Rocking up to gigs early has boundless benefits for anyone interested in a good music or indeed a good night. This fact was confirmed to me at one of the first gigs that I can remember attending, back in June 2013. The Who were travelling the globe again on their ‘Quadrophenia and More’ tour, which brought them to the (then) Manchester Arena where I stood eagerly awaiting their arrival to the stage. Being fairly young, my dad had accompanied me on this potentially pivotal pilgrimage to see my favourite band. As a result, we got to the venue as early as was possible in order to beat the queues – this was very on brand for him – and have a chance to hear the support act; he was keen to turn the experience into a lesson on gig etiquette and the rewards of musical exploration. Perhaps more than he could have expected, his lesson had a phenomenal impact on me.
Supporting The Who on that day was a California-based contemporary rhythm & blues band under the name Vintage Trouble. Their soulful melodies, visceral vocal tones, and spirited rhythms nearly stole the show. Further than that, they uncovered my hunger for soulful and emotive music. Music that is as organic as it is intelligent. They might just be the catalyst that led me on a journey toward to jazz and Afro-diasporic music. VT, while a modern band, have a sound that is very much a pastiche of Motown and classic soul music mixed in with rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm & blues. The Bomb Shelter Sessions – their debut release – is their most pastiche album of all and the one that I heard them perform in Manchester back in 2013. The album bounces between mellow ballads like Not Alright Be Me, sweet gospel tunes like Gracefully, and heavier rock influenced tracks such as Blues Hand Me Down. They also throw in a couple of classic sounding rhythm and blues tracks (e.g. You Better Believe It) that are reminiscent of older Buddy Guy records. Making comparisons seems easy to do with a band that so proudly present their influences, yet there are numerous nuances that make that this album and VT stand out. Firstly, their guitarist – Nalle Colt – and bassist – Rick Barrio Dill – uniquely fill the space that normally takes 3 or 4 people to fill. This is partly down to their warm and rich tones but largely due to their part-writing and Nalle Colt’s impressive yet tasteful harmonic control. Secondly, their drum sound brought by Richard Danielson is inventively spacious, even when playing faster paced pieces. Again, this is both a testament to Danielson’s playing but also to the saturated sound of the recording and spacious mic placement. Finally, the versatile timbre of Ty Taylor’s voice is unparalleled. Voices are hard to replicate most of the time, but I think there are very few who would be able to get close to performing with the variety and virtuosity of Ty Taylor. It had been a while since I’d listened to this record and yet I am unbelievably glad to have gone back for another listen this week. I am even more glad to have heard it in the first instance and to have seen this mesmerising group. Let this album of the week be a reminder to rock up to gigs early and watch the support; you never know what impact they may have on you.
Waxing Lyrical 