THE DIRK QUINN BAND
Fleet-fingered Philadelphia-based guitarist Dirk Quinn could be the illegitimate son of Jeff Beck, although his fiery electric work is firmly rooted in jazz and, in the context of this four-piece band, it’s allayed with insistent, funky grooves to create a brilliantly lava-laden form of electric fusion.
To put it another way: This guy is smokin.’
The band, which includes Mike Borowski on keyboards, Stephen Kurtz on bass and “Z” (Steve Zegray) on drums, is one of those well-tuned improvisational machines that make this kind of byzantine music look effortless, and a lot of fun to play, besides.
There’s a bit of Mahavishnu and John McLaughlin in here, some sharp-toothed Medeski, Martin & Wood acid jazz, a bit of Pat Metheny nimbleness and Wes Montgomery speed-riffing.
There’s an amazing video on YouTube where Quinn, armed with only an acoustic guitar and some foot pedals, performs a killer version of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” All by himself. Maybe if we all ask him real nice, he’ll play it while the other guys are on a break. Listen & learn: www.dirkquinn.com. At 9 p.m. July 17 and 18 at Jazz’d Tapas Bar, 52 Barnard St. No cover.
DARK PARTY w/ELIOT LIPP
Swoosh! Hardcore hip hop, fusion, funk and techno are the cards that Brooklyn-based “groove czar” Eliot Lipp deals – he’s an electronica artist born in Tacoma, Wash., and schooled in the highly competitive Los Angeles club scene. “It’s not necessarily my goal to create a new genre, or try to mix different genres,” says Lipp, whose onstage keyboard collaborator is Leo 123, “but it’s just when I’m being honest about what I want to make, that’s how the music sounds.” Listen & learn: www.myspace.com/eliotlipp. At 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 15 at Live Wire Music Hall, 307 W. River St. $8.
THE INCREDIBLE SANDWICH
One of the key components of Georgia’s thriving jam-band universe, the Incredible Sandwich stands out for a lot of reasons, notably the playing of classically-trained pianist Damian Kapcala, on Hammond B3 organ. There’s a lot of live Dead in the bouncing, rambling cosmic rock these four guys make, and that’s never a bad thing. Listen & learn: www.theincrediblesandwich.com. At 9 p.m. July 17 at Loco’s Grill & Pub, 301W. Broughton St.
moe.
Five guys named Moe? Well, no, but this upstate New York jam quintet is phunnier than Phish. The band has crafted a cohesive, collective-brain sound over the course of 17 albums and the growth of a devastatingly devoted fan base (moe.rons). Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier might be the best dueling (and collaborating) electric guitarists that Buffalo’s ever produced. Jam bandies will know that moe.’s annual New Year’s Eve shows at Radio City Music Hall have become the stuff of legend. Listen & learn: www.moe.org. At 8 p.m. July 21 at Shoreline Ballroom, 40 Folly Field Rd., Hilton Head Island. Tickets $22 advance, $25 day of show.
