It’s just the place for a weary heart and that place is wherever SoulMates are performing. Exhaustion, grief, frustration all take a seat in the back of the mind when Reinhardt Melz starts that cool groove and Jay “Bird” Koder eases into sonic sweetness with Jarrod Lawson joining on the keys. It happens with the very first bar, the first measure… SoulMates are a refuge for the heart. Monday nights are alright at Quimby’s.

That sweet sexy soul came right us from the opening instrumentals. Sure, we know that the instrumentals are supposed to be the warm-ups but for the audience, they may well be the cool-downs from the harsh day… preparing to get you warmed again in the right way.

The opening number slows you down just right. It is a gentle recline into musical repose and cares begin to wash away.  Then into a cool blues send-out to Michael Magaurn, who loves the blues. You start to breathe easier now. But then the trading between the guitar and the keys kind of gets your heart going again…and Reinhardt…well, Reinhardt is dropping this blues groove that has been described as being like a drum solo with keyboard and guitar laid over it. The guitar alternates between charming and haunting blues.

When the piece ended, Michael Magaurn—a former drummer—complimented Reinhardt’s performance.  It was something that would need to be repeated after the next song…

Bird introduced it as “a little something from the Caribbean.” Reinhardt dove headlong into the rhythm as if he were diving into the blues waters off St. Croix. He was playing only his drum kit but it sounded that there were steel drums, maracas, guiros and congas being played by ten different people. Bird played underneath with rapid-fire guitar licks and Jarrod kept a solid structure throughout. This was stuff to warm you up in the right way. The applause was riotous.

What followed was one of the most perplexing exchanges I have ever heard between Jarrod and Bird. Bird looks to Jarrod and asks, “What do you feel like doing?” Jarrod’s reply was, “I dunno... Feel like making love.” Now, of course, we all know that he was referring to his choice of the next piece as being the song Feel Like Making Love by Roberta Flack. Still, it made me tilt my head like a confused puppy when I heard it. Getting past that, SoulMates’ rendition of the Roberta classic was as soulful as it ever was.

Immediately after this song concluded, Jarrod then asked Bird, “What you thinking ‘bout, Jay?” I swallowed my drink quickly in fear of what his answer might be because I didn’t want to spray anyone near. Fortunately, the next selection was She’s Right (And I’m Wrong).

It was fine blues; so fine that all I could do was close my eyes and just hear it. Bird’s undercurrent was slow-moving and delicate. The guitar solo was fascinating—not blistering or intricate but enthralling in the choice of chord changes and tempo. Bird kept up that magic throughout the song. Jarrod’s powerful vocals in the bridge could almost make the hearer overlook that guitar thread.  All the while, Reinhardt has a fine groove of his own which does not draw attention away but is completely supportive.

This is the thing: to use a word like “supportive” may bring to mind a style of playing that is less than refined or simply in the background. This is not the support given by SoulMates. Their support is in terms of holding up, of providing a structure, which is based on complete mastery. It means that the playing allows for the listener’s attention to go elsewhere. Reinhardt’s playing on this piece allows you to hear Bird’s guitar and Jarrod’s vocals. That is musicianship.

What followed was a rare treat. Let’s Stay Together is one of my favorite pieces of all time and it has been a long time coming into SoulMates’ playlist. It was worth the wait.

Let’s stay together
Loving you whether
Times are good or bad
Happy or sad

This is the happy refrain that is indicative of SoulMates’ approach to life and love. It is something that I have learned from them or, at least, have been reminded by them so often.  In friendship and fellowship, let’s stay together.

Bird acknowledged Jarrod after the song by calling him “the Locksmith of Love.” Jarrod has been given more aliases than Billy the Kid: “The Man Made of Soul,” “Everything He Touches Turns to Soul,” “The Truth,” “The Voice,” and more that have escaped my memory for the moment. But you get the point that nicknames speak of characteristics and Jarrod’s epithets speak plenty about him.

The truth of the nicknames was fully in evidence when they broke into September for the next song on the set list. Jarrod doesn't reprise the electro-funk version of Earth, Wind and Fire, but writes sweet sexy soul all over it, SoulMates style.

Likewise, Bird creates a guitar melody with a repeated four-note descending scale that draws the listener into the ease of the soul. When the song returns to the vocals, all is at peace.

At the end of the song, an audience member asked incredulously, "Are you KIDDING me?" Jay "Bird" answers with simply, "SoulMates, baby."

The next song was shouted out to the lovely Monica... "and her boyfriend." Jarrod corrected with "fiancee" to which Jonah responded, "THANK you." Everyone knew what was to follow, as it is the one song continually requested by the cutest couple there or anywhere.

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay was rendered with such wistfulness that it turns Redding's blues upside down. Jarrod's delivery and Bird's guitarcraft steal the despair from the song and leave it with a smile. The audience loved it and Peter was shouting his approval from early on.

Reinhardt cuts straight into the groove for You Were Meant for Me. If you have read these articles for any length of time at all, you know how much Donny Hathaway means to me. You know how much SoulMates mean to me. So, you will have no problem in determining what impact it has on me when SoulMates do a Donny Hathaway tune.

But this one in particular... all three SoulMates take possession of this song like few others. There is a gentleness and a devotion in their delivery that is breathtaking. The chord changes and the solos and the vocals and the rhythm rain down pure paradise in the hearing of it. Sublime.

By request, Can't Hide Love was the next and final song of the first set. SoulMates turn loose the church-funk on this one and Peter reacts with joy to it. There is the call and response between vocals and guitar but then the audience picks up the response and soul-church is now in session. When the coda comes around, almost every voice in Quimby's is full-throated in their joining with the vocals. 

As the set concluded, Jay "Bird" introduced the band with the words, "SoulMates! At the drums...Mr. Reinhardt Melz! And in this corner... the man made of soul himself, Mr. Jarrod Lawson!" Jarrod took over the intros with "And the Fingers of Fury... Mr. Jay "Bird" Koder!" A satisfying set.

After the intermission, Jarrod began the keyboard introduction and Reinhardt joins in as Bird picks up his guitar and Bird looks wide-eyed over at Jarrod and says, "I was going to call that, I swear." The song was Colours of the Day. It is a slow blues/soul bit that allows lots of room for vamp and drizzle and SoulMates turn it on. Truth is, the best portion of the song is what SoulMates do with it during the vamping. Just turn these guys loose and magic is the result.

It is a cool slide into Man4U which follows right on the heels. This is Bird's great composition--and he has many--that is just riveting. Riveting, I say! It gets Jonah Kobayashi shouting out and Peter Winchester singing along. Then there's that bridge that is the musical version of Bifrost. Add "Bird's" solo on top and you've got a treat.

I wrote at length about this song here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/2/post/2012/07/birds-masterpieceman4u.html. Of course, it all bears repeating because the song is just that magnificent.

Someone requested a Stevie Wonder tune and SoulMates answered with A Place in the Sun. They had introduced this into their repertoire at the Water Front Blues Festival back in July. It fits them and they fit it. The andante tempo gives the feeling of stroll to find that place in the sun and Bird's stroll through the audience is representative of just that. But he brings the sun with him and wherever he plays is our place in the sun.

They stayed with Stevie Wonder into the next song which Bird called "some baby-making music." It is Chieko's favorite of all Stevie songs. Knocks Me Off My Feet is definitely one of those refuge songs. SoulMates' version has long been a place of strength and comfort for us but I have written of this before.  It is a song that contains some of Bird's most ascendant guitar work, Jarrod's most demanding vocals, and Reinhardt's coolest groove. Can't get enough.

From Wonder to Gershwin... the great work Summertime followed after. It was written by George Gershwin as an aria for his opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics were written by DuBose Heyward, who authored the novel Porgy upon which the opera is based. The song has been covered over 33,000 times, making it one of the most recorded songs in history.

It was first recorded by Abbie Mitchell and Gershwin himself in 1935. It was none other than Billie Holiday who made it a hit with her 1936 recording. Since then, it has become a jazz standard with subsequent recordings by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald in 1957, Sam Cooke (also in 1957), Miles Davis (1958), Janis Joplin (1968) as well as The Zombies in the same year. The Doors recorded the song live on such albums as Live in Boston. In 1998, Hubert Laws recorded the song for the Gershwin tribute album entitled Red Hot + Rhapsody. Norah Jones and Marian McPartland performed and recorded it in 2003. But nobody--and I mean nobody--has treated it as well as SoulMates.

The song's A minor tone make for a bluesy lullaby. In fact, the first time it is sung in Porgy and Bess, it appears as a lullaby. Billie Holiday made it straight-up blues, Ella and Satch made it the jazz standard, Miles Davis turned up the jazz, the Doors did something unholy with it by combining it into a mish-mash with Light My Fire/Summertime/My Favorite Things. Horrible. Then Janis Joplin turned it into a Baroque-psychedelic bombast. This just has to be seen and heard. Below is a YouTube link to a performance of Janis with Big Brother and the Holding Company in Stockholm, 1969.

