May 01, 2007: In a recent interview, Col. Bruce Hampton said one of the few things he was good at was naming bands. I don't know if I agree with the self-deprecation, but I do like the name of his new combo: The Quark Alliance.

The last time I encountered Col. Bruce, he was with the Codetalkers and wearing a suit. This time around, he's more casual and the music is quite a bit different.

Right off the bat they started hitting a "Superstition"-like groove. The Col. was singing bluesy stuff and playing tweaked-out riffs on a slide guitar. Everything fell into place.

Though I quite liked the Codetalkers (who persist sans Col.) I think he's more in his element with this new group. In the other band he was more of a sideman but with The Quark Alliance he's more central.

Together the players had a great energy, fusing funk with Chicago blues, rock and jam elements. (But not too much jamming.) One song really reminded me of Muddy Waters with its stuttering riff and harmonica action.

The Col. alternated singing with guitarist Jeff Caldwell. The latter had a bit of a Stevie Wonder in his voice. The Col? When he sings, it's somehow deeply unsettling. His voice has this timeless quality to it, like it's reaching through the ages to take hold of your soul.

I really liked their version of "Spoonful." Somehow the Willie Dixon song sounded at home in 550 that night. One of the songs was a little too lite-rock for me, but for the most part I really enjoyed the new group.

Though I'm not always a fan of the jammier side of things, I did like the interplay between the musicians. At one point it was sounding like a riff-off (in a 1960s Stax way). Things got fierce, and at one point the ensemble sounded like a merry-go-round speeding up.

I'm glad the Col. has recovered from his health problems and has found a new home with the Quark Alliance. Let's hope he returns regularly to Macon.

Posted by Maggie on May 1, 2007 at 03:45 PM | Permalink