Adrian Hibbs & Company : Sarah Reich Taps Out!!

Adrian Hibbs brings it. He's got a sound that reminds me of some of the 70s biggest like Pablo Cruise, Boz Scaggs and Steely Dan and he's similar in vocal tone to British soul star Jamiroquai. All the notes are within his reach and he's as smooth as butter.  He plays the keyboards with equal ease and his originals are radio friendly slices of nice-ness. Kasi Jones has the strongest voice I've heard in sometime, and with her confident nonchalance and on-point delivery she plays a nice foil to Hibbs' sly, slick and wicked master of ceremonies.  

Sarah Reich is a professional tap dancer, who, at the very young age of 22 is at the forefront of the modern reinvention of the art form. Her mix of salsa with traditional tap in her group Tap Con Sabor, has in-effect, created a new school of tap dancing and with it, a renewed interest worldwide in this style of dance. Her performances around town with Magnolia Memoir, at The Floor, The Libertine, with Big Willie's Burlesque and tonight with Adrian Hibbs, cause audible audience expressions of joy and disbelief at the stamina and artistry of Miss Reich. The "in-demand" dancer - who's been dancing since age 5 - travels the world teaching tap in places as far off as China and Costa Rica. 

Tonight she's laying it down (see video below) as only she can!

Rounding out the band were oft-seen Harvelle's musicians Frank Abraham (The Endangered, Abbot Kinney) on bass and Vince Foster (Just Dave, Payote) on drums, along with the very funky Angie Swan (The Toledo Show, Nicole Scherzinger) on guitar.

Here's the incredible tapping of Miss Sarah Reich::

Sheila E. & The E Family in Long Beach :She Wears A Long Fur Coat Of Mink Even In The Summertime

Sheila E. And The E. Family took over Harvelle's on Saturday night and kicked out the jams with some super solid platinum funk!! I'd seen the Prince protégé a few times before , but never with her father, The King of Latin Jazz/Funk Pete Escovedo!! Along with her 2 brothers, Peter Michael and Juan, there was enough hardware on stage to start a percussion militia (nobody yelled "more cowbell!!" - there was plenty!!). Augmenting the family were a full horn section and some guitar - both bass & six string - laying down solid grooves to let Sheila and the "fam" throw down in amazing old school style. 

They played 2 sets and except for some momentary allusions to The Glamorous Life and A Love Bizarre, the repertoire consisted of the most explosive salsa flavored funky jazz to which I'd ever borne witness - the singing and playing of the 4 of them was far above anything I'd ever seen or expected to see tonight!!

Everyone played everything, and at one point they "fire-brigaded" a series of exotic percussion instruments to papa Pete who explored them all never losing a beat. This family affair celebrated the exciting percussive beauty of jazz! If they are playing near you, catch 'em live!!

Sheila E. And The E Family have a CD out now, called "Now & Forever", which you can get at Amazon, iTunes and their official website [here]. Featuring their uber-spicy brand of latin jazz, the CD hosts guests Earth Wind And Fire, Joss Stone and Gloria Estefan.