It is SoulMates who have transformed Summertime into the Soul standard that it so richly deserves to be. I'm not saying Gershwin intended it that way but the place it held within the opera just begs for a soul expression of it.

It was time to close the music out for this Monday night but there is always time for one more Donny Hathaway song and Love, Love, Love is the perfect ending to send the audience home with a smile.

Love love love, why'd you take so long to come to me, oh baby
Love love love love tell me where you hiding
From me all the time
Each time I try to find someone to take your place
It was all in vain, no their lips were never quite the same
When I was kissing someone new, deep inside I was missing you

Oh baby, you make me fall in love with you
Now I don't know just what I'm gonna do
I looked out into empty space and all I saw was your
Pretty face

Love love love love can't imagine what you did to me, baby
And love love love every time you smile, it goes
Through me all the time
Day by day I'm falling more in love with you
And that's no lie, cross my heart and, honey, I hope to die
'Cuz I'm not trying to mislead you, believe me, girl, I really need you

Yeah, you made me fall in love with you
Now I don't know just what I'm gonna do
Yeah, I looked out into empty space and all I saw was your
Lovely face

The evening ended with smiles on every lovely face. No matter what the day holds, Monday night belongs to SoulMates.

Everyone in the place knows the song as soon as Jay “Bird” Koder plays the opening riff. He begins with what has become a signature line for about two bars before Reinhardt joins in on the high hat. Another 3-4 bars and Jarrod joins in on keys, then vocals. The ascending chords crescendo to a quick stop before the first lyrics are sung.

It may be the most requested song in SoulMates’ repertoire. It always brings oohs and aahs from the audience as soon as they recognize what is coming at them. The song is subtle and graceful and was written to the love of Bird’s life… who is also subtle and graceful.

The song is called Man4U.

First verse:
Sweet lady, My heart flies for you
'Cause you are on my mind all of the time
Moonbeam lover, I want to be with you
At this point Bird plays this cool little repeating couplet that absolutely calls to mind dreams of moonbeams and starlight reflected on a watery pool. In fact, it almost puts one in mind of a tone poem like Smetana’s Moldau or Sibelius’ Swan of Tuonela.
Help me find the words to make it right is sung over a guitar gliss that is full of optimism and hope. This is also the first mention of the shared efforts of the couple in finding their life together. It will be repeated in various ways to drive home the cooperative nature of serious love. 
  
Chorus:
I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you
The chorus carries that familiar guitar riff again throughout these three lines. They conclude the stanza with the assertion that he could be what she wants. “I could be the man…”isn’t an expression of uncertainty. It is rather saying that he will be the man for her if she chooses him to be the man for her. It is not the assertion of a domineering man; it is the cooperative man who knows (and acknowledges to her) that she has a choice. This is a love song from a grown-up. It is rich and wise and understanding.

In the second line of the chorus above, I am certain that I hear a little wolf-call from the guitar. With all this serious attraction, there is also a playfulness. The chorus ascends to a crescendo and then again to a full stop.

In the following verse, the listener has to “listen with both ears” because Jarrod is singing the verse melody but Bird is playing something else underneath it all.

Second verse:
Lovely lady, Walk a while with me
So maybe we can help each other understand is a refrain of the co-operative theme of the song.
We can sing a song in the key of life is accompanied by an almost-lullaby phrase that is very sweet.
All you’ve got to do is take a hold of my hand
The crescendo/stop is repeated after a change from lullaby to funky ballad and the chorus is then pronounced in an almost staccato drive. It is single-minded in  its thrice-repeated line.

Chorus:
And I could be the man for you
I could be the man for you
I could be the man for  you

Another crescendo before the bridge opens onto the most
beautiful harmonic imagery of support and devotion. Again, the tone poem is called to mind because that imagery is remarkably and clearly projected with the music alone. The bridge is my favorite part of the whole song and I love the whole song!

Bridge:
Let me be the one that you can turn to
When everybody else lets you down
I want to be the man inside your eyes
Feel your heart, your soul in mine
If you don’t know by now let me say it again

Chorus:
That I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you
I could be the man for you
 
The sexy guitar sounds like pure desire. Yet again appears the wolf-call in the guitar lick. Meanwhile, Bird’s running arpeggios uniquely build this feeling of longing in the music. The bridge serves as an interlude of reflection in the midst of the wooing where Bird writes of his own desires before returning to verse and chorus of winning her over.
 
Jarrod gets to improvise in between chorus and verse and Bird always acknowledges him with “J-Law is the man for you.” It Bird’s composition but he gives Jarrod all the space he needs. 

Then follows another guitar solo which is more raw but still contains the beauty and sexiness of the earlier, more delicate, solo. While there is a delicacy mixed in, the listener gets the feeling that in the winning over of his loved one, he is becoming bolder and then following lyrics of the final verse move to assertion and a straightforward declaration of their own reality, especially as the improvisational section returns to this final verse.

Third verse:
 Lovely lady, Let me love you girl
I need to let you know that this is for real
This life we share is no fantasy
Baby, let me show you how much I feel

Chorus:
I could be the man for you
I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you
The final proclamation has been made and it can only bear repeating during the extended coda wherein guitars, vocals,
keys, and drums drive the point home.

Coda:
I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you
Yes, I could be the man for you

The masterpiece concludes on the sweetest and most delicate of phrases. This work has run the emotions of the whole courtship/pursuing relationship; from shy intention to boldness to urgency to victory. It is not, however, the victory of  conquest but the sweet victory of relationship and belonging. It is not the conquest of one person’s will over another but the victory of two souls who have become one soul.

This is the music of the soul. It has come from the most personal of experiences and is shared with those whose souls are open to such sharing.

Ah, sweet sexy soul…

Okay, so I ripped off Alfred E. Smith's quote about democracy. Admit it, you like it.

But the truth for me is simple; whenever it feels like life is beating the living daylights out of me, listening to SoulMates is the cure. It has never failed in the all the time I have listened to them live or recorded. Monday nights at Quimby's is the place for just such a cure.

Last Monday night saw SoulMates turning it on still red, hot and blues after their stellar performance at Portland Water Front Blues Festival celebrating the Fourth of July. There were some new additions to the already impressive SoulMates repertoire and Monday night saw the unveiling of some of the new additions.

The opening of the first set of the night began with the warm-up instrumentals. These "warm-ups" have never revealed a need for these guys to warm-up. If anything, it is only to get the gear and amplification tweaked for the night. The musicians are always ready to set a place on fire from the very beginning. They smoke from the very first notes and do not let up until they say "good night."

The first number was a cool jazz standard that highlights Jay "Bird" Koder's guitar virtuosity that surpasses anyone you care to name. Drummer Reinhardt Melz kept the jazz groove on track and shows himself again and again to be the superlative drummer in Portland or anywhere else.

After the first piece, Jarrod was trying to get his own gear back in order and showed the only possible need for the "warm-ups;" warming up instruments not musicians. Into the second song, all three are working over their various instruments, bending them to their will. Reinhardt begins early to introduce some of those funky patterns that make the listener sit up and wonder what it was they just heard. This is one of the main reasons that I don't understand how people can chatter during any performance of SoulMates. You will most assuredly miss something if you don't listen very attentively.

Jarrod Lawson was dropping the sweet keys and had corrected any problem he may have felt needed correction. Then in the third number, Valdez in the Country, he started drizzling where there were no vocals in the song at all. It was a cool cross between George Benson's and Keith Jarrett's vocal overlays on instrumentals.

The song, as always, was sent out to Michael and Theresa G and Jonah Kobayashi knew immediately what the song was and shout out "Valdez!" It is an early showcase for Reinhardt and he never gives you the same sound twice. With every performance that I have heard of this song, Reinhardt has never repeated himself. Not once.

It should always be remembered, also, that this piece offers a really great chance for the guitar to wail and the Bird never lets you forget it. His improvisational skills also get highlighted in his solo. This Monday night, however, saw Jarrod stake his claim to the song as well with his great keys and matching vocalizations.

Jarrod got the nod for She's Right and he got to turn on the vocals proper for this one. Both Bird and Reinhardt play the low profiles here and give Jarrod the complete spotlight. That does not mean that the two of them do not provide absolutely breathtaking accompaniment. The guitar solo and rhythms are sweet and understated and the three SoulMates leave one wishing that this were a 30-minute song.

When the song concluded, Jarrod asked the audience "How ya'll doing?" and someone answered "Ready to make some babies!" This brought uproarious laughter from the crowd because it is a catch-phrase used by Jay "Bird" for certain styles of music which he calls "baby-making music." Some audience member asked Jarrod "How YOU doing?" Jarrod's answer was typical SoulMates sentiment, "I'm just better when ya'll are here."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is what makes SoulMates so special. The feeling of community and connection is the foundation of this unique blend of music, artistry and affection.

