Yesterday, we reported on a Scrapomatic tour with the Yonrico Scott Band, and the first show of said tour was a lively evening of great music culminating with four great musicians joining the YSB (which consists of Rico, Todd Smallie and Kofi Burbridge). Each band performed a full set, Scrapomatic silencing the room with their gripping guitar/voice duo music, and YSB in turn igniting the crowd with a high energy set of their own.

However, it was the final set that indicated how special this brief tour looks to be. Scrapomatics Paul Olsen emerged to lend guitar to a spirited take on Jimmy Smiths Back at the Chicken Shack. Olsen remained as Scrapomatic/DTB lead vocalist Mike Mattison took center stage to lend his sweetly soulful vocals to Jimmy Reeds Aint That Lovin You Baby, and Ray Charles I Believe To My Soul. The instrumentals were ferocious, with Scott and Smallie relentlessly bringing fiery rhythms, and Olsen and Burbridge going almost face to face as they traded a stunning array of licks. Toward the end of the Charles number, former Parliament Funkadelic member Doug Smith jumped up to join Kofi behind the keys much to the delight of the attentive crowd. After this, Olson and Mattison chose to watch the final number, as Augusta guitarist Elliot Holden took the stage, and he, Smith and the YSB performed an extended version of Wayne Shorters Footprints. After several minutes of exuberant cheering from the Decatur crowd, the YSB returned in their usual trio form to perform Herbie Hancocks Chameleon.
As discussed yesterday, this mini-tour moves to the Bourbon Street Bar in Auburn, AL tonight and concludes tomorrow night at Fusion Jazz & Blues Club, Richmond, VA. I feel compelled to mention that Elliot Holden Band recently released their second CD, Radiance, and they will be performing tonight at the Racktime Billiards Club in Greenwood, SC, and at The Joint in Clemson, SC on June 16. Report by Rob Turner