Business stuff: The spring concert season will soon be in effect, but while your waiting out those long winter nights, staked out in front of your stereo, consider dropping me line or two about what you're listening to. In the upcoming months we'll be focusing on Phil and Friends' Fall 2000, Percy Hill, Phish's Spring '93, another installment of the ongoing GD in '74 series, Soulive's Fall 2000 and the JGB among others. Please feel free to contribute a review about one of these topics or any other. Remember there is a B and P offer for a randomly chosen reviewer each month.

Music: It's been said before and it will be said again: Project Logic is one of the most innovative improvisational bands on the scene. While the crew of outlaws is in constant flux, this genre bending, hip-hop fueled star cruiser is always under the skilled direction of DJ Logic. Easily one of the most versatile musicians to grace the modern jam stage, Logic can be see all over the place sitting in with groove demons like Soulive, straight forward, double barreled jamsters like moe. and even New Grass champions Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. In each situation his quick wrists and FX machinery reveal a dimension to the music that may have otherwise gone undiscovered. But when he's in charge, it's a whole different ballgame.

"The Project is all about the youth," calls the captain from the stage of the Wetlands in September of '99 as Baba Israel takes the stage. Indeed the Project is about youth, and growth- experimentation. Logic organizes performers with the ability to listen, respond and flex their collective musical might, creating an atmosphere rich in potential. Spontaneous composition is a term favored by long time friend and sometime band-mate John Medeski, but a term best suited to the Project. As the membership has settled into a somewhat regular rotation that includes Scotty Palmer and Casey Benjamin, the band has picked up a couple of regular tunes, including Jean Pierre, CTB and Bubblehouse, but free-form jamming is still its lifeblood. Solid back-beats and crisp leads allow songs to take shape before your very ears as any number of guests add the flair of guitar riffs, organ puddles, horn lines and quick rhymes. Sensibilities may range from jazz to techno, but when Project Logic is in full effect the results are nothing less than astounding; the sound is unique.

Project Logic @ Tipi Tina's, NOLA 5-7-00
Disc 1: Set I: Miles Invocation > Go, Beanie Man > Gig 1 > Dub Joint, Comin' to Getcha, NOLA Stomp
Disc 2: Set II: Mull > Beat, Bounce > The Project Runs the Voodoo Down > Orbital, Aw Yeah
Disc 3: Bubblehouse E: Jam > Chameleon, Jam, NOLA Stomp Reprise

[Note: Since many tunes are unnamed, I've taken the liberty of adding titles that help convey the theme or feeling of a song. Other songs are covers or titled based on samples.]

This already legendary show closed out the 2000 Jazz Fest happenings in stellar fashion. Special guests are the norm for Project Logic, but it's a truly noteworthy night when the second set features the likes of Fuzz, John Fishman, Warren Haynes and John Medeski. It's a jam fan's dream band! But before we get there, there is a formidable first set featuring Casey Benjamin on sax, Mike Weitman on keys, Scott palmer on bass, Eric Paul on skins and Fuzz on guitar from Dub Joint on.

Beginning with a flourish of creeks and groans reminiscent of an old school invocation, the Project sets its course. Eric hits a sweet spot and Weitman takes a groovy little stroll over the keys. It's a fine bit of foreshadowing as a dynamic balance between steady furrows and loose approaches characterizes the rest of the set. Slipping into the second track, Casey grabs a line and works it through the whole tune, spanning slick breakdowns and cutting through the ones and twos.

Gig 1 has a slower groove. Again it's Casey who establishes the melody. Logic paints the air with clouds and slashes. Wavering celestial streaks litter the sky as Scotty locks onto an anxious bass line. Logic takes the cue and rains in with sheets of sound- like Coltrane's paragraphs. The sax man works the coda again before he and Logic rocket off, not trading licks but running parallel lines.

Beanie Man kicks in with big swingin' drums and a loose groove. It's a bit mellow but swells into a thick fog. Coming out the other side a droning expanse meets the ears- an echoing trance with a brief, beautiful keyboard interlude. Casey steps into fill the spaces created by Logic's circumambulating satellites. The vocal track (is it Lee Scratch Perry?) roars in prophetically and the jam solidifies into a reggae riff. Fuzz enters the mix with some nice rhythm licks.

Comin' to Getcha begins with pleasant, spacey keys, but picks up steam quickly. Logic takes the lead as Fuzz noodles underneath. The vibe turns frenzied and the drums and bass lock up for a race to the end. But as cool as it is, the tune is overshadowed by set closing NOLA Stomp. With a catchy, swollen sax line a la Illinois Jaquette, this one screams for a full skeleton dance- shake them bones! Fuzz gives it a go and dishes out some nice playin'. Never a big fan of DBB's lead man, it's always pleasing to hear him step up to an occasion. Solos from Casey and the tables precede Scott's throw down. The swollen sax pops up and it's a speedy charge to the end. And that's just the beginning.

Set II. Logic introduces his guests: John Fishman, John Medeski and Warren Haynes. The great thing about this particular grouping is that it's made up of great listeners; the down side is that they are all too cautious at the outset. Mull is simply meandering thoughts, staking out space. It's a big step forward when Fish finds a Beat and Scotty pins it down, but there's really nothing special here.

In stark contrast, Bounce is addictive from the first note. Springs permeate the tune- so central to the sound that they seems to be there even when they're not. Warren leaks an idea early on and Medeski tries it out. Casey joins in but keeps it light. This song brings a smile with it. After another round of springs Casey and Warren start to talk, parroting at times and not quite meeting at others. It quiets down. Warren returns to his first idea.