Jarrod continued his scat and drizzle during Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover. Again, this was a new foray into vocal experimentation that has not been unveiled at Quimby's before. Bird and Reinhardt were also opening new vistas previously unseen. Fifty Ways... was being transformed yet again under the influence of SoulMates. This is commonplace. Nothing remains the same under SoulMates' treatment and it is always for the better.

For the next song, someone in the audience requested something by D'Angelo and SoulMates responded with One Mo' Gin from D'Angelo's album Voodoo. This was a phenomenal album and produced several memorable songs. But once again, SoulMates provide the superior version because of the superiority of the muscianship. The YouTube link below lets you hear the original version.

Bird acknowledged Jarrod with "the man made of soul" nod. The Bird sails into a really soulful blues solo after which he claimed that he wasn't sure that he could "pull out of that one." He did, of course, and brought howling cheers from the listeners. Meanwhile,  Reinhardt pops his rhythms and shakes up the whole groove. Nobody lets up in this one. Reinhardt keeps driving and Bird keeps flying and Jarrod covers it all with the sweetest of vocals. Indeed, this is the superior version.

When the song finished, Lance Giles walked in and was greeted warmly by everyone, as usual. Bird and Jarrod told him that just five minutes before his arrival, they almost did Great Day in the Morning but decided to wait just in case Lance showed up. Bird then informed him that they would play that song last and make Lance have to stay until the very end. You see, Lance makes the trip from Seattle to Portland just to see SoulMates and he has to catch the train back to Seattle. Making him wait until the end is no real punishment as he loves every moment of every performance.

SoulMates then brought out one of the new numbers that they had included in their Blues Festival set. They tore into a smoking blues intro and I found myself wondering which song this was. It was an old Stevie Wonder song.

"You know when times are bad/ And you're feeling sad/
I want you to always remember/
There's a place in the sun/ Where there's hope for everyone/
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run/ I know there's a place in the sun/ And before my life is done/
I gotta find me a place in the sun"

Of course, the song was A Place in the Sun which some mistakenly think is entitled "Moving On." It was wonderful (no pun intended) and heart-warming and thrilling all at once. When the song ended, there was about 3 seconds of stunned silence from the audience. I'm not kidding. The crowd was just enthralled and could not immediately respond to what they had just heard. That happens a lot--silent awe.

Someone requested a Latin taste and when Jarrod couldn't find his chart for it, it turned into a Three Stooges routine for a minute or two with implied threats like "Why, I oughtta..." and "Don't make me come over there." Music AND Vaudeville in one show.

The comedy turned around quickly when SoulMates launched into the beautiful and longing emotions of You Were Meant for Me. As much as SoulMates render amazing performances of Stevie Wonder tunes, it is Donny Hathaway that they have taken to perfection and I am not using the word "perfection" lightly. Jay "Bird" calls forth the most tender sounds imaginable. If there were no lyrics in the song, Bird's guitar could still make one feel exactly what the song intended. It is lovely and it makes me teary-eyed everytime I hear it. Then Reinhardt cuts loose with the Afro-Cuban rhythms that only enhance the feeling. Despite the furious pace he sets in his solo, Reinhardt retains the tenderest of sounds and continues the emotional effusion.

"You were meant for me/ No one else can come between us, love/ I know you'll always be the one/ You and me it seems/ Never had a problem we can't overcome/ You'll always be the one/ You'll always be the one/ You'll always be the one."

To close out the first set, another great song was turned loose for the first time at Quimby's: Signed, Sealed, Delivered. This was fun stuff with "Bird" Koder resurrecting the funk and Reinhardt giving it a pulse. The set closed out to huge applause for SoulMates and for Rhonda and Shawn behind the bar. Shawn was also a Candlelight employee who made the transition to Quimby's seamlessly after Rhonda had come over. The family that parties together... or whatever.

The second set kicked off with Bird's introduction "SoulMates comin' back atcha..." and the sound of Jarrod's vocals preparing the way for Lance's favorite Great Day in the Morning (Greatdayndamonin') which brought a loud affirmation from the audience. Bird's guitar is an incredible display of cross-dimensional playing that is vicious and elegant at the same time. This is one of the many things that sets Jay "Bird" Koder apart from anyone else who attempts mastery at the guitar. His solos brought loud shouts of appreciation form the listeners.

Reinhardt's clap-sounding rhythms kept the groove on a joy-in-the-face-of-despair feeling throughout the song.  It was an encouraged audience that responded immediately at the close of the song. Jonah Kobayashi yelled out "We love you, Jarrod! Love you, too, Jay "Bird" and we haven't forgotten you, Reinhardt!!!" Jonah's declaration is proof of what it is that SoulMates instill and call out in their listeners. It is real respect, and even love,  and that is not feigned or over-estimated. 

I attended a performance by Joan Armatrading back in 1983. Someone in the audience shouted, "We love you, Joan!' Armatrading's response was truthful with "Love me? You don't even know me!" I understood her point then and now. This again, however, is what I mean about SoulMates and their relationship with those who come to see them every Monday night and wherever/whenever else we may get to see them. A mutual affection has been born out of the magic of soul music and these incredible musicians and men. Jonah can rightly say that he "loves" these three and they can respond in kind with complete honesty.

As I have said before, this is why it is called soul music-- because it comes from the soul to the soul.

The next guitar riff introduced the following song with Reinhardt joining in on the high hat to leave no doubt that we were about to hear Bird's own composition Man 4 U. This will be the focus of a future article here. It is sweet, sexy soul at its finest and deserving of a full-length discussion. Stay tuned.

It is one of the songs that quiets even the rowdiest of audiences, except to elicit hoots and dance invitations and moans of approval. It also has one of the coolest bridges ever and it contains one of Bird's most emotional solos. It is soul.

With the end of Man 4 U, Arietta Ward was called up. Bird introduced her and the audience (as always) shouted their delight. Bird had gotten to play with Steve Miller the night before and was now about to embark on SoulMates' great cover of Miller's Fly Like an Eagle. Etta just owns the song as I have written so often before. Etta calls it her "SoulMates staple." But no matter how many times one hears it, it is moving and powerful. And Reinhardt always...always...throws a funky rhythm her. She adjusts--or not--and takes flight with the song each and every time. She personalizes the song and turns it into an anthem. This Monday night, Jarrod backs her on vocals and they take it higher.

Bird's solo rolls on into the blues and Etta could be heard saying "It's gonna be one of those nights." She could sense the energy and enthusiasm from the start and she always adds to it. Bird often talks about musicians making space for the others onstage and this was a great example. Part of that "making space" is, I think, the sheer admiration that the musicians share together. They sit back and listen to each other. Bird admires her and he plays quietly, then she stands aside quietly and listens to his solo. They enjoy each other. And we get to enjoy it all.

When Will You Call Me was next. It is so cool. It is the song to make you close your eyes and simply drink it in... and feel the soul. The chord changes are stunning and Reinhardt's drumming is almost tear-inducing. Reinhardt's heart seems to really possess  this song as much as any other. Even beneath Bird's beautiful guitar, that slowly rolling and heavy rhythm just gets me. That melodic drumming...no one better than Reinhardt.


The talented and lovely Nicole Burke joined Jarrod for a duet of You've Got a Friend...Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack style. It is a song that always appears at the right moment. Just when you need it. "People can be so cold/ They'll hurt you/ And desert you/ Well, they'll take your soul if you let them/ But don't you let them." Sweet and needed.

Rhonda was checking for last drink orders and Tim Leavy was singled out for the final song of the night. And what a song. It was I Love Every Little Thing About You. It is joyful and uplifting. It is also how we feel about SoulMates.

Reinhardt, Jarrod, Bird... we love every little thing about you.


As Jay "Bird" always says "We're going to join you for some drinks and then we'll be right back"... and so will I.

So just how is a person supposed to survive on a diet of no SoulMates? It has been a month since SoulMates graced Portland with their own distinctive sounds of soul.  Again, how does a person survive? My wife and I were under constant intraveinous feeding of SoulMates: Live and In Living Color.  You get your fix any way you can.

But Monday night, June 25, 2012 was the return to Quimby's at 19th and what a return! A few changes in the look of the place and Sara waiting to greet the band and customers alike set a sweet stage for the end of a month-long draught.

A green drape was hung over the brick wall behind the band in order to dampen the sound banging off the back wall. A nice touch that was much appreciated by drummer Reinhardt Melz.

SoulMates wasted no time in thrilling the growing crowd with the opening instrumental Bacchus. The punchy little staccato beats traded between drums, guitar and kicking bass framed the more lyrical layers that allows the listener to ease into the music while being awakened to what was to come. Good stuff and a great way to start again.

The second instrumental was introduced by guitarist Jay "Bird" Koder with "SoulMates coming at ya. Getting it warmed up, here. We're gonna get it on... at Quimby's." The band and the crowd were both getting warmed up as was obvious by the chatter amongst the patrons. Missing the band and missing the family for a whole month.

Jarrod was turning it on with the keyboard solo and was simply staggering. The Bird was in full flight himself and the paired solos were sweet to hear. Beautiful lyricism!

