True, Im not necessarily the target audience for this concept band, since I dont own a single Beatles recording and many of the (lesser-known) songs covered on this groups new disc are unfamiliar to me. Still, I was disappointed by the overall inverted feeling of the music. When its not overly gooey it feels too, well, conceptual, and kind of like work. To my ears, the best cuts on Beatlejazz (VideoArts) are with the bassist/singer Richard Bona, who brings a desperately needed Afro-funk spirit; but he wont be on the tour. All that said, Dave Kikoski is a pianist who can wake up any setting, when he wants to, and hes got a fantastic rapport with the elegantly melodic drummer Brian Melvin. Like them, road bassist Peter Barshay can play all forms and feels, so whatever the set list, it seems likely some stellar trio skills will be on display.
Dec. 4-5, 7:30 p.m., 2007
