Review - Craig Calhoun &
the Brothers of Oz
@ The Basement 25/7/98
Arriving fashionably late at The Basement for
a Craig Calhoun & the Brothers of Oz
gig means actually catching the whole show, but doing so initially from the
nosebleed section. That aside, it wasn’t long before Mr
Calhoun was singing his welcoming opening and getting straight into
an all-in jazz/funk jam Chameleon, Craig
walking off to stage right and Ralph (sax & percussion) Franke walking around centre-stage.
The next song was another jam; it focused
more on the solos so we knew what to expect through the rest of the set. The
highlight was their version of Living
Colour’s Love Rears Up Its
Ugly Head, a crowd pleaser that brought more than the polite applause the
rest of the set attracted. The other feature of the set was that singing duties
were spread between four of the nine people on stage, including guest vocalists
Kimi
Tupaea and Jo Elm. The let down was in the mix, with the vocals being a
bit further down than we would have liked and the overall volume a little
low.
My stamina was fast receding and I was ready
to do the Harry before the second set started, but when Craig’s
welcome song was followed by a slow but soulful version of Prince’s
1999, complete with audience
participation, I just had to stick around! While the first set was a little
slow on the uptake, the only downer in the second was the closer which no-one
in the crowd seemed to know. Features of set #2 included Papa Was A Rolling Stone with percussionist Peter Morgan out from
behind the bongos and doing his best Aaron Neville,
a close-to-the-original Higher Ground,
and Master Blaster with a Walking On The Moon impromptu from Craig
along with all seven vocalists harmonising along (including the 2-piece brass
section singing through their instrument mics!). The applause was more than
polite but still not rapturous, save for the solos by Roy & HG’s
house-band guitarist Rex Goh, and the mix was 150%
improved.
The stamina would not have held out for the
third set, but should you see the name Craig
Calhoun & the Brothers of Oz at a venue you like to frequent,
it is suggested that you make the effort. With exceptional musicianship all
around, including the best bass-playing I have seen since Jean Beauvoir (a sort of George
Benson and Doug
Williams meets Tommy
Emmanuel on 5 strings) and Craig’s
promise that no two shows are the same, you will not be disappointed! ««««