Music Blog

Tia Brazda's first show was sold out to the walls with a crowd forced to sit on old wooden chairs from the Marquis de Sade collection. But the charming Brazda made the pain in the ass worth it. Her just right amount of vocal flexibility was wrapped in coquettish velvet and sass -- she sounded a bit like Billie Holiday, especially on her no frills guitar and voice take on "Summertime." Her band was an assembled group of swingin' crackerjacks including Rochester based drummer, Sean Jefferson. Brazda's set was pure delight as her band dialed into groovy jazz with authentic swing.

Nikki Hill and her band brought some surly and savage rock 'n' roll to the Jazz Street Stage in front of thousands hungry for just that right surly and savage rock 'n' roll. Now with Hill's voice -- a snarling blend of Barbara Pittman, Wanda Jackson, and Ruth Brown -- and her powerhouse band, the scene was positively electric. The band has plugged in another guitarist in addition to the incredible Matt HiIl, and ultimately it sounded a lot like the Stones and left the crowd howling in disbelief.

With Nikki Hill ringing in my head, I ventured to the Big Tent to witness guitarist Johannes Linstead tame the crowd with his acoustic-based world music. This time the people were sitting on chairs that, unlike the Montage's equipment, didn't offer permanent ass damage. Linstead's playing was slick and percussive and sexy, but sound-wise, the guitars sounded plastic and kind of like toys.

The grand dame of the night was Danielle Ponder and her band The Tomorrow People. The Fusion tent was the scene of R&B salvation and sonic redemption as Ponder and TTP threatened to crack the sky. If there is a God, he heard it all right. The sweet spot for me was standing on East Avenue between Chestnut and Gibbs where the sound between Nikki Hill's second set and Ponder's comingled in a beautiful, emotional explosion of powerful black women that virtually reduced me to powder. I left with my head, my ears, my heart ringing. I've got nothing left ...

Russell Malone was one of the artists I was most looking forward to seeing at the XRIJF, and when he played his first tune at Kilbourn Hall, it seemed promising. It was his own tune, "Honeybone," and it showcased that wonderful blend of lead and rhythm guitar, with gorgeous ringing tone, that Malone is known for. But the second tune was a bland rendition of the corny "Put on a Happy Face." And it got worse from there.

By the middle of the set, Malone and his band were deep into a Whitney Houston medley, starting with "The Greatest Love of All," the ode to self-love that I think is the worst song of all time. (It's more than enough to kind of like yourself.) That segued into "Saving All My Love For You."

Not exactly cutting edge, and Malone's bandmates sunk to the occasion. The pianist played some of the most milquetoast solos I've ever heard, and the bassist looked like he wasn't sure what to do. I have to admit the drummer was great, making the most of a bad situation.

Things picked up again on the last tune, a Mulgrew Miller song, "Soul Leo." Both Malone and the pianist proved that they can fire it up when they want to. But the bookends of good music at the start and finish were not enough to carry the show.

The surprise of the night for me was the late set by the Marianne Trudel Trio with Ingrid Jensen as part of the Rochester Club's "Oh Canada" series. They were kind of a last-minute choice, with a lot of competition, and they were superb.

Trudel is a lyrical pianist who can get highly percussive in her playing. Jensen is a top-notch trumpeter, one of the best anywhere. And the rhythm section -- Remi Jean-Leblanc, bass, and Rich Irwin, drums -- excelled.

Trudel's tunes were all personal and idiosyncratic. The combination of her piano playing, Jensen's resonant trumpet, and the spare but dynamic use of bass and drums lifted many of her compositions to the realm of the ecstatic.

I'll start Thursday night with drummer and singer Jamison Ross at Kilbourn Hall. Then I'll head over to the Lutheran Church to hear Cortex, and finish the night with the Claudia Quintet at Xerox Auditorium.

Despite her sunny looks, Bria Skonberg harbors a little darkness. She played around in minor keys, and introduced me to my new favorite tune, Sidney Bechet's "Egyptian Fantasy." The way she worked around its haunting Duke Ellington-esque elegance was tres cool.

