Category Archives: concert reviews

A Wonderful Show By An Ambassador For African Girls

Angélique Kidjo is not merely a musician; she speaks, through her music, in support of education for African girls – and for girls throughout the world.

Angelique Kidjo

Angelique Kidjo

What a terrific show Angélique gave us at the Somerville Theatre last Sunday night! Her passion shone through every note she sang and every dance step she took.

IMG_5061

Read the rest of this entry

Jazz Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This

Stanley Clarke is one of my favorite jazz musicians, and the opportunity to see him at Tupelo Music Hall could not be overlooked.

Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke

We had no idea what band Stanley would have with him that night, but it did not matter – Stanley is fabulous in any iteration!

Beka Gochiashvili, Stanley, and Mike Mitchell (l to r)

Beka Gochiashvili, Stanley, and Mike Mitchell (l to r)

Read the rest of this entry

Blues Legend Johnny Winter Performs

As much as I wanted to see Johnny Winter perform, I was a bit apprehensive about seeing this show; I was worried that his reported health issues would prevent this from being a quality show. I’m pleased to report that my fears went unfounded – Johnny is still very much a master!

Johnny Winter

Johnny Winter

Johnny is touring to celebrate his 70th birthday, which is February 23rd. He may look his age, but the way his fingers move across the guitar strings proves he is ageless! Read the rest of this entry

Vapors of Morphine – Finally!!!

Vapors of Morphine is an act – formerly known as Members of Morphine and also Ever Expanding Elastic Waste Band- that I’ve wanted to see for several years.

Vapors of Morphine

Vapors of Morphine

Morphine was one of my favorite bands of the 90s, but they split up when Mark Sandman died. I’d known for a while that the surviving members have a standing gig at Atwood’s Tavern, and finally made it there. Read the rest of this entry

Each Club d’Elf Show is Unique

There are not a lot of bands that I want to see repeatedly, regardless of how excellent their shows are.  Club d’Elf is an exception for me, in great part due to their rotating cast of characters.

Mike Rivard (sintir) and Mat Manieri (viola)

Mike Rivard (sintir) and Mat Manieri (viola)

They have a regular bi-weekly gig at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, and the only constant seems to be Mike Rivard who plays bass and sintir. Read the rest of this entry

This Was Indeed Global Jazz!

What an evening of excellent jazz! Danilo Perez was the headliner of several shows at Scullers Jazz Club last weekend, and we were fortunate to be in the audience for one of those shows.

Danilo Perez

Danilo Perez

Danilo is Panamanian and divides his time these days between Boston and Panama; Boston is very lucky to have him at least part of the time. On his own, Danilo is a global performer! Read the rest of this entry

This Show Did Not Excite Me

Some of you have asked what I would do if I attended I show that I did not like. Now you have your answer!

G. Love and Special Sauce

G. Love and Special Sauce

I was dragged (not quite kicking and screaming) to see G. Love and Special Sauce at House of Blues last week.  The person who was supposed to go was stuck in Georgia because of the snow/ice storm and we did not want to waste a ticket. Being extremely open-minded about music, I hoped that this show would surprise me. Read the rest of this entry

The Autumn Defense Heated Up a Winter Night

Seeing The Autumn Defense was a great way to get warm on a chilly, pre-storm evening!

John Stirratt and Pat Sansone

John Stirratt and Pat Sansone

They played to a small (100 people, I’d guess) but enthusiastic crowd at Great Scott last Wednesday night.   Read the rest of this entry

There’s No Grumbling About These Gramblers!

IMG_4505

Walking into The Sinclair last night, I had bit of an inkling of what to expect from Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers because I’d seen the recording of their set at the Newport Folk Festival. That video, however, did not truly prepare me for the energy and quality of the show.

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers

From the moment the band took the stage, I was enthralled. Maybe rapt is a better word.

Nicki

Nicki

Read the rest of this entry

An Exciting Jazz Performance!

I have been re-discovering live jazz over the past few months after a brief vacation and am thrilled that I have, because I’m seeing performers of the ilk of Lenny White! Part of what made this night special was that it was the inaugural concert in a new series that Berklee is staging at Scullers Jazz Club.

Lenny White

Lenny White

Lenny has been performing for more than forty years – in fact, the first time I saw Return to Forever in 1974 (where I sat on the floor right next to Chick Corea) Lenny was the drummer – and he is a master. Read the rest of this entry