2019/11/2 Soul Monde @ Nublu
Very much a private party for Freaks, though not actually, last night was, amazingly, my first time at Nublu. What a shame that is as Chris puts together nightly magic in perhaps the vibiest room in Manhattan. A little theater in the round, with spots to sit, room to dance, plenty of options to take in the show from various points of elevation, this room is hot. Literally on top of the musicians from certain vantage points, it’s an intimate little slice of music heaven where the musicians have nowhere to hide but in plain sight, nothing to do but mingle with the crowd in the time between doors and show.
Trey Anastasio chose Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski to play drums and keys in his eponymous band because these cats can flat out play. I’d describe it for you but I found this on their website and, quite frankly, I cannot do better…
Soule Monde is avant funk erupting from the syncopated minds of power drummer Russ Lawton + B3 wizard Ray Paczkowski. An ideal union of swagger and raw talent, the duo is cemented into an indestructible pocket, where bold improvisational leaps by either player are met by a near-telepathic response from the other. This is fluid funk, crafted for the dance floor but supported by an extensive grasp of jazz improvisation.
Paczkowski has an intrepid knowledge of the Hammond B3, playing it as fearlessly as Han Solo flies the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field, while his left hand lays down bass lines on the clavinet with the ferocity of the meanest four-string, soul-cat.
Lawton is constantly responding to his partner’s attacks – pushing the groove further and deeper while holding the pocket like he’s handcuffed to the snare. Don’t expect the beat to drop with Soule Monde, and at the same time don’t expect to get stuck in one groove. Quite simply, this is the jazz-duo your parents warned you about.
Hot damn, that’s good writing. Loved Ray’s low end on the clav, and I think I had an actual crush on his vintage equipment, so vintage in fact that his Leslie speaker had literal cobwebs in it. A throwback kit for a throwback dude playing old school funk. Perfect. And not that Russ is ever lost in TAB, but he’s kind of lost in TAB with so much other talent to focus on, including the inimitable Cyro Batista on percussion. But in this setting, just Russ and Ray and the telepathy between them, you can’t not focus on him which is a good thing because he’s a beast.
While my wife thought they played one continuous song for the first set, even though there were obvious breaks between songs, my hips and feet couldn’t stop moving, but not in a ragey, dripping sweat kind of way, more of the sultry kind of groove that can only be found in a glorious set-long pocket. Gotta love my girl for hanging in there, she likened the set to how I feel during something like, say, a mandatory Bar Mitzvah meeting. Side note: she not only stood by my side until 10:40, but allowed me to spend my Sunday on a soccer sideline instead of enduring the indignity of, well, a daylong Bar Mitzvah meeting at our synagogue. You know, the kind that goes so long that they have to serve lunch. Oy vey. So this is a good time to say how blessed I am to have this amazing woman by my side, who sees shows she has no interest in seeing so she can spend time with me and meet my friends, and then goes to awful meetings in my stead. But maybe that’s just because she knows I wouldn’t behave there but I digress. God how I love this woman. I danced 8,578 to her 0. Marriage is all about balance, right?
So much fun to dance with y’all and meet some new Freaks. I’m sure I missed many of you, but I met just as many so that’s a big win. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks again, Chris!
