Denver Post Concert ReviewGot funk? Mama’s Cookin’ does.
In a sort-of homecoming feast, Mama’s Cookin’ tore through a funky four-hour roadhouse boogie Saturday at Quixotes.
Forged in Western Slope honkytonks eight years ago, the bluesy
hip-hop quartet is on a 10-show tour of their old stomping grounds, a
long-awaited reunion with eager fans who fell for the band’s easy flow
jams at Colorado’s sunny riverside festivals and late-night dance
dives.
Led by the effusive Zebuel Early — a Muddy Waters-inspired guitarist
with a G. Love delivery — the Tahoe-based foursome is moving beyond its
whimsical early-days sound and into a heavier, edgier place. Saturday’s
show – which bored close to the 3 a.m. witching hour - borrowed heavily
and often from Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, with bassist Steve
LaBella’s dark and resonant thunder shaking up what was once a funky
singer-songwriter act. Gentle yet fervent work on the keys by Eric
Matlock lent a particularly pungent funk to the already religiously
funky outfit.
Gone are Early’s fun-loving “40 &
Some Chicken,” “The Joint” and “Combustible Biscuit,” off Mama’s
self-released 2001 album “A House of Good Spirits.” Saturday’s show
featured several cuts off the band’s 2007 eponymous release, with
“Sanctified,” “Postman,” “What I Am” and “Black Reign” declaring a new,
much more intense tack for the Early-led posse. And while the sound has
morphed into something much thicker – imagine the early Red Hot Chili
Peppers evolving into late-stage Metallica - Early’s densely-packed
lyrics deliver the same incisive punch. And he’s still very much the
maestro.
All night long, Early, his mouth glued to the mic, directed his crew
with sometimes not-so-subtle nods and waves. Which was even more
impressive considering Early did much more than plink simple rhythm
riffs on his six-string. His fedora-topped dome would slump to the
floor as his glass-pinkied jams tore through all genres of gritty
blues. A few covers, including a searing “Crosstown Traffic” – complete
with sax and trombone from opener Sol Driven Train – simply and utterly
slayed.
LaBella’s bass, as if following Early’s blanket-blues approach,
dabbled in a dozen different varieties of funk. He was Flea. He was
George Porter; John Entwistle. During a Zeppelin-scarred rendition of
Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well,” LaBella looked as though he was testing the
tensile strength of his strings while galloping across Quixotes’ cozy
stage.
Mike Adamo, his head wrapped in a big ski cap, pounded relentlessly
vicious beats on the skins. It’s not that common to see a drummer so
giddily accept multiple extended solos, but Adamo worked through
several Saturday night. He hit hard and worked the drums with
exhausting verve.
Speaking of drums, I’d be remiss to not mention Mama’s opener, Sol
Driven Train. The Charleston, S.C., five-top broadcasts a unique twist
on Southern rock jam. With punchy horns and fluid guitar, the SD Train
had the whole house shimmying before the Zeb circus took the stage. Sol
Driven’s trombone player, lead guitarist, singer and extraordinarily
dexterous djembe pounder, Ward Buckheister, is probably one of the few
musicians out there who can move so seamlessly between all variety of
noisemakers. The band’s cover of Toto’s “Africa” was just as awkwardly
tasty as the Stomp-esque stroll, in which every band member walked
Quixotes beer-soaked dancefloor pounding out strong beats on tables,
chairs and walls. Watch for more from these guys.