I couldn't make up my mind if I liked her horn playing or her singing more. Skonberg's horn was clean with a lot of presence from her perfect armature to the way it lead the charge for her band, especially her clarinet player who snaked around with the trumpet to create a breathtaking New Orleans-rooted spectacle. There were faint hints of Dixieland in the air. Her voice was as fresh and clean as frozen Pepsodent, and some of her lyrics were noir-ish in mood and texture but ultimately up-beat and up-lifting. Skonberg was charming in the extreme. And the packed Harro East Ballroom crowd ate her up.

Bernunzio's is putting up large pictures on its windows to celebrate Rochester's musical icons, and guess what? I'm an Icon. Thanks guys; I'm floored, flummoxed, and humbled. I performed there tonight next to my picture. I was beside myself.

Meanwhile, back at the party, they were jumping for Joy because she wouldn't get off the chandelier...

And meanwhile, back at the Jazz Fest...

I skated over to Xerox Auditorium (it's a bit of a haul) to dig on some Brubeck Blood playing Brubeck. I'm sure his last name opens doors and answers phones, but Dan Brubeck is a killer drummer who I believe I saw play with his dad, Dave, once upon a time. Though it wasn't the old man playing them, it was still a thrill to hear "Blue Rondo a la Turk" played expertly or "Take 5" with its innovative 5/4 time signature played with the guitar playing Paul Desmond's signature part as there was no saxophone or saxophonist to be found.

I'm just hitting my stride kids. Wednesday night it's Tia Brazda. Weeee!

When I entered Kilbourn Hall a bit late for the Nacka Forum concert, saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar was in the middle of a solo. He wasn't playing the sax, though; he was doing a deadpan, funny monologue about his desperation to move to the United States. He said he would have to marry someone, and it didn't matter to him whether the person was male or female, young or old, etc. You probably had to be there, but it went on and on and the audience was laughing hysterically.

The audience also laughed through the Marx Brothers-like antics of this Dada jazz group. Drummer and pianist Kresten Osgood was the most over-the-top in his sarcastic humor, which included making fun of musicians who milk the audience for affection while playing a sappy song. Kullhammar did some of that, too. And when audience members left after a song (as they almost always do at the XRIJF), he screamed, "I love you all so much! Please don't go!"

But there was a serious, avant-garde jazz side to the performance. And when Kullhammar and trumpeter Goran Kajfes went full throttle on a high-energy tune they were as good as it gets. Bassist Johan Berthling and Osgood were also great when the music demanded it.

Kajfes saved the best for last when he put down his trumpet and picked up a seemingly magical instrument, a small, black, crazy sound machine. He lifted it to his lips and created a wondrous array of sound effects, ranging from siren-alarming to birdsong-beautiful. I found out afterwards that it was an electric trumpet (or electric valve instrument) connected to a space echo, an early tape-delay accessory.

Nacka Forum plays again Wednesday, June 29, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., at the Lutheran Church.

Earlier tonight, I caught part of Christine Tobin's set at Christ Church. Tobin was striking for two reasons: she's a great scat singer, and she takes the most unlikely songs and transforms them to jazz. For instance, I never imagined Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" with jazz harmonies and phrasing, but there it was. The same can be said for the pop song Tobin began her set with: "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)."

But I enjoyed her most when she indulged in scat singing. She had ample opportunity on a wordless song by her guitarist, Phil Robson. Robson, who played with his trio at the same venue Saturday, provided excellent support as did pianist Leo Genovese.

There's only one thing I'm sure of on for Wednesday night. I will not miss one of my favorite guitarists, Russell Malone, when he plays at Kilbourn Hall. I'll also try to catch pianist Marianne Trudel and her trio with Ingrid Jensen.

We're only half-way through the 2016 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, and there's still a lot of music to hear. To make it a little more digestible, our music critics pick their top concerts for each day.

And if you're still looking for a full schedule of performances, or bios on each day's musicians, keep an eye out for our Jazz Festival Preview Guide (on stands now), or check it out here.

