Enlightenment.
This might be an aphorism: Sometimes, a swift kick to the head takes years to arrive.
Yesterday, The Chanteuse, The Kyle (who is increasingly becoming invaluable for the logistics of all things Valentine Wolfe), and The Bass Player (thas’ me) drove to Charlotte, North Carolina to see Renaud Garcia Fons. Now, if you don’t know who RGF is, or are unfamiliar with his music, then I can truly say your life is missing something huge. I’m a King Crimson fan, so usually, the feeling I’m about to write about is alien to me: I’ve no idea how anyone could hear his music and not love it. There is very little music anymore that I feel that way about-people not liking Mozart doesn’t surprise me (it makes me wonder about them, though), people not liking King Crimson doesn’t phase me, and people not liking Rush is pretty much a hip thing to do.
Renaud played with his Arcoluz Trio for about an hour and half. If this wasn’t the best concert I’ve ever been to, it was in the top three. His playing is mesmerizing. Some fellow audience members were there as he was part of a concert series, and didn’t really know what to expect. I did, and I was still blown away.
And not just by RGF-his trio, Kiko Ruiz, Flamenco guitar; Negrito Trasante, drums & percussion were mind blowing. Negrito redefined the terms drum kit and groove, doing some truly outstanding things with hands, brushes, and making creative use of foot pedals, a well as using a log drum for both a kick and drum stool.
Kiko reminded me of Alex Lifeson-with an amazing rhythm section getting tons of focus, he just played in his quietly virtuosic way, and his solo moments were pretty intense.
I’ve never heard or seen ANY group that listened, communicated, and played off each other as well as the Arcoluz trio. It was pretty much an hour plus demonstration of everything that is good, best, and right about music…which, when you’re trying to make a living at it, in all the various ways we do, this can get lost in translation some how.
I have no idea how RGF isn’t as famous, if not more so, than artists like Yo-Yo Ma or Lang Lang…he’s just that good. Links are located at the end of the post. On a final note: I got to meet him and went totally fan boy, but quietly. He’s important to us because RGF is one of the main inspirations that showed us Valentine Wolfe is possible.
I had no idea how possible or how much music I was leaving on the table until last night. Thank you Renaud!
Even would be rockstars can be fanboys sometimes...