Sonoma Jazz + kicks off with a celebration

It was 1974 in Sonoma, but for only one night. If you were there the first time around, then you re-lived it. If you only heard about it, and were there Thursday night, then you can say you lived it. Kool & The Gang stormed the stage a little after 8:30 p.m. and didn’t let it go until well after 10 p.m., laying down a clinic of what a late 70’s soul-funk band should sound like, before the disco movement. Sometimes utilizing the talents of six background harmony vocals, who all proved they could play horns as well, the band kept the festival seating crowd dancing from the minute the show started to the encore number. The almost 4,000 square ft. dance floor was pulsating to the sounds of many hits like, Hollywood Swingin’, Jungle Boogie and Joanna.
The band showed they could still write a bit, show-casing a couple of new tunes that fit right into the classic Kool sound. Who is “Kool” anyway, well, much unlike Pink, Led or Lynyrd, Kool is actually bass player Robert Bell, who started the band in 1968 and has weathered all the music styles and changes that have been thrown his way over the years. Thursday was a shining star for the band, as I must admit, not appreciating disco or funk back in the day, this group of musicians were among the most polished and professional I’ve seen come thru town, or in any place for that matter. The band dove into the number “Island Shake” and invited 2 members of the crowd from each sex up onto the stage for an impromptu dance show-down that had the crowd laughing out loud. The show ended with the classic “Celebrate.” Sunday, May 25, is sold out, but tickets remain for the Friday and Saturday shows by visiting sonomajazz.org.