Kaya

Parents and guidance counselors the Valley over can be proud of Kaya bassist Jeff King . If this whole music thing doesn't work out for him, he has at least four things to fall back on.
At last check, the four-string virtuoso was also proficient at fire-breathing, knife-throwing, bull whip slinging and sheetrocking ... distinctions that, particularly when strung together, bring a sheepish smile to his face. Followed by an explanation.

"Well, sheet rocking pays some bills," he explains, "but that other stuff was just things I learned from playing Six Flags Fright Fest in New Jersey last year. We befriended some sideshow folks. They also put nails in their noses and ate glass, but I wasn't interested in that."

Not surprisingly, though, the bass thing is very much working for King these days. After all, he's a former Grand Band Slam winner for his work with Schwa and performed countless gigs with veteran roots rocker Les Rios .

Now, with Kaya, he finds himself in the similarly talented company of Justin Calcasola ( Groove Selector ), Jay Chung (whose credits include playing with Mos Def and Q-Tip ) and band founder Ed Balon (former Sublime tribute P.O.A. ). And in just two short years, the red-hot, all-star lineup has established itself as one of the most popular -- and eclectic -- musical offerings in the area.

"When we formed, the intention was to be a reggae cover band," Balon explains, "but we quickly abandoned that, and we don't like playing the same songs everyone else does. So, you get setlists where we play Al Green to Prince, Kenny Loggins to Weezer."

In recent months, the frenetic foursome has also begun adding their own compositions into this sonic stew.

The highly anticipated debut disc won't be available until this spring, but Balon is happy to report that Kaya hardcores won't have to wait quite so long to get a taste of the original flavor.

"We have a few tracks up on the Web site www.kayaband.com," he notes. "And we've been throwing some of them into the setlist at live shows."

That said, I guess you can expect everything from Kaya's creations to, well, The Temptations when the band plays Chicopee's Maximum Capacity this Saturday, Jan. 22.

And smokers who plan on attending, whatever you do, don't ask Jeff King for a light.
- Nightcrawler, Valley Advocate, Springfield, MA

Questions of Access
A request for your tips on local music; and Kaya sparks up Sunset Ribs in Waterford

by Dan Barry - August 25, 2005

DAN BARRY PHOTO

Jay Chung of Kaya.

Local Motion
Light a birthday candle -- it's been a year since I started reviewing local music. In that time I've seen teen metal prodigies, hard-boiled bluesmen, rappers who can make freestyle sound pre-written, and ravers who invest more in glow-sticks for one night than I have for all the combined Halloweens of my life.
That's an alright start. But this past Saturday night, I ran into a situation that will sound familiar to a lot of Hartford partygoers: everywhere I looked, at every bar and club I called, the same rock bands seemed to be playing. The quality (or lack thereof) of those cookie-cutter bar bands can be frustrating; but on this particular night, my frustration was the thought that somewhere in Greater Hartford, an incredible rap cipher or circle-in-the-round folk performance or reggae concert or bhangra dance party was taking place ... and I would never know about it. It's the suckiest feeling a music fan can have.

So, dear reader, I have a request for you. One year in, I've reviewed a lot of the obvious acts and been to a lot of the regular hot spots. But there's got to be more bubbling under the surface. The problem is that this music -- or I should say the information about how to track down this music -- isn't finding its way to mainstream media channels, popular venues, or even to folks like me who are good at sniffing out obscure stuff. So I want you to give me a hand. Is there a park nearby where kids get together for rap ciphers in the evening? Is there a particular dorm on your campus where people always seem to be jamming? Is there a hidden reggae mecca somewhere in the suburbs? Tell me about it, "legit" venue or not. (I can keep a secret, so if you don't want an influx of outsiders ruining your good scene, I won't print any more info than necessary.)

What it comes down to is this: I want to review the music you dig. I want your tips on what's worthy and what's worthless. Help me make Local Motion reflect what's happening on all levels of the Hartford music scene -- not just the ones that are easiest to find.

My girl and I were feeling summery this past Sunday, so we hightailed it down to the coast. The goal: to eat large portions of dead animal while catching a set by Kaya. The destination: Sunset Ribs in Waterford ("smell the salt water and radiation," exclaimed my girlfriend), flanked by the Sound on one side and Millstone on the other. We had picked Kaya solely on the basis of their name. We wanted reggae before the summer ended, dammit.

While Kaya was not strictly a reggae band, they were pretty fun. They covered Bob Marley, but a subtle twist made their rendition of "Could You Be Loved" notable: they upped the tempo, replacing Marley's languorous swing with poppy inertia. Ditto the "poppy inertia" for their original tune "If You Would Only," a Rob Thomas-y salsapop number that would have skated gently by -- except for singer Justin Calcasola mentioning something about doing "more positions than a football team." Um, Prince, is that you?

There was something really unusual about Kaya's sound, but I couldn't place it until I got close to the stage. It was at that point I realized that drummer Ed Balon is the closest thing I've ever seen to Animal from the Muppets. He flails like a wildman behind the kit. But his beats are simple and focused, much like axeman Jay Chung, whose goofy hat obscured a determined expression. Kaya may dress silly and dance around, but their playing cuts to the quick.

W hat do you want to listen to this weekend? Straight up guitar rock? The Mambo Sons release their new CD at 7 p.m. on the 25th at Black-eyed Sally's. Grind and death metal? Home Pharmacy , Human Bone Bicycle Sciences Industries , Sea of Bones , and Art is Lost play Cherry Street Station (491 North Cherry St. Ext., Wallingford) on the 26th. Hip-hop? The Silent Groove release their new EP, Hard Hittin' , at Sully's on the 27th. Blues? Hit up the CT Blues Society's Blues Challenge Finals that same night (Hannon-Hatch VFW Post, 83 South St., West Hartford, 2-7 p.m.). Hardcore at a skatepark? 100 Demons , Jeff Brown Duplex , and Brothers in Arms play a skate competition at Bridgeport Skate Park, 5 p.m. on the 27th.


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more stories by Dan Barry
Soilent Green (08/25/05)
The mainstream recognition Soilent Green has deserved for years is finally within reach. All it took was two near-deadly van accidents and a few years of physical therapy.

Evergreen Terrace (08/18/05)
Never have copycats enjoyed more success than Evergreen Terrace, who seem to have no ethical problem with lifting entire passages from well-known Converge songs.

Party Like a Rock Star (08/18/05)
It was basically like getting yelled at by the guy who does the monster truck commercials on the radio.

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