Itibere Orquestra Familia - Teatro Alvaro de Carvalho Florianopolis, Brazil 5/19/04 (video)
It’s kind of funny in pairing a couple items to talk about just how often there’s an unintended similar theme between them, in this case it just happens to be about child prodigies. From what I understand Hermeto Pascoal finally retired his Grupo, leaving the individual musicians to new projects, and in bassist Itibere Zwarg’s case, it’s taking the music of Hermeto to a new band made of children. I mean it’s amazing seeing grown adults navigate some of these compositions, but seeing a group whose average age has to be in the early teens nail some of these thorny pieces is really encouraging. Pascoal wrote like a fiend, so there are definitely a few pieces here I’m totally unfamiliar with. I can only hope that so many of these players can continue the Pascoal legacy in such a manner. Now I want to check out the CD.
Derek Trucks and the Dominators - The Cavern, Atlanta 1991 (video)
There’s only one child prodigy on stage here, a very young (I believe 12 years old) Derek Trucks. Trucks is an impressive guitar player as an adult, but as a kid fronting his own band (well, sorta) Trucks has rare talent. There’s something about him, even this young, that makes the second guitarist want to step up, and like Warren Haynes on the fairly recent Beacon Theatre DVD, the other players on this set seems intent on playing as many notes as possible. Obviously this isn’t mature Trucks, he’s got all the basics of slide guitar down, but he doesn’t have that almost sublime and gentle control over his phrasing that he’d develop in the next decade. But you only tend to think of this kind of thing after watching a 12 year old tear it up. The music is mostly blues number and covers, including from the Allman Brothers he’d later join (Hendrix’s “Little Wing” as well), none of which are particularly interesting, mostly because the second guitarist/vocalist seems like he just walked in from a metal group. For me, Trucks’ laid back approach even this young is far more fulfilling than the whole “watch me shred” vibe, which seems out of place in this sort of format, on the other hand you have to give it to the band helping this young talent get well needed experience.