Tag Archives: Christian Scott

Insane funky music melts icy NYC

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Tonight’s Agenda, Saturday February 5, 2011:

photo by: Allison Murphy

Le Poisson Rouge: Eric Krasno & Chapter 2 w/ special guests James Hurt, Maurice Brown, Chris Loftin & Nikki Glaspie opening for Big Sam’s Funky Nation w/ special guest Christian Scott

Aftershow: The Blue Note, NYC: Sam Kininger Band w/ special guests James Hurt, Nigel Hall, Maurice Brown, Ivan Neville, Eric Krasno, Nikki Glaspie

Two horn playing Sam’s (Sam Williams, trombone from Big Sam’s Funky Nation) and Sam Kininger (saxophone, Sam Kininger Band) played in the west village last night… it was Sam Squared.  Let me see, I’m going to try to recount as best as I can.

I’m not a big fan of Le Poisson Rouge – drinks are pricey, the ceiling is low, it’s cramped, loud and dark.  But Big Sam’s Funky Nation rolled in from New Orleans, and the Royal Family’s Chapter 2 w/ Eric Krasno (guitar; Chris Loftin, bass; Nikki Glaspie, drums; Nigel Hall, keys & vocals) were in town.  I could deal with Le Poisson Rouge for this throwdown.  The place was vibrating it was so amped, the crowd was ready to get down.

photo by: Allison Murphy

I don’t have a set list so I can’t recount the songs, but what I remember was a bit of Beatles covers sprinkled in with some dirty funk.  Loud, deep, in your face beats with Nigel Hall on vocals (see below for a video and a taste of his talent), and Eric Krasno’s lightning fingers on the guitar.

James Hurt (keyboards) takes over from Nigel’s spot on the keys and it seemed like he couldn’t get the equipment to work for a second. The next thing I see on stage is this guy going crazy on the keyboards…

photo by: Allison Murphy

Like, standing/sitting/falling off his chair and still playing the keyboards “crazy”.  A few minutes later there is a horn explosion on stage with Big Sam, Maurice Brown and another trumpeter (whom I don’t know his name) and it’s gone insane.  Nigel wails in the mic; Chris Loftin, a big guy with a big bass, dances around the stage with a permagrin on his face; Nikki G. on drums keeps the beat fast and loud, prodding the rest of the band to keep up with her.

Yeah.  That’s what I’m talking about.  This was just the opening band.

photo by: Allison Murphy

Big Sam is great.  He’s always a lot of fun, a lot of energy and great sounding, dancing, shaking your hips kind of music. He did the get on the floor real low thing, he got the girls on the stage at the end, there was a Hey Poky Way and Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley.  There was Mardi Gras beads in the crowd, the NOLA faction of the city well represented.  Again, if you like horns, if you like great funk, if you like to dance with your hands in the air and shake your booty to some fun New Orleans jazz, go see Big Sam’s Funky Nation. Seriously, he blows you away.

photo by: Allison Murphy

The buzz was catch the Sam Kininger Band over at the Blue Note Jazz Club a few blocks away.  Sam on sax and Nikki G. from Chapter 2 earlier in the night were on the stage, and it wasn’t until I sat down that I realized who I had been hearing from the bar area.

Ivan Neville on keyboards (where did he come from?), Maurice Brown on trumpet, Eric Krasno on guitar, Nigel Hall on vocals, James Hurt again from Chapter 2′s set on keys, and it was way out of control.  Nikki G. on those drums commanded the attention again, she was so amazingly good.  I, and I know a few others who just were blown away.

photo by: Allison Murphy

There were about 30-40 people there at the most, the place was empty.  This jam session that ended at 3:15 am Sunday morning was one of those moments that you felt the special vibe in the room, where friends, artists and fans alike sit in awe.  The YouTubes below give a taste of what went down at The Blue Note last night.

photo by: Allison Murphy

(Editor’s Notes:  Funky sh*t goes down at The Blue Note at 2:54am….slow rolling funk, bass low, sax and trumpet through the air, reeds squealing in the saxophone.  Amongst the funkiest, Ivan Neville on the Baby Grand to join in on the funk.  Krasno’s fingers are at lightning speed on the neck of the guitar, playing it for all it’s worth, Nikki going sick on the drums.)

I have no words.  The whole evening was like slow foreplay until The Blue Note’s explosion at 3am.  I’m still recovering.

photo by: Allison Murphy

The Royal Family Ball featuring Soulive, Lettuce, Nigel Hall and special guests, Terminal 5, 10.2.10

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photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

“Please note: Tonight’s show at Terminal 5 starts EARLY so please plan accordingly. We don’t want to miss any of your (melting) faces.”

