ZELAZOWA (w. The Gentlemen): Friday, March 4 – 8pm. $15
ROB LEVIT TRIO: Thursday, March 10 – 8pm. $20
Stoltz Listening Room
Box Office: 410.822.7299
Zelazowa means something like “steel will” and is the birthplace of Chopin in Poland. Not sure what this indie rock outfit from Philly has in common with the famous composer, but the steel will bit seems fitting. The guys in Zelazowa, who have been at it for the better part of a decade, rock hard, without borders, and with a good deal of passion. From the sounds of their 3rd DIY recording, Elephants on a Mouse Hunt, it seems obvious that the members love what they do, and, rather refreshingly, don’t lose any sleep when a song doesn’t end up in a catchy chorus like the listener might assume it’s working towards. Songs bounce around from something Pavement-sounding to what could be a Strokes b-side.
And nothing says rock n' roll quite like the kind of over-the-top attitude with which the band’s lead singer spits out lyrics. It’s the voice of a rock star to be, completely capable of hitting the high note with some vibrato to spare. Solid rock quartet from Towson The Gentlemen open the show, which makes Friday evening’s Stoltz affair the destination of choice for those about to rock.
So Zelazowa, we salute you.
Guitarist Rob Levit currently resides in Annapolis, MD and splits time between the life of a recording jazz musician and cofounder of an arts-based nonprofit. With some 15 commercially available compact discs, though, it becomes clear just how hard it is (and how much luck one sometimes needs) to just play jazz music for a living.
Levit comes from the NYC jazz scene where in 1994 he released Singularity - part Pat Metheny, part Ornette Coleman, part Sam Rivers, nonetheless a 100% original jazz recording that trail blazed Levit's rise on the national jazz scene. Still, the closest he’s come to stardom was with his 2005 CD Touch the Spirit, a solo instrumental guitar album that received critical acclaim and climbed to #11 on the national New Age/World Music charts.
For a leader and co-leader of bands that have played gigs such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Boston Globe Jazz Festival, and Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, it’s truly a treat for jazz fans to be able to sit 10 feet from a musician of Levit’s stature in a 60-seat Easton venue.
This makes the March 10th edition of the Avalon’s Stoltz Jazz Series a must-see for fans of jazz guitar and/or the likes of Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, and the aforementioned Metheny.
-D.E. Ferraris
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