photo: Michael Mesker
Tres Caballeros, the new album by jazz rock fusion trio The Aristocrats, is a bit more relaxed and leas in your face than their previous records. This time Guthrie Govan (guitar), Bryan Beller (bass) and Marco Minnemann (drums) entered the Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood after a successful world tour that made them into an even tighter unit plus they had booked Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA for a four-night stand to test the new songs in front of a live audience. Recordings weren't rushed because lack of other pressing commitments. More overdubs, a piano, keyboards and some vocals on one track (the biggest surprise) signal a subtle change of pace for the band.
Skill and humor are the two corner stones of their music. Right off the bat with the album's rocking Minneman opener Stupid 7 (because it's in 7/8) The Aristocrats are pulling the listener into their own world. Longtime followers of the trio will appreciate the second installment of the life and times of small time crook Furtive Jack in Guthrie Govan's Jack's Back. A real life incident inspired Bryan Beller to write Texas Crazypants after he was cornered on a parking lot by three screaming females accusing him of damaging their car. The Lone Star state gets another shout out in Minneman's ZZ Top, a twisted boogie prog rave up that will turn some heads among music students.
During their live concerts they spice things up with squealing noises of a plastic pig and chicken, but after given it some thought the pig didn't' make an appearance on the aptly titled Govan showcase Pig’s Day Off (the DVD extra includes Pig’s Day On and it isn't as good, they choose wisely). Beller goes Morricone in his composition Smuggler’s Corridor, with Govan laying down flawless Latin runs and Beller leading a small choir doing "Ähaa-Ahaa-Ahaa", a dead ringer for audience participation.
Minneman's Pressure Relief is a surprisingly gentle tune, lacking his usual weirdness. Live on the road can take its toll and this song is used as a breather to get away from the grueling itinerary as the drummer for three successful touring acts (Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani and The Aristocrats). By complete contrast are the fast-paced opening bars of the country-tinged Govan track The Kentucky Meat Shower, that turns into heavy metal for a bit without warning. Named after an incident in 1876 it was shared on YouTube as a lead single. Beller wraps things up with the meandering slow jazz metal track Through The Flower, from the German Durch die Blume gesagt, meaning criticizing something in a friendly way.
Tres Caballeros is an inspired album by three musicians who deeply respect each others command of their chosen instrument. In the accompanying DVD they offer some insight about the recording process. As per usual they contributed three tracks each and the demos of one member could get the other two on the wrong foot, because of his lack of knowledge and capability to perform an instrument that is not his own. And it's nice to have some of those demos enabling the listener to follow the path from idea to full-on finished recording.
The album will be released in a Standard Edition (CD) and Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD), which will include a 30-minute documentary featuring live and in-studio footage, outtakes, demos, and more. Release date: June 23. Pre-order from their website.
Tracks (CD):- Stupid 7
- Jack’s Back
- Texas Crazypants
- ZZ Top
- Pig’s Day Off
- Smuggler’s Corridor
- Pressure Relief
- The Kentucky Meat Shower
- Through The Flower
- The Legend of Tres Caballeros
- Tres Caballeros Sitdown
- ZZ Top alternative take
- Pressure Relief take 1
- Screw The Flowers
- Pig’s Day On
- Pressure Relief take 3 solo section
- Pig’s Day Off demo
- Texas Crazypants demo
- Stupid 7 demo
- 07/06 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
- 07/07 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
- 07/08 Santa Cruz, CA @ Don Quixote's
- 07/10 Portland, OR @ Star Theater
- 07/11 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
- 07/12 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
- 07/14 Boise, ID @ Reef
- 07/15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club X
- 07/17 Denver, CO @ Quixote's True Blue
- 07/19 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
- 07/20 Des Moines, IA @ The Gaslamp
- 07/21 St. Paul, MN @ The Amsterdam Bar And Hall
- 07/24 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
- 07/25 Indianapolis, IN @ Birdy's
- 07/26 Cincinnati, OH @ The Mad Frog
- 07/28 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
- 07/29 Pittsburgh, PA @ Hard Rock Café
- 07/30 Columbus, OH @ Skully's
- 07/31 Detroit, MI @ Token Lounge
- 08/01 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
- 08/03 Ottawa, ON @ The Rainbow Bistro
- 08/04 Montreal, QC @ TBD
- 08/05 Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater
- 08/07 Boston, MA @ The Middle East
- 08/08 New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza
- 08/09 Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
- 08/10 Washington, DC @ Jammin' Java
- 08/11 Raleigh, NC @ Pour House
- 08/13 Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
- 08/14 Atlanta, GA @ TBD
- 08/15 Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
- 08/16 St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
- 08/17 Kansas City, MO @ The Scene
- 08/18 Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
- 08/20 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
- 08/21 Austin, TX @ The Roost
- 08/22 Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX @ The Sanctuary
- 08/24 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
- 08/26 Phoenix, AZ Club Red
- 08/27 Mexicali, Mexico @ Teatro De Estado
- 08/28 San Diego, CA @ Price Center Ballroom East, UCSD
- 08/29 Riverside, CA @ Romano’s Concert Lounge
- 08/30 Los Angeles, CA @ King King
- 11/16 Cologne, Germany @ Kantine
- 11/17 Dortmund, Germany @ Piano
- 11/18 Frankfurt, Germany @ Zoom
- 11/20 Nurnberg, Germany @ Luise Cultfactory
- 11/21 Stuttgart, Germany @ Venue TBA
- 11/22 Reichenbach, Germany @ Bergkeller
- 11/24 Munich, Germany @ Strom
- 11/25 Bratislava, Slovakia @ Majestic Musik Club
- 11/26 Nove Mesto, Slovakia @ Blue Note
- 11/27 Bochnia, Poland @ Oratorium Sw. Kingi
- 11/28 Warszaw, Poland @ Venue TBA
- 11/30 Berlin, Germany @ Kesselhaus
- 12/02 Hamburg, Germany @ Fabrik
- 12/04 Larvik, Norway @ Bolgen
- 12/06 Istanbul, Turkey @ Venue TBA
- 12/07 Bucharest, Romania @ Silver Church
- 12/09 Zoetermeer, Netherlands @ De Boerderij
- 12/10 Verviers, Belgium @ Spirit of 66
- 12/13 Edinburgh, Scotland @ Liquid Room
- 12/15 Manchester, England @ Club Academy
- 12/16 Birmingham, England @ Temple
- 12/17 Bristol, England @ Bierkeller
- 12/18 London, England @ Heaven
- 12/19 Brighton, England @ The Haunt
- 12/20 Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie
HCTF review of Secret Show: Live In Osaka.
