There Was a Lot Happening Over the Last 48 Hours

Playing right now: Neighbours debut single, on Get Hip - RED VINYL!

Neighbours played a single release show last night at Gooski's, and damn was it good. I don't think it was the hooch talking last night. (In fact the drink in my head seemed kind of unnecessary by the time the lads went on.) I've described them as mod pop in the past, and they've even progressed further  so that they're not merely emulating a style. Ross' guitar playing recreates that unsustained, hopped-up Jam sound but he's not afraid to make some good noise during a guitar solo or a chorus. Joe's bass playing is really melodic, uses vibrato well and since he's playing some sort of Precision copy [I think] it had a bit of a dirty sound to it. Andy's the most in-the-pocket drummer I've heard in ages, and of course Michael... well he slayed me ages ago as Mr. White Soul Belter.

The night before, I was late yet again  for a show I really wanted to see. Cornetist Josh Berman and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm were playing at the Shop with tenor saxophonist/bass clarinetist Christoph Erb. [A quick Google search revealed that the trio is going by the name Bererberg.] I got there for the last 10 minutes of their wild free improv, which sounded great. Each guy really had something going on: Josh with his amazing range and great tone; Fred with his skillful use of effects on his instrument; Christoph switching between horns and doing some fine, percussive slap tonguing.

I bought a CD from Fred of his trio with Jason Roebke and Frank Rosaly, called Other Valentines. I've always enjoyed his work, but last night I listened to it and was really loving it. His tone is really strong and emotional, with maybe a touch of vibrato. In addition to originals, he covers Sun Ra, Pink Floyd ("Arnold Layne"!) and Gil Scott-Heron.

No Record Store Day shenanigans for me yesterday. I was tempted to wake up early, as I usually do, and take a trip across the river to the Attic, since they opened at midnight on Saturday morning/Friday night. Last year, they had a line snaking around the corner before they even opened, which made the narrow aisles impossible to negotiate inside. By 6 a.m., I figured there probably wouldn't be a huge crowd there so that would be an ideal time to go. But I was lucky I got up when I did, considering what a few highballs at the Brillobox did to me the night before.

I'll say it right now: I don't need to buy any new records at the moment.

[Note the qualifier there.]

PS On the walk home from Gooski's, I heard that Benny Golson played at the August Wilson Center. What the hay? Where was the publicity for that? Nobody told me!