Live albums are the recording equivalent of going on a date without makeup. Or for guys, maybe like getting your morning coffee without even a glance in the mirror. What I mean is, it shows people who you are, the person behind all the mascara and neat hair.

When not tinkered with, of course, live albums exhibit what and who a band really is. "It puts you under a microscope," says Planet Groove's Ajay Coletta, whose band just released a live album of their own, Live from the Ocean Mist. "There are definite risks to recording a live album, too. If you put a lot of money into recording it and it's not what you want, it's a risk. Or what if it's not a good representation of the band? Then you might need to re-listen to yourself and decide who you really want to be."

Planet Groove really wants to be successful, and over the past few years, they've made strides toward getting it done. They book aggressively, rehearse religiously, and have become adept students of entertainment -- that is, they're tuned into techniques of entertaining crowds of all kinds. In terms of rolling with the punches and adapting to scenarios, few local bands in the area do it better than Planet Groove.

But Live from the Ocean Mist is not merely the next entry in Planet Groove's discography. It's a tool in the band's fast-escalating career repertoire. "We want to be great musicians," says Coletta, "but we also wanna be smart business people." The live album, in the band's eyes, is a smart business move. When they're booking gigs, they need only to send the live disc out to demonstrate to the booker what they sound like live. Whereas some bands might send a studio CD that may or may not sound like what they do onstage, Planet Groove has opted to send prospects a reproduction of what audiences can actually expect. "When you put a live CD in a club owner's hand, it's the best and most direct representation of what you get when you book us."

In case you don't know, what you get is an intense but danceable melange of Latin-tinged rock and fusion, somewhere between Santana, Weather Report, and Frank Zappa. The band cooks. But it's not so out there that you can't settle into a solid groove and just shake it. "After years of trying to make it on my own terms, I asked myself, 'Why am I fighting it?' We realized that people just wanna have a good time, have a few beers, and get laid when they go out."

Planet Groove is the soundtrack to make that happen. They do some of their patented covers to demonstrate the breadth of their skill, including "Spill the Wine" and "Sympathy for the Devil," but they also do some excellent originals like "Del Rio" and "So What." "The CD is a celebration of us as a band. Right now we're competing against tribute bands and cover acts. This CD allows us to have creativity and integrity as a band and stay entertaining and relevant to audiences at the same time."

Recorded by Bob Sloane, mixed by Scott Rancourt, and mastered by Frank Gardner, the album is a high-quality and high-fidelity slice of Planet Groove live. "So far, it's been really rewarding for us. Any band who wants to get gigs should consider investing in a live recording."

Planet Groove's CD release party happens this Saturday at the Call. There will be plenty of giveaways (T-shirts, CDs, sweatshirts). Bring a friend and win some free stuff! Visit their Website: www.planetgroove.net.

CHANGING ROOMFULS. Alligator Records recently announced the signing of our own four-time Grammy Award nominees Roomful of Blues. Now celebrating their 35th year together, the eight-piece has opted for the trad blues label after a long run with the Rounder imprint out of Cambridge. Currently led by guitarist Chris Vachon, the band has never sounded fresher, tougher, or more focused. With newest members vocalist/harpist Mark DuFrense, bassist Brad Hallen, drummer Jason Corbiere, keyboardist Mark Stevens, and baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Early joining longtime members tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille (the longest standing member of the group) and trumpeter Bob Enos, the band will make their Alligator debut on March 11 with That's Right!

According to the label's press release, the new album, produced again by Vachon, "captures the band's swinging, horn-heavy vintage blues sound in a return to the more traditional approach Roomful of Blues first became famous for performing." As you all know, Roomful has been a proving ground for outstanding musicians and has twice been selected as Best Blues Band in Down Beat's Critics Poll. With their non-stop touring schedule and enough critical acclaim to pad a nice couch, let's hope this move is more than lateral in terms of compensation. After 35 years plugging away, they sure do deserve their fair share.  

GUITAR SUMMIT. This Friday (the 31st), something called the New Guitar Summit will make a stop at Chan's at 8 and 10 p.m. The guitars in question belong to Jay Geils, Duke Robillard, and Gerry Beaudoin, three revered and talented blues/jazz/swing/R&B guitarists. Together, they will showcase their amazing individual and collective styles, and if the idea of Geils and Robillard dueting doesn't set your mind alight with possibilities, well, then maybe you're more up for something with a few less strings, like the television remote. If you do happen to get there, pick up the Summit's new CD, Retrospective.

WANDERING EYE. Stefan Couture's doing a big two-set performance with his band the Campfire Orchestra at the Blackstone River Theatre on Friday (the 31st). Stefan, a singer-songwriter shaped in the mold of pop-folkies like James Taylor and John Hiatt, just returned from a West Coast swing where he hit LA, SF, and and a few other Cali cities. At the BRT he'll be playing tunes from his cool new disc, Great Big Somewhere, which is also available on his Website: www.stefancouture.com. If you miss him that night, you can catch him at the Wheel House in Narragansett on Saturday (the 1st).

Also on Saturday, you can check out Jesus Candy at the Living Room. They'll be accompanied ably by a few solid bands: Routine 8, Floodwaters, and Slugworth. In case you're one of those people who like to plan ahead, or at least pick up this week's Phoenix next week, you can catch a nice bill at AS220 on Wednesday night . . . I usually write these nuggets up myself, but this entry's kinda fun: "So three of the most brilliant, under-appreciated new rock acts in the world right now just happen to hail from Providence. Not only that, but all three of them have temporarily collaborated (despite moody demeanors, jealousy, and backstabbing tendencies which are common among pop songwriting geniuses) to bring a night of almost blinding songwriting talent to area performance venue AS220. Do not adjust your set. What you've heard is correct. On Wednesday (the 5th), AS220 will host the combined talents of Sibling Rivalry, the Twilight, and creepy songwriter David Gundlach (also known as Thee Dave in certain smart-assed rock and roll circles)." Also appearing on the bill will be Maria Ventura and the Tonics.

E-mail me your music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.

Issue Date: January 31 - February 6, 2003