The Evolution of Sauce Pocket: Improvisational Perfection
Charles Griffin and I were talking evolution. Musical evolution. We were listening to Sauce Pocket headlining the first night of the inaugural Fox Fam Jam at Florida Sand Music Ranch April 10. Their set began at 10:20. When they finally finished their “first song,” it was 11:21!
Jaw-dropping!
That really kicked the discussion into gear. When, exactly, did Sauce Pocket evolve into this astounding force of nature?
Let’s go WAAAAY back… to late 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, when Riley O’Brien and Taylor Ivie and a couple of friends put together Ancient Astroknauts, a psychedelic jam band out of Jacksonville. A saxophone player joined them for their second show at No Resolutions in December of that year. Saxophone was a regular feature by Orange Blossom Jamboree 2022, when it was also determined that the band name might evoke thoughts of “I’m not saying it was aliens…”. They became Sauce Pocket.
As often happens, members come and go. Steve Rose, the master musician with S.P.O.R.E. (bass) and Greenhouse Lounge (guitar), came on board and helped give the band new direction. The new keyboard player was also great. Their music was based on great improvisation: rock, jazz, funk, prog, disco, and more. Their album releases use made-up song and album titles after they listen to the live recordings. Matt Horhota had taken over the saxophone chair and crushed it every time out.
As the band was preparing for Whippersnap Music & Arts Festival in February, they were considering asking multi-instrumentist Kyle Sareyani to play flute with them when the band’s keyboard player left the group. Enter Sareyani on keyboards! Sareyani leads his own 15-piece band (Mr. Whiskers and the Nine Lives) and also plays in Displace.
And Sareyani has been working with Tampa master musician Joe Cosas, also an amazing multi-instrumentalist. Cosas was on stage at Whippersnap on keyboards and trombone!
That Whippersnap set was incredible, especially the Kanika Moore guest slot. All of her other sit-ins were scripted, but this one was straight-up improv. Then Sauce Pocket tore it up at Skipper’s Smokehouse March 27 with the same six-member lineup, absolutely brilliant. I was/am still attempting to write about that set when last night happened.
DAMN
Our evolution discussion occurred as Charles asked me when Sauce Pocket turned into this titanic sextet. Hence the evolution discussion. Now about this show:
The use of in-ears, the system where the band members can talk to each other through earphones during the show, gives a band the extra capability of reshaping and redirecting the jam as it evolves (there’s that word again). All members can hear; Sareyani, Rose, and drummer O’Brien could speak into the system. This, apparently, was the first time where the system worked to perfection.
That first 61-minute jam was ridiculous (enter all the superlative adjectives you like here). The dance floor erupted, and even the band members were surprised they have rolled through so many superb changes and tempos and grooves without a pause. Taylor Ivie on bass works so well with O’Brien’s vibrant drumming, always filling in great little segments here and there on top of the primary beat.
Rose on guitar continues to surprise regardless of the dozens of times I have seen him play. He dips in and out of entanglements with Horhota, who makes great use of his sax and his electronic effects, and with Sareyani and Cosas, the keyboard masters. When Cosas grabs his trombone for interplay with Horhorta, it is a sheer delight.
The band took a two-minute breather before diving back into the jam pool for their second (and last!) song, all 40 minutes of it right up until curfew (and three minutes past). Again the party people in the crowd erupted with joy and applause.
I can confess two things at once: I consider these musicians great friends, and, regardless, I firmly believe they belong at any and all jam festivals; they are truly titanic (HINT, HINT: Hulaween, Jam Cruise, and beyond).
If you’re heading to Resonate Suwannee at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park next weekend, be sure to catch their set. LOTS MORE TO COME!
(Yes, somebody recorded the show. YES, I will try to snag it and upload it pronto!)
Sauce Pocket
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