And in walks Jonah and Monica... the cutest couple in the world. Talk about presence that lights up a room--these two have that kind of impact. The world just seems a better place when they come around...and it is.

They arrived just in time for the third song and instrumental, Europa, the great guitar showcase that Carlos Santana used to evoke his own moments of soul. Below is a link to a live recording of Santana playing it but only for you to hear the song and to imagine what it could possibly sound like under the Bird treatment. Not insulting Santana, whom I love, but Carlos just needs to put his guitar down and listen to the Bird on this one! Bird's version is so much cooler and soulful but tonight it was even more emotional. It was touching and it certainly touched me.

After the Bird's domination of the Santana piece, it was the time to give Reinhardt his first real solo of the night in the fourth "warm-up" piece. And he lit it up! Never make the mistake of thinking that Reinhardt is one of those drummers who solos only to showcase their power. Reinhardt is a precision percussionist. The melody is never sacrificed for flashy power but the power is always in service of the melody in his playing. And when he concludes... many heads are shaking in disbelief at what they have just seen. Can I get a witness?

Michael and Krissie Magaurn joined the audience at this point. Their arrival always adds a touch of class to any event and venue. The Magaurns could show up at a roadside hot dog stand and they turn it into a 4-star place. Presence does that, too.

"You've heard him on the keys, playing up a storm, and kicking bass all over the place. Now you get to hear the soul of Mr. Jarrod Lawson," was Bird's intro to the first Jarrod's vocal number of the night, Stay. Reinhardt's cool groove with the doubled rim-shots and Bird's blue guitar heighten the sense of resolve and hope that the lyrics and Jarrod's vocals portray.

Bird's guitar was especially wailing on this particular evening. He starts with deep blues then ascends to hope as Reinhardt matches the mood. After his solo, someone yelled out "Oh, MAN!"

The song backs down to conclude with strong impressions from guitar, vocals, keys and drums. Hauntingly hopeful is about the only way to describe the sound. It worked.

The chatter between songs was fun. Jarrod was asking how everybody was doing which elicited a hoot from the audience. He added that it was good to be back at Quimby's and Bird joined in with enthusiastic agreement. As they were still talking, Reinhardt started the "Gadd groove" to intoduce Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover. In this night's treatment, Reinhardt maintained Steve Gadd's original beat while adding different flourishes of his own. You really have to listen to Reinhardt and you also have to know the original recording to see just what Reinhardt is bringing to the party. It's his subtleties that make all the difference.

Meanwhile, the Bird is working his magic on the guitar and provides sounds that Paul Simon never saw coming. At one point he adds an almost Arab sound that really boosts the beauty of SoulMates' version, especially when the song is turned into a samba at the end.  This was not a cover...it was a conquest.

The room at Quimby's was the great space for such a takeover. When Fifty Ways... concluded, Jarrod said "I love this room! The best acoustics." Scott and Sara have done a great job of adjusting and manipulating the room just so... and it has paid off. Sara wants to make it right for SoulMates and she does a great job of promoting the music and the band. She is a dream-come-true.

Everyone was talking about the place right up until the next song began. One could hear Bird and Jarrod and Reinhardt talking about the small details and their appreciation of it. Then they slid into a cool intro that they played around with as Lance Giles entered the room and got shouts of greeting from everyone.The cool intro continued into a smooth but harrowing narrative as Her Twisted MInd unfolded in bluesy splendor. This song is cool and it is the nightmare of every guy who has ever dated.

But even the horrors of Her Twisted Mind lose their fearful grip when the lovely and winsome Rhonda is serving in the house! Rhonda, you may recall, was the ever-present darling bartender at the Candlelight Cafe and Bar. When the Candlelight closed, she took up employment at Quimby's in hope that SoulMates would be coming to Quimby's sooner or later. Her foresight paid off and all is right with the world. Rhonda at Quimby's!!!! It brings a thrill... and it lets you know that we are on The Right Track.

Sure, that was a cheesy transition but you have to allow me one occassionally.

The song may as well have been about Rhonda. "Without her, I'm nothing but a man sitting here alone. Without her, I'm nothing but a man on an empty shelf." Rhonda was the missing ingredient to the restored fun that has been missing since the close of the Candlelight.

The song is cool, bluesy and funky...like Rhonda. There are people whose absence leaves a hole in your heart. Rhonda is just such a person. Adorable and warm-hearted, that's Rhonda.

The first set was ready to close with the Donny Hathaway classic, Love Love Love. A flawless song, it somehow gets even better under the loving touch of SoulMates. Bird's guitar is just unmatched. He turns on the charm and lays over the swinging rhythms of Reinhardt as Jarrod underscores it all with the kicking bass and the harmonious keys.

Then...up steps Paul Mazzio! He jumps into a cool solo that can bring a smile to the corpse of Julius Caesar. Two horn players understand better than all others just how to play with SoulMates. Paul Mazzio is one. The other would show up in the second set.

After his solo, Paul keeps up the beautiful undertones as Jarrod sings like he is channeling Donny Hathaway. Paul and Jarrod cross over each other beautifully. Good Lord, this is good stuff. The set was not allowed to close so SoulMates gave the audience one more before the break.

Lance Giles got the obligatory dedication with She's Right. He deserves it. He travels from Seattle every Monday just to hear his SoulMates. I often wonder if there is a story behind why Lance especially likes this song. Jarrod sings it like he means it, so it is probably safe to say that every man who has been in a relationship with a woman has had to confess "Yes, she's right and I'm wrong."

It was a great way to close out the first set. The band joined the audience for conversation and drinks and it seemed like home for those present.

The second set took off with Greatdayndamoanin (Great Day in the Morning). This shows Reinhardt at his funkiest. He changes rhythms like nobody else and has left many bassists in his wake.

Then steps up...the second horn player I previously mentioned... Farnell Newton! Asking which player you prefer is like asking which you like better; pecan pie or key lime pie. Maybe you can answer the question but I love them both and can't get enough of either.

Farnell plays the funky side and plays against Bird's guitar in the coolest of ways. All the while, Reinhardt is rolling the thunder...

By this time, the audience is now calling out the songs they want to hear. Peter Winhcester had been calling out for Everything I Need since the first set. So, Bird decides on Jarrod's great work, Everything I Need. No matter how much I write about it, I can never say enough about this song...but I still try. In case you missed it, I wrote last week at length about this song here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/2/post/2012/06/jarrods-magnum-opus-everything-i-need.html.

Bird's guitar on this is stratospheric; it soars. It wails and rejoices, laments and encourages. Jarrod provides a little church music in the background and Reinhardt plays a triumphant pattern. This song is... amazing. And the audience feels the same way that I do. The roaring applause proves it. Peter called for an offering to be taken after that song. Jarrod picked up the tip jar "Seymour Tips" and said, "Right here."

Arietta was then called up by Jarrod and Bird. You know the song she sang, if you've been around Etta and SoulMates at all; Fly Like an Eagle. She makes this song fun and political and stirring all at once. Then they were all joined by Farnell again. It was an all-star game now. And when it was over, everyone called their love to Arietta.

Miss Toni Hill was also in the house and she joined in next. The song she joined in was Gershwin's Summertime. Arietta screamed in appreciation at the very first note. Toni's soulful working of the Gershwin classic was gorgeous. Then Bird's fabulous guitar interpretation took the piece into the clouds yet again. Reinhardt's clapping rim shots gave the song a jazziness that supported it all. Fabulous song!

Despite Jonah's call for certain songs, Lovely Day was the next song. When they got to the chorus, Arietta and Toni sang the harmony with Jarrod. Then Bird's guitar solo set hearts aflame as he always does. And that would have been that... but Jonah kept begging and he got what he wanted.

The encore was Man 4 U, the Jay "Bird" Koder original. Jonah was right--it had been far too long since we had heard it.  This is a great encore for people who love SoulMates. Even people who don't dance want to dance when this song is performed. There is a movement and melody that simply captures the heart.

The bridge of the song is wonderful. "Let me be the one, the one that you can turn to when everybody else has let you down" is written as a love song to the love of his life. But the thing about Bird is that he is that for everyone that meets him.
SoulMates are like that, also. This is where you can turn when everything else has let you down.

Farnell was back to conclude the bridge and return to the verse. He adds a punctuating blast to drive home the point. Then Bird's guitar returns as calming and soothing assurance. It becomes a 10 1/2 minute testimony of devotion and the security of a loving heart.

This is the devotion from the soul of SoulMates to the soul of those who have been touched by their music. Once you have been touched, you are a soulmate forever.

March 11, 2011 was a day of unimagined tragedy in the wake of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan and the resulting tsunami and nuclear disasters. The loss of life was staggering and the ruin of entire cities and towns was truly beyond belief.

Rescue workers from around the world answered the need and money poured in for the clean-up and restoration. But what could a musician do? This was the question raised by almost all of the musicians in Japan. What can we do?

The answer from the disaster vicitms was almost universal: "Sing to us and makes us smile for a while."

