Midcoast Journal, Dec 11 2014 by Peter Alexander Cassidy and The Orleans Kids worth a drive to Portland PORTLAND — When I listen to music, there are two things that I pay particular attention to: Technical performance and “musicality.” There are lots of technically proficient musicians who can inspire momentary awe with their wizardry, but musicality is a rarer quality that inspires and conveys emotional and sometimes spiritual content. It’s not unusual for a singer-songwriter who is only marginally proficient on his or her instrument to blow an audience away with the sheer emotional power they project through their music. It’s also not unusual for audiences to be bored to death after about five minutes of vocal or instrumental acrobatics devoid of musicality. I often say that a musician’s technical ability should be transparent - that is, it should not call attention to itself, but should serve as a vehicle for the emotional (and intellectual and spiritual) content of the music itself. On Dec. 3, I drove down to Portland to hear Cassidy and The Orleans Kids perform at Vinland, a 1-year-old restaurant at 583 Congress St. I had already heard a CD that Cassidy Holden recorded a couple of years ago with some of his friends in New Orleans, so I knew before arriving that I was going to be in for some fine sounds. To say I was not disappointed would be an understatement. Seeing these fine musicians and hearing them in the intimacy of the Vinland was well worth getting out on a cold December evening. It’s worth mentioning that Vinland is a sweet little spot with handmade, golden wood furnishings and botanical wall decorations. On Wednesday evenings they don’t serve dinner, but the bar opens after 8:30 p.m., and music starts at 9. Vinland is no ordinary restaurant. The mission statement on its website (vinland.me) reads in part, “It is time for us to reclaim the dignity, beauty, and sustainability of real food, our birthright, and a blessing to our children.” With a philosophical approach to food, finance and social justice informed by the likes of Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Jared Diamond and Henry David Thoreau, Vinland’s owner, David Levi, takes pride in treating people well (including hired staff), and serves only foods that are grown or harvested sustainably in Maine. Its beverages include wine, beer and boutique spirits from northern New England. I was impressed it even had Bar Hill Gin from Caledonia Spirits in tiny Hardwick, Vt. Cassidy and The Orleans Kids are comprised of just three musicians: Holden on guitar, Marc Chillemi on trumpet and cajon, and Kris Day on double bass. All three sing, and the pure joy they exude while playing together is infectious. In fact, Holden’s philosophy about this style of jazz - which he explained to me just before the show - is that it should “function as dance music, designed to make people happy.” The Kids certainly do that when they pick up their instruments and start to play. Situated in the center of Vinland’s cozy dining area (seating capacity: 40), the band needed no amplification. I was surprised that it was able to maintain a fine acoustic balance. I expected the trumpet’s brassy tones to overwhelm the guitar, but Chillemi’s control and sensitivity, even without a mute, kept the volume in balance with Holden’s Selmer-style acoustic guitar, whose treble tones easily cut through. (The only suggestion I would make to them is that their voices need to be louder in relation to the instruments.) Chilemi is a seasoned musician who spent years touring with Hypnotic Clambake and Babaloo, and plays with Primo Cubano here in Maine. His professionalism and musicianship are superb. Holden’s guitar playing was assured and understated, reminiscent of Django Reinhardt’s in both tone and content, and Kris Day’s bass playing was outstanding. Day also performs bluegrass with Jerks of Grass and rockabilly with Sean Mencher (one of my favorite guitar players) as well as with King Memphis. His playing is extraordinary. At one point, he launched into a break using an eye-popping “slap-bass” style that really did make me want to get up and dance! In a sign that the staff at Vinland truly respect the musicians who perform there, the bartender even shook his cocktail mixer in time to the music. Holden grew up in Madison. After graduating from the University of Maine, he spent four years in New York, where he played with the Cangelosi Cards. It was in New York that he heard a performance by The Loose Marbles from New Orleans, which started him on a quest for the roots of jazz and its connection to dance. He moved to New Orleans, and spent four years there performing and recording with local musicians. He cut his teeth busking on street corners, playing clubs and traveling internationally with groups of seven to 10 players, plus a couple of dancers out front. This model of combining audio and visual performing arts still drives him, and Cassidy and The Orleans Kids often perform for Wednesday evening swing dance classes at Acoustic Artisans, 594 Congress St., Portland, before heading over for their gig at Vinland (they also perform at Blue once or twice a month and at Sonny’s on Exchange Street). Whether or not you are a fan of New Orleans jazz, this is a band well worth seeing on any given Wednesday evening at the Vinland. Peter Alexander is musician from Bath who performs locally as a soloist and with the Hollowbody Electric Band. He is also former president of the Maine Songwriters Association and a recent winner of the 2014 Maine Songwriting Contest. He welcomes your correspondence at: [email protected] . Photo by Johannah Harkness, Cassidy and The Orleans Kids play jazz that makes you want to dance.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:45:54 +0000
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