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The shared consensus amongst the 100 or so people in attendance for the Garage a Trois gig at the cozy Compound Grill in Scottsdale last Tuesday was “these guys are too damn good for this small room.” Having sold out the previous Saturday night in LA, and having played in front of thousands the Sunday prior at Outside Lands, the small audience was more a result of the band’s desert surroundings than anything else.
“Phoenix, you confuse us, but we love you,” announced Skerik from the stage, perhaps in accordance with the small showing or the recent immigration laws hindering the state. Hawking their own CDs and mingling amongst fans between sets, you’d think a band featuring improv heavyweights Skerik (saxophone), Stanton Moore (drums), Marco Benevento (keys) and Mike Dillon (vibraphones, percussion) should be swigging jack and ginger in a posh green room. It’s almost not right that such talent goes unheard to the majority of regular concert goers.
But perhaps that’s the underlying theme of Garage a Trois, regardless of the status of the gig, it’s apparent that the quartet has a passionate bond with one another on stage, such that each band members has tossed their egos aside to make a unique concoction of instrumental music that’s greater than their individual talents.
Garage a Trois was originally a trio founded in 1998 by Moore, eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, and Skerik, and then later added Dillon. Having become a Garage A Troiser in 2007, Benevento is the new guy, but doesn’t play like it. The scene’s most ambidextrous keyboardist/keybassist, Benevento plays the lead harmonies by incorporating a heavy use of effects and harmonics that he’s become renown for with The Duo and his recent eclectic solo releases. Skerik plays the front-man, announcing the songs and stage happenings with saucy gestures and pronunciations, keeping the crowd amused in between playing his sax like an ax. And we all know Moore is probably the strongest groove/funk drummer going today, but it was Dillon who was the main attraction as his vibraphones added a new dimension to the improv circle. When he wasn’t smashing the heads off his mallets, the tattooed veteran was making rhythmic noises with anything he can find on stage, while showing that the vibraphone can serve as a ballsy lead instrument.
Supporting their most recent effort Power Patriot that came out in late 2009 on the stellar Royal Potato Family label, Garage a Trois made no reservations about playing the part of entertainers. With two one hour sets, the quartet put whimsicality and energy first, while placing compositional perfection somewhere down the priority line, but it didn’t matter – this is a live band and these four guys toss any preconceived jazz notions by way of prog and rock leanings. Just listen to the fury of the title track “Power Patriot” and you’ll see that you don’t need a guitar to rock out. And while these guys have a revolving door of projects going on, when they come together as Garage a Trois, it’s very well worth the price, no matter what night of the week they swing into town. And while you’re there, you might as well pick up a copy of Power Patriot and have the guys sign it. Try doing that at a Galactic show.
