by Zac Taylor (‘10)
Contributing Writer

Jared Salvatore Band,  The Neighbors

Hard Rock Café, Boston

May 14, 2010

On a Friday night in Faneuil Hall, past all the tough-guy jock bars and Red Sox fanatics, there was some artful rock and roll happening at the Hard Rock Café. Recent Berklee graduate Jared Salvatore and his band took the stage in front of a three-quarters full room and attained the timbre and richness of a fully-produced pop production. You have to credit the sound guy to some extent, but this band was tight.

Sporting white-rimmed shades and a tie, Salvatore and co. got the crowd moving with pop gems like “Designer Girl” and “Crash Test.” Mark Johnson added tasteful Telecaster textures, while bassist Dave Huddleston and drummer Ben Atkind kept the grooves solid and tight.  A nasty cover of “Use Me” by Bill Withers was a highlight of the set, but Salvatore’s sharp, clever tunes stole the show.

The Neighbors followed Salvatore with their signature mix of Green-Day-meets-Mars-Volta smart rock. Actual neighbors they are anything but; Rossiter lives in New York City while Cadrin and Crepeault reside in the Bay State. The trio nevertheless sparkles with undeniable musicianship and chemistry. Lead singer/guitarist Tom Cadrin seemingly juggles rhythm and lead guitar parts simultaneously, supported by Berklee alumnus Alex Rossiter on bass and David Crepeault on drums. They brought up Myles Reeves to help them out with an N.E.R.D. cover and kept the energy high throughout the set. The Neighbors are currently recording their new EP Nothing is Hidden at Zing Studios to be released this fall.

Jared Salvatore

The Neighbors

By Andrew Slotnick
Managing Editor

Kevin Harris Project

CD Release Show: Chapters

Scullers Jazz Club

May 12, 2010 8:00 p.m.

Performers: Kevin Harris, Kendall Eddy, Steve Langone, Rick DiMuzio

The Kevin Harris Project carried a full room on a bumpy ride through exciting, emotional, and technically challenging music at Scullers Wednesday night to celebrate the release of Chapters. The set opened with solo stride piano by bandleader Kevin Harris, an educator and performer with a master’s degree in jazz performance from New England Conservatory. Steve Langone added hand percussion to the mix as he took his place at the drums for a lively vamp before bassist Kendall Eddy increased the group to a trio. Following Harris’ smiling and laughing lead the three musicians performed “Rumba for Mary Ann”, which weaved its way between time signatures and referenced the standard “A-Train” before slowing to a stop. Rick DiMuzio left his spot offstage to round out the quartet on tenor saxophone, and the four played their first simultaneous notes in “Buy  Ya Books”.

Throughout the night Mr. Harris looked at home on the piano and exhibited the joy of a musician in his element. DiMuzio had a dark tone and monstrous chops that he used sparingly, focusing on melody and floating above the busy world of the rhythm section. Standing taller than his upright bass’ headstock, Kendall Eddy held down the time flawlessly despite both planned and improvised groove and feel changes, leaving plenty of room for the drummer to play melodically. Langone controlled the group’s dynamics with brushes and a beater for ballads and explosive hits during louder tunes.

Despite a tremendous amount of creative energy and technical ability, the band rarely settled into the pocket; ballads had consistent time-feel but the faster songs were not very straight-ahead. When given the chance, however, the band grooved tightly.

Kevin Harris communicated with the audience continually and displayed an easygoing, friendly, and sincere manner between songs. Shout-outs to family and friends in attendance and tributes to Harris’ aunt and mother revealed a sentimental side to his character and playing.

The set finished with strong tunes: an uptempo rendition of John Coltrane’s “Countdown” with a simmering bass intro, followed by a mind-boggling playthrough of “Moose the Mooche” with five beats per measure instead of four. Harris announced his last song by suggesting the “formalities” of an encore be skipped and launched into “Freedom Doxology”, a display of raw emotion by saxophone and piano. After an appreciative round of applause the band left the stage and Harris stopped to shake hands with an enthusiastic youngster. The musicians remained accessible to audience members after the show before preparing for their second performance at 10:00 p.m.

The Kevin Harris Project will be performing again at the Cambridge River Festival June 5 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. 

Chapters was released May 12, 2010. It can be purchased through Itunes and Nimbit.

