McTuff

Northwest native Joe Doria is a name all the great musicians know, respect and are dying to play with. This is a guy who can work magic on the Hammond organ. He can handle bass lines while forming a song’s chordal structure and creating original approaches to all kinds of music.


Lately Doria’s been everywhere, in the news with his band, McTuff, for the Earshot Jazz Festival, the upcoming Ballard Jazz Walk, jamming in practically every other gig from TOST and the Seamonster, to a free November 29th Triple Door concert.
Alone, or with his two other main groups, the Joe Doria Trio and McTuff, Joe Doria has more than made an impact on the Seattle jazz scene and with Seattle-area jazz musicians, many of whom consider him one of the best B3 players in the country. I picked his brain a little and got more than I bargained for; I was able to glimpse the life and times, and ever-evolving state of a true musician’s musician.
My husband calls you “the best B3 player in the country,” so you must be doing something right. What makes you stand out in a crowd?

Well, first...wow. I don't know if that's true, but I sure am flattered in hearing that. I really don't know what makes me personally stand out – I think that's for the listener to decide, but I hope it would be the musicianship, the players I'm lucky to be playing with here...and just a good feeling and groove provided by the music, whether it be our originals or covering a classic.

Of all the instruments to choose from, you went with a Hammond organ. That’s kind of different. Most people go with drums, piano or horns. What’s so special to you about playing the organ?

Well, I loved the Hammond sound even before I knew what it actually was, trying to get that sound from my old keys (which I still own)...but the sound was never quite there of course. Then my friend, Craig Hackle and I went to see John Lee and I put $ down on my first Hammond C3 and 122.

After hauling it up 50+ steps (thank you Craig...I'll owe you forever) we got it in and I was in love ever since. It's like "home" to me. Next came the realization...I gotta learn it!
But essentially, the Hammond is like having a whole band under your fingers and feet, even getting a little drum/beat in there via thuds and taps. It's a one-of-a kind instrument that still makes me forget about all the fancy keyboards and the many sounds/FX they have. They're cool too, but "home base" is the organ to me.


How is playing the organ different from playing, say, a guitar, or a piano?

I can't even make tone happen on guitar or horn (it's painfully sad), so I can't answer that one, but I played piano and after getting my first Hammond, it was a wake-up call and kick in the groin.

After realizing...besides the keys/notes...this is not going to be as simple as playing what I knew on piano. The keys of the organ are lighter, sized and shaped differently, ...all of which affects piano technique and play. So it was a decision in deciding to really dig in and learn Hammond and how to approach music on it.

McTuff Trio and Quartet is a concoction of the soul and feel I've learned from the organ greats...mixed with a bit of chaos and peace...forming (what I hope to be) interesting and honest, original music. It's both the ugliness and beauty we see inside the world of music.


A lot of good came from it. I learned about how important the bass is in music, I learned about time and feel with the organ and its differences, opportunities with the band and music possibilities, and best of all, I learned the genius of Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes (list goes on) and then (hopefully) create my own voice from all of that.


What special things must you keep in mind when playing the organ to get the kinds of sounds you want? Are you limited in any way because it’s an organ, or are you freed up because an organ can emit more variety of sounds?

I think you're freed up to a degree, and sound-wise it's still that "Hammond" sound, which allows you to create all these tones – from the softest perc pops to the full-on, all-stops-out, booming sound. But you're also limited as well, and that's not a bad thing btw. I mean, because it's not a multi-sound keyboard, it forces you to be creative and come up with applicable tones for the music you're playing.
What I try and keep in mind is never sacrificing time and groove for a run/line...and use the organ to bring out and back the incredible players I'm playing with. I stumble if I don't keep up on it...so off I go back to the metronome and just play time, if only because it's so important to me.


The organ is also an excellent padding instrument and you can use its power and sound to really support a player/soloist/singer. The goal is to use this instrument’s power to enhance the musicians you're playing with – not overpower.
What is the best and the worst kinds of gigs you’ve played?

I've had quite a bit of worst and best gigs. As for "bad," it depends on how you look at a "bad gig." It could be a lot of rehearsed music for no $ playing to nobody, or nobody who cares. It could be a decent-paying gig playing to people who could care less. It could be a gig where some members don't appreciate and understand how wonderful it is just to have live musicians working together to try and create "it" (sad).


We all still see and play these gigs...it's just another slice of music life to me.
The best gigs come down to any show where the band is all smiles, pushing each other, listening to each other...basically, everything gels after that. You can't help but feel good. The audience feels it..and it makes for a fun night. Getting paid appropriately also helps – no lie there.


