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JULY 27�AUG. 3, 2022
THE OPENING ACT
RAISING THE CURTAIN
ON THIS WEEK’S ISSUE
What we’re into: G. Love and Special Sauce
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Lisa Britton
Go! Editor
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I’ve been driving a lot this summer
— 45 minutes, twice a day to get to my
job in Baker City from my home in La
Grande. While all that extra time in the
car can be a drag, it’s provided me with
a lot of extra time to listen to music
(which I especially like to do while driv-
ing and staring at mountains).
One avenue I’ve had the pleasure of
exploring is Philadelphia artist G. Love
and his band Special Sauce.
In my mind, G. Love and Special
Sauce blends elements of the blues
and ’90s hip-hop with acoustic licks
— elements that when blended in the
wrong way might sometimes create an
unsavory concoction — in an incredibly pleasing way.
Most of the band’s songs feature G. Love, born Garret Dutton,
either rapping or singing over some kind of basic snare and
bass-driven hip-hop beat provided by drummer Jeff rey Clem-
ens and bassist Jim Prescott. His Philly accent, which might be
Sarah Smith
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Sam Reider, ‘Petrichor’
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Jazz pianist Sam Reider can sound
refl ective or restless, pensive or playful,
sometimes in adjacent measures.
“Petrichor” is the solo debut al-
bum from Reider, who sings and plays
accordion for the jazz-bluegrass group
Human Hands. His new release features
eight original instrumentals that echo
Debussy, Chopin, Gershwin, James
Booker and Keith Jarrett, among others,
but the end result is delightfully distinc-
tive.
Reider recently moved back to his
hometown of San Francisco, and he says
the music was inspired by the region’s
landscape. He mixes melodic moments
with discordant intervals, serving up
splashes of color in a range of registers.
His explorations lead to subtle undula-
tions, modulations and roller-coaster
runs as notes tinkle, thunder, sing and
shimmer before reaching satisfying con-
clusions.
unfamiliar to some in Eastern Oregon,
makes the tracks funky and fun.
But many tracks also maintain
groovy and soothing guitar patterns
that generate positive energy.
Whatever the infl uence, the band’s
music always sounds raw and un-
produced, messy and almost sloppy,
which keeps me interested for an
entire album.
The band’s 1994 album, “G. Love
and Special Sauce,” is probably my
favorite, featuring mellow tracks like
“This Ain’t Living” and “Baby’s Got
Sauce.”
The group’s newest album, “Phila-
delphia Mississippi,” which was released June 24, I must admit,
is not my favorite — but don’t let that discourage you from
checking out this funky group from Philly next time you are driv-
ing around Eastern Oregon.
— Clayton Franke, intern, Baker City Herald
Choice cuts include the title tune, an
up-tempo gem with a rollicking bass line,
and “Land’s End,” a blue waltz built on a
wandering three-note rhythmic pattern.
It’s never certain where those notes will
land, and on “Petrichor,” that’s one more
reason to keep listening.
— The Associated Press