Live @ The Breakroom with Giovanni Hidalgo
Live recordings tend to be special with musicians hoping for magic with audience feedback, but imagine an intimate club session nicely recorded without pressure, without the performers' knowledge. The result is joyous abandon to the music. Such occurred at San José, California's The SJZ Break Room with the appearance of LehCats, a backward spelling of the Stachels, a husband and wife team of flute/piccolo player Karen and saxophonist Norbert with acoustic and electric bassist Dan Feiszu, acoustic and electric keyboardist Matt Clark, and drummer Dan Gonzalez. Special guest was esteemed conga percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, who was part of Mickey Hart's Planet Drum group. Their musical style is a fusion of jazz, Afro-Caribbean, world, and funk, and the versatile ensemble is a hub with many musical spokes. Its hard-driving sound is akin to Tower of Power. This is not surprising since Norbert was sideman for Tower of Power, Boz Scaggs, Sheila E., and more on the jazz side, Freddie Hubbard and Roy Hargrove. Indeed, the first track of the 2-disc album, Step On It, was written by Norbert during his tenure with Tower of Power, and its bold, funky groove and powerful sax work immediately moves the body. Co-written with bassoonist Paul Hanson in the 1980s, Meshugaza has a Middle Eastern theme and a rocking camel-riding beat. Karen Stachel's Sunshine is a shift into Afro-Cuban mellowness, montuno syncopated piano work, and her flute and voice. After the bright melodic sophistication of Upper West Side Story (the affluent artistic NYC neighborhood where Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is located) comes Power Tap. Here, the musicians get gritty, electrified, and raw. Soul Cha Cha has both Stachels on flutes in a bugaloo dance. Vocalise and boppish forms are featured in 9 Lives. The sermon Peace on Earth moves into spiritual R&B gospel. Hidalgo, who is everpresent in the background, is given an exciting and extensive solo introduction in Afrobaldi, composed with Tower of Power drummer David Garabldi. 16-minutes in duration, the piece is blazing hot and crosses a wide territory of themes, shifting from tenor to flute to soprano sax. The album closes with Mandela, which has uplifting Brazilian flair and is dedicated to struggles against racism and oppression. When the musicians eventually heard the recordings, they knew the music had to be shared with the public; magic indeed had occurred.
Dr. Debra Jan Bibel
Terri Hinte Publicity