Wednesday, June 29

Russell Malone (Hard bop jazz) Maybe a decade ago, I was cruising along listening to the car radio, when the most irresistible tune I'd heard in a long time came on. It featured an electric guitar playing a catchy but sophisticated, soul-inflected melody. When the DJ came on, he said it was "Sweet Georgia Peach" by Russell Malone, and I've been hooked ever since. Malone's first job in jazz was a stint with legendary organist Jimmy Smith. He moved on to Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall before going out on his own. I can't wait to watch his fingers fly over the fret board at Kilbourn. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Kilbourn Hall; $35 or a Club Pass; vervemusicgroup.com/russellmalone -- BY RON NETSKY

Nikki Hill (R&B, rock 'n' roll) The reigning queen of rock 'n' roll, Nikki Hill picks up where Ruth Brown and Etta James left off. You've just gotta hear this lady jive and wail while her hubby, Matt Hill, strangles his guitar like Tarheel Slim. 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Jazz Street Stage; Free; nikkihillmusic.com -- BY FRANK DE BLASE

Jumaane Smith (Straight-ahead jazz) Trumpeter Jumaane Smith is a force. The guy is musically flexible, has played with a laundry list of jazz and pop greats -- Natalie Cole, Ravi Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble -- and got the stamp of approval from Wynton Marsalis. If you love trumpet, or want a jazz set that's going to be dynamic and rich, Smith at Max of Eastman Place is your concert Wednesday. 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Max of Eastman Place; $30 or a Club Pass; jumaanesmith.com -- BY JAKE CLAPP

Thursday, June 30

Claudia Quintet (Progressive jazz) As jazz has blossomed over the past 100-plus years, different strains of the music have emerged. One of those branches is a form of jazz that fuses free-form improvisation with an almost classical approach to composing and arranging. Since moving to New York in the early 1990's, drummer John Hollenbeck has gained a reputation for his adventurous work in this genre. His group, The Claudia Quintet, plays Hollenbeck's avant-garde-leaning tunes and features top players like Drew Gress, bass; Matt Moran, vibraphone; Chris Speed, clarinet and saxophone; and former Rochesterian Red Wierenga, accordion. 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Xerox Auditorium; $30 or a Club Pass; claudiaquintet.com -- BY RON NETSKY

Chris Botti (Pop jazz) I'm not big on pop jazz, but you've got to admit, Botti draws the crowds like a pied piper -- I've even seen him weave through the twitterpated audience. His retro tone and boyish good looks might remind you of Chet Baker before the fall. Smooth and creamy, man, smooth and creamy. 8 p.m.; Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; This show just sold out; chrisbotti.com -- BY FRANK DE BLASE

Emefe (Afrobeat, pop, electronica) There are a lot of surprises to unpack in Emefe's music. Underneath the New York City band's New Wave-style electric-rock is funk, Afrobeat, cinematic pop, dance grooves, and just a lot of interesting ideas. It's at once immediately accessible, fun, thought-provoking, and deep. 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Rochester Regional Health Big Tent; $30 or a Club Pass; emefemusic.com -- BY JAKE CLAPP

Friday, July 1

Helen Sung (Straight-ahead jazz) Ever since I heard pianist Helen Sung's early albums, "Helenistique" and "Sungbird" a decade ago, I have been a fan of her lyrical keyboard style. Over the last two decades, Sung has performed with a Who's Who of jazz, including Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Clark Terry. She also won the Kennedy Center's 2007 Mary Lou Williams Piano Competition, and has appeared on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. But put the resume aside and just listen to this woman play. It won't take long to understand why she has emerged from a crowded field of pianists. She'll also be performing with her quartet Saturday at Montage. Friday's performance is 5:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.; Hatch Recital Hall; $30 or a Club Pass; helensung.com -- BY RON NETSKY

Gregg Allman (Classic rock) One of the godfathers of Southern rock and blue-eyed soul -- not to mention his relationship with Cher -- Gregg Allman and his slide guitar genius brother, the late Duane Allman, formed The Allman Brothers out of their earlier garage band, The Allman Joys. The band was one of the saviors of the Muscle Shoals sound, which they packed -- and Allman, at 68, still packs -- into their legendary, incendiary shows. 8 p.m.; Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; $65-$85; greggallman.com -- BY FRANK DE BLASE

