the hum / By Bob Doran

2011’s Tops

Best shows of the last year

(Dec. 22, 2011)  Looking back over the last year’s collection of musical events, it wasn’t hard to pick a few of my personal favorites. Top of the list: the recent visit by Sharon Jones, who filled The Depot with powerful soul and took us to the land of 1,000 dances. The Dap-Kings were the tightest, funkiest band I’ve heard in ages. Add in the intimate venue and you have a winner.

There was Huckleberry Flint‘s transcendent set as the sun went down, ending the Humboldt Folklife Festival’s Country Night out back at Dell’Arte’s Rooney Amphitheatre. Dustin Taylor’s electrifying take on “Wayfaring Stranger” sent shivers up my spine.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings PHOTO BY BOB DORAN

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Celebrating the Life of Bryan Osper, a memorial gathering of friends and family at Humboldt Brews, was a long series of stirring moments. As his bandmate Jesse Jonathon put it, “Music as a medium for expression was truly brought to life that evening.” It became abundantly clear how deeply Bryan affected the Humboldt community in his time here.

The Nels Cline Singers laid down two incendiary sets at the Arcata Playhouse with Nels (whose day job is guitarist for Wilco) soaring alongside drummer Scott Amendola, former Eurekan Trevor Dunn on bass (from Mr. Bungle, etc.) and Nels’ keyboardist wife Yuka Honda (from Cibo Matto) adding colors.

Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom brought some joyous jazz to the Kate Buchanan Room with Allison smiling behind her drums, Myra Melford on piano and former local Jenny Scheinman on violin — one of many great Redwood Jazz Alliance shows this year. 

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 closed the Mateel’s successful Reggae on the River at Benbow with a heavy, heavy blast of hot Afrofunk featuring Seun on sax backed by a big band that included veteran players who once backed his legendary father, Fela.

Tower of Power proved that the funky “Oakland Stroke” is eternal, answering the question, “What Is Hip?” with a burst of horns to conclude Blues by the Bay.

Another great festival closer: Pokey LaFarge and The South City Three, whowrapped up the Jefferson State Old Time Review at the Arcata Playhouse later the same Saturday as the Folklife All Day Free Festival (let’s try not to do that again).

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