And all of this could be a rehearsal at your home, or a tiny club like The Seamonster, Tost, or the Owl N' Thistle and GoodFoot in Portland, OR (so many to list)...to the somewhat larger venues we have like The Tractor, Triple Door, or Jazz Alley...maybe even a friend’s wedding or party...all the way to some of the incredible festivals we've played like Bear Creek and High Sierra.
It doesn't matter the size of the place, what matters is the music and people you're making it with. If you work and communicate up there, the listeners (those who "want" to enjoy, that is) will most likely enjoy what they're hearing and have a great time.

You and your band, McTuff, have been getting around a lot lately in the NW, what with the Earshot Jazz Festival, Triple Door, Tula’s, and the Ballard Jazz Walk. Any plans to branch out and gig outside the NW, do a national tour maybe, go overseas?

Trying...and yes that is a goal so we're trying. The realities with my instrument (size/weight/availability) doesn't help of course, the costs these days vs. the reality of $ to make it feasible is tough to wrangle...but there are ways.


And, although it's not why I play with the man, but it's no lie that when we're doing quartet with our sax player, the world-reknowned "Skerik," it has helped get us visible in some wonderful situations. Then you add incredible talents like Andy Coe and the absolutely smokin' D'vonne Lewis and damn...it makes it all come together a little easier. We're working on getting out to the East Coast for our next outing (hopefully this spring – fingers crossed). But oh what a dream it would be to get overseas with these guys. If anyone out there reading this has a contact in regard to this, please call me ;).
What do you think the secret is to you and your band’s success?

I think we've really just begun, but the answer most definitely is "the players and their vibe + the great friends and fans." Period.

The first time I played with D'Vonne at a little club, we looked at each other and thought, “Yep, this is right.” Skerik pushes me, the limits, and all of us. He also makes me laugh way too much. Andy oozes coolness with kindness, but will support like the best when needed, and blow the doors off when let loose.
With all the groups I play in – there's no doubt, I know I'm one lucky SOB.

Continue reading on Examiner.com The Magician - Joe Doria produces innovative B3 music - National Jazz music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/jazz-music-in-national/the-magician-joe-doria-produces-innovative-b3-music#ixzz1olOW0hxv - Carol Banks Weber

By: Court Scott

McTuff by Brian Willoughby
I'm experiencing a moment of reverie, reflective and leaning against the ornate rail of the dance floor dressed to the nines in my maid of honor garb, watching a fabulous, if slightly reluctant wedding band wind their way through one of the most unique nuptial celebrations I've attended. On the small stage, McTuff lays down a blistering hard groove met - both literally and figuratively - at the altar by traditional jazz and blues melodies and set free by funk's irreverent attitude.
Many of the 150 guests are dancing; furthest from the band and monitors couples locked in an embrace gracefully pivot and spin like Disney's teacup ride while younger attendees have gathered closer to the front to form a loose semi-circle and giddily let their backbones slip. The band and the crowd, the bride and groom, swing and cavort like a couple of pros, giving the "celebrities" on Dancing with the Stars a run for their money in the attention-grabbing department. Like most weddings, it's a generational free-for-all, yet at this event everyone has formed a consensus about the band. Their universal appeal is a phenomenal hit. Bringing me back to the present, the groom's beaming grandmother swoops past me, Guinness in hand.

It's likely that you've never heard of McTuff, even though the funk-soul-jazz quartet boasts saxphreak Skerik and guitar uber-talent Andy Coe. It's likely, too, that you've never heard of the band's namesake, famed Hammond B3 organist "Brother" Jack McDuff, channeled in this quartet by Joe Doria of Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet. And you've probably never seen anything like D'Vonne Lewis, a 24-year-old whiz kid on the drums who plays with contagious animation - arms and legs in constant motion, wrists that appear double-jointed, head tilted back, his expression a beatific, yet playful taunt to his bandmates. There is a timeless quality to McTuff's sound; their result more of an artistic rendering as opposed to a direct copy of any original. But know this, they're really not a wedding band, so don't even ask.