Red Baraat (Brooklyn bhangra) The music of Red Baraat is rooted in joy -- a baraat itself is a groom's procession during North Indian weddings. And the eight-piece band delivers it in a high-energy blast of North Indian bhangra, D.C. go-go, jazz, hip-hop, and New York City edge. While the percussion and rhythms of India drive the boat, everything is glued together by funky horns and a little rockin' guitar. 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.; Harro East Ballroom; $30 or a Club Pass; redbaraat.com -- BY JAKE CLAPP

Saturday, July 2

Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience (Afro-Cuban jazz) Once you catch a glimpse of trumpeter Freddie Hendrix's bent-bell trumpet aimed at the sky, there is no doubt about who he is emulating. No one did more to bring Afro-Cuban music to the United States than the brilliant trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who distinguished himself with his incomparable technique, his wonderful style, and that funny looking bent trumpet. The Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience pays tribute to that legacy by playing vintage arrangements of tunes like "Manteca" that sound as fresh today as they did when Gillespie and his band played them decades ago. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Kilbourn Hall; $35 or a Club Pass; inadittke.com/dg-ace -- BY RON NETSKY

Flat Earth Society (Progressive jazz orchestra) By playing the Lutheran Church, each artist is given a pass to go "out there." It's the land of the free, the home of the weird. It is a fitting stage for the Belgian big band of innovative madness that is so into its own version of the truth you'll leave believing you could seriously walk off the edge. 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Lutheran Church; $30 or a Club Pass; facebook.com/flatearthsoc -- BY FRANK DE BLASE

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (New Orleans rock) There are a lot of reasons to catch this show: it's free; it's at the new Midtown Stage; Trombone Shorty has been a consistent Jazz Festival favorite and is sure to bring the energy; and simply, the band rocks. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue has figured out a way to distill down the best of New Orleans music -- from the brass bands and jazz outfits joyously playing in the streets to classic NOLA funk and rock -- put its own flair on everything, and then throw a party. 9 p.m.; Midtown Stage; Free; tromboneshorty.com -- BY JAKE CLAPP

For me, the sound in Christ Church has sucked, and it's sucked for years: relegated to a kick drum-induced boom-a-thon and vocals that were so reverb-drenched that they sounded backwards. It's never been the soundman's fault; it's just the big room.

Well I'm here to tell ya, that's all changed with Gwyneth Herbert's positively riveting performance. She was playfully curious with a ukulele and kazoo while not coming on too child-like -- it was exploratory but not lost in space. And the woman has the range of a Theremin, her ultra-high notes pinging off the ceiling and dislodging pieces of the Word of God that have been stuck up there since Easter. Of the let's say top 10 singers I've ever seen, Herbert is two of them.

Gwyneth Herbert will perform again Tuesday, June 28, at Max of Eastman Place. 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m. $30 or a Club Pass will get you in.

Next I took a detour, on my way to get ice cream, through the Big Tent where The Revelers were revelatin' loud and proud Louisiana-style, with a nice Creole, see-saw version of "Clementine" -- "Oh my darling, oh my darling ..."

Bill Kirchen, the Telemaster, the former Lost Planet Airman, was bangin' and twangin' outside at Abilene Bar and Lounge, so I slid off the grid to take a gander. Kirchen is a no-frills player -- waxing cooler than the Harro East Ballroom's air-conditioning -- even though he frequently spanks the plank like a maniac. He looks and sounds as he always has: rail-thin and rockin'. Even though, as he intoned in his last tune, "The times, they are a-changin'.

Bria Skonberg is performing Tuesday night, baby!

Lizz Wright had the sold-out Harro East Ballroom crowd in the palm of her hand Monday night. Maybe it was because, with the room's large windows, there is no way to turn the house lights off while it's still light outside. She could see the audience, so Wright engaged with it throughout her show. She said she hadn't played two shows a night since she was in her 20's, and the band's attitude toward the second set was "let's just scrape the bottom and see what's left."

There was a lot left. Wright's voice is gorgeously smoky and her stage movements, gestures, and facial expressions are just right. She performed songs from her recent album, "Freedom & Surrender," and even though they weren't as familiar as her covers, they went over beautifully. Between tunes, Wright spoke about what she was trying to say in the lyrics: the stories mostly involved her upbringing in a strict church atmosphere with her father, a minister.

