Jane Getter Premonition

September 20, 2017
The Birchmere
Alexandria, VA
USA

Opened for Brand X (Vol 210)

Lostbrook 2.0 Volume 211

Source: Church Audio CAFS>SPSB-12>Sony M10(24/48)
Location: 20' from stage, dead center

Transfer: Sony M10>Micro SDHC>PC>Sound Forge 10>WAV 16/44.1>
Trader's Little Helper>FLAC(level 8)

Taper/Transfer: Lostbrook
Covers/Review: ethiessen1

01 Opener (2:07)
02 Pressure Point (4:19)
03 Surprised (8:51)
04 Inversion Layer (6:29)
05 Falling (6:10)
06 Kryptone* (5:47)
07 Train Man (8:36)

*Unreleased

Jane Getter - guitar, vocals
Adam Holzman - keyboards
Mark Egan - bass
Alex Skolnick - guitar, vocals
Rocky Bryant - drums

Lostbrook notes:

I can't remember the last time I saw the opening act receive a standing ovation. I disagree slightly with portions of Eric's review below. This band was so good that I easily disregarded some minor flaws and found myself on my feet with the rest of the crowd begging for more.

ethiessen1's review:

The title of this could have been the Frank Zappa
album title "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar."

Singer songwriter guitarist Jane Getter describes
her music as "Weather Report meets Led Zeppelin
meets Chaka Khan meets Salif Keita." Maybe 2 & 1/2
out of 4 of these could charitably be used to describe
the evening. And yet, on paper, this appeared to have
such promise. NJ native Getter has studied with John
Scofield and the late Chuck Loeb and played with
legendary jazz/blues organist Jack McDuff, as well as
playing a 1995-96 stint in the renowned Saturday Night
Live Band. Her group, The Jane Getter Premonition,
features Jane with Alex Skolnick on guitars & vocals,
Adam Holzman on keyboards, Mark Egan on bass and
Rocky Bryant on drums - a fairly heavyweight batch of
musicians.

On this night, it began promisingly with the drums;
Bryant working his way through increasingly complex
yet grooving polyrhythms as the other musicians
came onstage.

The band joined in, sounding very much like the Where
Have I Known You Before version of Chick Corea's Return
To Forever, except this is more integrated, with tightly
arranged ensemble playing and well constructed solos by
both guitarists and later, by Holzman on keyboards.
Opener evolves into Pressure Point, differently flavored
but more of the same. Next is Surprised, Getter's
ethereal vocals float momentarily over the riffaging,
slightly reminiscent of Stanley Clarke and Stewart
Copeland's 1980s Animal Logic project, but nowhere
near as compelling. Her spouse Holzman, who's played
with John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, Steven Wilson and
a plethora of musical greats, is a real highlight here,
adding textures & playing sharp solos that contrast
well with Getter & Skolnick's strong guitars.

Inversion Layer brings back that RTF vibe, with a
driving main riff and some very DiMeolaesque soloing,
followed by the echoey vapid vocals of Falling.
A new tune, Kryptone, returns to the driving RTF
style this band is very adept at but then the closing
song, Train Man, which Getter says was written using
the utterings of a troubled homeless man on a NYC
train as lyrics, becomes more of a train wreck if one
tries to find any semblance of art or poetry or even
a reason why these words are being sung at all.

When they just play, they play very well & what they play
is often very good indeed, even refreshing, as one just
doesn't hear many bands pull off the classic jazz fusion
sound that Chick Corea molded with the 2nd version of
Return To Forever. Mark Egan on bass and Bryant on drums
are a very good rhythm section, not as loud or flashy as
Lenny White & Stanley Clarke were back in the day, but
just as inventive and solid. Holzman more than adequately
covers the various keyboard textures that balance the
otherwise dominant twin guitars, and uses some vintage
Mini Moog/Arp sounds in his solos that take one's ears
back to the mid 70s (in a good way).

It was good but could have been so much better if they'd
just shut up and played their guitars.

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