Moveable Feast, from left: Jeff Bailey on bass, Peter Vircks on saxophone, Kevin Washington on drums and Tommy Barbarella on keyboards.


Moveable Feast heads in new 'Directions'
Published Jul 19, 2002
Chris Riemenschneider
STAR TRIBUNE

Can a band that got its start playing for young rock and hip-hop fans at the 400 Bar every week earn the respect it takes to headline reputable jazz clubs like the Dakota and Artists' Quarter?

It can if its name is Moveable Feast. The eclectic electric-groove band has done more to bridge local jazz and rock hipsters than any act since Happy Apple (loose translation: It brings younger crowds to the jazz venues). Just how far the band has come in jazz circles is apparent with its second CD, "Directions." The disc's launch includes an unprecedented two weekends of shows starting tonight and Saturday at the Dakota, followed by two A.Q. gigs Aug. 2 and 3. "Really, the perfect venue for us was the Loring [Bar & Cafe], just because people didn't know what it was -- jazz, rock, Latin, hip-hop, whatever, sort of like us," said Moveable Feast saxophonist Peter Vircks. Not that the group is viewing the jazz venues as second choice. Said Vircks, "There's a legitimacy to playing them that's definitely appealing."

Formed in 2000, the Feast lineup has changed along with the venues. Vircks, bassist Jeffrey Bailey and drummer Kevin Washington are the constants. Rapper/percussionist William (Truth Maze) Harris recently quit, while Prince alumnus Tommy Barbarella has long since settled in as keyboardist. The four members share writing duties equally on "Directions," which bounces from Medeski, Martin & Wood grinding to spacey Weather Report sounds to classic John Coltrane.

"We trust each other more now," Bailey said, "and that's really helped our wide variety of individual influences come out more. I'd say if anything, we've actually moved further away from traditional jazz."

To add to the confusion of exactly how to label the group, City Pages recently named it best R&B band in town. The band happily accepted. Said Bailey, "Prince, Led Zeppelin or Coltrane -- they take you to the same place in the end."

http://www.startribune.co...70556.html

thanks for the pic and news. I was wondering what TB was up to.
Anyone know if Sons of Almighty are still going?

I have noticed a pattern in the Minneapols music scene. The same group of people just change bands every once in a while or play in about 10 at the same time. Just hearing updates from ex-Prince band members one sees a never-ending game of musical chairs (pun intended) amongst band members and bands. None of which ever manage to break out of the local scene. I am not knocking anybody who can make a living playing music, more power to ya. But it's kind of played out hearing about all these recycled bands endlessly gigging, maybe/maybe-not ever releasing an independent CD, and forever doing session work. I just wish someone would bust out and start really doing something for a change. Commit to ONE band and don't stop until that band is doing national tours and selling at least 50,000 CDs. Greazy Meal seemed to have come close. What's up? Are people's sights just set low?

P.S. as far as band photos go, this one sux. Come on, guys. Get one of your girlfriends/wives to clean you up and take a nice shot.

Is the photo really that bad, or did he really gain THAT much weight? Wow. Barbarella sure has changed since his glory days as a keyboard wiz with the NPG. He used to be so thin and earthreal back then. I saw him once having lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in Miami back in the mid-90's when Prince was opening Glam Slam. He was with some little chocolate waif of a girl and they looked like two bunny rabbits munching on whatever they were eating at the time, just totally sweet looking. Hopefully this new band will bring him whatever is necessary to putsome kind of spark in his eyes. It always saddens me to see ex-Prince campers kind of fading away in their artistry. It's almost like when they leave that scene, they become a mere shadow of their former selves...

Has he kept his stage name?

And did Prince give it to him or did he make it up himself?