Fish switches up the beat and goes with a more aggressive bed. Scotty plants a funky seed and slips back to let it grow. Logic and Warren taste the fruit but is Medeski who squeezes out the juice. A bit heady, moody even, it burgeons into a dense organ mixture with the rhythm section pushing hard for more. It's Casey's turn. Of all the sax players on the scene, Casey Benjamin is my favorite. There is something about the resonance of his brassy bleat that hits me just right. (There's also something to be said for the jump suit.) He lays out a series of paragraphs comprised of short statements that follow hard upon one another. Logic keeps egging him on. Woo! The Project runs the voodoo down!

The following Orbital composition stretches out a bit more. We're in a sweet spot. Eric Paul takes over the kit and does some neat work while Warren wades into deep space. Medeski adds to the cosmic effect and Casey echoes both the guitar and organ with well placed fluting. Galactic debris drifts by, courtesy of Logic. Fuzz returns to swap fire with Warren briefly, but we're ultimately left standing in a field, staring at the stars.

Disc 3 begins with a monster 15-minute version of the MMW classic Bubblehouse. While Medeski makes clear the tune at the start, there is a lot of wandering room left in the jam. Logic and Casey add to the mix, Fuzz jumping in here and there while Rob from DBB takes an extended solo. For a moment he strays too far but Eric brings him back and Casey keeps him focused by swapping verses. In a matter of seconds the jam gets hoppin' and falls away. The whole band picks up the slack with a great mix of flavors. A little more than half way through there is a nice series of short solos from Fuzz, Logic and Warren that lead back to Bubblehouse proper. Out of nowhere the song explodes into an inferno of raging energy- a full sprint that loses steam to close.

This is one of those shows where the encore is just a continuation of the high voltage from the rest of the show. After all you can't miss with Chameleon. Slow and funky, it's just about perfect and even has an extended bottle intro. Casey works the melody till it melts and Scott's bass is so bloated that it hurts. This is the serious p*h*u*n*k! The following tune Gets Down in much the same vein- crisp, clean jamming with everyone in the zone. Fuzz scorches a short solo and Rob and Casey work together with a grace and understanding that is breathtaking. Whoa!

The grand finale is a huge reprise of the NOLA Stomp that closed the first set. "This'll be in your head when you go to sleep, alright? This melody right here." As I said at the outset, this show is of legendary proportions and fairly widely traded. Get yer hands on it ASAP!

Project Logic, Live at Wetlands, NYC, Ropeadope Records
Intro > Miles, Black Buddah, Beanie Man, Gig 1 > Dub Joint, J.J. Bailey > Bubblehouse, Drone, Jean Pierre

This joint that squeaks in at just under an hour, is a limited release available only through Logic's website ( www.djlogic.com) and at Project Logic shows. It was recorded at what must seem like Logic's home away from home, the Wetlands, on July 13th, 2000. Last year I mentioned in an interview that the first studio release, Project Logic, did not capture the real feel of the band. This release, however, is a prime of example of the band hittin' a groove and riding it for all it's worth.

The Miles opener has spotty vocal tracks of a lift off bubbling up through squawks and washes of sound. "You are go to continue." And with that clearance, Stephen Roberson sets pace with his high hat. Mike pushes in with a series of cool notes, like pressing on Jello. A groovy keyboard strut settles in and it's clear that the Project is all about the one. Nice drumming holds this sleek groove together as Logic continues to fire more and more FX into the mix. Mike is as solid as Stephen though, and does not become distracted from his train of thought.

Black Buddah is much moodier, with desperate screams from Casey and pressing drums. Vernon Reid, guest guitarist for the evening, follows a steady rhythm course when he rises out of the fray but mostly plays spacey chords here and there. About four and a half minutes in Casey rips out a nice line that jumps starts a quick swap between Logic and Vernon.

Beanie Man is aggressive, Casey dealing with the familiar melody through the composition while the guitar and turn tables race. Start/stops litter the center of the tune as Scotty pounds out an amazing bass line and Weitman unleashes a solo rife with weird sounds and crazed thoughts. Casey drops the coda once, hard. Taking the reigns, he merely slips over a pulsating funk machine as it plows forward ceaselessly.

Gig 1 is a strangely backward rhythm piece from Logic that settles into a pensive dockside stroll. A trumpet sounds off, with distance in its voice. More FX flourishes from the DJ drift away to leave Casey with a soulful moment before Vernon leads the way into the angered reggae of Dub Joint. His mid song guitar work is awesome and peppered with more trumpet lines.

Next the Project serves up a tight cover of MMW's Bubblehouse, nailing it down with a solid bass line and dead-on keys from Mike. But there is also room to cast about and Vernon takes a feed back laced solo that ignites the stage. The drop that leads to the final rise is so very crisp. Oh Yeah!

No song is more appropriately titled than Drone. A static buzz is the floor on which small crystalline structures are erected only to be shaken apart by the vibration. At the start it's a great cool down number with a heavy feel- powerful if you want it to be, like What's the Use. By the end an overwhelming tempest of sound has raged in, clearing a wide swath in its wake, and leaving only the drone.

A fantastic rendition of Jean Pierre closes the disc with swingin' rhythm and bright playing from Casey. Logic is all over the tune, while Mike laces some serious keyboard funk around Palmer's big bass sound. Casey takes a solo that turns into a full jam, Stephen remaining steady on the one throughout. This disc is one of my favorite buys in resent months. It offers a glimpse of the genre bending, controlled madness that is Project Logic. If you've never heard the Project before, it's a great introduction; if you're already a member, it's a gem in your CD collection.