I learned from Sam Cutler, erstwhile manager of the Grateful Dread and the Rolling Stones, that this very same venue had, at one time, been the playground for Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr., and the rest of the Ratpack. This weekend was tie dye rather than pinstripe.
The high point of the weekend was the performance of the Everyone Orchestra. Matt Butler brought another roster of top notch musicians. This rotation included Steve Kimock, Reed Mathis and Peter Prince on strings (guitar, bass, guitar), as well as John Kimock on drums. Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman, from the Trey Anastasio Band, handled horns and vocals. Other guest musicians joined as the set continued.
Truly a master of improvisation, Matt directed the orchestra on it’s meandering musical journey to ports of call unknown. The audience is not merely an observer on this voyage, but an active participant. The Everyone Orchestra is certainly an example wherein the sum of the parts outweighs the whole. The result is magic for everyone!
Check out a highlight video here.
Photos by Robbi Cohn (website)
