Last weekend I saw Kaa Pow at Dazzle in Denver.
At center stage is quite the drums,
hand-carved deep-cut wood fashioned into the
studied disorganization of a jazz-kit.
Littered with spaces for each player to step out and thrive, their-style.
The Way I Feel from Cookpot comes first.
The keyboardist has his backpack next to his instrument/
people need their stuff, like factory workers/
squirreling belongings next to the machine/ means of production.
He starts with a percussive whistle and punctuated joy.
There’s the groove and then there’s the walking music
there’s nothing really on top everything is in the
middle.
The first trumpet solo was a jumpy scream.
First drum solo is a rolling non-stop.
The saxophone fights with the trumpet and they argue over who is faster.
Time for a medley. He speaks of Hand Go Hand Come, how
one hand washes the other.
The medley starts with Lonely moves to Sacrifice and the bell is everywhere.
Now it’s groovy & the sax lays down on an afternoon couch until there’s a racket at the door.
Paa Kow, drum set, lead vocal, introduces his band:
Peyton Shuffield – percussion
Zane Cupec – percussion
Daryl Gott – alto sax
Back to business, it’s the bass that comes knocking/
like it often does in southern rock songs/
starts with bass and symbols and a classic invitation then the
high school band drum and I did a 1-minute recording of this it’s always
magical when a moment is taken.
The trumpet goes, the sax responds, they’re gloriously mad/
it was ever thus.