Chapters Track Listing:
1. “Nellie Jones (My Grandmother)”
2. “The Americas”
3. “Rumba for Mary Ann”
4. “Trinkle Tinkle”
5. “Happy Tears”
6. “Moose the Mooche”
7. “Countdown”
8.” Childhood”
9. “Buy Ya Books”
10. “Journeys End ”

Kevin Harris’ Homepage
Scullers Jazz Club

My Fake Funeral performing at SXSW in Austin, TX.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

Heavy Rotations’ number one zombie flick aficionado has dropped her name in favor of a more fitting, group-oriented moniker. Ann Driscoll has renamed her solo project My Fake Funeral, derived from the name of a one-act musical theater piece she penned last year. The band still features the same cast of topnotch musicians: Bruno Esrubilsky on drums, Dabbo Caucci on bass, and Justin Hancock on guitar.

MFF broke in their new name last Saturday, April 17 at Church. The crowd danced and sang along with Driscoll and the boys; imagine In Utero-era Nirvana fronted by Fiona Apple with an orange Grestch guitar. The quartet is still tight from a number of SXSW showcases, and are currently compiling material for a record sometime this summer.

Also the front person for all-girl dance rock band Mrs. Danvers, Driscoll’s catalog continues to define itself as dark and edgy content juxtaposed with super-catchy melodies and highly sing-along-able choruses; the tunes “I Wanna Be Your Zombie” and “I Wanna Believe You” perhaps exemplify this delightful contradiction.

You can catch My Fake Funeral this Sunday, May 2 on the roof of 173 Newbury Street at 2pm. Check them out at myspace.com/myfakefuneral.

By Liz Turner

The Boston Ballet’s production of Coppélia is truly a magical performance the entire family can enjoy. This ballet tells the comedic story of a doll that comes to life, and results as a love conflict throughout the villagers of the town. This ballet based on the book Der Sandmann by Charles Nuitter and E.T.A Hoffman, and was first premiered by the New York City Ballet in 1974. Since then, the Boston Ballet is the third company in the world to perform this classic, making its debut this spring for the Boston Ballet.

Coppélia’s beautiful choreography was created by the legendary George Balanchine, which the Boston Ballet creates an excellent performance of replicating his exact choreography.

The music of Coppélia by French Composer Leo Delibes (1836-1891) is performed by a 50-piece orchestra, which carries out the romantic style of the 19th century. Delibes was known for writing great operas and ballet’s and was considered a “Dancer’s composer” for inspiring movement with his music.

Coppélia is presented by the Boston Ballet, which is performed by more than one hundred incredible dancers from around the world, along with local children who are studying ballet.

Coppélia leaves you with a warm and magical feeling that you don’t want to end. If you have never been to a Boston Ballet Performance before, you do not want to miss this! Coppélia is playing at the renowned Boston Opera House, located at 539 Washington St.

The Ballet is being performed now until April 18, tickets can be purchased through www.bostonballet.org or at the Box office at the Boston Opera House, which is opened M-F 10 to Curtain, and on weekends 11-curtain. Tickets range from $25 to $140, and is well worth it for this inspiring Ballet.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

At last month’s South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, over 1,700 bands from all around the world came to Austin, Texas to partake in this renowned networking event. Throughout the week, there were a handful of Berklee showcases, both unofficial and official ones. On Tuesday, March 16, Tono Music Group sponsored a showcase at the Flamingo Cantina which featured predominantly Berklee musicians. Kris Roche opened the show, offering reggae-infused acoustic pop with feel-good hooks and monster grooves from Derek McWilliams on bass and Bruno Esrubilsky on drums. Next up was Zac Taylor & The Drugs, followed by Egypt-native Yasmin Tayeby, who played a lovely solo acoustic set. Heavy Rotation Records’  Nini+Ben, Ann Driscoll and Jordan Tarrant, came next, all of whom played scathing sets.

The hostesses of the evening, Evelyn Brown and Ashley Root (a.k.a. Merry Go Round), headlined the evening backed by their new amazing band. Since graduating Berklee this past December, Brown and Root have made Austin their home base, and just released their debut self-titled LP through Tono. The band performed cuts from the record, including pop-country gems “Be With Me,” “Ferris Wheel,” and “Better On My Feet.” Country Rock powerhouse Sam Riggs Band closed out the evening.

