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March 31, 2005

The Hum

by BOB DORAN


Photo and headline -- Monks of Drepung Loseling MonasterySUPPOSE YOU DON'T CARE FOR JAZZ OF any sort, Dixieland or otherwise, and you don't like Cajun music, or any of the other jazzy styles inundating Eureka starting tonight. Perhaps you have an irrational fear of tubas, or banjos, or old folks in funny hats. Is there anything else to do this weekend, something far, far away from Dixieland? Let's see, what would be the polar opposite of an evening at the R.C. Jazz Fest? Well, while Stompy Jones is swingin' at the Adorni Thursday night March 31, the Blue Lake Casino's Sapphire Palace will be rocking to the extremely eclectic sounds of Hairy Apes BMX, whose initials do not have anything to do with motocross racing. (They stand for Butt Movin' Experience.) Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, the band eschews guitars in favor of vibes, tabla, keyboards, bass/drums and a loopy sax, playing hip, funky multi-ethnic grooves to make you move.

The Apes are touring with a masked ensemble from Seattle, Master Musicians of Bukkake, who draw inspiration from the Master Musicians of Jajouka, the Moroccan drum/pipes outfit discovered by the late Rolling Stone Brian Jones. Believe me, that is just a starting point for an excursion into the far reaches of who-knows-where.

Also far from Dixie, an evening of Tibetan sacred music and dance for world healing, Friday, April 1, at the Van Duzer with the extravagantly dressed, multi-phonic singing Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery [pictured above]. And what a horn section.

Or, how about a night in the pit with local headbangers Locust Furnace and two metal bands from Willits, Mummification and Embryonic Devourment? That's April 1, at the E & O Bowl, just this side of Blue Lake.

Percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Michael Beach celebrates his 30th year playing with Brothers of the Baladi this year. The Bros are here from Oregon Friday for an evening of Middle Eastern music and dancing at Rumours with Shoshanna, Khalili Zahar and Davia, aka Sisters of the Dance, providing the dancing.

Same night at Humboldt Brews we have visitors from Eastern Cali: A hip-hop/rock outfit called PRYX fronted by Blaze1, a guy who also runs a Chico glassware/clothing line, coming over with reggae punkers Top Shelf, also from Chico, for a video release party hosted by the folks from Ampt Skate Shop for an x-treme sports vid called Soul Rebels, made by some folks from Truckee.

Saturday, April 2, at the Red Radish, Andrew Mac Namara, a button accordion player from County Clare, delves into the roots of traditional Irish music with his guitar-playing friend Brendan Hearty. Meanwhile at Old Town Coffee, Scatter the Mud plays Celtic tunes for the Arts Alive! crowd.

There's more jazz after the Jazz Fest rolls to a close Sunday afternoon. That evening at 6 p.m. John Raczka leads the College of the Redwoods Big Band playing music from the swing era for those who are not all danced out.

The San Francisco-based folk/blues/punk guitar/drum duo Two Gallants returns to The Alibi, Sunday night, fresh from SxSW. I finally caught their act last time they were here and they were excellent: raw, gritty, soulful and totally intense. They're also bringing along their cow-punk friends from S.F., Trainwreck Riders. (What a great name.)

The open mike at Curley's Grill on Monday, April, 4, will be abbreviated to make way for The Lost Bayou Ramblers, an old time Cajun band from south Louisiana fronted by vocalist/fiddler Louis Michot and his brother Andre, who switches between accordion and lap steel.

Dameon Lee from The Lowlights plays songs from the soon-to-be-released album, Dark End Road, live on KHSU Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. on Jennifer's Garden. Watch for a fleeting return of The Lowlights later this month before Dameon leaves town again.

Tuesday night at Six Rivers it's the latest incarnation of the Karen Dumont Electric Blues Band with the soulful vocalist backed by drummer Bill Moehnke, Chris Matheos on bass, guitar wiz Errol Previde and Mike Kapitan on keys.

BTW, Mike shined in the awesome night of Miles Davis' compositions at Muddy Waters last Thursday. The running joke was Mike announcing regularly, "I am not Easton Stuard," in reference to a bit of miscommunication inadvertently perpetuated here last week. The Easton Stuard Quartet plays cool jazz at Muddy Waters this Thursday, March 31.

Wednesday, April 6, it's another Ampt video release party, this time for a locally made vid, Off the Grid, produced by the Ampt crew. The show, hosted by Brooklyn Science from Hip Stop, features an Oakland hip-hop crew including Ras Ceylon, Zaire Black and Youth International DJs.

A band called Kan'Nal makes its first Humboldt appearance Wednesday, April 6, at Six Rivers Brewery. Formed in 2001 around the mystical Lake Atitlan in the high mountains of Guatemala, the self-described "futuristic and primitive" band promises "earthy tribal sounds and shamanistic visuals," which I'm guessing is another way of saying hippy rock with a light show.

OK, I'm supposed to keep it short this week, so that's it. See you on the dancefloor, one place or another.


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