The saxophonist known only as Skerik has worked with lots of well known musicians in all sorts of funk, rock and experimental jazz contexts. You might know him from bands like Critters Buggin or Tuatara, or from touring with Les Claypool or Roger Waters. On the other hand, he’s not typically thought of as a straight ahead jazz player. On Wednesday, May 28, he’s changing things up by playing with an acoustic quartet at the FireHouse. I’m guessing that it still ends up getting pretty weird.
Victoria’s Art d’Ecco makes ornate, elegant art-rock reminiscent of folks like Roxy Music or David Bowie, but with his own modern spin on it. There’s some glam rock in there, some jazz, even some disco. It’s twisty and full of surprises but still entirely accessible and fun. I love to see this level of ambition, and it looks like he’s pretty consistently dressed to the nines. He’ll be bringing his band to The Shakedown on Thursday, May 29.
Seattle’s Reposado mix funk, Latin and Afrobeat influences to create what they call “tequila funk.” It’s a big band, with layers upon layers of guitars, horns and percussion combining to create danceable grooves with plenty of melody on top. They’re a pretty reliable live draw around here, having headlined Downtown Sounds in the past. They’re playing the Wild Buffalo on Saturday, May 31.
You don’t get a lot of chances around here to hear straight-ahead zydeco, the relentless dance music of French-speaking southwest Louisiana. We have a local group devoted to the style called Zydeco Explosion, but they haven’t been playing out much over the last few years. That’s changing when they make a comeback on Sunday, June 1, at the Old Edison. Expect lots of accordion and washboard, and brush up on your two-step before you go.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar
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