Twisted Pine at the Phillips Center
The genre-defying band from up north played their first show in Florida at the unique Upstage setting at the Phillips Performing Arts Center in Gainesville. The Center, located on the campus at the University of Florida, hosts traveling Broadway plays (Jesus Christ Superstar is coming next month), dance companies (Step Afrika and the Dance Alive National Ballet are coming soon), major performers (Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Pat Metheny are also coming soon), and many other attractions. In late 2017 they began a new program called Upstage for smaller acts. With the stated goal of mimicking large-city jazz clubs, the massive soundstage is transformed with tables and chairs, a cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres. Artists perform at two separate seatings at 7 and 9. Seating is limited to around 200 people per set. Using the Center’s wonderful sound system, the acoustics are unrivaled.
Twisted Pine began in Boston and has been considered a bluegrass band, but that’s not even close. With a catalog that ranges from fiddle tunes to extended improvisational suites to funk, with impeccably crafted arrangements, they are really impossible to categorize. Kathleen Parks is the primary vocalist and attacks her violin; in addition to fantastic breaks, she uses it as a rhythm instrument and adds plucked additions to many songs in a totally unique manner. And then there are her soaring vocals and her amazing range. Chris Sartori is a remarkable bassist, going from jazz lines to bowed backups that add a great emotional range to some of their songs. Dan Bui plays a steady consistent mandolin, providing a solid rhythm, and launches into some fine breaks. And then there’s Anh Phung, a flautist and vocalist whose improvisational flute solos are inspiring. Restricted to a chair because of a recent ankle injury, her vocals mesh perfectly with Parks.
Their set was as diverse as expected. Starting off with “El Chepe/The One I Love is Gone”, a sultry jazzy song with instrumental breaks by all members, they moved to the traditional “Freight Train,” updated in their own style. This was followed by “Papaya,” a song from their most recent album Right Now, that is a freeform jazz song showcasing Parks’ fluid vocals. Next up was a song selection that made me smile: Chris Sartori covering “It’s the Natural Thing To Do” by one of the most traditional bluegrass artists, Larry Sparks.
“Don’t Come Over Tonight” is a remarkable extended improvisational jazz song, with Phung’s solos getting a great crowd response, and her twinning with Parks’s fiddle break was perfect.
The band was recently in the studio and provided a few unreleased new songs, including one melody that grabbed my attention called “Goosebump Feeling.” Another new song that had the audience cheering was the uptempo number “After Midnight,” described by Parks as being written after a late-night party/jam session at a bluegrass festival… but it sure isn’t a bluegrass song. Parks owned the stage on this number, with sly looks and wonderful instrumental breaks.
They closed the set with a surprising cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” in a manner that I suspect the Beatles never could have imagined. With extended instrumental solos and tight vocals, it was a perfect ending for an inspiring set of music.
Trying to describe the group is a challenge; someone called them “chamber folk and jazz funk”. They remind me of a mashup of two of their stated influences, Lake Street Dive and Crooked Still, but they have their own sound. They are a unique, masterful ensemble of virtuoso musicians who are worth seeing whenever you get a chance.
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