Doria & Skerik - McTuff by Profitt Photography
"I've been lugging around and playing a piece of furniture for 15 years," laughs Doria, referring to his cumbersome electric organ and accompanying Leslie speaker cabinet, which is necessary to produce the Nitrous-y, soaring, Doppler-effected sound associated with the Hammond. Doria holds down the basslines, alternately between hands and feet; his hands roll across the keyboards and his feet jitterbug across the pedals and vice versa. At one particularly smokin' gig, without interrupting his limbs, Doria face-planted on the upper keyboard, playing with his nose and chin by rolling his head from side to side. The word "rambunctious" pretty much covers it. Doria furiously pulls and slaps the stops, controlling the tone of the organ. Sound percolates and swoons, notes wind and emotion builds until, with a final thwack, he opens the throttle and the organ howls. Watching Doria play, all four limbs, heart and soul fully involved, is truly a dizzying experience.
The band's quasi-namesake, "Brother" Jack McDuff, was a prominent bandleader in the 1960s and recorded prolifically until his death in 2001. He was a self-taught organist whose preferred genres were hard bop and soul jazz. So, it's no surprise that McTuff is full of texture and stylistic diversity, subscribing to a simple philosophy: "Let's get into trouble, baby!"

"We knew after one or two small shows that this band had tons of potential. We can play a jazz circuit and then the next hit a crazy rock or funk room," enthuses Doria. And though the free spirit and warm, welcoming, buttery sound are equal parts intoxicating and enchanting, it belies a steep learning curve of influences that forms the sound behind the swing. "That's what really appealed to me [about playing in McTuff]," explains Coe, "everybody's so open minded and super competent and capable."


Andy Coe - McTuff by Profitt Photography
From gospel to originals like Coe's "Tuff Love" to covers of Dr. Lonnie Smith, Billy Preston, Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon or Brother Jack's own "Hot BBQ," McTuff's influences are as varied as their setlists, and are interpreted as wildly. Doria agrees, "These guys know how to listen. They took the music and started owning it!"
Despite being a quartet, McTuff leaves more room than many trios, space for the musicians to create and contribute. Coe's off the cuff, raw soloing compliments things and Doria's warm B-3 and Skerik's sonic-electronic box of toys updates the sound. It's all held together by Lewis, who perhaps simply as a function of his age, interjects youthfulness into the overall sound with his rat-ta-tat, "less is more" approach. This band is as smart as it is calculating. "There's a saying that you're only as good as your drummer," Doria explains. "[Lewis] lays it down with authority. He's as honest as the music he makes."

It's not only the quality of the instrumentation but also the stylistic knowledge of the players that make the band worthwhile. Most know Skerik, whether from playing with Galactic, Les Claypool, Garage A Trois or his own Syncopated Taint Septet, Critters Buggin and Crack Sabbath. His wind power yields alternately a mellifluous run, a guttural riff or fuzzy, punctuated squonk. In this ensemble, his contribution is more pensive and soulful. He's primarily a passenger rather than the center of attention, a role he often takes with his other bands. The quick wit, fantastic brio and sonic fortitude are present, but the costumery and bravado of Skerik - the proper noun - aren't.

Despite being comprised of four busy musicians, McTuff formed almost two years ago to the day - Friday, October 13, 2006 - and has been playing regularly around the Pacific Northwest since. With one southern sojourn to Oregon and California under their belts and another West Coast run happening right now (dates available here), McTuff are steadily building a solid McFanbase.

"It's fun to [collaborate with] players who can read a room and design their playing and music to a vibe that best fits it. I'm a big fan of that kind of wordless improv. Jazz room? Sure! Watch out and let's do this! Loft party? BAMM, let's groove this into oblivion. Small and local? Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm! Those are just little huts packed with goodness to take advantage of," says Doria. And on their current tour, that's just what they're looking to do.


Coe & Lewis - McTuff by Profitt Photography
Lewis has been playing drums since he was quite small, and despite still being quite young, he plays with crisp, explosive bursts of swing and clever percussive chatter, so deep in the pocket he may not come out the other side. Then, in a split second, he lapses into a strut, visibly shifting and leaning back on his stool. While Doria lays down the basslines, Lewis plays the kit not only like the rhythmic instrument it is but with a sense of melody, tittering ever so lightly on his cymbals and calling on each drums' tone, rather than their collective oomph. This freedom and malleability frees him up to square off with Skerik or accent Coe's cerebral guitar work. The beat is merely a fulcrum point for him to flirt with.
But it is Coe, a guitarist with substantial skill in multiple traditions and genres, who is becoming the risk-taker in the ensemble. Together with Skerik, Coe's pan-stylistic, loose limbed, psychedelic feel – and newly introduced synth modulator effects - provide an interesting contrast to the Hammond's more organic sound. An obvious Garcia-phile, Coe isn't afraid of taking risks, sometimes creating momentary discomfort for the listener, as he knows those moments make the band and the audience work that much harder to remain in the present. Like Garcia, he is capable of conveying great meaning with a few notes. Coe has immersed himself in American jazz and African percussive traditions, studying under master players and performing around the world at events including the North Sea and Montreux Jazz festivals. "Andy doesn't fuck around. He practices his ass off," says Skerik. "Everyone should check 'em out."

