Garage a Trois

Posted by Jon Olken on December 16th, 2009 at 11:49 AM

To See Rating: 6.1
Just Curious Rating: 6.3

Band Members:
Stanton Moore – Drums
Mike Dillon – Vibraphone, percussion
Marco Benevento – Keyboard
Skerik – Saxophone

garage a trois

The temperature outside might have been falling Tuesday night, but things were heating up inside of the Tractor Tavern. Stanton Moore, Skerik, Mike Dillon, and Marco Benevento are a foursome better known as Garage a Trois, and they took the stage at around 9:30PM to warm up the crowd with 3 and a half hours of scintillating jazz, funk, and rock. The band is on tour following the release of Power Patriot, their first studio album since Charlie Hunter left the band in 2007 to pursue a career with the Charlie Hunter Trio, and Marco Benevento was added to the line-up.

The first set was a series of tight jams featuring mostly tracks off the new album. It was played with the precision of a surgeon, yet also with the looseness of painter. Stanton Moore, one of the founding members of the New Orleans funk band Galactic, played an eclectic mix of drums styles, ranging from tight jazz to loose funk and pounding rock. It provided the canvas on which Mike Dillon laid down ethereal rhythms on the vibraphone, and Marco Benevento layered the music with smooth bass grooves and spacey electronics. Skerik worked himself smoothly into the fold by supplying his rocking saxophone at selected times, taking a minimalist approach and letting the music flow while adding his signature at just the right moments. You could tell the band was having fun during the show, as Skerik was having a good time with the audience while smiling and bobbing around the stage and joking with Dillon, who continually held up a makeshift set-list written on a torn piece of cardboard in between songs. The highlight of the first set was the song “Electric Doorbell Machine,” a rocking song with slick beats from Moore, frenzied mallet work from Dillon, and video game like electronics from Benevento.

After a brief interlude, Garage A Trois came back for their second set, which was much looser. Compared to the precision of the first set, the second set was an exploration into the world of jam rock and jazz. Skerik took a more prominent role, allowing his saxophone to do the talking for him and reminding the audience that he still is one of the best saxophonists around. The rest of the band continued playing at a high level throughout the set, and the music only got more complex with Skerik climbing out of the backseat and providing a more robust sound. The biggest highlight of the second set was the introduction of former band member Charlie Hunter, who was in town for a concert of his own but wasn’t playing that night. He sat in with Benevento on the keyboard for a song. It was an unexpected yet awesome treat for a night already filled with excellent music.

Overall, the show was superb. I expect nothing less when four talented musicians get together, record an album, and go on tour. It was more rocking, with notes of jazz and funk worked in rather than dominating. The change from Hunter to Benevento surely had a large role in the change of sound. It was still a pleasure to watch, and although the crowd did thin as the night wore on, mostly due to the midweek slot and the extended playing of the band, those who remained were riveted throughout the entire show. These guys successfully showed why they are some of the most talented jazz rock musicians in the game today. It was a pleasure to behold.

Enjoy a clip of the magical night below!