The Hang Feat. Jessica Jones | 2018-12-17 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

I got something to put a smile on your face, bringing it straight from outer space tapes…Check out The Hang Featuring Jessica Jones at Cervantes Other Side!

A part of Cervantes’ weekly “Monday Night Menagerie” residency, Jessica Jones hosted The Hang which featured a collection of Denver’s finest local musicians backing her through a musical trek making stops in the worlds of reggae, funk, hip-hop and rock. Starting things off the band launched into the Bob Marley classic “Soul Shakedown Party” a groove they had no problem settling right into. The interplay between Jiho Han’s bass and the Flaherty / Dumm guitar combo all resting in the pocket of Cody Wales’ tight drumming provide the perfect canvas for Jessica to craft a soulful and impassioned vocal performance. A feat they would replicate throughout the evening. After a fervent solo section which at times touched on psychedelia, the vocals came back-in and slowly led the song back to earth. Next-up the band decided to get funky with the Maceo Parker classic “Shake Everything You Got” – another tune which helped thoroughly showcase the band’s various talents. Immediately on display is the stirring bass playing, once again fully locked-in with his Judo Chop compatriot Cody Wales. This tune also helped serve to introduce the cellist in the group, Jordan Palomino, which added a new depth of sound to the band’s arsenal, adding melancholic textures to an increasingly diverse soundscape.

After the funkiness of “Shake Everything You Got” the band shifted gears and slid into the haunting chords of the Jessica Jones original “Forever Friend”, a trip-hop ode to commitment and a compelling vision of Jessica’s original work. The cello really shines during the verses, helping contrast the intricacies of Jessica’s melodic lines as well as helping steer the narrative of the song. But the real centerpiece is Jessica’s commanding vocal performance, shifting from hip hop to soulful belting without skipping a beat and making it sound incredibly natural and original. Her discerning use of vocal modulation adds just the right touch of breadth to her already expansive range and helps elevate the song. After yet another fiery solo, the band then started into another original titled “Home By Dawn”, once again featuring a rousing vocal performance by their frontwoman. It seems like a small detail but I love the chorus, specifically the way she delivers the line “the moon goes down” – your brain almost expects her to sing a lower note and instead she goes higher. It’s a simple vocal turn that adds originality to the entire piece, once again adding just a touch of modulation for mystique.

The rest of the set consisted of extremely well executed covers – starting with a Thundercat tune called “Them Changes” which was from his 2015 record “The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam”. The tune featured another passionate vocal performance from Jessica and an impressive solo from James Dumm. Next up the band invited up Miles Guzman to play some harmonica on the Bob Marley classic “Bend Down Low”. It also featured Matt Flaherty on vocals. The harp added an endearing soul to the melody and fit right in with the band’s smooth playing style.

Ramping things up, the band invited up some more friends for a take on The Talking Heads’ “Cross Eyed And Painless”. The dueling harmonica/flute solos was a definite highlight of the evening and the modulation on the chorus once again fit-in nicely and helped supplement the sound. Once the song ended, Jessica took a breather and left the stage while Matt Flaherty performed “I Got Loaded” which featured another exceptional harmonica solo as well as a fat strat solo from Matt himself who was releasing his own solo record later that week at The Fox Theatre in Boulder. Afterwards, Jessica re-joined and the band performed the Anderson Paak tune “Come Down” which featured horn accompaniment from the Brothers Of Brass Band who added effectively a whole new band to the already assorted group of musicians, making the sound larger than life. The set then closed with The Internet’s “Special Affair” another fantastic cover selection in the same vein as “Come Down” and “Them Changes”. It also featured one of the biggest jams of the evening, shifting through various themes and incorporating some sample-work which hadn’t been seen all evening. Another way the band consistently kept things fresh and interesting. A fitting way to end a set full of tight playing in a laid-back vibe, a musical hang so-to-speak.

The Hang Featuring Jessica Jones | 2018-12-17 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Soul Shakedown Party (Bob Marley cover)
03. Shake Everything You’ve Got (Maceo Parker cover)
04. Forevery Friend
05. Home By Dawn
06. (Interlude)
07. Them Changes (Thundercat cover)
08. Bend Down Low (Bob Marley cover)[1]
09. Cross Eyed And Painless (Talking Heads cover)[2]
10. I Got Loaded (Peppermint Harris cover)[3]
11. Come Down (Anderson .Paak cover)[4]
12. Special Affair (The Internet cover)[4]
13. (Outro)

-= Lineup =-
Jessica Jones on Vocals
Matt Flaherty on Guitar
James Dumm on Guitar
Jiho Han on Bass
Cody Wales on Drums
Jordan Palomino on Cello

Show Notes: This show was a part of Cervantes’ weekly “Monday Night Menagerie” residency. It was billed as The Hang Featuring Jessica Jones. Elephant Wrecking Ball and Sound Guy Josh opened the show.
[1] “Bend Down Low” featured Miles Guzman on harmonica.
[2] “Cross Eyed And Painless” featured Miles Guzman on harmonica and on Jon Rasmussen on flute.
[3] “I Got Loaded” did not include Jessica Jones or Cody Wales and featured Matt Flaherty (Matt Flaherty Band) on vocals and guitar, Jon Rasmussen on flute and Kirk Larson (Kessel Run) on drums.
[4] “Come Down” and “Special Affair” featured members of Brothers Of Brass Band and K.R. Azad on drums.

Thanks to Jessica Jones and the members of The Hang as well as Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom for being cool with taping/sharing live shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/…/TheHangFeaturingJessicaJones2018-12-1…