And so I am back to the wedding. While it was a completely uncharacteristic venue and setting for McTuff, their set was as imaginative, full of feeling and as smokin' as anywhere they've ever thrown down. Know that whenever, wherever, this band is ready, willing and able to unleash some 'tuff love.

McTuff Tour Dates
10/22/08 Wed Moe's Alley Santa Cruz, CA
10/23/08 Thu Boom Boom Room San Francisco, CA
10/24/08 Fri Boom Boom Room San Francisco, CA
10/25/08 Sat The Red Fox Tavern Eureka, CA
10/26/08 Sun Sam Bond's Garage Eugene, OR
10/31/098 Fri Halloween: MCTUFF - The Eastside Olympia, Washington - Jambase.org - Court Scott

By Nathan Bluford
Seattle pedestrians are generally an
aggressive bunch, known for their jaywalking tendencies and free-spirited
disobedience towards streets signs.
These types better stay on their toes
after dark, because a mysterious musician known as McTuff rides around
these parts on a sleek black motorcycle, and he does not slow down when
the light turns yellow. Let me tell you
a bit about McTuff, although a lot of
what I’ve heard is based on rumors
whose details change depending on
whom you ask.
McTuff’s mama sang back-up for soul
men on the Southern chitlin circuit,
and his daddy was an organ grinder in
a dim Chicago dive bar until the joint
closed down and the old man disappeared into the night for the last time,
taking with him a double shot and a
smoke and no desire to be recognized
again. This was all back when McTuff
was just a child, living in a different
city under a different name.
How or why McTuff came to Seattle
is unknown. Many say he only appears at night, but I could swear I’ve
caught a glimpse of his unmistakable
dark coat in daylight from afar, one
day when I was waiting for a bus in
a part of town that I didn’t know too
well. I jumped up to get closer and give
him a nod, but just then the bus came
and I had to go. Anyway, he certainly
does come out at night, riding that
jet-black bike that I mentioned before and ready to play the raw, groovy
music that’s flowed in his veins since
birth. I’ve seen him play, and he produces some of the most molten, soulful sounds that have ever flowed into
these ears. What instrument, you ask?
Well, that depends on the night, as he
knows them all.
No one has managed to record
McTuff yet, as he coldly stares down
any studio man that approaches him
looking for an easy dollar and he only
plays on nights when all of the bootleggers have coincidentally run out of
tape.
He’s a man of the moment, and once
he’s gone his music will in all likelihood disappear with him. If you want
to know more about him but can’t
seem to find yourself in the right place
at the right time, there is one good way
you can go about it, which brings us to
the main focus of this writing.
McTuff isn’t the type of guy that you
would say has friends, but he does
have acquaintances. I like to consider
myself one of them, but significantly
more relevant is a gang of rough-riding Seattle jazz musicians that McTuff
respects enough to let them play in a
group bearing his name. This group
is more or less led by organ man Joe
Doria and it’s rounded out by Andy
Coe on guitar and D’Vonne Lewis on
drums. When his busy schedule allows
for it, the notorious tenor saxophonist
known as Skerik joins them, solidifying an even quartet. The big man’s
endorsement should be enough to convince anyone, but if you really need to
hear it from me, I’ll lay it down: each
of these musicians cuts lead lines like
he’s dancing with a pocket blade, carries rhythm like engine cylinders in
top gear, and most importantly, they
all hit you with a big dose of it, the
sweet soul that they get right from the
source, the real deal.
PROFILE
MCTUFF: SKERIK, JOE DORIA, D’VONNE LEWIS, AND ANDY COE. PHOTO BY DANIEL SHEEHAN.July 2010 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 5
The gang first got together when
Doria was looking for some guys to
play a tribute show to organ great Captain Jack McDuff. Having grown up
in the Pacific Northwest and jammed
with a good number of the region’s finest, Joe knew just the right numbers
to call, and in no time at all he was
on stage at Egan’s Ballard Jam House
with Skerik, Lewis, and Coe. Things
felt good at that show, so they did another. Things felt good at that second
show, too. But right then, things also
began to change.
It might have been around this time
that they first came to know McTuff,
but it’s hard to say, as he’d already been
lurking in Seattle’s shadows for some
years. Again, it depends on who you
ask. After that second show, though,
Joe put a hold on the covers and tribute tunes and started bringing in tunes
of his own. Somewhere in there, a
quartet that had come together for a
hit-and-run homage to an organ great
became something more: they became
McTuff, with the big man’s approval,
obviously.
Now, some say that McTuff the man
writes all these tunes himself and
then gives them to Doria to play with
McTuff the band, with writing credits under his own name. That’s one
rumor that I can tell you for sure has
no truth in it, because Doria’s an honest man and when he talks about his
tunes I can sense that nobody but him
could’ve written them (although take
note that Coe is also responsible for
some of the band’s compositions, and
that covers are still absolutely fair game
live or in the studio). Doria is my kind
of guy; he likes to take a little from
everything he’s ever heard and wrap it
up in his own personal style, resulting
