Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

I first heard Mumbo Gumbo play as part of the Summertime at the Maritime free music series in Vallejo last year. I was knocked out and kept a watch on their website, www.mumbogumbo.com, to see when they would be playing within driving distance again. When I saw they would be playing at the Palms in Winters, I jumped at the chance to attend. I highly recommend the band, and the venue.

This was my first visit to the Palms in Winters and I was impressed. It?s a great place to see a band in an intimate setting. The Palms is upstairs at the old Winters Opera House and books world class performers on a regular basis. (Check the schedule at www.palmsplayhouse.com) The venue seats 220, give or take since the seating consists of rows of chairs that can be removed to provide a dance floor. The bar serves beer and wine and you must be 21 or over to attend. Advance tickets are recommended as most shows sell out. My girlfriend and I arrived in Winters the evening of April 29, to delightful weather. It reminded me hauntingly of a sultry spring evening in a small Midwestern town like the one in which I spent a great deal of time growing up. Main Street is dotted with art, gift, and antique shops, and the Palms sits directly across the street from the landmark Buckhorn Restaurant that serves the finest prime rib and rack of lamb in the countryside. If you want a great dinner before your concert, get reservations early as the Buckhorn is often completely booked on weekends.

Mumbo Gumbo is nothing short of amazing. They drive their music right into your soul where it lightens your heart and demands you get to your feet. The dancers, animated by non stop rhythm, seemed possessed with joy. About thirty percent more of those chairs could have been moved out to make more room on the dance floor, since that?s where most of the audience spent their time. Even those who don?t like to dance could not stop themselves swaying in their seats and tapping their feet. I was in desperate need of some serious dance therapy Saturday night, and that is exactly what Mumbo Gumbo served up.

The genre defying music is some combination of New Orleans? rhythm and blues, rockabilly, country waltz, ballads, Latin cumbias, rock, Afro-Cuban trance and ?mutant gypsy folk.? Never mind, it?s just damn good. The seven member band played something like thirteen different instruments throughout the show. Chris Webster makes playing the washboard sexy in a way that defies explanation. She sometimes plays sax or imitates one with uncanny accuracy. Her laid-back style and astounding talent are a large part of the band?s appeal. Tracy Walton, with her warm, inviting smile and honey-sweetened voice, fronts the group on rhythm guitar. Percussionist Rick Lotter plays like a man possessed and often looks like a man mid coitus. It?s nice to see a man enjoy his work. Reggy Marks plays a wide variety of percussion instruments and wails on soprano sax and flute. The entire band is megatalented, real easy on the eyes, and just one hell of a lot of fun.

Don?t miss a chance to see them at one of their upcoming performances. They have several Sacramento shows coming up in May and June. On June 10 they will play at a Human Rights Benefit in Davis. They play in Rancho Cordova on the Fourth of July, and make an inexpensive appearance ($10 tix) at the Sacramento Zoo concert series which features great performers every Tuesday night in June and July. And you can see them right here in V-Town during the Solano County Fair in July! A complete show schedule can be found here: http://www.mumbogumbo.com/mg/schedule.htm. Their 6 fabulous CDs and other Mumbo Gumbo goodies can be purchased here: http://www.mumbogumbo.com/mg/store.htm.

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