Gravity All Nonsense Now - Live At the Lizard Lounge - 5/08/03

Club d'Elf's discography is in the main based on live recordings near their home base in Boston, and in this case their favorite nightclub, the Lizard Lounge. In a short time together, they've become the ultimate contemporary fusion jam band, with endless strings of concepts linked in a seamless Zen fashion that thoroughly trumps any Grateful Dead concert. Electric guitarists Dave Fiuczynski and Dave Tronzo have adaptable legato sounds clearly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Robert Fripp, and David Torn, as they play fretless and slide axes, respectively, while bassist Mike Rivard and drummer Erik Kerr keep the beat endlessly going. This double-CD set is fully loaded with a night's worth of music, and while subtlety is not their avowed strong suit, a nonstop aesthetic is the main appeal of this youth-oriented combo. The first set begins with the raga-like (think Derek Trucks) "Alap" and merges through a similarly mystical, restrained, but steady-tempo theme in "Scorpionic." "Quilty" intensifies the jam factor in a stamped-out ostinato, with turntablist Mister Rourke (Jeff Misner) tossing squeaky sounds about. The two-part title track starts more squawky than loud, funk-rocking, minimalist, and looped, with the clear statement mouthed "human beings turned into aliens" so apropos. "Salvia" and "Big Light in the Sky" end the set as you hear much more interplay from Fiuczynski and Tronzo than before, the latter piece quite slow to develop (although Kerr gets the spotlight for a quick workout). Unfortunately, these elements foreshadow the second set, as the band sounds indecisive, tired, and plodding starting with the nearly 20-minute "The Tingler," which turns concurrently lean, mean, and soulful. By the time the two-part "Nam-Shub" arrives, the group has lost momentum and interest, though the second segment picks up considerable steam as Kerr sounds revitalized. The triad of "Fire in the Brain," "Fire Tangent," and "Fire in the Brain (Reprise)" starts with a lost hip-hop refrain somewhat saved by Fiuczynski, followed by an intriguing three-in-two beat improvisation full of space slices, while the more upbeat reprisal refocuses the conception of the group. As many live recordings as Club D'Elf have released, this one is fairly satisfying and holds many moments of intrigue, solid musicianship, and symmetry. But instead of putting out yet a third companion CD, two other tracks that comprise the remainder of this evening's music are available on Kufala's website. Judicious editing might have served the general public better, but this full effort is likely to please all of their fans, provided their attention spans are extended. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi