Everyone Orchestra with Dave Watts & Friends and Huckle

Everyone Orchestra has become an institution at Summer Camp. They have been playing the “Make A Difference” show for the last few years, which is a private concert that rewards campers for making donations and helping to clean up the environment. This group is always a special treat. Being the fan of jam and collaborations that I am, this band does everything that I hold dear in my favorite genre. EO is always jam-packed with some the very best musicians in the scene all under the confident direction of Matt Butler who acts as the conductor. This lineup included Al Schnier, Jamie Masefield, Steve Kimock, Jen Hartswick, Marco Benevento, John Morgan Kimock, Reed Mathis, and Jans Ingber. This lineup is full of Summer Camp alumni, most notably Al from moe. Saturday was the second of a three night run. Friday saw a big turnout and Sunday featured an afternoon set on the patio. Due to the High Park Fire The Motet’s show at Mishawaka was canceled, so Dave Watts and Friends supported Everyone Orchestra. However first was the surprise of the evening; Huckle performed on the main stage. Huckle is an acoustic rock outfit from Sebastopol, California. They had a down home feel to their delivery like a band around a campfire. However they were both smooth and complex in their performance. Huckle is comprised of Murph on upright bass, Ezra Lipp on drums, and Simon “Huckle” Kurth on acoustic guitar and 10-string slide. Each one of them are multi-instrumentalists and showed their prowess on their respective tools of the trade. A decent crowd gathered to see them play. I found them to be utterly enjoyable and a great way to start the evening. They did an impromptu version of their original song Ramblin’ out on the sidewalk after their set. MusicMarauders was there to catch it. Next on the patio were Dave Watts and Friends otherwise known as The Motet. The Motet always brings the heat and this funk filled night was no exception. Dave Watts lead the stripped down group through a series of covers and originals. The highlight of which was a sit in from Jen Hartswick that set the stage on fire.  The dynamic between Garrett Sayers on bass and Dave Watts on kit continues to impress me every time I see them play together. They are perhaps the best rhythm section on the Front Range, which is saying a lot considering the pool of talent out here. Jans Ingber was on the mic a lot throughout their two set show, which was woven into the night quite nicely. Matt Grundstad sat in for most of the night on percussion freeing up Jans to play front man full time. He pulled double duty sitting in with Everyone Orchestra as well. Everyone Orchestra always combines the best talents jam has to offer for a great live event. Super Jams as a rule can be hit or miss. It’s difficult for a group to come together having never played with one another and simply gel. They have to be incredibly talented and Butler has always been a great judge of talent. He is a bus driver who can handle the type of pressure that comes with leading incredible musicians through the murky waters of imporvisation. It was great to see Jaime Masefield on the stage. It has been the better half of a decade since I saw Masefield with Jazz Mandolin Project. In fact one of the first times I  got to see Jaime was at the inaugural Summer Camp. I got a chance to talk with him and he informed me that he had been taking it easy for some time with his family. Butler began scribbling on his dry erase board and the band quickly got underway. You can listen to the show on Archive from Kind Recordings. I was awed with the young but capable John Morgan Kimock on the kit. He almost looked out of place until he began playing. Al was a treat, after watching him at Summer Camp with moe. and Floodwood it was great to see him let loose in Everyone Orchestra. Jen split her time between vocalizing the instructions on the boards and playing trumpet. Jans harmonized nicely with her when he came to the stage. Kimock Sr. held back quite a bit, playing in the shadows of the stage. However, when he was given the chance to shine he did so brilliantly. Most notably was a slide solo during the second set. Reed Mathis is simply spellbinding on the bass. He effortlessly dictates the flow like a man herding cattle through a canyon. The bass is so important to the Super Jam as a concept that without someone well versed at the position it can all go awry. Thankfully Reed knows what he is doing and helped keep everyone in check immensely.  The entire two set show was a blast. It went by quickly as the crowds shifted from the patio to the inside and back again. Ending just before 2 AM it was a great experience all around. I would have liked to have seen Pete Wall sit in with the band on Sunday, but alas it was time to head back to Fort Collins. I look forward to the return of Everyone Orchestra. [gallery] Video Links Huckle performing at Quixote’s Dave Watts & Friends (aka The Motet) Everyone Orchestra at Quixote’s 6-16-12]]>