It was a stormy, snowy Friday night and it was indeed difficult to make the
trek straight outta Brooklyn and into lower Manhattan to hear and review a
band I knew nothing about. A promise is a promise and so trek we did to the
Knitting Factory.
Once at the venue, having brushed away a few layers of snow off myself, I met
BelizbehaÕs road manager and was introduced to my contact here on the list,
Mark Robohm, the Òfunky drummer.Ó While the band prepared to go on, I waited
patiently, down at the foot of the stage, for the show to begin. Not knowing
what to expect from this band, which I just learned, hails out of Burlington,
Vermont, I dreaded the possibility of disliking the band and having to write
this review. As fate would have it, Belizbeha rocked the house!!
They came on at about 10:30. The band consists of two female vocalists, a
rapper, keyboardist, bassist, saxophonist/flautist, trombonist, trumpeter,
conga drummer/percussionist, guitarist, and drummer. The make-up of the band
is multi-racial and pure positive in its vibes. Belizbeha proceeded to jam
with a bit of soul & funk, chunky beats, solid bassline grooves, great horn
riffs, and smooth melodies. Their cuts flowed with killer horn and keyboard
arrangements with sweet, sweet breaks, stabs, solos, and transitions.
Although, stylistically, influences from all musical spectrums may be heard
in their music, (the result of which is undeniably unique) in the AJ world, I
would consider Belizbeha of the Solsonics, Groove Collective, Brand New
Heavies camp, for those of you looking for some sort of a stylistic
benchmark. At the same time, I must remark on the fact that a good number of
their tunes include a rapper, which is not the case for the previously
mentioned bands -- a rapper whose style (reminiscent of Heavy D meets ATCQ
meets Pharcyde) quotes phrases from other well-known rappers. But instead of
being trite, this stylistic flair is actually quite interesting in the way
that an instant connection between Belizbeha and the quoted rapper is made
almost as in a referencing to others (in the same way that audio samples do).
The set lasted about an hour and I wished they could have jammed longer if it
were not for the other 2 bands to follow. Most of the cuts, as best as I can
tell, were taken from their self-produced and released CD called ÒCharlies
DreamÓ which I obtained a copy of at the show and have been listening to it
ever since. For those interested in obtaining a copy for themselves, email
Mark Robohm, belizbeh@together.net, Internet for information.
Some of us from THE CITY inherit the unfortunate snobbish New York attitude
making it very difficult for a band from out of town to garner any clout or
respect. This just reminds me of that line about New York, Òif you can make
it here, you can make it anywhere.Ó Well, I must say, Belizbeha definitely
impressed (and surprised) the hell out of me with their musicianship,
sophisticated sound, aesthetic, and critical edge. And since I have had the
fortune to hear them both live and on CD, I definitely recommend that you
check them out live if they are playing in your area. IÕve always preferred
the spontaneity, improvisation and unpolished production of a live show and
Belizbeha live was phat and they certainly Òmove the crowd,Ó as Eric B. and
Rakim would say. So definitely check them out for mad flavor, deep jazz/soul
grooves, and fine instrumentals. You can most likely email Mark at the above
address for their tour dates and locations.
peace + dub,
<<peter>>
<<brooklyn universal grooves>> = <<producers of culture; devourers of
sound>>