With
the Allman Brothers Band performing at nearby Piedmont Park,
Australian-cum-Atlantan Geoff Achison
saluted the group’s return with a solo acoustic reading of “Whipping Post”
before bringing Charlie Wooton and Yonrico Scott out from the wings.
Wooton’s smartly bubbling bass and Scott’s wizened drumming inspired Achison to
deliver strikingly angular leads, particularly when a charged “Reach For the
Sky” careened out of a deep-grooved take on “Never Give It Up.”
Adventurous
funk trio Bonobos Convergence then
followed, and Pete Orenstein’s
calliope-tinged psychedelic organ sparked avid exploration from jazz-trained
drummer Frank Registrato and
energetic guitarist Vaylor Trucks.
Bouncing atop what seemed to be a blue exercise ball, an enthusiastic Orenstein
led the band through “Edge City” and the late-’60s Bay Area-flavored “Or”
during a Zappa-informed set.
Col. Bruce & The
Quark Alliance closed out the evening and while some of the
Colonel’s antics may have grown tired, his inimitable vocal style and ageless
spontaneity certainly have not. Anchored by the wildly creative guitarist Jeff Caldwell, The Quark Alliance could
very soon become The Colonel’s best unit since ARU. Caldwell’s R&B-tinged
originals “Talk So Loud” and “It’s Not Over” blended well with rearranged
Colonel lynchpins. Caldwell breathed fresh life into “Space is the Place” and
Cream’s “I’m So Glad” took on a “Mr. Fantasy” feel. Grant Green Jr. guested on guitar and vocals during “Fixin’ to Die,”
while Duane Trucks (drums) and Steve Cunningham (pedal steel)
augmented the Alliance early in the second set, which saw the evening close
with Hampton fervently crooning “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
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