Jordan Tarrant performs at Lucky Lounge

The next Berklee function was an unofficial showcase at the Lucky Lounge the following Thursday afternoon. Alumna Amber Rubarth started the show with her unique brand of jazzy pop noir. Jordan Tarrant took the stage next, thumping out bluesy rock with Russell Lacy twanging on Telecaster, Derek McWilliams pumping on P-bass, Tommy Bohlen pounding on pedal steel, and Curran McDowell rocking the drums. Alumna Sara Houser, Grant Himmler, and Ali McGinley, a.k.a. A House A Home, all of whom moved to Austin last year, played a lovely set of pop rock tunes, followed by a powerful solo set by Melissa Ferrick.

The official Berklee Showcase took place Friday afternoon at Friends on 6^th Street. The room was packed for this 5^th annual event, which was hosted by alumna Sarah Sharp, and featured current students, alumni and also some students who have taken online courses at BerkleeMusic.com. Many Berklee faculty were in attendance, including President Brown and Music Business & Management Professors Jay Fialkov and Jeff Dorenfeld.

The lineup:
Shayna Zaid & The Catch
Love Like Fire
Ann Driscoll
Jordan Tarrant
Stefan Wm
Nini+Ben
The Young Republic
Audible Mainframe

Justin Hancock, Bruno Esrubilsky & Ann Driscoll.

Ann Driscoll, who is on the current Heavy Rotation Records roster, strutted her stuff onstage with her new orange Gretsch guitar, and her band sounded in top form on fan favorites like “I Wanna Be Your Zombie” and “Trophy F***.” “The Official Berklee Party was at Friends was the most fun,” Driscoll said. “At each showcase, we played only 5 songs, which is fun and exciting—to play your greatest hits. No filler, all killer, as they say.”

HRR Labelmate Jordan Tarrant had the most Texified sound of the lot, considering he’s an Austin native. A highlight of the show was an exceptional performance by Nini+Ben, who played tracks from their record The Reasons We Try, as well as some new songs that showed hints of a more dynamic, experimental direction a la Wilco.

On Saturday, President Brown hosted a BBQ, at which Nini+Ben performed, followed by another Tono Music Group Showcase at Waterloo Icehouse later in the evening. Many of the same acts from the Flamingo Cantina showcase performed stripped down acoustic sets, including Kris Roche, Zac Taylor, Jordan Tarrant featuring Russell Lacy, and Dave Scher. Sam Riggs Band and Nini+Ben played full band sets, and the showcase ended with a breathtaking set from Merry Go Round.

“The SXSW experience was one I’ll never forget,” said drummer Bruno Esrubilsky. “Spending a whole week with amazing friends and musicians in one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been before was just amazing.”

Black Kettle: Narrative
By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

“Oh please—tell me that you like me,” Keeley Bumford sings in the first tune of Black Kettle’s debut record, Narrative. Charming. Fun. Flirty. These words describe the songwriting, production, and even performances on these ten self-produced tunes.

The bulk of the record falls into the folky-quirky pop category, especially aforementioned opener, “Magnetic,” “Chameleon,” and “The King and All His Horses.” But after these first three single-worthy tracks, the Kettle throws a welcomed curve ball with the demure “Like a Book,” which sounds like a track from Tegan & Sara’s The Con.

Fast forward to “I Don’t Want to Know,” a ballad lush with gentle fingerstyle acoustic guitar and elegant violin. Bumford loses the cheeky flirt in favor of passive jealousy, cooing “You’re crawling up my spine, you’re in through my ear, down to my heart, I’m losing all direction, but I don’t want to fall this time.”

Narrative’s sound immediately tosses a grappling hook into your eardrums upon which the oohs, bop-bops, whoa-whoas, ukeleles, and glockenspiels climb into your brain and hang out. The guitar work and orchestration from Kailynn West and Peter Holland-Recine sounds as sharp and well executed as anything Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley) has done recently.

The band’s CD Release Show earlier this month at Café 939 was very well-attended, thanks in part to openers Tamsin Wilson and Natural Forces. Wilson’s honest delivery and positively lovely stage presence mesmerized the crowd. Accompanied by Jörn Bielfeldt on cajon and Tommy Bohlen on pedal steel, the mellow trio played tunes off of her self-titled EP, including the entrancing tunes “Just How it Goes” and “Foolish.”

