A Contrarian’s Guide To…Greyboy Allstars

Ever since his Contrarian’s Guide To Ryan Adams, I’ve been trying to engage our friend Chilly JackWater in enough conversation that eventually some vitriol will spit out into the night. Following our meeting at the Greyboy Allstars show on Friday, I mentioned to Chilly that the band was a little too spacey and that this was probably the worst GBA show I’ve seen. His e-mailed retort?

“Spacey” is nice jambandy word for what it really was: 80 percent smooth jazz. I’m sorry, but those guys have lost a step. Maybe it’s because the room was simply too big for them, but you take [keyboardist Robert] Walter out of that band and you’ve got something that Donnie Simpson would be raving about on BET Jazz (“Mmmmm…that was the latest from the Greyboy Allstars. Next, we have a cut from India.Arie.”)

I really want to like Karl Denson, but I think he needs to lay off the flute…and the Human Growth Hormone. I’m not sure who will carry the acid-jazz torch in this scene, but someone needs to. I know that you’re a Duo fan and I think they’d be the logical ones. But there is something missing from their sound. I think it’s, you know, another two or three band members.

Relatedly, if you haven’t seen Karl Denson in the past few months, here’s a recent picture. That’s quite a difference from the band’s opening act, ?uestlove, who looks like he’s eaten at least two or three of The Roots in the past few weeks.