Since 1992, Lettuce have kept a very distinct strand of festival funk alive, but with their newest outing, Witches Stew, the band veers into uncharted cerebral territory. Recorded live at the Catskill Chill festival in Lakewood, Pa., Witches Stew pays tribute to jazz icon Miles Davis with a reimagining of seven Davis originals.
The centerpiece of LP is a full recreation of his acclaimed fusion record In A Silent Way, and the band’s Berklee education shine through as they swing and groove through these bold musical abstractions. In A Silent Way is considered by many to be Davis’ greatest creative advancement. Rock critic Lester Bangs called it “transcendental new music” that gleefully “flushes categories away.”
And in many ways, the members of Lettuce strive to do the same on this LP. Sure, it’s a bold undertaking, but the band’s all-star roster definitely has the chops (guitarists Adam Smirnoff and Eric Krasno, drummer Adam Deitch, bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes, vocalist-keyboardist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis and trumpeter Eric Bloom). Additionally, Witches Stew advances Lettuce’s prior forays into sonic experimentation, and proves that resting on their laurels is not an option.
Most tracks bust open to surpass the 10-minute mark, and needless to say the horn section thrives. There are some bite-sized grooves too, namely the funky, three and a half minute “Black Satin.” However, Lettuce are at their best when raw and unhinged, pushing their limits to honor a legend.
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
Sivad
Shhh/Peaceful
Jean Pierre
In A Silent Way/It’s About That Time
Right Now
Black Satin
TOUR
October 20 El Prado, NM @ Taos Mesa Brewing
October 21 Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
October 22 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
October 24 Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
October 25 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
October 26-27 Live Oak, FL @ Suwannee Hulaween Festival
October 28 Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
October 29 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
October 31 Asheville, NC @ New Mountain Amphitheater
December 29 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
