Nestled within the famed Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, Garcia’s, the smaller sister venue and bar, hosted the instrumental organ-driven funk duo Soule Monde on a bristly cold evening. Warm and friendly vibes emanated inside though, whether it was from the neighborly crowd who braved the weather or Jerry Garcia’s likenesses peering from the walls, presumably with his unconditional love.
Wiley Griffin of the Brooklyn-based jam band MUN opened the night, weaving and overlapping samples of his acoustic guitar to create interesting balances of rhythm, highlighted by unique covers of Phish and John Butler Trio. Fresh on a rare MUN tour break, Griffin’s solo turn had a feel of exploration into how far he could push his sound, and for the most part was successful in staying connected with the intimate crowd.
Soule Monde, comprised of drummer Russ Lawton and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, is the duo’s side project off of their main gig as touring members of The Trey Anastasio Band. Their fluidity and rapport shined through, improvising grooves and switching beats on the turn of a dime. Lawton’s sharp lightness on the cymbals was the perfect accentuating baseline for Paczkowski’s winding overtures on his Hammond B3 organ.
With four keyboards at his disposal, often a hand on separate ones, Paczkowski created the effect of a backing band with intermittent sharp chords piercing the bubbly organ. Lawton, playing off this nuance, kept a fresh and multifaceted undercurrent, providing a heavier bass foot in his meatier turns. Weaned on the Trey School of Music, the duo expertly navigated through a great jam set, turning in a perfect homage to Jerry at Garcia’s.
-Photos and Words by Aaron Glick [Instagram]
