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Homecoming
After a summer-long gig of working backstage catering for the whirlwind U.S. tour of John Mayer, Maroon 5 and DJ Logic, Mitch Rutman is ready to return to the local spotlight of his own making.
“I confess that I’ve really just been laying low for a while,” says Rutman, who had an unforgettable onstage moment when he got to perform with members of the aforementioned bands on the tour’s last night in Atlanta. Knoxville gigs must seem a bit more mundane in comparison, but Rutman craves them still.
“But alas, the bug hit me, and I’ve been driving around town trying to find someone to hire me for solo guitar gigs.”
Where Rutman’s former group—comprised of keyboardist Ben Maney, bassist Vince Ilagan and drummer Chad Melton—performed a worldly modern jazz with influences of Latin music and jam rock, the guitarist’s solo shows are something different. “No band, no singing, just me playing guitar and hoping people like it!” Rutman says.
A preliminary gig at the Downtown Grill and Brewery has turned into a one-man show every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Found
If you’ve succumb to any of the numerous reasons to feel defeated lately, take heart in the small triumph of lost items found through the deed of a good Samaritan.
On Oct. 12, Michael Crawley (of MacDaddies, Detroit Daddies among other claims to fame) inadvertently lost his harmonica case while barreling down Chapman Highway towards a gig. He sent up the help signal via his friends, the band’s email list, the police and this column, hoping that someone might have found the case and not headed straight to the pawn shop.
A couple of weeks after the incident, Crawley was contacted by one Rob Bullard, who had found the harp case and left town on family business before he could track down its owner. Thanks to Bullard’s roommate’s keen eye on Eye, the instruments and their musician were reunited. The moral to the story?
“There is good in the world and happy endings to be had,” Crawley offers. Sounds good to me.
Local CD Review
Larry Vincent
A Look Inside (Doodlebug Music)
On this sophomore release, jazz guitarist Larry Vincent accentuates the Latin. Vincent is of Venezuelan birth, and while his freshman recording (In Exile, Doodlebug Music, 2000) contained only the occasional south of the border melody or presumption, on this latest the influences are distinctly overt.
A notable example is “Seis por Derecho” (Six By Right), which appears as the tenth cut but really ought to have been the CD opener. A Vincent arrangement of a classical guitar composition by Venezuelan composer Antonio Lauro, “por Derecho” features very clever melodic lines, tricky acoustic guitar finger work, purring traps courtesy of Keith Brown, and a simple but thoroughly delightful electric guitar solo added to the mix. One suspects that “a look inside” Larry Vincent would look a lot like this tune, a blend of traditional and jazz elements, smoothly assembled.
Which isn’t to suggest there’s nothing else to find in Look Inside. In addition to two traditional Venezuelan solo guitar melodies, Vincent inclines a nod to John Scofield on the burning “A-la-sco,” references Pat Metheny on the Vincent original “In the Mirror,” invites trumpeter (and Knoxville Jazz Orchestra director) Vance Thompson over on two original bop heads, “Blues for Miles” and “Stranger Things Have Happened,” and delivers an urbane reading of Donald Brown’s “French Kiss....” Throughout fine support is provided by Scott Simmerman (piano), Keith Brown (drums), Ben Arnold (percussion), and David Slack (bass).
Go.
Thursday: Practice the pogo with The Kissers at Preservation Pub.
Friday: Give Mile 8 a patriotic send-off before they go play for troops in the Middle East. Or get your party on as Scott Miller rocks Blue Cats.
Saturday: If acoustic Miller is more your style, sit back in the comfy confines of the Laurel Theater to hear Uncle Scott’s acoustic stories about the Civil War. It’s a fundraiser for Jubilee Community Arts.
Sunday: Rake leaves.
Monday: Ease into the workweek with the lazy sounds of Boston trio The Slip at Barley’s.
Tuesday: Stand up with the other singer-songwriters at Preservation Pub.
Wednesday: Join the Fall Crawl in the Old City. Bands all over the place for only $5. This unbeatable deal will help the Old City Merchants Association throw one helluva St. Patrick’s Day street party.
—Paige M. Travis, Jonathan B. Frey
November 11, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 46
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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