Smooth Dialects

http://www.chattanoogapulse.com/beginnings/news/there's-nothing-to-do-in-this-town/

When I moved to Chattanooga from Atlanta back in 1996, this was a very different city.
I remember going downtown with my wife to eat at 212 Market on a Friday night and being struck by how quiet it was. We even noticed a group of UTC students riding their skateboards down 4th Street across Market and Broad without any worries about cross traffic.

Back then, it wasn’t uncommon (or invalid) to hear someone say, “There’s nothing to do in the town.” Indeed, while there were a few clubs and some nice restaurants, downtown was pretty empty, the Southside was a ghosttown, and the Northshore was anchored by a seemingly shuttered Naval Reserve base along the river.

My, how times have changed.

These days, those skateboarders would be made into not-so-attractive hood ornaments all too quickly, and it takes almost as long to decide upon which of the dozens of great restaurants to have dinner at as it does to find a parking space. The Southside is booming and Coolidge Park is the understated gem of the waterfront revilization.

And yet, I still hear people say (or more commonly nowadays, post on Facebook) that there’s nothing to do in this town.

Hogwash. Pure and simple hogwash.

No, I am not normally the type of person who says things like “hogwash”, but if I wrote what I really say to those people, we’d have to place a Parental Advisory sticker on the cover of this issue.

But hogwash it is. When I hear (or read) someone make that complaint, I want to take a folded up copy of The Pulse and smack them upside the head with it. Then open it up and point out the very full music and arts & entertainment calendars within these pages.

Aside from the 4 Bridges Arts Festival, which we cover in full detail in our cover story this week, this is what I would consider a fairly normal weekend in Chattanooga. Yet looking through the calendars, I find it nearly impossible to decide on which of the many interesting things I would like to do. Mainly because I don’t have a Harry Potter time-turner that would allow me to be in more than one place at one time.

Musically, we run the gamut this weekend. Just covering my own personal tastes, which admittedly are a bit on the eclectic side, I’ve highlighted Smooth Dialects at Rhythm & Brews on Friday, the big bluegrass gathering at Thunder Creek Harley-Davidson on Saturday (featuring Fox Mountain Express, Hamilton County Ramblers, Third Degree Bluegrass, Bent Creek and my longtime favorites, The Dismembered Tennesseans), Ryan Oyer over at the River Market in front of the Aquarium, any number of local bands performing at 4 Bridges all weekend, Glowing Bordis at JJ’s Bohemia Saturday night, and Sunday getting up early for The Lazenby Family over at Crabtree Farms.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking of icebergs, flipping over to the arts & entertainment calendar, the first thing I notice is “Titanic: The Musical” is at the Tivoli this weekend. I still can’t believe they turned one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history into a musical, but I’ve been told it’s actually quite good.

That said, if you’re in a mood for theater, there are couple of local performances that are intriguing as well: “The Glass Menagerie” at the St. Elmo Fire Hall, and “Pump Boys & Dinettes” at the Theatre Centre.

There’s also the Habitat for Humanity “Raise The Roof” fundraiser gala at the Chattanoogan on Friday (disclosure: I’ve been a longtime supporter of this fine organization, even though my hammering skills were long ago judged to be lacking), and the always fun Camp Chair Cinema at Center Park on Friday. Crabtree Farms is hosting their 14th Annual Spring Plant Sale and Festival all weekend, and the Volkswagen faithful from all over the Southeast are descending upon Camp Jordan for Bug-A-Paluza 16.

All in all, there are literally dozens upon dozens (upon dozens) of different “things to do in this town”. On a typical weekend. In which I didn’t even mention all the restaurants and nightclubs, the movie theaters, the parks, the shopping, the galleries, or places like the Aquarium, the Creative Discovery Museum, etc., etc.

And that’s no hogwash. - Chattanooga Pulse - Gary Poole

BACK IN AUGUST OF 2011, MARIA AND JOSH SABLE had a musical vision and needed to assemble a group of players to realize it. Three months later, Smooth Dialects hit the road in a whirlwind tour of Southeastern cities. It was a good start, and they had found a kindred spirit in bassist Ryan Crabtree. But the band wasn’t quite where they wanted it to be yet.
The addition of percussionist Chris Smith the following April brought them one important step closer. When keyboard player Mr. Golden Styles signed up later that year, all they lacked was a horn section, a role swiftly filled by Michael Royer and Josh Dunlap. All in all, their vision went from conceptualization to realization in a relatively short period of time. All that was left was to go out and make a reputation.

So what do you get when a musically gifted husband-and-wife team assembles a crack squad of musicians into one of the hottest jazz ensembles this town has seen in years? In 2012 they were voted “Best New Band” followed by “Entertainer of the Year” in 2013.

They’ve played all the major local gigs, including Nightfall, Riverfront Nights, Riverbend and Scenic City Roots. The only reason they aren’t touring nationally is...well, I don’t know, but I’d assume it’s a desire to stay close to kith and kin, because otherwise these people would be tearing it up coast to coast.

I have described them as a jazz ensemble because that was my first impression listening to their album, but defining the band becomes more problematic the longer you listen. There are a great many influences at work. In fact, the band self-describes as “jazz, funk, soul, reggae, world” music which is accurate, if a bit wordy.

How about a descriptor instead of a label? This is the band you hear in the casino when James Bond is breaking the bank on the baccarat table. When you see film clips of beautiful people driving exotic sports cars on winding European roads en route to exotic locales, this is the music they’re listening to on the radio.

Sexy, smooth, smart and classy, this is music for grown-ups, and it’s equally suited to the festival stage, a Vegas revue or the posh, upscale clubs where the guy handing out towels in the restroom makes more in tips than most musicians see in a year.

This band is sophisticated.

Maria’s vocal showcase is incomparably sweet and confident, Josh’s guitar work is impeccable, the bass and drums drive it all and the horns accent the action perfectly. Thoughtful execution lies behind every note. Their self-titled album is a work of art. “Wait for Me Lover” is the most enchanting paean to melancholic longing I’ve ever heard.

Seriously, I’ve listened to it half a dozen times so far and certain passages still make the hair on my arms stand up every time. I think the only thing that could make it any more powerful would be to see it live—and the next best opportunity for that will be April 11 at Rhythm & Brews where Smooth Dialects will be playing back-to-back with the Uptown Big Band.

The divine Miss Sable will be lending her vocal talents to both performances. If you’ve never seen or heard them, this should be one hell of an introduction. - Chattanooga Pulse - Marc Michael

Best New Act – This was easy. Smooth Dialects wins. Go see them and you will see why. Don’t trust me – see for yourself. Never before has “Sexual Healing” been done so well. I booked them at the County Fair this past year, and someday they will be one of those groups that people will say, “I once saw them at a county fair.” No way. Yes way.

Proving we're the show to come to! (That's our picture on the article too!)
http://www.chattanoogapulse.com/beginnings/news/there's-nothing-to-do-in-this-town/ - Bob Payne