Venue: Sputnik – svetovna kavarna / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 04.05.2008
Attendance: 150
Ticket price: 0,00€
If anyone still claims that nothing interesting ever happens in Slovenia when it comes to live music, they should just check out the list of legends who’ve played here lately. Adam Bomb, Josipa Lisac, Fred Frith, Gogol Bordello, and I could go on. Sure, these aren’t the big names from MTV, but music gourmets definitely know them (or at least some of them). This time, David Garfield and his band The Cats rolled into Ljubljana, to the Sputnik café.
Some of you might be wondering who David Garfield even is. He’s a world-class keyboardist who has already played with names like Steve Lukather (Toto), Cher, Eros Ramazzotti, George Benson and many others. Basically, the guy made his living working with big stars, but he’s also been doing his own thing on the side. The Cats lineup also features bassist John Pena (Christopher Cross, Tânia Maria, Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather,…), guitarist James Harrah (Madonna, Bruce Willis, Jewel, Elton John, Laura Branigan, Peter Cetera, Kenny Loggins,…), singer Alex Ligertwood (who sang with Carlos Santana for sixteen years), and newcomer Forrest Robinson on drums, who replaced former Zappa sideman Chad Wackerman.
Right from the start it was clear we were in for a wild show. They kicked off with a jazz-rock instrumental and tacked a couple of chords from Sunshine of Your Love by Cream onto the end. From there they moved on to a mix of original material and covers, with Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles, Georgy Porgy by Toto and Layla by Eric Clapton standing out. These guys kept switching styles nonstop. Funk, smooth jazz, blues, fusion, soul, AOR, pop, rock – nothing’s foreign to them. They played every style with total confidence, which is surely the result of years spent playing with such a wide variety of musicians.
Near the end of the show the lovely Neisha joined them on stage, more as a backing singer and a feast for the eyes (or eye candy, as the English-speaking natives would say). Honestly, I thought having her up there was unnecessary, since these guys owned the stage. In my opinion, that’s the kind of trick musicians should use when they aren’t good enough to pull off such a top-notch performance on their own. With the Cats, it was anything but. The crowd was fired up and the band was on fire, so Neisha felt like a mere distraction to me, much like Tinkara Kovač, who we could see at almost every major gig before she went on maternity leave. Don’t get me wrong, Neisha is a really sweet girl with a great voice, but I didn’t see why musicians of this caliber needed her. Maybe it was just a ploy to win the audience over even more.
David Garfield proved himself a first-rate keyboardist. He jumped between blues, funk, smooth jazz, fusion, rock, soul and AOR without breaking a sweat. A few times he strolled through the crowd with a portable synth, trying to fire them up even more, and it worked.
Singer Ligertwood entertained the crowd not just with his incredibly well-preserved voice, but also with his quirky dance moves, acting like a twenty-year-old. You’d never guess he’s already sixty-one. He proved himself a true frontman, and I’m not at all surprised that Carlos Santana kept him around for so long. On top of that outstanding soulful voice, which still hits all the lows and highs with ease, he’s got the charisma that’s absolutely essential.
For me, the winner of the night was guitarist James Harrah. Next to David Garfield, he was the most noticeable, and the two of them played the lion’s share of the solos together. His clean tone and melodic playing style were especially impressive. You can tell he plays with feeling, but he’s also got the chops at his fingertips.
Another seasoned member is bassist John Pena, who didn’t hold back on the skills either. A few solos and flawless playing from start to finish prove he’s a top-class bassist who belongs right alongside the greatest without question.
The drummer turned out to be an excellent replacement for the far more experienced Chad Wackerman. He brought a ton of youthful energy, which the older members of The Cats don’t seem to need at first glance, but which certainly comes in handy. At times he showed off with rhythmically complex solo bits that leave you just shaking your head in amazement.
These guys aren’t just outstanding individuals, they shone as a band too. You can see they’re real professionals with plenty of experience behind them. There were no technical or performance problems whatsoever. As expected, they didn’t slip up once, and everything was played at an enviable level. Newcomer Forrest Robinson also fit right into the team. Playing might have been a bit harder if all the music had been composed, but most of it rests on long improvisations and solos, which is where David Garfield & The Cats and their audience really come alive.
The show by a band I didn’t know all that well beforehand was truly top-notch. I can’t find enough words of praise to describe it. I’m hoping for as many gigs like this as possible in Slovenia, or at least somewhere close by, where the performers don’t stress too much about genre labels and just play whatever their hearts tell them.
Words: Rok Podgrajšek
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Setlist
1. Desert Hideaway
2. Strawberry Fields
3. Josie
4. Georgy Porgy
5. I Put A Spell on You
6. Tune for Tony
7. For The Love of You
8. Babylon Sisters
9. Low Down
10. Medley: Low Down/Stay Together/Layla/Faith…
Photo gallery
