Come Back Alice | Ringside Cafe 09.27.13

I had to make a choice last night. Another dilemma. Savi Fernandez at Dunedin Brewery or Come Back Alice at the Ringside Café? I love Savi, and he always puts on an excellent show (and he’s probably doing just that at the Suwannee Disk Jam as I write this), but…

I chose Come Back Alice. And they crushed. Crushed it. Crushed it.
Three hours of spectacular music from CBA. Let me repeat my mantra first. In the moment, this was music as good as it gets. Come Back Alice can stand on stage with anybody. ANYBODY.

I have a lot to say about Tony Tyler and Dani Jaye, the front “men” of CBA, but first a word about their rhythm section. I gather it has been something of a revolving door of drummers and bassists over the past year or so, but you would never have known that from the tighter-than-tight performance last they. John Werner was excellent on bass, and Mr. Drummer (???) kept superb time. These men pushed the show over the top.

Tony Tyler is a triple threat on guitar, Hammond B3 and vocals. As superb as his guitar playing is and as soulful as his B3 work is, for me his vocals are most impressive. He is a Southern belter in the Gregg Allman – John Bell – Warren Haynes – JJ Grey category.

And then there is Dani Jaye, another triple threat. She adds badking vocals and plays a mean, mean guitar, but it is her violin – OK, fiddle – that will knock you out. I have seen a lot of fiddle players in my day, from bluegrass and jazz to blues and rock, but Dani is the only one I have seen who reminds me of my favorite violin player, Don “Sugarcane” Harris (reference several Harris performances with Zappa below). Stunning is the word I would use.

This is a complete band. I am so delighted they have been invited to Hulaween at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park with String Cheese Incident and STS9. They deserve that spot, and everybody who attends that festival will go home with Come Back Alice on their new favorites list. Come Back Alice can stand on stage with anybody. ANYBODY.