Local Licks
This week we review Wayne de Silva, Buckeye Knoll, The Nothing, and The Mattson 2.
By Rachel Swan @rachelswan
Wayne de Silva, Marble Park. Part of a collection of previously unreleased local jazz recordings, Marble Park features a crackerjack band led by tenor saxophonist Wayne de Silva. Bassist John Wiitala, drummer Eddie Marshall, and pianist Mark Levine comprise one of the most perceptive rhythm sections a bandleader could ask for. The main theme of the title track is lovely. "Tribute" features some fleet sax work, and a killer drum solo. (Jazzschool Records)
Buckeye Knoll, Halfway Home EP. This power trio provides good reason to celebrate the recent garage-rock revival. Halfway Home kicks off with two upbeat but contemplative tracks, followed by a swoony, slide-guitar-fattened serenade. The last song has warm harmonies and a lyric about moving on. A well-chosen cast of session drummers and two female backup vocalists contributes to the EP's success, though much of it rides on Doug Streblow's supple alto. (self-released)
At Shattuck Down Low (2284 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) on Friday, May 27. 8 p.m., $5.
The Nothing, Voltaire Soundtrack. Billed as a soundtrack to a made-up movie, Voltaire (by local producer Matt Fisher, aka The Nothing) features long, vampy, acid-jazz instrumentals with programmed drumbeats and the occasional piano chord. Most tracks are denuded of vocals, save for "Love Me," which features rapper Abacus rhyming the words "occupation" and "oscillation" in one particularly inspired moment. (Precipitate Records)
The Mattson 2, Feeling Hands. Those Mattsons definitely studied jazz, even though they're equally influenced by surf music, skateboarder soundtracks (in the vein of Tommy Guerrero, who appears on this album), and psychedelia. Drummer Jonathan Mattson provides clean, fast, shuffling drum patterns while his twin brother Jared mans the rest of the rhythm section. Some top-notch instrumentalists guest-star, although the talents of tenor saxophonist David Boyce are pretty much wasted. (Galaxia Records)
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