Jarrod Lawson of SoulMates responded in a way that only someone with his heart and talent could; he wrote a song that has become a SoulMates standard. Everything I Need is his answer to the cry of all those who have suffered loss of any kind. He had Japan in mind when he wrote it but it has become a balm to those who are in pain. We look around at our loved ones and we are soothed by their presence.

With Jarrod's kind permission, I am reprinting his copyrighted lyrics. Of all my prized possessions, Jarrod's hand-written lyrics of this song are among my most treasured.

After that great storm
And everything we had was gone;
All of our worldly possessions laid to waste.
As we stood there and we stared
In that field of despair, I realized
I've got everything I need right here.
Everything I need.

Human kind seems to be
Marked by the proclivity
To covet things material
And disregard the spiritual.
Idols do we make of all that we accumulate
But they're just a souvenir and nothing to be revered.
Nothing to be revered.

In the blink of an eye,
We're here and then we're gone.
So little time that we have been given.
Why waste that precious time
In pursuit of what is yours and what is mine?
So gather together my people, my friends and my family
And I'll have everything I need.
Everything I need.
Everything I need.
Everything I need.
                             (Copyright 2011 by Jarrod Lawson. All rights retained.)

Amazing. The imagery is so very stark with visions of fields strewn with rubbish that were once treasures; a lost battle with nature. The sight of wide-eyed disaster victims who can only stare at the wreck of their homes and possessions dominates two-thirds of the song. 

Life is like that. We spend so very much time looking at what has been lost and we too often come late to the unveiling that those things should never have had so great a grip on us. As Jarrod states, we have made idols of things that are just remembrances and should never have assumed supreme importance. And, of course, Jarrod's use of the word proclivity is enough to make any writer miss a heartbeat or two.

The question Jarrod asks is the correct question to be asked of every human--why waste time on the temporary and material? In Plato's thinking, the material was not even real as it was subject to change and decay and passing. The only reality was in the realm of the ousia, the realm of idea and spirit.

Jarrod arrives at Plato's conclusion that the things of the spirit--love, friendship--are the true reality. To hold to the material is to hold onto what is sure to fail. Real love and friendship, however, are the things that last; even beyond disaster and ruin. Even earthly life passes but love endures past the grave, if only in the hearts of those remaining. That is part of everlasting life, too. We remain in friends' hearts even when our bodies have failed.

As the character Balian (Orlando Bloom) asks the memory of his deceased wife, "How can you be in hell, when you are in my heart?" 

The poetry of the lyrics is indeed worthy on its own merit but the music crafted around those lyrics speak deeply to the heart.

The opening lines, After that great storm/And everything we had was gone/All of our worldly possessions laid to waste/ As we stood there and we stared/In that  field of despair are introduced by very bluesy chord structure and piano playing. Reinhardt Melz provides accents that are stark and that enhance the overall mood of the opening and the middle. And Jay "Bird" Koder's guitar isn't a whine but a soft wail. It is heart-rending and the music drives home the power and pain of the images. Even the realization of the truth in the last two lines are almost hesitant, as if trying to convince oneself of that truth. "Everything I need" gets repeated almost in the sense of saying it over again to make the wisdom of the words take hold.

But the second stanza becomes reflective and self-critical in a positive way. How can we be so short-sighted as we grieve over lost things? We remain and our loved ones remain with us. What more is needed to find joy? The last three lines begin with  Idols do we make of all that we accumulate/ But they're just a souvenir and nothing to be revered  and this is the uphill climb to the truth which reaches a crescendo and then diminishes to the realization that they are "nothing to be revered" and then that line is repeated in a sad acceptance of wasted time and energy. It is well-crafted music that is well-inspired and is now so well done!

The third stanza begins by a retaining of the melancholy but it is not the sadness springing from lost possessions but of lost time. Jarrod's vocals with Bird's now preaching (in a good way) guitar and Reinhardt's triumphal drumming portray a rallying of the soul and the call to witness of loved ones near and far. The song which began as a lament becomes an anthem and declares that you are everything I need.

Now the line Everything I need is repeated three times to conclude the song. Where it was repeated once in the first stanza to impress the idea upon oneself, the three-fold repetition is a cheer moving past regret and through acceptance into pure delight.

When SoulMates perform the song, Jarrod calls the ending of the song by saying "Here we go!" and the music finishes in triumph. That call of "Here we go" has become an integral part of the song because it is also the call to a new way of thinking and a life of joy. It is the prophetic announcement to arise from the place of mourning and to journey into life and love.

The song is an emotional and gripping revelation of what is important and what is not. For as long as we remain in each other's hearts, we have everything we need. 

The next best thing to listening to SoulMates is listening to two out of three SoulMates. Those two were vocalist/keyboardist Jarrod Lawson and drummer Reinhardt Melz and they were performing together at Touche Restaurant and Bar located at 1425 NW Glisan Street in Portland (http://touchepdx.com).

The food is great and the service is very good. We didn't go for the food, of course, but rather to see Reinhardt and Jarrod. The food was a very pleasant surprise. While the space for the musicians was tight they were admirably placed within full view of the restaurant patrons. The acoustics carried well. Touche has done a fine job making room for the musicians.

It is always a pleasure to see these two in whatever line-up they may find themselves. But when SoulMates or 2/3 SoulMates are together, the wonderful happens. Sadly, we had arrived late but Jarrod and Reinhardt played late and I didn't feel quite so bad. Just being in the same room with these gentlemen is pleasure enough but to hear them perform the way they do is pleasure beyond compare.

Some of the most touching pieces of the evening including Bilal's When Will You Call which is rendered in heart-breaking soul singing by Jarrod. The song is moving in its original form but Jarrod's vocals and Reinhardt's slow brush-work make the song sweetly melancholy.

From the sad to the laid-back with Otis Redding's Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay, the mood is lightened to a wistfully lazy tune. It delightfully prepares the way for the wistfully sexy tune of Smokey Robinson's hit Cruisin'. Sexy to the extent that the brilliant and lovely Tracey Harris, a phenomenal singer in her own right, sat languidly with eyes closed as she drank in the sound. Now to captivate Tracey Harris with your singing, you have to have some major mojo in your favor.

However, she was also watching Reinhardt. She would open one eye to catch what he was doing and would usually just shake her head in astonishment...like the rest of us.

The surprise of the night for me was the old jazz standard that Reinhardt and Jarrod pulled out for the Touche audience. I have heard them do Gershwin's Summertime and that is an old standard, to be sure. The jolt was in their choice of an old Frank Sinatra hit, written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, called I Fall in Love Too Easily. The song was written in 1944 and became a hit when Sinatra sang it in the 1945 movie Anchors Aweigh.

It just goes to prove what I have always believed and written about Jarrod Lawson--he can handle any style and he is not intimidated by the fact that it was Sinatra or anyone else who originated the hit. He takes on Stevie Wonder...and wins...or D'Angelo or Smokey or Bilal or even Eryka Badu. The secret is the conversion of the song from the original to his own styling of it. He can make any song work. As has been so often of Jarrod, "Everything he touches turns to soul."

But Reinhardt does the same thing. The next song is a good example of that. Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover has that distinctive Steve Gadd groove which becomes the hook of the song from the beginning. In fact, it has been written that Gadd sold the song before Paul Simon even started singing. A good drummer can do that. Alan White's opening on the YES song Sound Chaser (from the album Relayer) comes to mind.

Reinhardt remains faithful to the Gadd groove at the opening but he pulls the rug from beneath Gadd's feet by turning the conclusion of the song into a samba. The original beat was the hook but Reinhardt's finish is an even bigger payoff. And he does it over and over.

The Colour of the Day was recorded by Remy Shands almost ten years ago before his disappearing act. If he has heard Jarrod's version, he will probably remain in hiding. Despite all the hoopla surrounding the original and all the awards and nominations Shands received, the original always left me a bit flat. Jarrod and Reinhardt pull the song, kicking and screaming, to a much higher level than ever before.

They even do that to my beloved Donny Hathaway. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know now belongs to SoulMates, or any portion of SoulMates thereof, because Jarrod understands Donny so well. I don't mean the problems that poor Donny suffered; I mean he understands what Donny is trying to say. And Jarrod says it in Jarrod's own way. As I've said before, SoulMates have made me get clean out my record collection because those records have been rendered irrelevant by the superior SoulMates treatment.

Even in the midst of a great restaurant, a rowdy funk song is toned down to appease but intrigue the listeners. If You Want Me to Stay has moments of real power funk but Jarrod and Reinhardt strip it down to almost a ballad. It is the craft of fitting the piece to the audience and setting. It is the craft of musicianship. It is not pandering, it is propriety.

This is what true musicians do; they elevate without overwhelming. Jarrod and Reinhardt can educate while they are inspiring. They can raise the spirit and warm the heart and stimulate the brain. They create a complete experience centered on the music of the soul. We are made better by the music.

