Gillon was a splendid edition to the band, adding tasty but not overpowering conga work and soulful vocals that were featured on the Dylan tune, Al Jarreau's 1983 hit Mornin',' ∼herokee,' Tom Jobim's bossa nova Wave,' the New Orleans classic St. The band romped through several tracks from its new CD, Sharkskin (Solar Grooves), including the title tune featuring Swenson's distinctive guitar artistry, Bob Dylan's Watching the River Flow,' and Booth's exotic Rumba Misterioso' and Phil's Blues.' If you like Steely Dan, you'll like Acme Jazz Garage. The band is cohesive and their arrangements and soloing are adventurous, anchored with a solid jazz feeling.

That familiarity enhances their group chemistry. Percussionist-singer Marshall Gillon was a special guest.Īll of the players have worked with each other in various combinations and bands for many years. The personnel for this concert included bassist Philip Booth, guitarist Matt Swenson, pianist Jody Marsh (who succeeded founding keyboardist Bryan Lewis after the latter's move back to upstate New York this year), saxophonist Rick Runion and drummer Jean Bolduc. The band's expanded sextet version performed Sunday, December 6 for the Tampa Jazz Club as part of the Hillsborough Community College Performing Arts Series at HCC's Mainstage Theatre in Ybor City.īop, bossa nova, R&B, a bit of Cuban rumba, some soul jazz and a few jazz standards- filtered with Acme's high-energy jam-band enthusiasm- made for a powerful afternoon.Īcme Jazz Garage has been on the scene for 10 years.

The Tampa-based band leaps with enthusiasm into a wide-ranging bag of influences to deliver music that is distinctly its own. There is so much to admire at an Acme Jazz Garage concert.

Frog leap band