Liviu’s Invitational - J’s Crab Shack, Hartford CT - Thursday 08 May 14

with Liviu Pop and featuring Tommy Whalen and Bob Laramie

Tommy Whalen - Guitar and Most of the Vocals

Bob Laramie - The Big Black Beautiful Bass

Johnny Larsen - The Other White Strat

Rick Handeville  - JLarson's Strat

Mike Nigro - Congas / Percs

Steve & Neil- Horn Section

Johnny Russell - Harp

Liviu Pop - Drums

Upon walking into J’s Crab Shack in Hartford, my road-mate and I were struck by the Energy.  Of course, we were unaware of Tommy Whalen’s ties to the other players, Bob Laramie on bass, and Liviu Pop on drums.  All we could see were smiles all around- the few dozen people in the little garage-ish venue were already enthralled, and the three guys on stage were clearly enjoying themselves.  This was pretty much Liviu’s gig, with his choice of guests (hence the name ‘invitational), but we had no idea what was to come.  Neither did the band, for that matter, and isn’t that all part of the magic?  We agreed later, it can’t be contrived; the muse visits and the energy flows from unseen places.

Liviu was grinning ear-to-ear.  No surprise there, that’s how he plays.  It’s obvious the guy enjoys what he’s doing.  That spirit is infectious, though; it spreads right to the other layers and they freely share it with the rest of us.  I had seen Liviu play with Tommy Whalen and the Ragged Edge a few times at the Waterfront in Holyoke MA, subbing for Ricky Marshall, so I had a good idea of the level of expertise that could be expected.  Rock-solid, perfectly placed foundation with plenty of percussive flourishes abound, such that the listener is never shocked but is often surprised by this drummer and his gifts.

Bob Laramie, though... another story.  I had no previous exposure to this fellow, and who knows why I expected a charming and competent contribution on bass... silly me!  He’s a monster!  Not at first, mind you; he starts off being as laid-back as any bass-man can be.  But within a few minutes, the word ‘fluidity’ impressed upon me and stayed with me.  Again, rock-solid as backing for the band, but throwing all these little runs and flourishes, the dudes soon seemed nothing short of amazing.  As he got going, all of that gave way to actual aggression on the instrument- this guy is an animal!  (And a gentleman.)  I thought I had seen bass-as-lead such as would never be duplicated when I saw Twiddle associates last weekend up in Vermont, but this guy could surely give those young bucks a run!

All of the preceding took place within just a few songs; mostly blues tracks with a couple of Tommy’s tunes, crossover faves from across the decades; but the excitement was already building.  When they invited Johnny Larsen up to play guitar (another white Strat), I almost thought, “No, don’t spoil it,” but I’ve seen Tommy enough times that I know to trust him.  He loves to share the stage and the spotlight, with no real fear that we might not like him so well after someone else plays (a joke he made).  The new guy, clearly not new to anyone but me, was clearly top-notch.  Of course, I learned later that he’s a local hero and plays around a whole lot.  As the cast of characters continued to expand, I realized that we were on Tommy’s old stomping grounds from his 20 years with Eight to the Bar, and so playing anywhere in CT is apt to turn into a reunion.

Mike Niger, who I’ve seen a number of time at Black-Eyed Sally’s, just down the road, and a few times up in Springfield at Theodore’s, carried in his congas while Johnny was setting up, and the trio became a five-piece.  They both stayed on for most of the first set, which took nothing away from the experience and only added to the energy and excitement.  Things were really ramping up, and more folks were coming in the door.

We had a fairly full house and dancing down the middle aisle through the second set.

Rick Handeville joined in with Johnny’s guitar for a few songs, and we had a min-horn section for most of the show as Steve and Neil came in with their Sax and Trumpet, and when Johnny Russel jumped up to play harp, it was no less than a nonette in the house!  Couldn’t even fit ‘em all on stage; the horns and congas were out in front, with dancers deftly doing steps all ‘round ‘em. 

Rick’s guitar style held some intrigue for me.  Not unlike Mr. Laramie, he started off all mild-mannered and built up to a couple on crescendos, but in the in-between he played with a subdued and sophisticated style that rather reminded me of Steely Dan’s Walter Becker, the guy who quietly shifted from bass to guitar and slowly came up to a level of playing comparable (arguably, perhaps) with not just Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter, but Larry Carlton, Steve Khan, and the host of other highly technical L.A. jazzers.  As with Becker, this Handeville fellow played with a plunky, blues-inflected manner full of fat, round notes and clean, sharp Motown-type gusty rhythms.  I checked with him on this point, and it seemed to talk Dan to him- a favorable comparison, to be sure.

After a rousing, funk-inflected Lowdown (the Boz Scaggs great), the band settled into the last leg of the night.  Not many folks were sitting; not much stillness could be seen anywhere in the house for that last hour or so, and (of course) the band played past their appointed time.  How could they not?  Joe and Enza, the owners of this nifty little joint, were enjoying the scene as much as anyone else.  They reported that, while they have some fine nights in their sea-shore styled Crab Shack, this one stood out.  It was a magical night indeed, one of those when the planets are in alignment and the strings are all tuned perfectly; the moods are matched and the vibe is right.  They don’t happen every time, but they do seem to come more often than not when Mr. Tommy Whalen is involved.  Even Tuesdays get all fired up at the Waterfront in Holyoke; it’s like a weekend in the middle of the week!

This Thursday thing could not have gone down the same any other way.  It had to be right here, right now, in this particular place and time.  And the location, provided by Joe and Enza, was a big part of the magic.  When I first walked in, I feared for the audio experience- the stage is all way at the back of a long, rectangular room with a garage door right behind the band, and the musicians surrounded by cement and cinderblocks.  I expected a harsh, overly loud sound.  It was loud no doubt, but the good kind.  It was easy to distinguish each instrument; all was crystal clear- good thing, as these guys are all so good to hear. 

The Crab Shack itself is a most interesting place, retaining just enough of a seaside feel to ring authentic, but not so much as put off the landlubbers.  The décor is likewise, and the menu is exactly what you’d expect- reasonable prices and all.  The building is divided up into distinct sections, with a fish market, seafood stand and seating, and a bar at the far end.  All of this looks to have been a car repair facility in the past, so how fitting to bring in a twenty-first century blues-based garage band!  There’s even a separate game room with a pool table, behind glass doors so all can be seen and heard without interfering.  Not that this looks to have been fore-ordained; rather the owners had the good sense to make good use of what they had to work with.  Gotta love that- gotta love it all!

My “road-mate” and I had the best non-date of our lives!!!