This is why we see so many people at the various performances and incarnations of SoulMates. There sits Randy Corby, Tracey Harris is sitting close to Reinhardt and we grab the table nearest them. We all want to be made better through the touch of their music... and we are never disappointed, even when it is 2/3 of them.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 finally bore witness to what we had been hoping to see for months-- SoulMates were going to be playing at Quimby's on 19th and Quimby Ave(www.quimbysat19th.com). This was the place that everyone had been watching and awaiting as a possible venue for the band and music we love.

Quimby's had seen people stop by, peek in, and scout before finally the date was scheduled. To make things even better, the sweet and lovely Rhonda was now working there, having found a home there after the demolition of the beloved Candlelight.

There was the ever-hoped for chance that this could be the new Candlelight.

A call was put in to Lance Giles to inform him of the change of venue and day. Lance made the trip from Seattle for the special event. Everyone wanted to be there, showing up early to get prime seats and peruse the menu. We were soon joined by Michael and Theresa G and the Magaurns. Toshi and Adam would have to wait until Toshi was finished with his own gig before they could arrive.

Quimby's welcomed everyone warmly. Sarah was the perfect hostess and she detailed the plans that they have envisioned for the place to accomodate the music. The place is warm and the staff is just as warm. After the music ended, many of us stayed until 2:30 am and we were never rushed out or felt anything other than welcome and gratitude for being there. We could stay and talk about the music of the night. This was beginning to feel like it could be home.

When SoulMates began to arrive, with Jarrod Lawson always first to get there, everyone was chatting up the new site. Only one thing was left to check and that would have to wait until the music actually began...

And when it did begin, it was what we had craved: good acoustics and a good sound system. The first song proved it. The brick wall behind the band posed a challenge for a moment but with an adjusted monitor here and a repositioned speaker there, the sound was good for everyone, band and audience.

At this point, Lance Giles walked in the front door which resulted in a whoop from everyone...or maybe it was just me being loud all by myself.

The opener was a sweet instrumental and it set the finest of moods for the evening. After Jay "Bird" Koder's first guitar solo, Matt in the audience (himself a guitarist) commented aloud, "Man! That's the very first solo?" Then Jarrod Lawson followed with some of his most beautiful piano work. As I have often said, it is too easy to overlook Jarrod's keyboard playing because of his amazing voice, but Jarrod is a first-rate pianist. Never forget that.

Reinhardt Melz laid down the solid rhythm which were expanded into the following number, also an instrumental. From that groove sprung Jarrod's amazing turn at kicking bass and Bird's solo was just gorgeous. It was emotional. It was tender. It was what every grieving heart needed to hear.

SoulMates celebrated the first night at Quimby's in style with old favorites send out to old friends in a great new setting. Valdez in the Country was shouted out to Mikey G.  In fact, the SoulMates version should now be called Mikey in the Country. This song is a great showpiece for Reinhardt's stickwork and he always provides something new and exciting. It is one of Donny Hathaway's brilliant forays into jazz and SoulMates can work a Hathaway composition like nobody else can.

One Mo 'Gin is a great vocal piece for Jarrod. It is slow and soulful and Reinhardt provided such a cool groove to it. The slow ascent is stirring. The lyrics are inspired and meaningful and Jarrod makes it his very own.

Then Bird begins the spacey riff of Fly Like and Eagle. I will freely admit, I was not much of a Steve Miller fan when he could be heard on fm-radio about 20 times a day. It wasn't until discovering the early Steve Miller Blues Band that I appreciated his guitar performances. I came late to that party. But Jay "Bird" takes the Miller piece and runs it through the SoulMates soul-maker and "turns it on its ear," as the Bird puts it.

This particular night, the Bird just shreds the guitar solo. Now I dislike using musical cliches like "monster chops" or "hot licks" but shredding is the only way to appropriately describe what is happening. Especially...ESPECIALLY...when Bird is doing it with one hand while the other hand hangs loose by his side. Wait...what? Yes, a one-handed "shred."

Then comes the sweet return of Donny Hathaway with You Were Meant for Me. Trumpet great Paul Mazzio walked in at this point, just in time to catch the beautiful intonations of Jarrod's vocal delivery. Ah, but there I go again... Jarrod's piano skills are more than equal to the piece. Sometimes I just focus on watching Jarrod's playing. It is effortless in appearance but so emotional and so very warm.

There are not that many who can pull off the warmth in their piano playing. Mostly, when I think of piano warmth I think of Oscar Peterson...and Jarrod Lawson. The great Hathaway song was rearranged SoulMates style and Bird, Jarrod and Reinhardt took it higher than ever before. It's what they do.

The next composition is one of my very favorites of all SoulMates' originals. It was written by Jarrod and he had in mind the disasters that befall people and the realization that follows of what is truly important in life. The song, of course, is Everything I Need.

In a future article, I will devote the whole piece to this song. For now, however, let me say that this: the song is about finding the essence of what life is. It is about being in the presence of those we love.

This is the message that we can carry away with us; that it is not things but people that matter in this world. Relationships and not possessions are the things of the spirit and the soul. This was what Bird was saying to those in attendance--that wherever we go and in whatever situation we find ourselves in this world, we have everything we need when we are in relationship with our SoulMates/soulmates.

It is the sound of Jarrod's voice in our heads that can get us through a difficult moment. It is Reinhardt's full-throated laugh that turns away sadness. It is the light in Jay "Bird's" eye that banishes grief. Indeed, we have everything we need.

The rendition on this Wednesday night was simply flawless.

It was followed up by yet another composition of Jarrod's done in cooperation with Farnell Newton and Steveland Swatkins. The title is Everything is Clear. It can be found on Farnell's CD Class is Now in Session. Toshi and Adam joined the Quimby's audience during this moving piece. It was a well-timed entry as it gave them a moment to catch their breath and relax.

They moved on to the blues ("Because Krissie Magaurn loves the blues") with She's Right. Reinhardt was crossing up the groove in a cool, bluesy way and it was a pleasure to hear. Sometimes we get so used to the thunder and lightning of Reinhardt's drumming that we forget how subtle he can be. It is in those subtle moments that his unmitigated brilliance shines in a completely different way.

It was also a moment of Bird's sweetest guitar work. It is the downplay that makes one sit up and take special notice. It is as someone once said about a whisper being the best way to draw attention. So it was with the whispers from the trio at Quimby's. Those heartfelt quiet moments were overwhelming.

That sweetness remained in Lovely Day, another song that never grows old for me.  It was another moment of some of Bird's most intriguing guitar solos which was brought to a conclusion by one of Reinhardt's crash-stops. It was the final number for the first set and we were immediately struck with a feeling that the night just could not end. At least, we did not want it to end.

The break was filled with photo-taking and hugs and everyone was enjoying Quimby's and the home that they had provided. Those who usually would have departed after the first set remained for friendship's sake. Nobody was wanting to say good-bye and everyone stayed late.

The second and final set opened with Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover. Reinhardt was working his magic in new and wondrous ways. It was the finest version heard yet.

From Fifty Ways... to Greatdayndamornin, a Lance favorite. It gets him up and dancing every time. Watching Lance dancing made me stop and look around at those gathered together. At our table were the wonderful Michael and Kris Magaurn, he the noble patriarch of the SoulMates family and she the Woodstock girl who is as adorable as she must have been back then. Toshi Onizuka, the brilliant fusion guitarist and dear friend was seated beside me and beyond Toshi was Adam Gloria who is one of the gentlest souls ever known. The Earlys were close by. Music fanatic Randy Corby was seated with Paul Mazzio. The lovely Miss Connie was beside my sweet wife Chieko. Miss Connie was the one who inspired the Bird song Man4U; she is the love of his life.

Then my sight came to rest on Michael and Theresa G. Two of the most inspiring people ever. He is an inspiration to me and she is a ray of sunshine. I'm sure she gets angry but I have never seen it or heard tell of it. I'm sure he gets down but he never speaks a word of anything less than light and love. Someday maybe they will let me tell you their story--it is worth hearing. I thought about how all of this began for Chieko and me; how it all began with Mikey G.

We were walking down the sidewalk in downtown Vancouver in March of 2011 and Mikey was standing outside his guitar studio. We were introduced to Mikey by a mutual friend and the friendship with him was instantaneous. We talked about music and Mikey invited us to join him on Mondays at the Candlelight to hear a friend of his "who has this band called SoulMates." I asked him who his friend was and he said, "Jay 'Bird' Koder." I knew who Jay Koder was! He had been with the Jeff Lorber Fusion, had recorded with Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea, toured with the Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers, and had been a member of the Stilettos...and on and on...

We went to the Candlelight the very next Monday and life would never be the same. I owe it all to Michael G.

I was brought back to the present when Bird asked me what the next song should be. The choice was obvious for me. It was the song that got my dear Chieko through a difficult week. It was the song that filled our heads and hearts with the sound of SoulMates. It was Stevie Wonder's Knocks Me Off My Feet. It is the sound of rejoicing.

