Review and photos – Derek Trucks Band at the Playhouse Theatre, Winnipeg, June 23 2009
– review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Ravi Shukla
The opening salvo
of the Jazz Winnipeg
Festival
Romi Mayes backed
by the big guns
the hard edged and the true
Weber Brothers
her words
her music
her emotions
her veracity
here are her The Traveling Players,
Cookie scratching and clawing
hammering
and pounding
the keys
Ryan Weber
plucking/playing/
tickling/strolling
those graceful fingers
it’s ballet on the stand/up
bass strings
before laying down the slap!hammer
smacking his big bad bass, plus
his brother
Sam Weber effortlessly
creating the space
for Ryan and Cookie to
do the damage
they are the needle
we’re the carnage done
in by the soul
of Romi’s music
and Corndog (p)laying
a true heartbeat
foundation
on the drums
thump,thump,thumping
our Beating hearts
i Love that it’s about The Band
I can’t write enough
wonderful things
about Romi Mayes
and the Webers
superlatives,
like gelati
on your tongue
in your mouth
caressing your buds
every flavor
imaginable
(it’s so hot these days
and nights
in Winnipeg,
the heat is on!
you need to cool down)
the way This Band
communicates
nods and winks
smiles
facial ticks
eyebrows
up,down
how they freely allow
each other
to perform
to flow
at their best
always
and yes
Romi Mayes
has the best back/up
band in the world
she keeps praising,
and Corndog
behind the kit
has the best view
in the audience
her “ass” she lets
us know
she speaks The Truth
here are her honest songs
from her soul
to ours,
The Other Dame
Long Way Home
Somethin Goin On
Tire Marks
Arkansas
I Won’t Cry
Can’t Get You Off
Styx and BTO
Romi’s beautiful voice
a so,lovely instrument
her beautiful
open soul
for us to see and hear
in her words
such intense openness
and then The Webers
performed an immense
version of
Home Is Where The Heart Is
45 minutes
a mix of soulfully aching
ballads and hard-edged
rockers
Romi’s songs,
the jilted,heart,broken
female
point of view
the unfathomable
depths
of a woman’s naked
heart
Ryan slaps his
big old beauty of a
stand,up bass
its shoulders
and neck
the curves
it’s a wooden drum
in his hands
smacking
slapping
and fingers,popping
the wood
its shine
its dullness
the patina
Cookie plays like a tiger
leaping in feeding
frenzy
his paws
waving
cut(ting),slash(ing)
the keys
Home Is Where The Heart Is
solos sweep us into sonic
bliss,(fully) kissing
our listening
hearts
Derek Trucks Band
Derek Trucks
the guitar man
his guitar playing/
style is a lead Voice
are Vocals
uplifting
Mike Mattison
lead voice
let me tell you
what i heard
I heard
Joe Cocker
some of that Stance
minus
the spasms
(and i’m very good with that!)
Mike’s voice and
presence is powerful
he melts away
when Derek
plays leads
Kofi Burbridge
on the keys
flute too
he (p)lays it down
pure
here comes the rhythm
section,
Count M”Butu
keeping the rhythm train
purr,cuss/
sively
rolling
Todd Smallie
bass guitar
and wonderful harmonies
now, talk about
drummers that groove
Yonrico Scott
his head never stops
moving and shoulders
rolling and rocking
flashing/sparking/sticks
the set:
Get What You Deserve
(super/Hot, opening
so dirty sliding guitar blues)
I Know
a little soulful slide
chilling my rocky spine
the depths
and layers
the power of Derek’s solo
I Done Got Over
no deviations
traveling the straight
ahead blues
road
So Close So Far
this jazz song did
nothing for me
Down Don’t Bother Me
hearing that Joe Cocker
sound/seeing that stance
Mike’s gorgeous
textured voice
and so tight band
Meet Me At The Bottom
feels like we’re on a rocking blues
train/down and dirty
and a very spiritual
song
perpetual motion
and emotion
always riding the rail grooves
back and forth
at break/neck speed
Yonrico’s head rolling
in the train’s rushing
groove
I’ll Find My Way
Stevie Wonderish 70s
groove, when he set
himself free of
the Little Stevie Wonder
tag
this is groove boogie blues
This Sexy
or Leavin’ Trunk
Hard (cap that H!)
ass blues
a WoW song
don’t know which song
(the set list was a little smudged)
that guitar grooving solo
Sweet Inspiration
now this is a beautiful
dance song
(if only)
i am dancing in my seat
My Favorite Thing
Now This Is Hot Jazz
thank you Derek Trucks Band
Key To The Highway
more of that so/good
down,dirty,blues
for the wee wee hours
Get Out Of My Life
Sam Weber’s invited
to join the band
on rhythm guitar
Sam looks like he’s always
played with these guys
perfectly placed
song to carry us away
and take us home
90 wonderful minutes
i didn’t intend to go to
this show
a friend with a dark
mean
shadow
talons bared
hanging over her
asked me what
my plans were for the night
and i offered this show
as an option
which she liked the best
we grooved
in our seats
dancing away
(and she told me,
meditated too)
and when
the house,lights
switched on after
Get Out Of My Life
i saw
a
beautiful
and true
smile
on her
(
w
o
n
d
r
o
u
s
)
face
that’s all you need to know
about the Derek Trucks Band
Romi Mayes and the
Weber Brothers,
they took the shadows away,
on Tuesday night
June 23rd,
at the Pantages Playhouse.