in some killer pieces that begin with
the Hammond soul of his organ heroes but quickly travel into the realms
of punk rock, ambient electronica, and
the original soundtrack to Jaws 2. He
could spend a while discussing influences, but as a final point, he likes to
make it very clear that he likes his Iron
Maiden.
Coe, Lewis and Skerik do not just
play these tunes, they bring them to
life, using their adept musicianship to
give each number a new face and personality every time they play it. When
this all got started, Joe had a very specific outline for instrumentation and
what kind of musicians would be necessary for filling each spot. These guys
weren’t his first choice for nothing: he
likes them because they get on top of
the music, learning it and breathing it
so that by the time they hit the stage
they know where they want to go with
it and exactly how to get there. Live,
they leap into an arrangement with
aggressive kinetic energy to spare, careening through charged solos that fire
notes into every corner of the room.
Speaking of the room itself, it happens to be a pretty big deal for Mr.
Doria and his fellow band members.
Because, you see, they don’t just play
in it, they play to it, with it. At every
performance, the audience is crucial.
If I’m there, the music is gonna sound
a bit like me. If you’re there, it’s gonna
sound a bit like you. And if McTuff
shows up to see his boys, which he often does, you can bet that the band is
gonna be smokin’ at that show. EnviTwo distinct hotels steps away from Seattle Center.
Seattle’s
Lodging Secrets
MarQueen Hotel
Inn at Queen Anne
600 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
206-282-7407
888-445-3076
www.marqueen.com
505 First Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
206-282-7357
800-952-5043
www.innatqueenanne.com6 • EARSHOT JAZZ • July 2010
ronment is everything for this group;
beyond the individual people present
it comes down to the color of the paint
on the walls, the street noise outside,
the general mood that everyone is in.
Various outside projects, such as The
Drunken Masters and The Dead Kenny G’s, provide a wealth of musical experiences that resurface months later
in the heat of a live show. McTuff has
an exceptionally wide range of musical tools and inspirations to work with,
and factors that many people would
think arbitrary determine which of
them will be emphasized in a given
performance.
At the moment, Doria is working on
compiling some recordings of their
performances into a second CD release. This live album would be the follow-up to McTuff, Vol. 1, a studio album that was released in 2009. Vol. 1
contains relatively straight-ahead rock-
and funk-influenced pieces, and while
it makes for good listening, Doria is
really looking to shake things up on
the forthcoming live album and other
future releases. He wants people who
haven’t experienced McTuff live to get
a feel for their performances’ unpredictability and versatility. In order to
convey these characteristics the band
has been also been conceptualizing a
new studio album that mixes in more
of a traditional jazz sound that will be
pushed, pulled and stretched into uncharted waters, as per usual.
Beyond these albums, McTuff’s future is undetermined but filled with
opportunities for exciting music. The
Skerik-less trio plays Tuesdays at Wallingford’s Seamonster Lounge, as well
as regular gigs in the greater Northwest area, many of which feature guest
appearances from the Seattle jazz
rogues gallery. Each of the members is
involved in at least a handful of other
groups that both inspire and are inspired by their work in McTuff. What
happens next is simply a matter of the
boys taking a few moments and deciding which move they would like to
make, as everyone is having too good
a time to let their namesake down and
put this band on the backburner.
In conversation, Doria emphasizes
how lucky he is to have found a group
of musicians that responds to each other so naturally and productively. He
couldn’t ask for a more fulfilling level
of talent and commitment; spreading
this band’s abilities out and discovering what they can do together has carried the music far beyond his original
expectations. Every show adds new
ideas and even compositions to the
group’s palette, such as their cover of
The Beatles’ “She’s So Heavy”, which
they debuted on a whim at a performance without any formal arrangement or practice. The real McTuff, of
course, knew exactly how well this
would play out from the beginning.
He doesn’t let them use his name for
nothing, you know.
It’s been a while since I ran into
McTuff, but he’s the type that shows
up when you least expect it, sitting at
the back table in some venue or other
so that you only see him once you’re
already on your way out and there’s
only time for a brief greeting. I would
guess that the boys in the band have
seen him more recently, but they don’t
like to talk about it much. They prefer
to convey the McTuff attitude through
their blazing live performances, trading description for vigorous illustration. Doria always says that he never
did feel too comfortable speaking on
the microphone; he likes to say everything he needs to with his organ.
All the pieces so far are instrumentals
though, so as long as the band is playing, make sure that you remember the
name: McTuff.
The McTuff Trio plays the Seamonster
Lounge every Tuesday evening (“ from
now till forever”) at 10pm. No cover - Earshot.org