I thought about the history of that song with Chieko and me. I then began to watch Bird and Jarrod and Reinhardt as each one contributed their mastery to this singular piece. I thought about the wonderful journey that life can be when you travel the road with people like Jay "Bird", Jarrod, and Reinhardt. When I think about them and what they mean to us...well, it knocks me off my feet.

The final song was Ain't Too Proud to Beg which was wildly fun and a riotous end to the evening's celebration. It was a great way to part company for a little while. To our delighted surprise, Jonah and Monica--the most adorable couple ever--burst in after the music was finished. Just because they wanted to enjoy even the last portion of sharing the night with everyone.

As I said, we all stayed late and talked about the music and the future and a fine place called Quimby's.

Here we were at a transitional moment when new possibilities opened and we were finding a home. We were welcomed by Quimby's but home is where we are together; where a person can have "great comfort in his friends on the long grey road."

It truly is... everything I need.

Jay "Bird" Koder knows how to light up a place. Sure, it is his exquisite guitar musicianship but it is also his stagecraft and even more than that. It is the emotionalism and the soul that touches the listener.

He plays everything, every style, every technique but it is soul music that touches him the most and allows him to touch others. It is rightly called soul music because it is music from the soul to the soul.

It is the sincerity of his heart that touches. It is opennes and honesty that draws the listener in. It can only be described at the sincerity of love; a perfect love. SoulMates play with a sincere love and it is compelling.

I refuse to accept that only corruption is infectious. I believe that a pureness of heart is even more contagious. It is that shared character between SoulMates that causes wherever they play to become a sanctuary. They bring light and life to any space they occupy. That light and life is expressed in their joy, their love, their humor, and their respect for each other and for everyone in the room.

Monday night, May 14, 2012 was just like that. It was shown in vivid colors how the joy and humor of SoulMates can turn aside sadness and create a cause for celebration. That cause is the simple fact that we are all together, sharing the music and caring for each other. Yes, it sounds maudlin but these are simply the facts of the case.

The magic began with the very first song. Bird opened with an incredible guitar solo that swung wide the gates of paradise and Jarrod Lawson and Reinhardt Melz strutted through with some of the most beautiful keyboard improvs and ripping rhythm work ever. TJ Johnson walked in and assumed his usual spot with a greeting to everyone and the night was swinging into position.
 
As the second piece--the SoulMates original Fly Away--began, music recording master Brian Bell walked in with smiles and salutes to Bird and the band. Perfect timing to catch a sweet Bird solo as he walked through the crowd, at one point pulling out a chair and sitting down with three lovely ladies; guitar crying sweetly the whole time.

The warmth, smile and generosity of Jay "Bird" Koder. Nobody like him. His solo was so moving that, when Fly Away concluded, Bird looked at Reinhardt and asked, "How you feeling, Nose?" Reinhardt's response: "Pretty good after that solo."

And there it is... all in one answer from Reinhardt. Things are always better after a Bird guitar solo...or a Reinhardt solo...or a Jarrod solo...or when all three are in there together.

Reinhardt's showcase was next with Donny Hathaway's Valdez in the Country. All three can tear it up on this one and they always, always deliver. When Reinhardt finished his drum solo, someone from the audience cooed, "oooooo, Reinhardt!" Then Jarrod received much the same sentiment during Stay which followed next.

In this George Clinton composition, Jarrod created a different intonation than usual and his keyboard work was changed up, as well. SoulMates version is much different from Clinton's version but this was different from their own version! It was yet another higher incarnation of a great original. As Jarrod was humbling the listeners with his far-crying vocals, someone was overheard saying "This guy is amazing..."

Then Bird turns it on again with a solo of Bootsy Collins proportions, only sweeter. Jarrod kept looking over in amazement and said, "Yeah, play it like that but sassy" which brought a burst of laughter and applause from the audience. This was blues to make you smile. It was also blues to make you shake your head in wonder as Reinhardt kept up a forceful, driving rhythm throughout the piece.

Jarrod Lawson is the composer of Juniper Dream which came after. It could easily pass for a Gershwin tune, if you didn't know differently. Again, all three were playing their hearts out in an unmistakable offering of love and friendship. Reinhardt ended the piece on a terrific crash-stop that even made Jarrod spin around and say, "That was the coolest crash I ever heard! I actually thought you broke something!"

Reinhardt always open Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover with the Steve Gadd rhythm but he had more of a military cadence as a prelude on this rendition. The SoulMates version employs samba stylings and everything else and creates great space for expression from each of the musicians. As Bird strolls through the crowd during his solo, Brian Bell encourages him on with "Go, Jay!"

Brian has recorded Jay "Bird" many times and even refers to Bird as "One-take Jay." Bird's first instincts are always on target and rewarding. It is no wonder that he is in such demand for recording sessions.

The most powerfully emotional offering of the night came with Jarrod's original Everything I Need. The sweet song of friendship was dedicated to a couple in the audience with the words "To let them know that wherever they go, they've got everything they need." With friends like those gathered together under the music of SoulMates and the protective eye of the Bird, we all have everything we need.

During the song, even more friends joined in. Musicians Randy Monroe, Reo, and Ricky Vernato came in to join the family with smiles on their faces and were greeted with smiles in return. As Reinhardt catapulted SoulMates into Can't Hide Love, Ricky was singing along as Bird and Jarrod laughed at Reinhardt's early launch.

Another Donny Hathaway hit, I Believe to My Soul, featured the searing blues of SoulMates. Bird changed up the guitar and it was hot. Not just hot...but HAWT! Jarrod provided the monstrous kicking bass from his keyboard. The fun stuff is watching Bird and Jarrod switch off bass parts when the other is featured. Some have suggested that a bass player might be fitting but, as one bassist told me, a bass would just get in the way of these two.

The first set came to a close with I Wish during which ample space is allowed for great guitar work and Reinhardt's cool groove. Below is a link to Jarrod's version found on YouTube. You get the idea of the way SoulMates play it when you see this.

The second and final set began with Bilal's When Will You Call. When raw emotions are stretched, the shared love of music and certain special musicians is like a salve. How it is that people who have only seen in each other in this setting can feel so attached to each other? This is what soul music does; it knits souls together. It quickens and it causes rejoicing.

The jumping funk of If You Want Me to Stay was a testament to that. Ricky Vernato wore a big smile as Bird played a ripping guitar solo. Jarrod's own keyboard solo was all ablaze and Reinhardt kept shifting the rhythms for Jarrod and the Bird to follow, which they always did without a miss.

Coolling things off, Reo and Ricky sat in and contributed beautiful, soulful textures to an already sweet night of soul. Reo expressed the night's emotions perfectly when he sang, "I feel so good tonight because SoulMates are my family..." He broke into a little It Was Just My Imagination as Ricky supported with delicate and meaningful piano playing.

Bird and Reo turned it into a church meeting with the call-and-response between vocal and guitar. Church music is a cornerstone of soul and blues and the tradition was in full exposure with Bird, Reo and Ricky.

Jarrod returned for Love, Love, Love and the sound of missing and longing was heart-breaking. Bird's guitar solo was so far-reaching, so pure, so very compelling. While being a song of absence, Bird brought eveyone under his wings for comfort.

SoulMates never leave one down. The final song of the evening was an extended encore of All Day Sucker. The bone-crushing funk could raise the spirits of the damned. It was the best version of the song ever heard by any of us. While not a final send-off, it was a closing of a Monday ritual and they were going to close it in style and in joy. Here is the joy and wonder of SoulMates: the music continues and hearts are forever knit. Grief and melancholy have little room to manouver when SoulMates are in session.

There is great comfort in knowing that every Monday night, somewhere, people are listening with their hearts as SoulMates are playing music from the soul to the soul.

Monday night was warm and summery. It was emotional and touching. There was a sweetness in the air that is beyond description for me. There was a feeling of friendship and love that became the motivation for what may have been their hottest performance at the Blue Diamond, maybe ever--at least in our minds. It was like they were pouring all their hearts and talents into this singular expression of affection and friendship for their audience. This was a night not to be missed.

The opening instrumentals were simply on fire, right from the first number. Drummer Reinhardt Melz was so solid and prepared a steady platform for Jay "Bird" Koder's torrid guitar and Jarrod "Two-Octave Handspan" Lawson's beautfiul keyboard work.

The second instrumental was a sweet, airy number that was a strong set-up for Bourbon Street, the SoulMates' original instrumental. This is a New Orleans heartbeat instrumental that begins as a blues-funk number with Bird cranking out a raw guitar solo. Reinhardt contributed to the blues feel with a pounding heartbeat rhythm as Jarrod created a churchy keyboard movement that carried alongside Bird's nasty guitar; the Church of St. Nasty.

The third warm-up instrumental (although they didn't need warming up!) was like a summer thunderstorm with Reinhardt's thundering rolls and Bird's lightning guitar as Jarrod created a rainy impression on his keyboard. And all of this was in preparation for what came next...the most moving instrumental ever. Ever.

