Joe Bataan (vcl/keys); Chris Frank (gtr); Justin Latino (alt/ten); Reuben Fowler (tpt) Mark Patto (keys); Andres Castellanos (bs gtr); Alex Reeves (dms); Andy Davie (perc); Yvonne (vcl/perc).
(Review by Lance).
Some bands build up to a peak whilst others start at the top and stay there - the Joe Bataan Band belonged to the latter category. They hit the deck running and the packed room was dancing after about 4 bars!
A contribution by Hoochie to the !Vamos! Festival, this was one of those adrenalin pumping nights that raises your pulse rate into astronomic figures and takes about 3 days to return to normal.
The veteran Bataan - 50 years an entertainer - refused to define his music as Latin, Soul or any other genre preferring to settle for World Music which, in a sense - like folk - applies to all music. The J word wasn't mentioned but when Latino and Fowler blew you were hearing jazz of the highest calibre - likewise Patto and Frank.
Bataan - surely one of the greatest acts on the Hoochie Roll of Fame - laid down soulful versions of, among others, Be My Lady Tonight; Gypsy Moon - his first hit back in 1967 - An Ordinary Guy; Street Life and the most amazing version ever of I Wish You Love. Done over a fast Latin groove this had amazing solos all round with a particularly powerful blast from Patto. Fans of the Nat King Cole version may have called it sacrilege! If they did I'm not sure what they would say about the number that followed - The Lord's Prayer! After describing a near death experience Joe told the audience how he found God, hence the piece done over a rock rhythm and all the Hoochie Heathens were suddenly, at least for tonight, Born Again Cs!
And why not? Nobody complained when Mahalia Jackson sang it at Newport so why object to Joe at Hoochie?
But this was a night when music was the religion and, to quote the Hoochie slogan "Now every true music believer has their church"
Amen!
Lance.
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