the hum / By Bob Doran

Please, Please, Please

Then there’s the show at Jambalaya that moved Sex Mob. “Progressive jazz” bassist Tommy Lockett recently relocated here from L.A. and has been playing with a variety of local musicians. For Friday’s show he’s lined up guitarist Ruben Diaz, Mike Kapitan on keys, trombonist Gregg Moore and drummer Justin Hooeps. So, what’s this “progressive” jazz? “It’s like Ornette Coleman meets Pat Metheny, that’s the vibe, but kind of groove-oriented,” says Lockett. He’s also playing music in a somewhat different vein the night before at the Jam. Yo Tango! plays for dancers earlier Thursday, then it’s “Jazz Night” with Lockett joined by the above-mentioned drummer Michael Curran and guitarist Dave Wilson with Dave’s friend Nalia on vocals for some Antônio Carlos Jobim bossa nova tunes and jazz standards.

Another big Weekend at the Arcata Theatre Lounge: Thursday night it’s “Baxtale!A Balkan/Gypsy Dance Party” with Fishtank Ensemble, a wild combo led by French fiddler Fabrice Martinez, who once traveled through Europe in a mule-drawn caravan with F.E.’s vocalist/fiddler/saw player Ursula Knudsen. The band also includes flamenco-style guitarist Douglas Smolens and Serbian stand-up bassist Djordje Stijepovic, who leads a Balkan rockabilly band on the side. Yes, it’s a crazy mash-up of styles and, yes, it works. They are amazing. Added bonus: Ya-Habibi Dance Company shake their bellies as part of the show.

Friday at the ATL it’s “A Panolply Of Sonancy” (whatever that means), an alt. this and that revue that includes plunderphonic artist Pretty Hemp Princess, dark folky Brother Mitya, a new Arcata band, Mt. Mountain, and perhaps most important, the farewell performance by thelittlestillnotbigenough, who are losing graduating members and calling it quits. Journal intern Juli B described the lsnbe sound as “largely unlike anything else currently on the market: entirely poetic, wholly insightful and hellishly absurd,” and we couldn’t put it any better.

Saturday the ATL goes alt. rock with Seattle’s The Curious Mystery (who record for K Records) and Humboldt’s own Strix Vega, who have allegedly been banned from playing anywhere else but Arcata (or maybe that was some other band).

Remember Dameon Lee, who fronted the local band Lowlights, then left town to return to New Mexico? (Who can forget that heart-wrenching scene in Rural Rock & Roll?) Dameon’s now playing banjo with a Burritos-esque country-rock band out of L.A. called Big Eagle with Humboldt native Robyn Miller (formerly of The Peels). They’re on their way north and will stop here Saturday for a show at the Lil’ Red Lion. Check their MySpace (/bigeagleband) — they sound real good.

Wild cyber-tribal music at Nocturnum Saturday: Medicine Drum, an organic-rave band that includes Aussie Earthdance-founder Chris Dekker, is on the road with Ganga Giri, an awesome Aussie percussionist/didgeridoo player who tours with digi-looper V-Ka.

Coming up next Wednesday at Nocturnum, Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons, a post-Americana rock band led by another former local. Old timers will remember smokin’ gigs at the Jam by Jerry’s band, Little Women, Humboldt’s first reggae-rock band.

St. John and The Sinners vocalist Courtney Weaver called to let us know about a few gigs the band has lined up. Courtney’s been a Sinner for a few months now. “Saint sings the rock and I do the blues and R& B covers,” she explained. For example? “We do interpretations of Willie Dixon and John Lee Hooker songs, early Etta James stuff, things like that.” The gigs: Thursday, The Sinners open for Three Bad Jacks, a psychobilly band from L.A., at the Pearl Lounge. Then on Friday they’re joined by “special guests” in a benefit at Humboldt Brews for Redwood Curtain CopWatch. Saturday afternoon you’ll find The Sinners out by the Manila Community Center in connection with the Kinetic Race, then they head to McKinleyville for a show that night at Six Rivers Brewery. Sounds like a long weekend.

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