The great 20th century artist Pablo Picasso once said “it takes a very long time to become young.” Clearly Mr. Picasso never spent a 21st century night in New Jersey. If you are thinking to yourself Mr. Picasso couldn’t have because he died in 1973, you are the type of person who should be reading this.
The Brian St. John Quartet (BSJQ) spent a lot of time becoming young. It took founder and guitarist/vocalist Brian St. John, bassist Randy Sabo, percussionist/vocalist Jon Irizarry, and saxophonist/percussionist Brian Cornish serious study of rock & roll, blues, world music, and jazz to find their youthfully exuberant sound. After four years of gigging local bars and short tours, 2011 was rapidly becoming a breakout year for the boys. The BSJQ was playing weekly over four different states and their profile was beginning to expand. As they slowly crested the Watchung Mountains in traffic (it’s New Jersey) on that warm October Wednesday, they knew they were in for something special. They were headed to home of the Frank Sinatra and parking to meet the needs of 10% of their residents and commuters for a show at one of NJ’s most prestigious venues: Maxwell’s
Maxwell’s was a live music institution in New Jersey for the better part of four decades. Over the years, this 200-capacity room in the shadows of NYC hosted the likes of Nirvana, Pixies, the Smashing Pumpkins, Ween, the Strokes, and many others. For four friends from Sussex County, it was a big deal to get an invite to play this haloed room for a featured 9pm weekday night set. With the opportunity present to make a statement in the forty minutes allotted, it was time to button up their white shirts, roll up their sleeves (except for St. John…he was wearing short sleeves under the jacket due to the heat…what a dork), and rock out.
The set begins with a particularly vibrant “Real Love,” a piece that was played occasionally with lyrics as it was written for their soon to be released self-titled third album, but here was played instrumentally. Once the groove was locked in, the tune soars with soprano solos by Cornish and jazz/African influenced drums solo by Irizarry. The set segues directly into the rocker “Stomping Grounds” featuring call backs lyrically to their Sussex County home. Sabo’s bass line really carries the tune through Cornish’s funky tenor solo moving in and out of the tonal center while St. John’s bluesy Telecaster brings the song to a close.
The standout track from this particular set has to be “Meadowlark,” their ode to their jazz influences. Irizarry and Sabo are locked in here with Sabo’s 5/4 bass line driving the track. Cornish’s saxophone solo ascends and climbs over the modal section not unlike something from John Coltrane’s or Ornette Coleman’s catalog. It was after this tune, the boys started to win over the crowd.
The next three tunes feature St. John’s songwriting. “Another Night in a Bar” came from personal experience. These were the things romanticized about playing in a bar band as a young man. Irizarry’s combined drum/percussion part plays a key role in powering the track. Out of the harmonized bridge, St. John takes a country inspired solo probably coming from the experience of playing the gin mills of the hills of Jersey. “Rocks on Rye” commemorations unrequited love for a young woman and whiskey over ice. The timbre of Cornish’s saxophone solo calls back to those experiences and that longing. The last of the tunes from this portion of the set is a character piece called “Last Monarch Standing.” The song tells the story of a desperate woman who used to be the queen of the scene. While the times have past her by, she is desperately attempting to hold onto her throne. Once again Cornish’s sax spins webs as the band takes us into a jangly web of suspended chords, broken heels, and healing scars.
BSJQ’s last tune of the night was a piece from their first record In Technicolor entitled “Old Soul.” If the goal was to make a statement, this tune makes the statement of who they were: young men with old souls. They were looking for inspiration from the past for their look, lyrics, and musical influences. To add more depth for their penchant of quoting their historical references, the boys even tease “Sir Psycho Sexy” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in this one, a group that also graced the Maxwell’s stage in their early years.
While BSJQ was invited back to Maxwell’s after a solid response on that Wednesday evening, it turned out to be the one and only time they would get to the play the room. Other opportunities arose and Maxwell’s would shut its doors for the first time in 2014 and then for good in 2018. We may not have the cultural institution anymore, but we do have the record of this performance. Everything was done to preserve the integrity of the 2-track soundboard mix. Any imperfections, like life itself, are part of its charm. On behalf of the rest of the former BSJQ, pour yourself a drink, straighten your Windsor knot, and enjoy “Live Vol. 2 BSJQ Maxwell’s Hoboken NJ 10/5/11.”