The song was a send-out to Chieko and the song was Sukiyaki. As I have mentioned in times past, the original was by Ryu Sakamoto and the Japanese title is translated "I Shall Walk Looking Up." It was a fitting song on this emotional evening. The performance was sterling and may have very well been Bird's finest version of this song. As Bird strolled into the audience, he played before Chieko and they bowed to each other in a meaningful and touching way. Jarrod and Reinhardt supported the song with heart-felt dedication and warmth.

When the song concluded, Bird commented to Jarrod and Reinhardt something meaningful but not to be repeated here. It was not profane, it was an expression of sentiment that you would not understand were you not there.

Then SoulMates lit it up again with Moonflower. It was another hot treatment with Bird's wicked guitar solo, Jarrod's cool keys and Reinhardt's barrio beat that added more and more punch to the song.

Our friend, Kitty, was in attendance with us and her eyes grew wide as she watched and heard all that was unfolding before her. She had seen Reinhardt in another setting but this was where he was in his element. Again, the only word was hot! Or maybe caliente.

Below is a YouTube link to a 1977 Santana performance of Moonflower. You will hear the same melody but SoulMates carried this composition to greater heights than even Santana could. I know that you won't believe me, but you need to see SoulMates perform this to understand.

George Clinton's Stay featured Jarrod's kicking bass and soulful vocals. It was accompanied by Reinhardt "pulverizing the drums," as Bird described it. This was a fantastic set-up for Jay "Bird" Koder's original composition Man 4 U. Jarrod continued with the warm vocals and Bird created a powerfully attentive guitar solo that pulled at the heart and carried the emotions of the night even deeper.

Although the song was written for the love of his life, his charming wife, on Monday night it was performed by all three of our SoulMates in a way that identified them as being there for us. They have always been there for us and they continue to be there for us.

Her Twisted Mind is a very intriguing composition by these SoulMates. It is a tale told in a song. It contains many memorable lyrics and some are powerful and threatening. "I have received no mercy and surely none will I be shown" is a splendid example of wordcraft and is a writer's dream. Reinhardt adds his own merciless groove and enhances the sense of inevitability that the lyrics create. This is an amazing song in it's form and execution.

Before the break, the mood was changed back to one of harmony and affection with I Believe in Music, a Mac Davis composition that was carried to the heights by the beloved Donny Hathaway.

"I believe in music, I believe in Love" were fitting words to express the mood of the night and a fine way to close out the first set. SoulMates' version opens and closes with the unforgettable chords of Let it Be.

A short second set was opened by another Hathway treat, I Believe to My Soul. Again, the word hot must be used to describe Bird's bluesy guitar and Reinhardt's slamming drums. Jarrod has worked and re-worked the vocals to perfection. This version is unbelievable.

The next song was introduced by Bird with the words, "This is going out to Travis in an attempt to get that boy on the right track." The song, of course, was Stevie Wonder's unreleased Right Track. It was played with fun and humor and ... it was wonderful.

The evening concluded with All Day Sucker. This is always a fun send-off as Reinhardt cuts loose on this like almost no other song. He ripped into rhythms unimagined and he slashed and crashed through the cymbals and even unleashed a rare "Ahhhhh!" as he brought the audience to their feet. Jay "Bird" acknowledged Reinhardt's performance with "Stop that man before he kills again!" Fun and affection remained in the air.

This was the warmest and most emotional of all SoulMates' performances. I have not seen anything like it before but, I am sure, we will see it again someday.

I love these guys.


When I go from hence, let this be my parting word, that what I have seen is unsurpassable.
                                                                                       ~ Rabindranath Tagore
 

"Oh, my God! There's Mel Brown and isn't that Shirley with him?" It became clear on Monday night that Portland's great muscians had found out where SoulMates were now holding court. And they were coming out in force. But Portland's legendary drummer and "Gentleman of Jazz" Mel Brown  and Shirley had staked out their spots early.

So right out of the gate, everyone wanted to see what drummer Reinhardt Melz was going to do in Mel's presence. Mind you, it is not showing off or trying to impress; it is giving honor and respect.

It all started so cool with a usual section of instrumental warm-ups and Jay "Bird" Koder bringing out a new guitar to test out. Reinhardt sets a cool swinging pace and Jarrod Lawson doing fine work on the keys. And then Reinhardt turns on a furious drum solo which Mel applauded appreciatively. As the trio returned, Mel was slowly nodding his approval.

The second instrumental saw Bird put away the new guitar and return to the old gig-standard Epiphone/Gibson/Something-else warhorse. This was a Bird original composition and it was just cool.

Bird introduced the next number by sending it out to "This sweet lady came all the way from Japan to hear her SoulMates. This is for you, Chieko." The regulars know what the song is going to be and they can't wait for it. The song is Ryu Sakamoto's Sukiyaki. The toughest guy will get a lump in his throat the way SoulMates perform this. It is easily the most moving instrumental in SoulMates repertoire. Barney Early later confessed that he regretted not being seated by his wife when Bird turned it on in this song's solo. It is just so. The SoulMates rendition of this makes you long to be close to your loved one. Bird's face changes when he plays this. He seems to lose himself in it and his listeners follows him.

When the song fades out, it is like a pleasant daydream that you don't want to end. But Bird grabs you by the scruff of the neck and pulls you up into the next adventure. And what an adventure!

Valdez in the Country was dedicated to Mel Brown because this song is Reinhardt's playground. This is a drummer's dream song and Reinhardt was completely unconscious in this one. The drum solo was a masterpiece on its own. Mel applauded enthusiastically and again later. He clearly loved the solo but he was digging the Reinhardt groove. When Reinhardt lights it up, everybody sees the light. Jarrod ripped up the keyboard and Bird just howled on the guitar. When Bird worked the guitar over you could see him making the "Wah..WAH...WAHHHHH" open-mouthed imitation of the guitar sounds. Leaves you chill-bumps.

After a sweet return to Gershwin's Summertime, the younger crowd arrived and began to really fill the place. But also arriving were more of Portland's premiere musicians. Here came Reo and Ricky Vernato from Andy Stokes' Band. Soon after entered none other than Victor Little the great bassist whose hometown is Portland. Arietta Ward snuck in and took up a usual seat in the back. All of these had been regulars at the Candlelight but this was the first time that they had made it to Blue Diamond to see their SoulMates. Joining the whole crowd was Portland's other legendary drummer, Ron Steen.

Mel Brown and Ron Steen in the same place at the same time. It was too good to be true. Reinhardt gets to sit in the chair of Thor while Zeus and Jupiter are in the audience.

Lance Giles! Where were you? You missed it all!

The blues took centerstage during the performance of The Colour of the Day and One Mo'Gin (That's not "gin" as in "gin and tonic," but 'Gin with a hard G as in a shortened pronunciation of again. Just so you know). There was smoldering blues guitar from Bird and really bluesy vocals from Jarrod; slow blues.

For the first time, the dance floor filled up. Now it's a small dance floor but this was the first Monday night I have seen it full.

Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover kept them on the floor until Knocks Me Off My Feet really cut loose the magic.

Mel Brown had stepped out into the hall and during Jarrod's soulful Everything I Need, he stood close behind Reinhardt and took it all in. Such a moving song. Can't get enough of it and, apparently, neither could Mel.

Then it was time for lively soul and Donny Hathaway's Love, Love, Love started the fun. This was "pretty music," as Donny called it. "You made me fall in love with you/ Now I don't know just what I'm gonna do" was then accompanied by a very pretty guitar solo from the Bird. It was a stop-you-in-your-tracks solo and that is not an exaggeration because a cyclist had been passing by and, when he heard the music, hit his brakes and stopped right at the open door of the place. He sat astride his bike with a huge smile and bobbing head until the song's conclusion when he had to move on.

Shirley Brown was dancing by her seat during Can't Hide Love. Jarrod open all the stops and let his pipe-organ voice wail.  Ain't Too Proud to Beg brought all the dancers back to the floor.

Bill Withers' Lovely Day has become an indespensible song for me. I was always a huge fan of the Withers original but SoulMates bend every song to their own and they improve it. I have gone back and listened to the Bill Withers CD, just like I have done with Stevie's Knocks Me Off My Feet and Donny Hathway's Valdez in the Country. Seriously, the originals have been replaced for me. The SoulMates' versions have become my favorite versions. If they ever cover And You and I by Yes or Larks' Tongues in Aspic by King Crimson, I just may have to sell off my CD collection entirely. What would be the point in keeping the originals? SoulMates keep turning in better versions!

Arietta Ward was called up onstage for the closing songs. What had been a regular feature at the Candlelight has now carried over to the Blue Diamond. The go-to songs for Arietta and SoulMates are Fly Like an Eagle and If You Want Me to Stay. 'Etta acknowledged that she had not done her "homework" and so Jarrod passed her a lyric sheet.

She sweetly exclaimed, "I get so excited when I join my SoulMates!"

I think we all feel that way. The music was done but no one seemed to budge. Mel and Shirley were still in their seats. Reo and Ricky, Victor and Ronnie were all sticking around. For a couple of hours on Monday night, the best of the best were assembled together, excited to join their SoulMates.

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