Vernon Reid won't be hiding behind Masque
For Vernon Reid, life is all about the edges. It's about pursuing individuality at any cost, which Reid has done whether playing with Living Colour (which opened the Rolling Stones' "Steel Wheels" tour), collaborating with the Roots and Carlos Santana, producing tracks for James "Blood" Ulmer and Salif Keita, or serving as the driving force behind his new band, Masque, which comes to town nextweek.
"I'm just trying to find my own trip," says Reid, a nonconformist at almost every level. "There's a very well-studied, adept, very clean profile of the modern musician these days, but there are very few unique characters out there. We've gotten away from that."
Reid has a point. He has a low-key personality, but his character stands out in his music. In his stellar guitar playing, he mixes shredding speed and subtle melodies and bridges progressive rock, free jazz, blues, and what he calls "psychedelic weirdness." His influences run from Ornette Coleman to the Beatles -- and it's all part of the fusion-rock stew in "Known Unknown," the new all-instrumental record from Vernon Reid & Masque, which headlines Johnny D's on Thursday.
"Artistically I've been into a bunch of things . . . I'm certainly not into making the same music over and over," says Reid, the London-born, Brooklyn-raised guitarist who in recent years has reunited Living Colour and made an album with the Yohimbe Brothers, which consists of Reid and DJ Logic.
"This is a dream life to have been in the presence of so many artists known and unknown," says Reid, whose new album is on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, also home to Boston guitarist Johnny A, whom Reid admires. "Johnny is looking for a personal approach in his playing," says Reid. "And those are the guys I like."
Next week, Reid will play a number of the new Masque songs (the group now includes drummer Marlon Browden from John Scofield's band) and likely add a cover of Radiohead's "The National
NEMO deadline -- The submission deadline to be among the 250 bands participating in the NEMO Music Festival (spread over 21 local clubs Oct. 1-2) is May 31. Details are at nemoboston
.com. All submissions need to include two copies of a band's music on CD or cassette and a 30-word-or-less description of the group for the NEMO directory. There's also a submission fee of $30.Caught in the clubs
Fancy Trash at Toad This band may be only a three-piece acoustic-based unit (with upright bass, no less), but it rocked with intelligence and a wealth of melody.
Ice-Nine at Bill's Bar These Swampscott teens were part of the recent WBCN/Berklee College of Music High School Battle of the Bands. The group didn't win, but was a worthy finalist with its nervy, post-blink-182 punk-pop.
Bits and pieces -- Jimmy Buffett's Fenway Park shows sold out in 30 minutes. . . . Scissor Sisters have canceled at T.T. the Bear's on Sunday . . . Josh Ritter has been added to the Friday night program at the Newport folk festival, Aug. 6. . . . The first Kids in Need benefit is at T.T.'s next Thursday with Black Helicopter, Thalia Zedek, and Valerie Forgione. . . . The Dresden Dolls have joined the Lollapalooza tour for this summer and will play both dates at the Tweeter Center Aug. 14-15. . . . New Cape Cod Melody Tent shows on sale today: Melissa Etheridge (June 17), Shaggy (June 30), Hanson (July 19), Jimmy Cliff (Aug. 5), and B.B. King Blues Festival (Aug. 31). . . . Catie Curtis and Garrison Starr perform at the Borders in Braintree on May 30 (6 p.m.) and Borders in Downtown Crossing on May 31 (12:30 p.m.). . . . The original Jam Cruise has its third installment leaving Jacksonville, Fla., on Jan. 6 for four days. Acts include Galactic, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Sound Tribe Sector 9. Details at www.jamcruise.com. . . . Tonight: Eyedea & Abilities at Matrix, Damn Personals at the Middle East Upstairs, Lloyd Cole opens two nights at the Paradise Lounge, Love Dogs at the Sea Note in Hull. . . . Tomorrow: The Strokes at the Orpheum, Loveless at T.T.'s.
