Jay Rodriguez-Live At The Fez

This is from a series on Kufala Records of L.A. called Authorized Bootlegs. They have generic cardboard covers with a wrap-around sticker with artist on the front and liner notes on the back. I had three or four of these, sold one or two. I have one more left, will be listening to it next month. Recorded at a club in N.Y.C. this is a trio consisting of Jay Rodiguez playing sax and flute with Marco Benevento on Hammond organ and Joe Russo on drums. I saw the Benevento/Russo duo when they opened up for the Phil Lesh concert at Bethel Woods at the site of the Woodstock concert. Not just Jazz, there are Progressive and Jam Band music on this CD as well. Nine tracks on two CDs they average around ten minutes. The show starts with a five minute flute solo before adding the organ and drums before Rodriguez switches to sax at the end. Benevento’s organ playing sounds like Keith Emerson’s and in fact he plays what is unmistakenly some of E.L.P.’s Tarkus on “Darts”. The second CD starts with “Children Of The Light” with flute organ and drums. The closing track “The Emperor’s New Mind” ends with a rendition on flute of “Pure Imagination” from the Willy Wonka movie. Although there is a little too much noodling from Benevento this was an enjoyable listen.

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