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Its odd to report on a band that one is in, but what the heck?This is America, the land of the free and the home of the braveself-promoters. Even Walt Whitman used to write glowing reviews ofLeaves of Grass in the newspapers he worked at. Of course, they wereanonymous reviews, so no one really knew. At least I'm being up frontabout it.
All Catholic guilt and conflict of interest aside, the short storyis: Sage is gearing up to play again. The original members, TimBritton, Robert Reeder, Daniel Sperry, and Jimmy Moore, will bejoined by George Foster on acoustic bass. When Sage performed tosold-out audiences at Fairfield's Spayde Theatre in 1997 and '98, itsemotionally evocative blend of folk rock was well received and muchenjoyed. A beautiful CD, At Home in the Middle of Nowhere, recordedat the home of Stephen and Gillian Foster, received favorable reviewsin regional music publications. The group eventually drifted apartand never looked back. That is, until now.
It's an unusual collection of instruments and talents. Tim Brittonplays uillean pipes, whistles, flute, percussion, and mandolin. Abona fide Celtic oracle (certainly an Irish music ambassador at anyrate), Tim's arms and elbows billow, his feet tap, his head bobs, allthe while emitting intricate rolling riffs. More than playing, it'slike he breathes the pipes in and out, becomes one with them. One ofthe most respected uillean (means "elbow") pipers in the country, Timhas performed with the Chieftains, toured Ireland many times,received a write up in Time Magazine, and plays in a wonderful bandcalled Chulrua. He is a lifelong musician whose father was a folksinger and mother, an agent. I had lusted to play with him for yearspurely on the basis of his vibe and reputation. He is also anaudiophile and extraordinary sound engineer.
Daniel Sperry weighs in on the cello, though he's also a giftedmulti-instrumentalist. He improvises at the drop of a hat on aninstrument that is not usually regarded as a jammer's delight,crawling in and out of any musical time-space continuum. He hasplayed on many recordings and once studied with Nelson Cooke, the manwho played cello on the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." The son of acellist mom, Daniel grew up inundated. In Nashville he hooked up withMac Gayden (incredible slide guitarist ["Crazy Mama"] andco-writer of the timeless classic "Everlasting Love"), playing andrecording with his band Skyboat. A singer, songwriter, and warrior ofthe spirit, Daniel's honesty and mellifluous fluidity greases all themusical squeaky wheels.
George Foster adds a wonderful dimension with his Martin acousticbass. Formerly with the reggae groove band Bamboo, George is also amonster improviser. He has a deft touch and a golden ear. The abilityto play in and with the silence, to honor the gaps and tumbling holesand not rush in to fill them, is a great gift and an intuitive partof George's makeup. His work in the nether regions of the aurallandscape allows Daniel to float and roam over a much wider range ofterritory. More freedom of expression for all is the result.
Singer/songwriter/guitarist/percussionist Robert Reeder is arugged guy with a tender heart, equally adept doing construction orpreparing a gourmet meal, reading Louis Lamour or Jalaluddin Rumi,managing a company or writing poetry. Robert spent a couple ofdecades in Los Angeles working as a staff writer for a number oflabels and publishing houses. He loves to sing, loves to drum, lovesto play. We spent four or five years writing together three to fourtimes a week during the heyday of Sage. His impeccable sense oftiming anchors the band, his powerful vocals are a highlight, hisfacile lyrical insights and work ethic key motivators for itssuccess.
In the old days, Sage polished and paraded its wares with chiseledaplomb and concise exactitude. The opposite of reckless abandon, itwas a tightly sewn, carefully orchestrated, all-original series ofperformances complete with candles, programs, pre-sold tickets, evenreserved seating, with four strong male personalities giving voiceand expression to songs of love and loss. One of my friends likes toneedle me by comparing Sage, on the feeling level, to Montavani,Yanni, or even John Tesh. His way of saying it's too flowery, tooco-dependent, not nitty gritty enough. Though I would defend therecording and the material as standing on their own merits, I can seehis point. There is a sentimentality that doesn't duck its headmuch.
But this new configuration is not your mother's Sage, so to speak.It's harder for me to write lyrics these days for some reason,finding something worth saying that isn't redundant, preachy, orkiss-ass. The last two songs Robert and I wrote are called "Ain'tGoing Back" and "Mexican Hat." They are sparse, simple, direct. But Ilove the magical realism of the free-form improvisations. Letting themusic speak for itself, letting it take you where it wants to go.Robert will be playing djembe (African hand drum) on many of thetunes. The show will be a looser affair, with the occasional covertune thrown in for good measure. You can expect to hear some materialfrom At Home in the Middle of Nowhere and even a tribute to theshameless Walt Whitman himself.
All bias aside, this is a worthy group of guys to catch, apowerful contingent of some of Fairfield's finest musicians.
Hear Sage at the Three Treasures Tea Room on the south side of theFairfield square, April 6 at 8:00 p.m.
