by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Just when I thought that there was nothing new happening in the Jax music scene, I was surprised to find two hot original bands at Brewsters last Saturday night–Nimble Jim & The Ointment and Sly Pounce. In the past, only cover bands played Brewsters, but adult attitudes are changing in the local music scene. Audiences are younger and have more tolerance for all-original bands in clubs that previously only booked cover bands.
Brewster’s owner, Bruce is trying new things and remodeling the club. He said that Sly Poonce is hosting the Wednesday night Open Mic Nights and Nimble Jim & The Ointment are playing Thursday nights. So he booked both bands for Saturday night to play alternate sets. When I arrived, I was blown away by Sly Poonce’s high level of musicianship. They looked punk–the lead guitarist and singer was sporting a spiked Mohawk—however, they were playing sophisticated originals more in the Funkadelic bag with a raw punk overview. Nonetheless, their music is quite eclectic with grabber hooks and catchy melodies–reminiscent of Frank Zappa’s early work.
The SP lads came together in the summer of 2005 in the hills of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The four-piece power-grinder consists of Randall Roman on guitar on vocals, Al Taylor on bass, Brent “Gutter” Tenzar on guitar, and Mark Balawender on drums. Together these experienced players are inventive, bold, and exhibit a savvy stage confidence. The band’s originals are diverse and innovative, using a variety of rhythms from reggae to funk to blues to jazz. Wow, SP was a refreshing change to my tired ears.
Nimble Jim & The Ointment (NJTO) are presently a duo with Michael Powell on vocals and Adam Lee on guitar. Michael told me they are gradually building a four-piece band with a female backup singer, Diana Gallamore. During NJTO’s tenure playing Thursday nights at Brewsters, they have won-over a loyal and growing group of core fans. The duo performs all original material delivered by Michael’s high-quality voice.
This ongoing project group writes songs that crossover many genres and cover subjects young people care about–romantic estrangement, the environment, peace, and personal freedom. ‘Cope’ speaks to the loneliness of going it alone
“I’ve got all these pictures trying to make sense of it. Don’t know what to make of it. Don’t how I made it.” On ‘Tolerate Me’, Michael sings about going through painful life changes, begging someone to tolerate him again.
”Where do I look for the answers? So I sit alone in my bedroom....”
On ‘Gone’, the story continues “pack your things and go.” Yes, it’s breakup trauma that drives this set of songs. The sincerity of these songs nullifies their maudlin overview.
Interestingly, romantic entanglement is responsible for many hit songs and albums. Phil Collins wrote a hit album after his first divorce. Years later, I interviewed him at Disney World because he had written the soundtrack for a Disney animated feature. Collins said that the breakup album purged him of his post-breakup depression and he now looks back on it as a milestone event. It also made him independently wealthy. He now lives in Zurich, Switzerland (a tax haven) and has organized a reunion tour with Genesis. Bob Dylan’s now famous Blood on the Tracks album was his seminal breakup work, which is now considered one of his best albums.
Thus, there is nothing like a bitter breakup to stimulate the creative juices. Clearly, it has inspired Michael and Adam of Nimble Jim & the Ointment’s songwriting venture. I’ll revisit them when they get their full band together.
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