An image of Spectrum Road — Jack Bruce, it must be — in action on the road sometime before the Toronto show this week.
Courtesy of article.wn.com
Ace #ldnont jazz fan Randy Fisher has contributed this report from the frontlines as Spectrum Road played Toronto’s Sound Academy as part of the TD Toronto jazz fest. Just reading about Jack Bruce singing Politician has me going “drn drn drrrrn drnt drrr drr drr drr drrn drnt.” It helps if you know the song JBNBlog admits. Thanks for this, Randy.
By Randy Fisher
Jack Bruce was the star of Spectrum Road’s explosive jazz rock concert in Toronto last Wednesday as hundreds cheered for an encore.
The band was a tribute to Tony Williams Lifetime.
Bruce,bassist and singer for rock’s first supergroup Cream, sang with sensitivity and took over with Sunshine of Your Love, a rock anthem dedicated to late guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
Vernon Reid, guitarist for Spectrum Road wasn’t very jazzy. He was loud and overbearing. In the past. he played guitar in the legendary jazz outfit Ronald Shannon Jackson and Decoding Society before founding the successful rock band Living Colour.
Cindy Blackman Santana has led several jazz combos including her own Tony Williams Lifetime tribute–Another Lifetime. in addition to playing with such rock acts as Lenny Kravitz and guitarist Carlos Santana whom she wed in 2010.
Bruce played with Tony Williams Lifetime after guitarist John McLaughlin left the group.
At the concert the crowd loved the band and screamed for more. Reid was at his best when playing single note lines as Bruce laid down the foundation.To get the audience excited Bruce sang the old Cream hit Politician.
Bruce showed no signs of old age and Reid was lively and bombastic.
Santana was spontaneous and in the pocket.
My favourite of Reid’s playing was during Comeback Home by Jan Hammer when he stayed with the theme and one could detect the melody. John Modeski on keyboards was barely noticeable most of the time
Categories: General
London
I’m envious….I bought the disc a few weeks ago and am digging it. Too
bad they are just playing the major cities. If Spectrum Road and Derek
and Susan Trucks had been on consecutive nights in TO I would have
gone down.