Confession time: I feel about Jazz, the same way I feel about Blue Cheese. It just rubs me the wrong way. A whiff of Blue Cheese on my salad will send me running for the door, and listening to most Jazz music makes me irritable. So, when asked if I wanted to cover Chaz Bundick’s new project Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2 I was a bit torn. Sure, I love Toro Y Moi but a Jazz duo? In a room? With People? Maybeeeeeeeeeeee?
Well my mom would be proud. I made it to the Triple Rock on Sunday night and found myself waiting for Madeline Kenney, an artist I was not familiar with. She took to the stage armed with just a guitar, and I settled in for the usual “girl with guitar routine”. Well, the joke was on me, I had missed the plethora of looping gear at her feet. She built the vocals for her first number “Don’t Forget” added guitar tracks and started to weave them together to create her special sound that was complex, layered and very interesting. Somehow the background guitar in several of her songs reminded me of tropical islands. I was peaceful, sunny without being cheesy. I was left in awe of her skills, often adding loops mid song and staying in control of so many elements. Madeline Kenney certainly is an artist I will keep on my radar.
Set List: Don’t Forget / Tricky Way / Witching Hour / Rita / Delicate / Signals / Uncommon / Keeping Up
Then came the time for Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2. The Mattson 2 are twin brothers Jared and Jonathan Mattson, who met Bundick a couple of years ago by accident. Known as jazz rockers, their music blended with Chaz pop and R&B influenced sound to create something unique. The result is the trios first album “Star Suff” and a short tour. I have seen their music described as “full-on psych-surf-jazz” by GQ and that fits well with what I saw last night. Bundick alternates between keyboards and guitar and also provides vocals, but the band’s sound on the instrumental side of things. Jazz elements are always present but it is a very lively, rocking jazz style. Their stage presence is lively for the genre and all told I had a great time and enjoyed their set. So, it turns out I can enjoy jazzy tunes. As to my next adventure with Blue Cheese, I think I’ll hold off on that one for a bit.
