Formally a 1920’s bank, Vault 350 is a very nice club in downtown Long Beach on Pine Avenue. Right before the stage, there is a dance floor, then three rows of tall tables and stools wrapped around the room. On the back wall is a bar. Upstairs in the mezzanine, there are booths where you could order dinner, but I don’t know how you could focus on the performance while eating.
On tour in support of their brilliant album, Braggtown, The Branford Marsalis Quartet performed two shows that evening. They got a late start for the 8pm show, so rather than have us congregate in the small alcove out front, a group of us were taken around back and up to taken to the VIP room above the mezzanine, a small lounge containing a bar couches and tables. I didn’t feel very important, but you could see the band playing. When they cleared the place out and released us, it was a mad dash down the stairs for the general admission tables. I commandeered a table that had yet to be cleared, dead center, three tables back.
Marsalis came out and got a big hand. He told the audience he was uncertain where the rest of the fellows were. He got a laugh, but the joke was true as we waited for a few moments before finally starting at a quarter to eleven.
The band was arranged on stage in a tight square, a formation ready for battle. Marsalis out front at the point. Pianist Joey Calderazzo and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts were stage right and stage left respectively, and slightly back a couple paces. Back that same distance from them and directly behind Marsalis was bassist Eric Revis, so for those of us in the center, Marsalis obscured him.
They shot right out of the gate with the big, brash “Blakzilla,” drummer Watts’ nod to Akira Ifukube’s score to Godzilla (1953). His thunderous drums and the bass were the main focal point of the song. They launched ahead, driving, pushing each other. They didn’t make eye contact, just kept moving forward. Watts appeared to be a wild man, but his hard chaotic strokes had purpose.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review bicho. Branford's the man in my book. he's been consistently putting out interesting music for a long time now. and that band of his is killer. i've been a fan of Watts for quite a while, going all the way back to the Black Codes... record that he did with Wynton.
2 - El Bicho
Thanks, Mark. I think the closest to your neck of the woods they get to is CT. Have you ever seen the DVD of their performance of A Love Supreme? Awesome stuff.
3 - Mark Saleski
no, i should get it tough. i do have that documentary/concert film the the cd Bloomington came out of. great stuff.
i also saw him with the Buckshot LeFonque group. that was some crazy stuff.