With all due respect to Jesus H. Christ, there’s a new, shiny god in town and his name is Joe Doria. Okay, he’s not new, but this B3 guy comes dangerously close to god-like in the variety, speed and vortex of his big, shiny instrument.

To say Doria and his McTuff band’s April 1st Tractor Tavern was off the hook would be putting it mildly. In fact, it’s hard to put what they do into strong enough words.


By turns atmospheric (in a psychedelic way), pulse-poundingly experimental, and freaky Motown-good, the Western Washington band known as McTuff – comprised of Doria on Hammond organ, Skerik on sax, Andy Coe on guitar and D’Vonne Lewis on drums – rocked it out in seemingly random but spot-on (for want of a better term) riffs for most of the night, from around 9 till 1 in the a.m.

These guys couldn’t hit a bad note if they tried. The divine D’Vonne Lewis kept the beats funky-melodic and swampy, with his fast, tight rolls and his head-bobbing, syncopated rhythm. It’s hard to believe he’s a) so young, b) from here (a Roosevelt High School grad of distinction), c) self-taught, and d) producing music surpassing 10 veterans. But he worked it out.

Guitarist Andy Coe immediately drew comparison to another famous Seattle native, the late, great ‘60s rock-jazz monster-artist, Jimi Hendrix. In several stand-out solos, Coe shredded and distorted on his ax with mind-blowing precision and all-encompassing furor.

Frequently, saxophonist Skerik laid down the right jazzy notes to remind the standing-room-only crowd of his mad skills and mad credentials (an assorted mix of famous rockers, jazz and blues artists, and everyone in between).

But it was Joe Doria who made time stand still. He took charge with an unforgettable, electrifying performance through and through, coming in to smooth the edges, slide beneath and above the beats and create a few of his own. The sounds coming from his organ were – at times – inhuman, like side effects of a horror/sci-fi flick, and at other times, they were such music to our ears.

It was only well into the second set, in the middle of the strangely, dangerously hypnotic “A Shiv Is Made” that I realized with stunning clarity that Doria was also playing the bass with his left hand (for the faster notes) and his feet on floor pedals (for the slower ones). I had mistaken Coe for their bass player! Doria was so good at both. Most organists can pull off the rudimentary bass lines of any given, but simple, melody. But in Doria’s capable, dextrous hands (and feet), he pulled off complicated chords of his various bi-polar instrumentals with reckless abandon, amazing agility, and a supernatural, deft touch.

The second set also gave other musicians in the audience, like trombonist John Terpin, to fly. He and two other horn players jammed together in several memorable tunes, including the Yellowjackets’ “Revelation.”

For anyone attending a McTuff concert, revelation surely describes the experience. You’re in luck, too. The band’s currently on a West Coast tour (Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California), which kicked off on March 26th and will wrap up by April 19th. Tonight, they’ll be in Ashland, OR’s Culture Works, tomorrow it’s the Ukiah Brewing Company in CA and April 9-10, San Francisco’s Boom Boom Room with The Eric McFadden Trio.



Continue reading on Examiner.com McTuff infects West Coast with special jazz-soul - National Jazz music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/jazz-music-in-national/mctuff-infects-west-coast-with-special-jazz-soul#ixzz1olNLBGHg - The Examiner