Invincible man

Ed Spargo materializes

by Michael Caito

Ed Spargo

The list of contributors to Ed Spargo's solo debut Invisible Man (City Boy) reads like a page out of the Who's Who of area R&B and jazz veterans. You'd expect this John LaMoia-produced release to be a player's record, and on that and other levels it does not disappoint.

Enumerating Berklee alum Spargo's projects over the years would quickly turn into that six-degrees-of-separation Kevin Bacon game, as he and the guests on Invisible Man have appeared with many blues, jazz and R&B ensemble of moment in the last decade. Spargo's appearance on Greg Piccolo's Heavy Juice album Red Lights (Fantasy) is reciprocated by that Roomful alum, who also cameo'd on the last Jimmie Vaughan record. The bassist also enlists the chops of Diamond Centofanti (saxes, flute), guitarists Jeff Cashen, Peter Parcek and Dave Brown, drummer/percussionists LaMoia, Rick Andrade and Mike Levesque, pianist Bruce Bears and Hammond organist Barry Seelen. Singer Craig Rawding cameos with Henley Douglas (tenor) and trumpeter Garrett Savluk on both versions of Rawding's "Breakdown," and Rawding fronts Parcek's "When the Deal Goes Down."

Spargo wrote or co-wrote six of the 10 tracks. In less capable hands this genre antipasti could've easily devolved into an oozing mudpuddle. As it is the warning sticker on Invisible Man should read "Don't Try This At Home." If you're working among traditions of soul, R&B, jazz, blues -- idioms where groove is master -- to have at so many exacting styles, especially jazz, should be left to confident yet not extremely egocentric pros. There aren't too many instances where this much talent can collude without colliding.

But in truth the only plotting on this disc seems to mandate having a blast with the songs, whose titles, like "Joe Mama," "Cashen In" and "Sno' Way," give an inkling of their smile-inducing potential. It swings accordingly. Difficult to categorize, the stylistic sum is more rewarding than each glittering facet, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a more groovin', romping, yet thought-provoking disc released in these parts in the past decade. Solos evolve with a blink's ease, no one and everyone stands out. OK, Cashen and Spargo stand out. To force the sporting analogy, just when Cashen delivers lines like a snapped-off slider, Spargo's basslines field 'em like a soft-handed Garciaparra, and the bassist then fungos an easy popup over to Centofanti. It's like watching Fedorov snake around five defenders, then watching a kid blammo his way to an Intergalactic High Score on Duke Nukem, except here there are half a dozen Sergeis, Dukes and Nomars. Grace and power, finesse and muscle, always so very, very in the pocket.

Spargo is now touring with Tone Cool artists the Toni Lynn Washington Band, and has worked with big bands like Heavy Metal Horns (with visits here from some of them), icons like Pinetop Perkins and T-Bird legend Kim Wilson, which gives insight into Ed's familiarity with a range of lineups and styles. But without quality compositions to provide a vehicle for this All-Star assembly, Invisible Man may have proved to be another of those gather-the-pal projects which looked good on paper . . . and that's about all. How Spargo -- and producer LaMoia -- establish and occasionally exploit the rapport so unmistakable (and un-fake-able) on this disc could and should be a lesson for songwriters, but more specifically, for budding instrumentalists, on the elusive magic that is true ensemble playing. For the rest of us, Invisible Man is just a lotta fun to spin.

STARS & BARS. Sealed Fate Records has an active few weeks ahead, and one of that Boston label's finest, Betwixt, arrive again Friday at the Green Room with the Fly Seville, whose debut LP Carousel is due May 12. Also out in a coupla weeks is Sealed Fate's Mystique, a 15-song compilation featuring Fly Seville, Honeybunch and former Slow River / Ryko recording artists Purple Ivy Shadows. A benefit for the AIDS Action Committee, the comp also features tracks by Cambridge's immense Push Kings as well as Sleepyhead, Astrud and Future Bible Kings.

On Friday, Lupo's is the site of a prodigious blues event featuring Paul Geremia and Dave Howard & the High Rollers opening for Bobby "Blue" Bland. The Rollers are putting the finishing touches on a collaborative effort with Young Neal. The Warren-based King Snake recording artist Neal Vitullo records old songs (including the aptly-titled "Unfinished Business") with longtime pal Howard which never made it to record, as well as newer tracks from the Neal / Rollers sessions, a gathering first broached when the Vipers and Rollers jammed at the Paul Murphy memorial/benefit gigs. Produced by High Rollers bassist Chicago Vin (a Vipers alum) and Tom Ferraro, it's said to be a "guitar-dominated" disc, and we be not surprised. Ferraro's also been working with Royal Crowns/ Phantom Surfers alum Jonny "The Colonel" Maguire, who's keeping a musical hand in, and who originated the idea of a Providence Payback hosted by his former bandmates, Velvel's Amazing Crowns. The first two of those shows last weekend sold out, and Saturday's show seemed very wedged too, featuring among others things a blistering Ducky Boys Oi deployment. I bailed beforehand, but it was eventually to feature Boss Fuel singer Paul Slifer, back from Edinburgh for a week, singing Boss Fuel's "The Ride" along with Crown vocalist King Kendall. If you've ever wondered who drew much of Kendall's ink, it was Slifer, an accomplished tattoo and album cover artist whose recent work visa application was punted because tattooing is (evidently) not a legit art form/avocation in Scotland. Hmm. So using a living canvas, the largest human organ, to create is not an art form, but drawing for comic books and zines is? News to me. Silly fookin' Yanks.

Full-Harmonic: There's a reason why the Shostakovitch 7th isn't featured often, and it is because of its length, clocking in at well over an hour. No prob; with guest soloist Mark Peskanov handling violin this symphony will fly by, as most Shostakovitch does. Been waiting for this one since September, and the Vets stage will be about as full as it gets for this underprogrammed dazzler. Your mom's Brahms this ain't, Saturday at the Philharmonic.

No Mo?

No prob.

Nomar.