But it was some of her personality-infused covers that got the biggest responses from the audience. Her renditions of Neil Young's "Old Man" and Gladys Knight's "I've Got to Use My Imagination" (written by Gerry Goffin and Barry Goldberg) were definite crowd pleasers.

Over at Xerox Auditorium, the 16-piece Moscow Jazz Orchestra walked onto the stage wearing suits with red, white, and blue-striped ties. But that was nothing compared to the obvious immersion of the group's members in American jazz. Vladimir Putin may be doing some saber rattling, and a new Cold War may be on the horizon, but the Moscow Jazz Orchestra is as American as apple pie.

The Orchestra is led by Igor Butman (who plays with his quartet Tuesday, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., at Montage) and he was every bit the showman. Like Benny Goodman or a leader from the classic big band era, Butman would rise from the reed section and wind his serpentine saxophone solos over and around the sound of the whole band. But that's not to say the group was retro in any way. The music ranged from a composition based on a Russian folk song to an arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's "The Intimacy of the Blues" -- the treatments were all contemporary.

Despite all of the fireworks on stages all around downtown Rochester, there is a place for subtlety at the XRIJF. Mika Pohjola's trio provided some of that Monday night at the Lutheran Church. When the trio's saxophonist took a solo, sometimes the drummer would drop out completely. And when the drummer soloed there were no pyrotechnics, just an exploration of the tune's percussive possibilities.

A superb pianist, Pohjola played some of his own tunes, including "Sleep," based on a poem by a famous Finnish writer. The trio ended the set with Ornette Coleman's 'Humpty Dumpty," and even that was not enough to stir things up.

Tuesday night, I'll be checking out Christine Tobin at Christ Church. Then I'll head over to Kilbourn Hall to hear Nacka Forum.

Just about every pianist I've seen at Hatch Hall over the years has been excellent, but Eldar is in a class by himself. He's the Vladimir Horowitz of jazz, or for the younger generation, let's say Lang Lang. The point is, Eldar is one of the world's greatest pianists -- and we had him all to ourselves tonight.

Eldar, whose last name is Djangirov, was recognized as a prodigy when he moved from the former Soviet Union to Kansas at 10 years old. In his teenage years, he was talked about with the same sense of awe that Joey Alexander now enjoys. Now 29, he has developed into an absolutely thrilling performer.

He started his set with a frenzied rendition of "A Night in Tunisia," in which snippets of melody would float over his impressionistic foundation. (Eldar revisited this mode of improvisation throughout the set.) He began The Beatles tune "Blackbird" more like a woodpecker, pecking at one note repeatedly while building up the chords and melody around it. And he actually slowed down for a while on "Willow Weep for Me," but it didn't last for long as his right hand took off on another flight.

Eldar played other standards, like "Take the A Train" and a player-piano-inspired version of "Body And Soul," but my favorite moment was when he took on a Bach prelude, but not without providing his own wildly imaginative variations.

The three other musicians in Pedrito Martinez's quartet at Kilbourn Hall waited until the second to last tune to leave the stage and let Martinez demonstrate why he is regarded as one of the hottest Afro-Cuban percussionists working today. With four conga drums in front of him, Martinez filled the hall with wave after wave of complex polyrhythms.

Throughout the set, he had shown his prowess as an expressive singer who got his songs across despite the language barrier -- although attempts to involve the audience in singing part of a tune didn't quite work. The songs were infectious and the group often used four-voice harmonies.

But Martinez's quartet played one of the loudest sets I've ever heard in Kilbourn. The group obviously wanted it that way, complimenting the soundman and even giving him a shout out. I controlled the volume with the earplugs I always have with me, but the audience didn't seem disturbed by it.

At the Lutheran Church, bassist Arild Andersen began his trio's set with bowing in the higher register of his double bass. He was playing into electronic devices that would form harmonies and counterpoint as he layered his choruses, and he eventually began to pluck and strum, building to a ferocious solo. Anderson was eventually joined by drummer Paolo Vinaccia and tenor saxophonist Tommy Smith -- each equally experimental.

