Joe Baiza of the Mecolodiacs (formerly of Universal Congress Of and Saccharine Trust) has owned two distinctions for 40-some years: no guitarist sounds like him, and except in brief moments, he sounds like no one else. One reason for the distinction is that, especially now, he rarely plays chords -- plays guitar much like a horn. Okay, B.B. King omitted chords too, but Baiza is not a blues player, he's more into funk, jazz and personal abstraction. Rarely will you hear somebody squeeze in so many chromatic passages -- he just about does away with major and minor scales. He used to bend strings hard and often, and his attack had a jittery quality. On this occasion, though, Baiza retained all his historic personality while locking in with the danceable rhythm of his excellent band, and he gripped the audience, heart, soul and mind.
The Mecolodiacs exploited Baiza's long partnership with bassist Ralph Gorodetsky, who articulately squeezed the lows on his Fender while digging into the deep funk slapped down by drummer Wayne Griffin and keeping sharp eye contact with Baiza. On sax & flute, Vince Meghrouni doubled Baiza's lines, sparked harmonies with 'em, or took button-busting solos. After the Mecolodiacs had forced attendees to shatter the crossbars of their barstools through an hour of heelstomp distantly dedicated to James Brown and Parliament, the quartet settled into a meditation on the complex unisons and surprise harmonies of Ornette Coleman's "Peace." Although that tune arrived in 1959, its theme ever remains current.
Gorodetsky (guitar) and Meghrouni also shared the stage in the roadhouse quartet version of Garretson & Gorodetsky that opened the evening. Add bassist Laura Grissom and awesomely subtle drummer Brian Christopherson, and they appeared ready to attempt anything short of "Aida," but they undertook mostly selections from their new "Tunnel of Time," including the countrified G&G harmonies of "Foggy Morning in Pacoima," the clickety-clack 2/4 "Twice Today" and the bongo protest "Fred Hampton." When they wanted anything wild & jazzy, such as "Lesbian Lasagna," Meghrouni was windman at the ready.
The old punx in black T-shirts ate (& drank) it all up, as well they should, while the regulars at this Tarzana mall bar watched the Dodgers game over to the side without objection. MetalJazz only regretted we could not stay for Wrinkling Brothers and Tune to Me, but Friday nights ain't what they used to be.