E. Doctor Smith's Blog

In an era where sports fantasy leagues are all the rage comes a real-life historic teaming that serious music fans and bass players have long dreamed of. Last Tuesday night at the Regency on Van Ness, saw the incredible bass trio "SMV", featuring musical titans Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten. This unique alliance of three generations of bass gods has been on chat room and fan gathering wish lists for over 15 years, kept alive by periodic statements from all three that schedules permitting they would give it a go. Finally, in October 2007, with Clarke set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bass Player magazine, at its annual Bass Player Live! event in New York City, Miller and Wooten made the time to attend and induct their mentor. The ensuing VSOP jam not only blew the minds of the 900 in attendance, it cemented for the trio their inherent musical chemistry and thus the viability of pursuing the project in earnest. As a result, in Janu...

This Saturday night, two of my favorite musicians will join forces and debut their recent collaboration at the Rockit Room on Clement Street. "The Paul And John", is a new project by guitarist John Moremen in collaboration with fellow songwriter Paul Myers. They'll be playing songs from their upcoming album "Inner Sunset". The lineup for this show will be John Moremen - Guitar & Vocals, Paul Myers- Guitar & Vocals, Mike Levy - Bass, Daniel Swan - Drums. This show is also part of the International Pop Overthrow Festival. Also on the bill are good friends The Bobbleheads and the Corner Laughers. The duo informs that, "Since we are old people, we go on at 7:30pm." The full lineup is: 7:30 The Paul And John 8:00, Sentinel 8:30, Pleasure Trip 9:00, Eric Friedmann and The Lucky Rubes 9:30, Walter Clevenger and The Dairy Kings 10:00, The Corner Laughers 10:30, The Bobbleheads 11:00, The Brink 11:30, and the Preoccupied Pipers. In the word...

According to some basic, undeniable laws of nature, when two powerful forces collide, something explosive will occur, and a dramatic transformation is likely to take place as a result. It’s a law that applies to every dynamic in the known universe, including jazz. It stands to reason, then, that when a formidable jazz quartet like the Yellowjackets convenes in the studio with a high-energy guitar virtuoso like Mike Stern, the resulting reaction will be a singular event – one that’s likely to create something entirely new on the jazz landscape. Their show last night and again tonight at the Yoshi's on Fillmore, was indeed, such a performance. This phenomenon was also captured on "Lifecycle", the new collaborative recording by the Jackets and Stern set for worldwide release on Heads Up International a division of Concord Music Group on May 20, 2008. The first Yellowjackets recording in 15 years to feature a guitar player, Lifecycle illustrates the kind of ener...

It's no secret that one of my favorite guitarists is none other fellow DC expatriate, Paul Bollenback. From his work with jazz legends like the late, great Stanley Turrentine, to the fabulous organist Joey DeFrancesco, Bollenback has become one of the most sought after musicians in jazz. Recently, he has been in the company of one of Australia's greatest singers, the incomparable Chris McNulty. McNulty demonstrates a finely honed improvisational sensibility delivered with an intense depth of feeling. Long a major jazz singer who has in recent times finally started to gain recognition for her talent, McNulty is one of the foremost singer-composers on the scene today. Her intonation and articulation are commanding and provide a preview for the level of musical excellence and creative artistry. Tonight, McNulty and her Magic Trio come to Healdsburg as part of a tour that brings this trio to the West Coast for the first time. The Magic Trio features McNulty on vocals...

An artist organized event founded in 2001 by saxophonist Rent Romus and Outsound Presents, a leading non-profit emerging artist collective for new and experimental music, announced the schedule for the 7th Annual Edgetone New Music Summit, a project also sponsored by ROVA:ARTS Inc. Beginning July 20 and running through July 26 the Festival will feature a wide cross palate of audio/video performances from lie detectors, dioramic holo-cinema, and the shredded films of No More Twist!, Kwisp and Thickness/Mono-Layer, the experimental sounds of Birgit Ulher, Gino Robair, Tim Perkis, (the) giants of gender from Youngstown Ohio, and the journey music of Shudder, to the burning swinging pulse of Different Strokes, COMA, Noertker’s Moxie, GoGo Fightmaster, and on to the mind bending steel bar stripping sounds of 15 Degrees Below Zero, Mute Socialite, Say Bok Gwai and The Late Severa Wires from Santa Fe New Mexico. Every year the Edgetone New Music Summit showcases some of the most...

Another of my favorite drummers is none other than San Rafael's Narada Michael Walden. From his early days with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, (replacing the amazing Billy Cobham), to his chart-topping work with Aretha Franklin, Walden has also proven he's a one of a kind producer and songwriter. This Saturday night, Walden and his band journey to Mill Valley's Throckmorton Theater, in a benefit concert for the family of his dear friend, the late, great chef, Anton Perkins. Walden not only brings together some of the top Bay Area studio and concert musicians to perform his hits, he supports and encourages great young raw talent as well. The core of his group has worked together for more than 30 years on projects ranging from the Rain Forest Benefit at Carnegie Hall for Sting and Trudie Styler, to recording hits for Whitney Houston. Their live show is always alive and fresh under the inspired leadership of Walden on drums. Among a handful of the mos...

This Friday, one of my favorite pop bands, The Orange Peels, emerge from their Sunnyvale studio to perform at the Make-Out Room, along with the Corner Laughers and the Incredible Vickers Brothers . The Peels, led by the pop-stylings of singer/guitarist Allen Clapp and bassist Jill Pries, return with "special guests", perhaps "the incredible" Bob Vickers, ex-Mummies guitarist Larry Winther, who left to build a new home Oregon, or drummer John Moremen who left to tour with Last Train Home, MX80 and Half Japanese. The founders of the Peels, Clapp and Pries remained, and continued with the duo's latest and perhaps best effort, "Circling The Sun". Reunited with producer/drummer Bryan Hanna, and the Ocean Blue's guitarist Oed Ronne, which helped Clapp and Pries to continue with the same vigor and energy that made the Orange Peels one of the very best pop groups in the Bay Area. From their Sunnyvale Eichler home, Clapp alongside Pries, produc...