- Royal Family Records website


photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

Cast of Characters:

Eric Krasno, guitar; Soulive/Lettuce/Chapter 2
Alan Evans, drums; Soulive
Neal Evans, Hammond B3, bass keys, clavinet; Soulive/Lettuce
Nigel Hall, vocals, keys; Soulive/Chapter 2/Nigel Hall Band
Adam Deitch, Drums; Lettuce/Chapter 2
Sam Kininger, saxophone; Lettuce
Rashawn Ross, trumpet; Lettuce
Ryan Zoidis, saxophone; Lettuce
Erick “E.D.”aka “Jesus” Coomes, bass; Lettuce
Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, guitar;  Lettuce

photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

Special Guests:

John Scofield, guitar
Warren Haynes, guitar
Big Sam Williams, trombone, vocals
Talib Kweli, vocals
Maurice Brown, trumpet
Christian Scott, trumpet


photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

The show started early, in good ‘ole Terminal 5. I was dressed for a ball, and have to note, the “ragers” this night forgot to read the title of the show – it was billed as The Royal Family Ball… why weren’t there more ties and dresses? Anyways, I had a dress on, bling around my neck, my hat and boots were rocking and I was ready to dance proper with the Royal Family.

photo by: Dino Perrucci

This evening extravaganza builded like a crescendo, each band (and there was 3 of them) set the bar to out”rage” the next set.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen a show like this.  Soulive and their Royal Family friends are all raw power, highly technically sound musicians who are relentless.  Relentless in the way that the energy these guys put out is matched by their fans appreciation.  They filled the 3,000 capacity Terminal 5.  They are recognized by the greats, why else would artists like Scofield, Haynes, Derek Trucks continue to cross their paths?  They are on the verge of the next level, you felt it last night.  I can’t wait to watch these guys soar to the next stratosphere.  We will all be lucky when their music goes mainstream.


photo by: Denise Sullivan

Nigel Hall Band: At 7:45-ish, Nigel Hall took the stage.  By the time I get into position I see Nigel Hall, Zoidis, Kininger, Deitch, Brown, Smirnoff, Krasno and the Evan’s brothers (Neal on keys, Alan on guitar) and 2 backup singers (who are they?) on the stage.  Nigel’s incredible voice, raging, wailing, screaming into the mic for us to all stand alert and stamp our feet, and nod our heads into the same groove.  Yessiree, the funk has landed in midtown NYC.

Lettuce: Full rage, and we haven’t even gotten to the Soulive part of the evening yet.  By this point there were 5 horn players (Big Sam, Maurice Brown, Kininger, Zoidis, Ross), John Scofield on guitar, Krasno on guitar, Coomes bringing on the funky bass with his bad self, Talib Kweli comes on and hip hops his way around Nigel Hall blasting back at him, Neal Evans on keys, Alan Evans, percussion.  The place goes nuts, the floor full of bouncing heads and dancing ragers.


photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

I’m on the 3rd floor (thanks Peter!), looking straight down at the stage, the epicenter of where the sound explosion had begun bouncing all around Terminal 5′s rafters.  I’m in awe, not boogie-ing yet – still trying to decipher the sounds of what is happening all around me, trying to hone in on each artist’s playing.  Krasno so technically perfect it is mouth-gaping, Coomes going so low, keepin it all together, Adam Deitch kickin it on those drums, loud and crashing, the horns blasting this craziness into the stratosphere.

photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

Talib Kweli brings it down to the ground, funky, loud, head banging raging insanity, trading licks with Nigel…..phewww boy it had gotten hotter from the heat rising from the stage, before Scofield comes on stage, -at first, his guitar sounds like a sax- and he continues blasting us all into a Funky Cold Medina with his trippy, groovy jams.  My neck began to hurt from the heavy funky nodding/dance we had all commenced in.  The Lettuce was dirty…dirty dirty Lettuce.

photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

Soulive w/ Special Guests: Rubber Soulive goes down in full effect.  A melody of classics from The Beatles, John Scofield and Eric Krasno in a musical tit-for-tat game both going just sick on their instruments of power.  My notes are all jumbled.  Can’t seem to read my handwriting.  I have to somehow write this down from memory (and without any setlists yet – none are released at this time)…

photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy

My eyes settle on Alan, one of my personal top 5 drummers, and he’s frikkin wailing on the drums. His whole body raging into the beat, um, he’s setting the beat, fast and dirty, damn Al!,  Neal Evans and his freakishly absurd hands playing keys and the bassline, at the same time!  Eleanor Rigby flows into I Want You (She’s So Heavy) and by this time, my mind is floating, I’ve succumbed into the funkiness that is Soulive/The Royal Family, and my head gets light, I close my eyes, I shake my ass, and… that’s it folks.


photo by: Dino Perrucci

I watch Sco leave the stage, and Krasno and Alan bring him back, like “No man, you’re staying for this”, when I hear Krasno introduce Warren Haynes to the stage.  Right.  Warren.  Head was light, now eyeballs are falling out.  So, to recap, there is Eric Krasno, John Scofield and Warren Haynes on the stage – three of my personal top 5 guitar players.  Holy hell, my head exploded all over the 3rd floor – I know mine wasn’t the only one.  Warren with Sco and Kraz on Born Under a Bad Sign.  Ridiculous.  The night ends with an encore from Nigel and the Royal Family for a killer James Brown Medley.  It felt like seven bagillion people were on the stage.  Can. Not. Wait. For. More…….

photo by: Allison "Ruth Rocks" Murphy