New year, new stuff

Bob Jordan, Honeychrome, and Jetpack

by Michael Caito

Honeychrome

Public Billboard of the Week award goes to the city with no soul, whose "Boston Fumbles, Hartford Recovers" on I-84 right next to their future stadium ranks with the André the Giant poster plastered over Cianci's mug a while back. Speaking of wrestlers, this week we'll leap off the top rope with Bret "Git Man" Hart . . . .

Bob Jordan: 4 Corners (17-song independent CD)

Grafton resident Jordan spent 14 years as a DJ then hit the road solo in '94, releasing five D.I.Y. cassettes then this, his first CD, available next weekend at AS220 when Bob re-appears on Friday the 15th. (If you buy the CD you get his most recent cassette Left Oeuvres,briefly reviewed here last year, for the bubble.)

Jordan -- no relation to the Wheel of Time series author Robert Jordan whose eighth book Crown of Swords recently topped the PW best seller list again -- enlists a stable of formidable players like pal Bret Hart, has toured with Eugene Chadbourne and Michael Hurley, and dedicates this to his late pal, Tom Cora. Jordan reinvents songs (Mingus's "Porkpie Hat", Rebby Sharp) and meshes poetry (Frank O'Hara) from the famous and locally famous (JT and Angel Dean), under a wide canopy of folk which encompasses jazz, alt rock and ethnic music. While the homey production intrinsic to the thrill of his earlier tapes contributed to the joy of experiencing humor and irony in his songs and diamond chips in his playing, 4 Corners is spruced up a tad, yet still works, making this the option of choice for those new to Jordan's world. His tunefulness is no less esoteric, but the listener gets a clearer overall picture of the range of his talent, which is formidable, fresh and funny.

"Oh to be rich and afford new equipment" is one of the first lines Jordan warbles, and 17 tracks later this fan is still justifiably irked that he's existed for the past four-plus years beneath the radar of the hipoisie indie crew and trad folkies, both of whom Jordan can match in the substance and stylistic innovation present on 4 Corners. Hart deserves credit for both highly expressive guitar work and the fact that without the loan of his 4-track to Jordan, this wouldn't exist. Listening to veterans Hart and Jordan work together is a treat, and Bob's other pals manning drums, saxes, and fretless bass make for the best living room party orchestra you've heard in a while. Isteadfastly refuse to go blow-by-blow into the tunes, a few of which are instrumental, for fear of curtailing the joy of discovery as Bob spreads the court for his four-corner offense, tempting you to take the bait. "X Q ZMe," finds him questioning change and confronting hypocrisy, "Stranger" is an impressive rocker, a cross between a raved-up They Might Be Giants (if they'd ever stop dickin' around) and early (as in pre-Winona) Soul Asylum. Hart is tremendous here. "The Wrong Thing" is a memorable folk/country hybrid.

Humble and ambitious, gently ribbing and scathing, and quintessentially . . . Bob. "You're looking at a man lookin' like he's lost his plan" belts our hero on "Stranger," but you know he definitely has not. A grand thing.

Honeychrome (7-song independent CD)

This is Belly alum Tom Gorman's new baby, on which the guitarist tests programming and production muscles, showcasing his songwriting talent and the singing of Heather Balas, who along with bassist Dylan Roy comprise the trio. Arrangement-wise it falls somewhere between Kate Bush and a kinder, gentler Garbage, albeit with less Manson sass and more Jewel-ish emotion. While Frank Gardner at DreamEdit does a typically sterling turn in helping Gorman produce, mix and engineer, this Dr. Moreau stays awake nights wondering what sort of unbelievable creature would arise if Gorman, Roy and Balas ever wandered into the Parlour studios where Six Finger Satellite take their programming prowess to gasping extremes. Yeah, it's apples and oranges, and from the pop balladry throughout Honeychrome's debut you'd guess that this trio may be hoping to recreate a little alternachart magic with a contempo nod to contemplative Brit electronic music.

But Balas, while credible, can't fill Tanya's shoes immediately. Few can, and that's not a knock on Honeychrome as much as a toast to Donelly, who also derived a ton of depth from listening to Marc Ribot and spending years writing and playing with Kristin Hersh. I mean, how are you gonna top that?

Not easily, but then again Honeychrome is a new ballgame, and to their credit this does not seem an ill-advised attempt to cash in. For that, props. There's also plenty to savor here, most of which involves Gorman's ability to craft a strong mid-tempo pop tune (with that studied nod to the Brits) and Balas' wise decision to avoid over-reaching her range. A good start from a trio to watch carefully.

Jetpack (14-song Sampson/Atomic Action CD)

Swervy rock from the Bristol trio, equal parts Fugazi and Police circa Outlandos D'Amour. Yes, a screwy analogy, but these guys are capable of doing the muscular dime-stop and unleashing a quick pop hook like those two very different bands, and it still sounds like Jetpack would be an obvious choice to score and perform in an action adventure film. If they ever get a real James Bond back in the saddle (screw Dalton) for Fleming's series, Jetpack (bassist Craig Gifford, drummer Jeff Lambert and singer / guitarist Keith Souza) have already demonstrated an ability to lend excitement to superhero stunts, here resurrecting the misadventures of their own Investigator Man on tracks re-recorded from that earlier single/'zine. Souza is a solid frontman, always under control but retaining the right to blow up at any moment once the world's overwhelming hypocrisy becomes unbearable. The tension the trio create is, thankfully, resolved periodically (unlike Fugazi's -- or Tool's -- perma-deathgrip) with irony-steeped yucks and some of the better song titles ("Sam Didn't Like the Kite Scene," "Out of Window, Out of Mind") to add just the right frosting. J-E-T-Pack! Jet! Jet! Jet!

STARS & BARS. Chan's brings back hometown heroine Daryl Sherman and hero Harry Allen for a spiff night of jazz Friday and Saturday in Woonsocket. Sherman's national star continues to rise, paced by high-viz NYC and festival gigs, and tenor player Allen launched his career from the stage of Newport Jazz two years before he got his driver's license. Daryl's dad Sam may drop by for a trombone cameo. Also in the house: respected vets Marshall Wood on bass and Gray Sargent, whose own star has been hitched to the ever-young Tony Bennett both live and in-studio recently.

Plan ahead for MLK Jr. Day, as next Thursday (1.14.99) Joyce Katzberg both leads and teaches songs of the Civil Rights Movement at Warren's George Hail Library at 7:30 p.m. Info and directions to the Library at 245-7686.

Mother Jefferson hit the Met on Friday, while Geri Verdi & the Villains play the Green Room and Sugar Ray Norcia plays the Call, and Jon Hiller (ex-John Monopoly), now a member of Snow Monkey Plum, shows up at the Met Saturday.

Applicants interested in becoming artistic director of the fourth annual Gospel Fest at PPAC should send a resume to PPAC by Friday, January 15; details on the volunteer position as well as a schedule of rehearsals for this stirring event are available at 421-2997, and they're looking for choirs to perform as well. Videotaped performances of fairly recent church services or concerts are required and tapes have a 30-minute limit, with the same deadline as the artistic director candidates'.

Happy Birthday JP (30) and Amy (21), and many thanks . . .