“Come On Now Baby” - Live at Underground Wonder Bar Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 16, 2017 - Kristiina Heptig

 

This dynamic quartet brought an action-packed night of a gritty-jazz-roots sort of fusion during a recent night at the Underground Wonder Bar. I am here to tell you that the Fletch Towell Band’s talent is just too significant to ignore.

 

FTB easily dug in and locked down the groove: as founding member, lead vocals & pianist Fletch Towell opened with “Come On Now Baby”, an original song with a symphonic wave of sound produced on keyboard, as the electric guitar chimed in with slick guitar licks.  Jim Dodis added all the embellishments necessary for a full-frontal, well-rounded attack. Bassist Phil Chester fluid style echoed and deepened the hook melody. Chester moved seamlessly up and down the bass’ neck like a cat padding around on soft paws while drummer Mark Martinelli fired oscillating shots at all the right times.

 

The vocals were original, gritty, rock through and through. The, bass, keyboard, drums, and electric guitar moved into a display of musicianship that was, overall, very satisfying. Of course, the deepest progressive blues required the keyboard & guitar to swirl in the syncopated gumbo of continually mashed up musical styles, cross-pollinating and creating musical hybrids from raw materials such as roots, rock-n-roll, blues, jazz, swing, R&B, and of course, indie.

 

In an era consumed with EDM, FTB is a whole other wave of band that cherishes chops, improvisation, and fearless genre-mashing. The success they’ve achieved is grassroots, built on talent and work. FTB is the antidote to the style-over-substance music industry that has prevailed over the last decade. These four guys are taking risks. They create moments that rise above the standard. Their art is about capturing sound, and they own a niche with an improvisational edge. Their songs run the gamut;from beautiful to aggressive to adventurous, and, as an added bonus, they are damn near fabulous in their execution.