Left to right: Bumford, Baum, Hayes, and West. Photo by Cierra Walker.

Natural Forces, an upbeat rock duo consisting of Josh Washam singing and playing guitar and Andrew Kahl backing him up on both drums and backing vocals, played tracks off of their new EP One-Track Mind, calling to mind a stripped-down Jet singing Jim Croce-style songs. The duo’s performance easily outmatched the energy from most rock trios and quartets.

Still hot from Heavy Rotations Records CD Release show in February, Black Kettle took the stage in full force, relishing the opportunity to get all of the sounds and quirks of their record performed live, including the bops, whoas, and oohs from sexy backup singers Elyse Hayes and Whitney Wolf. Throw in guest musician Chris Baum for the violin on “I Don’t Want to Know,” and of course the grooving rhythm section of drummer Curran McDowell and bassist Michael Manke, and you got yourself one hell of a CD Release Party.

And Keeley, to answer your first question: Yes. We like you.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

Kate Chadbourne

Lauren Passarelli and her friend and colleague Kate Chadbourne treated the Red Room attendees to an inspiring clinic on coaxing out your muse last Tuesday, February 23. Passarelli, a professor in the guitar department, and Chadbourne, a songwriter, pianist and harpist, unabashedly revealed personal strategies about their respective writing processes with regards to creative islands of time as well as stubborn droughts that any creative person is bound to experience.

“I love listening to bootlegs of my heroes,” said Passarelli. “You get to see how great of editors these artists were. They’re just like us.” The discussion eventually included questions and responses from people in the audience, many of whom were students and faculty. “If you can muck around, you can make music,” Chadbourne said.

The discussion veered into the often fickle territory of the creative process. “Give yourself music like you give yourself vitamins,” Chadbourne said, who also teaches at Harvard. She encourages her students to push the envelope with regards to what they consume on the literary side of things, including children’s books, scholarly articles, newspapers, and lyrics. “Coast, and then push,” she said.

Lauren Passarelli

The two songwriters played only snippets of their songs in an effort to save some time and to point out certain aspects of roadblocks they encountered, and how they broke through them. “Don’t let anyone ever make your instrument into your enemy,” Passarelli said. “If someone gives you advice that makes you feel like writing more,” Chadbourne chimed in, “then it’s good advice. If it makes you feel like shutting down and curling up into a little ball, then it’s bad advice.” The two mentors bid good afternoon to the fellow creators in the room with a duet entitled “What Does the Wind Say?,” with Chadbourne on harp and Passarelli on guitar.

Russell Lacy performs at the Red Room. Photo by Zac Taylor.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

This past Saturday at the Red Room was a rootsy, soulful evening of blues-infused indie Americana. Opening the show was Russell Lacy, who’s often a lead gun for hire for a handful of country rock bands in the neighborhood. He welcomed the crowd by playing all by his lonesome, accompanying himself with either a 6-string or 12-string acoustic guitar, sultry fingerstyle pickin’, bluesy harmonia riffin’, and boot heel-stompin.’ Audience members sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the stage, and stood in the back, to take in the heartfelt tunes likes “Sweet Virginia” and “Angelina.” Imagine Ray Lamontagne took some delta blues guitar lessons and sang with a little more old-timey twang. Pedal Steelist Tommy Bohlen sat in on a couple of numbers, which was a welcomed addition to this tasty appetizer of acoustic blues.

Next up were local darlings Nini+Ben, who have since morphed into a quintet, since guitar slinger extraordinaire Johnny Duke is Nashville-bound. Their Americana-meets-Norah Jones sound has been perfected over the last few months with relentless touring in support of their debut LP The Reasons We Try. Tommy Bohlen’s pedal steel melts into the thumpin’ groove provided by bassist Derek McWilliams and drummer Jake Cohen. The chemistry between lead singer Nini Fabi and her beau Ben Gebert is undeniably moving. Crowd-pleasers “Shine” and “Mother” held a firm grip on the audience, many of whom were singing along to just about every tune.

New York-based trio the Spring Standards closed the evening with an energetic set of lead-singer-switching indie pop. The experience of James, Heather, and James definitely comes across with their impeccably-crafted tunes and engaging performance.