Bestofwny.com CONCERT and CD Reviews
Best of Western New York
by Bob Silvestri
bobsilvestri@bestofwny.com
If the phrase “hometown boy makes good” ever applied to anyone, it would have to be Eric Starr. After playing the local scene for years with The Tails and other bands, Starr left the area in the late 90’s to head to New York City with a mission to be among the brightest and most talented players around. He formed a six piece jazz ensemble, recorded a critically acclaimed CD titled She and sold out their debut performance at Lincoln Center. Quite possibly the phrase “hometown boy makes good” is an understatement.
So with high anticipation the sold out crowd was ready for his return home. Starr brought what could be said are some of the best players in jazz circles today. Pianist Andy LaVerne whose past work includes Stan Getz, guitarist Marc Schonbrun, Nori Shiota on bass, Eric’s brother Nelson on vocals and flying in from London, England just to play this and one show in NYC was saxophonist Iain Ballamy. These artists have chosen to play together based on the musical vision and playing ability of Eric Starr. The players never overpower each other but complement and exchange ideas as they play. A subtle smile or nod to acknowledge a solo between performers shows the bond they have for each other as artists. The constant smile on Starr’s face throughout the night showed that he too was pleased with the group and the music they were creating. The hushed dynamics of the band and Nelson Starr’s scat singing style were further enhanced by the acoustics of The Tralf. Playing selections from his CD and other material the eighty minute set seemed so much shorter than it was as most of us could have listened to the band play all night long. For more information about Eric Starr check out www.ericstarrgroup.com
Also by bestofwny.com: “Music Prodigy and Rising National Talent”
Music can transport you to places you can only imagine. On his latest disc, titled She, local music prodigy and rising national talent drummer Eric Starr takes us on one of those journeys. Using Latin, Native American and World rhythms he has made a remarkable record. The liner notes explain these themes to you as related to the song but even without that knowledge the music exposes the location to the listener. The gentle nylon plucked guitar of “Salta (Tren a las Nubes)” invokes South America while “Wakangli” feels tribal in nature. All six tracks are over five minutes in length and allow the songs to flesh themselves out without being self indulgent. Other tracks of note include “Tender Night” and “She Didn’t Know”. Artists helping to create the music along with Eric Starr include brother Nelson Starr on vocals and keyboards, Dominic Miller and Dan Heck on guitar, Iain Ballamy on sax and others. For more on Eric Starr and his new CD, She, check out www.ericstarrgroup.com.
