Recorded one spring evening in San Francisco, Emergency Rental is a collaboration by the ES(X)tet and saxophonist and producer Rent Romus exploring sound in and outside the elements of free improvisation between saxophone and strings, and released on Romus' Edgetone Records label. "For about a year prior I searched up and down looking for the most interesting set of string players I could to create Emergency Rental", says Romus. "I am honored that all seven of the current Emergency Strings choose to work with me on this project." The Emergency String (X)tet grew out of the ashes of Fred Longberg-Holms Phenomenal String Quartet in Chicago some fifteen years ago. After the dissolution of the Phenomenal Strings, ESX founder Bob Marsh was disconsolate, greatly missing the aural wonders provided by that group. H...

When I last saw the guitarist Mike Stern at Yoshi's San Francisco, he was performing alongside the incredible drummer Billy Cobham, as well as keyboardist Mark Soskin and bassist Victor Bailey. Cobham's reprise of his "Spectrum" era repertoire thrilled the audience, as did Stern's incendiary solos. Later that week, Cobham would play Yoshi's Oakland with an all-acoustic line up, featuring the brilliant trumpeter Randy Brecker, another longtme Cobham alum. Now Stern and Brecker return to Yoshi's for a weekend of music with drum virtuoso Dennis Chambers and bassist Anthony Jackson. Stern and Brecker will also participate in the Jazz Heritage Center's popular lecture series, "We're Talkin' Jazz" on Sunday. In a career that spans three decades and a discography that includes more than a dozen eclectic and innovative recordings, six-time GRAMMY nominee Stern has established himself as one of the premier jazz and jazz-fusion ...