the sunday jazz @ lola's last night

my friend kory cook from the sons of hercules called last night. he was in the area playing some shows with todd snider and was looking for a jazz jam where he could sit in, so i directed him to lola's, where dave karnes and crew would be holding forth. since we hadn't seen il karnaggio in way too long, my sweetie and i fell by lola's too and she took some pics, which in the fullness of time will be posted on her photo blog.

karnes and co. sounded great. dave's been playing a lot of dates with le freak, as well as a cover band and a blues band. he says the three-hour disco gigs are tearing up his hands but he's making bank and he didn't appear to be losing his chops; in fact, he did a lot of things i'd never heard him do before. the band -- with drew phelps' son nathan taking his dad's place on bass alongside paul metzger and joey carter -- has a really nice dynamic, very open and free. "caravan," "nostalgia in times square," and an _out_ "footprints" were highlights, and paul recited some "beatnik poetry." he and joey will be playing some bertha coolidge dates later this month, and they've been writing material in preparation for recording a bertha cd at johnny reno's studio. (we need to make it to the scat lounge to catch them with johnny, too.)

oaklin bloodworth and ron the train man did their usual spots and while the first sit-in drummer was up, dave told me about the time he had nathan brown sub for him on a clint strong gig at lambert's. kory got to play the last three songs of the set and got to throw in some nawlins second line on the last toon. he's working for kut radio in austin now and says the sons have a new rekkid, altho my homeboy casino el camino is no longer in the band. 'twas good to see him and i'm hoping to do so again if i go to austin in march.