Smith, a long-time collaborator with Anderson, played with more of an adventurous edge than he did in his straight-ahead Kilbourn Hall set Saturday night in a duo with Makoto Ozone. This trio went on to explore the more avant-garde side of jazz that seems to have found more of a home in Europe than it has in the United States.

Monday night, I hope to catch Lizz Wright's set at Harro East. Then I'll take in the Moscow Jazz Orchestra at Xerox Auditorium, and end the night with Mika Pohjola at the Lutheran Church.

Okay, so I'm paraphrasing here, but my "what for," "why is," and "when by" of jazz was serendipitously solved by guitarist John Abercrombie. During his 10 p.m. slot to a packed and lively crowd at the Montage Music Hall, he said, "I don't like to know where I'm going. That's why I play jazz."

But clearly Abercrombie, his organist, and his drummer knew exactly where they were going even when they opted to send the soundman to get some music from their dressing room after their first Irving Berlin number. Abercrombie's playing was big and sweet with its notes not so much fat as they were chubby and slick. But honestly, it was overshadowed by the organ in spots. 'Twas pure and beautiful all at the same.

As I proclaimed in the hallowed pages of City last week: The Majestics are back, Jack. The band celebrated its history with a bouncy set of serious reggae in a packed Little Theatre. It was hard to get up and dance when the size of the place served up the sardine treatment. Consequently it was a laid back, chill affair. Just when you thought the set couldn't possibly get any better, The Majestics invited up a few Prime Time horns for some seasoned and salacious sass and brass. What a solid show; I can't wait to see them again.

After the Majestics and right before Abercrombie's gracious set, I set foot in the Fusion Tent to catch Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze. I remembered liking her CD and her voice in particular: it's bright and sweet and reminiscent of Mikaela Davis. The problem was her guitar player, or more specifically, how he was mixed. It was big and shrill like a dentist drill as it overshadowed McQueen. I liked what he was playing, just not its molar-cracking treble and volume.

And all the way back at the beginning, I started the evening at Max for drummer Charles Ruggiero's 6:15 p.m. set. He described the jazz approach of taking a brief, succinct, and recognizable melody as fodder for improve once it's been identified like, say, the theme to "Law and Order." It was a homecoming of sorts for the brash beater who gave the people what they knew before taking it out of bounds.

But the true inspiration that prompted me to write this review backwards was from Abercrombie's reason for jazz. I truly didn't know where I was going with this until I sat down to bang it out. And you know what? I still don't know.

Check back Tuesday morning to hear what I thought about the Monday sets with Gwyneth Herbert (at Christ Church) and Judith Hill (at Anthology).

I said it was all about Junior Brown, and that's precisely how things rolled out for day two of the Jazz Fest. Weather-wise it was the kind of conditions that weathermen take credit for. And inside, it threatened to get hot since the buzz was buzzin' for Nashville's super-afroed lady at the keys, Kandace Springs.

As Springs dug into some Coltrane and a little Peterson, along with some of her own designs, she was charming to the max. And she possesses quite a range, which got sultrier the closer she dove into alto territory. But all of this and I just couldn't connect with her.

Springs was sincere and authentic, but her material was too all over the place; there just wasn't a root or thread through the set. She showed the packed Harro East Ballroom (which had simply amazing sound pumping out of the mains, by the way) what she likes -- I would rather see and hear more of who she is next time.

Kandace Springs will perform again on Sunday, June 26, at Anthology (336 East Avenue). 7:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $30 or a Club Pass will get you in.

Erykah Badu took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and was late by a couple hours, and I sure as hell wasn't going to miss Junior Brown at Anthology. So I forwent Badu and got down with Brown.

After meeting the man backstage and pressing the flesh, I settled in to an amazing show full of deceptively simple rhythm and time signature shifts by Brown and his able band. I don't know which half I like hearing from more: the guitar or the steel guitar. Both are part of his double-necked Guit-Steel -- the instrument equivalent to conjoined twins.

Brown switched off between the two liberally, with some string bending hi-jinx, and played with the low string tuner peg so it would plunge multiple octaves that almost came close to his beautiful baritone. Speaking of his voice: the ghost of Ernest Tubb lives there.

It'll be Charles Ruggerio, The Majestics, and John Abercrombie tomorrow night, along with lots of people watching.