Jaeme Starchild

About three quarters of the way through his set at a packed Zen Bar last Saturday, JAEBE, enraptured by the music he was playing, stepped up to the mic and said, "2004 is the year it's happening; the scene is going to take off." While, I don't know if the scene will actually take off, because there are lot of problems facing the scene that might prevent it from taking flight, I do believe that 2004 could be the year that JAEBE and his band do take off.
While a few people in the audience commented that JAEBE's music bore a resemblance to the music of Lenny Kravitz, I'm here to say that JAEBE is nothing like Kravitz. He's talented and not faking it, because let's face it, good old Lenny seems like he puts more time into his wardrobe and workout regimen than his music. With JAEBE, it's all about the music, and it definitely showed on this evening. His funk-rock-soul hybrid is thoroughly engaging because the funk is actually funky, the rock flat out rocked and he just drips soul from every ounce of his being; he sweats it.

We've all heard that clichéd statement that you "can't fake the funk." Well JAEBE and his band definitely do not fake the funk. They lay down an elastic groove that will get all but the most uptight people up and moving..

In addition, JAEBE cut loose and fired away with a Hendrixian solo, which cut through. It's especially exhilarating when the funk and the rock merges into one mountain-shaking groove.

So, from the opening chords of "Mama's Boy" to set-closer "Hot," which saw JAEBE roaming around the bar, head bopping to the music in a display of bliss, there wasn't one wrong foot planted. It was an excellent display of talent and passion from a man, and a band, full of talent and passion.
- hartford advocate