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Monday, Oct 13, 2008
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Nouveau Flamenco artist Ottmar Liebert wows fans at The Triple Door |
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| Nouveau Flamenco artist Ottmar Liebert wows fans at The Triple Door | ||
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By Lorelei Quenzer -
SGN A&E Writer Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra June 26 @ The Triple Door The Triple Door might have been packed to the rafters, but when the band Luna Negra took to the stage they only required a few drumbeats as fanfare to capture the attention of the rowdy audience. Guitarist Ottmar Liebert, leader of the ensemble quartet, quickly kicked off his shoes and tapped out the beat, his foot hitting the microphone stand's base. The first set of the first evening was clearly sold out, and Liebert delivered nine classics to the enthusiastic crowd. Liebert coined the term "Nouveau Flamenco" to describe his brand of jazz, which often gets mis-filed at the record store, either in the New Age section or under world music from Spain. The band's music is most definitely hard to categorize; it's a mix of flamenco-style guitar with jazz, bossa nova and Hindu meditation music influences. His fans are legion and rabid, as the lines at The Triple Door's ticket window could attest. And here's an interesting factoid: German-born Liebert, who is himself a mix of Chinese, German and Hungarian, was recently ordained as a Zen Monk in Salt Lake City! My biggest problem with acoustic jazz is that there are no lyrics to help me identify tunes, so during a live performance the only way I'll ever know what album I'm missing, and must buy, is when performers butt into the set and tell me what they've been playing. The good news - and bad news, if you get my meaning - is that Liebert interrupted his set only a few times. Now, I've been a fan of Luna Negra since their 1990 debut (the double-platinum Nouveau Flamenco), but I'm not so good at recognizing individual songs, and since this is a live show the songs aren't in the same order as they are on the albums. Duh. I can tell you that Luna Negra's encore was from their first recording, because there's no way the Tuesday night mob would let him get away without playing "Barcelona Nights." The Triple Door is one of Seattle's best acoustic venues, not only because it feels so intimate; it's also has an awesome sound system, a great variety of performers and a delicious menu. Every time visit I find myself thinking, "Gosh, I should come more often!" If you haven't been yet - and you're crazy if you haven't, because there is something for everyone's taste on their calendar - you'll find it closely resembles the supper-club feel of Jazz Alley, but because the tables are tiered the servers can pass almost right in front of you without obstructing your view. If you don't order the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake ($7) for dessert, then you are clearly a chocolate piker. Warm ginger-infused chocolate "lava" oozes out of the dense chocolate cake and into swirls of tasty raspberry coulis; the whole creation is topped by a cloud of panne gelato (from Gelatimo, across the street) and a curl of toffee. My only complaint is that it should be served in a bowl so you don't have to chase the melting ice cream around your plate. You'll spoon-fight your partner over who gets more of the decadent lava, so make sure you get one each. Liebert has described Luna Negra as a "rubber band," as its membership change with the seasons. The only consistent members are Liebert (on flamenco and electric guitars) and Jon Gagan (on bass guitars and keyboards). Dave Bryant (percussion) and Stephen Duros (flamenco guitar and keyboards) were also in the house for the band's Seattle shows and the quartet are clearly a formidable force. Catch them when they're back in town; this was Liebert's third visit to The Triple Door in as many years, so the acoustic guitar fans in your circle will certainly get another chance! |
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