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A Fall Classic
Berklee helps beat the baseball blues.
By Nick Balkin
Berklee.edu Correspondent
November 7, 2003
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Dennis Montgomery III |
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Farnsworth/Blalock Photos |
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One evening in late October, while the rest of Boston was settling in front of television sets for the biggest baseball game in decades, hundreds of loyal music fans gathered for a concert in the Berklee Performance Center. On such a night, that turned out to be not only the rebellious choice, but the smart one.
By night's end, in traditional, excruciating fashion, the Red Sox would repeat history in an artfully crafted meltdown for the ages, but the Berklee audience was feeling no pain. Instead of watching an extra-inning loss, it enjoyed Baby, Please Don't Go: A Night of the Blues, the second installment in Song's™ Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series.
The Mike Williams Band kicked things off with a tight set of electric blues. The band opened with "Greasy Sticks," a swaggering original that showcased the jazz-influenced playing of New Orleans native Amadee Castenell on the tenor saxophone. Next up was the bittersweet "Laughing through the Tears," which featured a soulful melody and carefree groove. Led by Williams' fiery riffing, the soloists swapped increasingly concise and potent leads, building to an emotional finish. Williams closed his set by paying tribute to blues balladeer Percy Mayfield, performing the 1950 hit "Please Send Me Someone to Love," which included a gorgeous introduction by faculty pianist Dave Limina on the Hammond B3 organ.
Faculty pianist and vocalist Alizon Lissance, second on the bill, brought a darker, jazzier, vibe to the evening. The emphasis on piano, as well as Lissance's gritty, 2 a.m. vocals, provided an interesting contrast to the boisterous stomp of the Williams set. Tenor saxophonist "Sax" Gordon Beadle, behind dark shades and sideburns, was an instant crowd favorite. Looking like a member of the Blues Brothers, Beadle was a flamboyant stage presence, a mixture of hip and head motion that was hard to ignore. But it was Beadle's saxophone work that was truly memorable, particularly his strong playing and dynamic control on "Lost and Found." "Richest Guy in the Graveyard," a set highlight, included the memorable couplet, "What's the use of earning, with no time for spending?/You're simply headed for a horizontal ending," delivered by Lissance with feisty conviction.
Even the program's intermission brought excitement, when one lucky concertgoer won a pair of round-trip plane tickets, courtesy of series sponsor Song, Delta Air Lines' new low-fare subsidiary.
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| Toni Lynn Washington has long been known as Boston's "Queen of the Blues." |
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| Farnsworth/Blalock Photos |
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Next up was Blues After Dark, an all-star faculty supergroup, featuring Dennis Montgomery III, on vocals and B3; Robert Doezema, guitar; Daryl Lowery, tenor saxophone; Danny Morris, bass; and Kenwood Dennard, drums. The crowd erupted as Montgomery belted, "I woke up this morning, my baby was gone," the set-opening lyric. His wide vocal range had listeners frozen in disbelief. Each member delivered a stellar performance. Among the many highlights: Doezema's effects-treated guitar attack on B.B King's classic "Rock Me Baby," and a big, stadium rock-style solo by Dennard, which, at one point, actually teased a house beat. Montgomery's B3 solo, midway through the electrifying set closer "I Heard It through the Grapevine," raised the room temperature a few degrees. Even Doezema was compelled to drop to his knees and bow at the organist's feet.
The concert concluded with the Toni Lynn Washington Band performing a solid batch of upbeat standards. Washington, whose deep, husky voice is perfectly suited for soulful blues, had a magnetic stage presence.
Midway through the concert, WGBH's Brendan Hogan, the concert host, announced the score of the ballgame. It was Boston 4, New York 1. This news was met with an intriguing mix of cheers and boos. Some audience members were happy about the news; others just wanted to get back to the blues. It's too bad the concert didn't come one night later. That way, it could have also provided therapy to those who suffered through the Red Sox defeat. Well, there's always next year.
Nick Balkin is Berklee's Public Information Coordinator.
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