The Road Between is Miles Long and 4th Avenue Jones

As Seen at B B Kings Club at Universal City, April 16

Hip hop, jazz, R&B, rock, soul – all sister/cousin/lovers of each other on todays hotbed of musical consummation. A soulful orgy of genres so pure and genetically disparate that you wonder how they ever can blend, sit together at a table, marry and have children. And then live to tell about it.

Such is the night I had at the table of the small but robust sets of Miles Long and 4th Avenue Jones at B B Kings.

A born 'n raised Memphis girl myself, walking into B B Kings franchised venue offers a special place of authority for me. I see a streetsign for Beale Street and I always have to catch my breath. Here's where the purist in me stands up straight and relishes the knowledge that all good music comes from Mama Blues. So it's in the cutting of those apron strings where you find your own beat - whether it's hiphopfushionlushlovemedownandbleedme electronica or something else - everyone walks down Beale in one way or another. Some of us more than others.

My friends had brought me to see Miles Long, describing them as jazzy with some poetry and spoken word, which I'm always a sucker for. But stand it up in front of me in tight black svelte suits, long dreads, a stand-up bass, a sax, a hot woman in slick jeans and a buttery tone, and you've got me, feet nailed to the floor.

They opened with a jazzy, R&B instrumental groove where the sax did most of the singing. Following were some original pieces voiced and sung by Malcolm-Jamal Warner (of Listen Up and Jeremiah fame) who also wielded a mean stand-up bass.

These pieces spoke of love and rapture and the torn up nature of being white but wanting to be black and the responsibility of wanting to be who you are. The time spent with Miles Long was sexy, soulful, warm and real. Warner spoke for the band, apologizing for getting started late, thanking B B King's, the crowd and giving props to the bands before and after them. A few couples just below the stage, steppin' in easy moves, and even though the set was cut short, the crowd seemed to enjoy this sonic appetizer.

It's so hard to two-step over celebrity and the hunger to be picked up by a label in this town of gigs and velocitous fame. Miles Long had only good funk and vibes to prove, generous to a fault with the skill of their compositions, beats and words.

And me - only satiated, never satisfied. An appetite whetted for the next gig.

Next up - 4th Avenue Jones

"They gonna BLOW up!"

The woman sitting in front of me elbowed me while mad guitarist Timmy Shakes/Tim Stewart wailed on his guitar centerstage, enjoying a full song to himself. This gorgeous ensemble mix of red gotee and afro, fiddle, out-of-his-mind bass guitar and smiling drummer exploded onto the crowd and pushed this woman into me with -

"They gonna blow up!"

"Yeh"? I yell over the screaming guitar and even louder fans.

"They gonna be on the Grammys in a year - you watch!"

I smile at her in agreement. She's way more serious than I am.

"I guarantee you." Gonna blow up - in three words, she summed up what was happening to me. I had fallen victim to the shock of hearing something I had never seen before and couldn't take my eyes off of.

4th Avenue Jones is an ensemble group that seems to be populated more and more these days with creativity and musical blends. They've got the sound that I can't find on any one radio station but could easily fit on any 6 or 8 of them.

Lead singer Ahmad quantified their music as "hiprocksoul." Their music is full, even and fun, which is difficult to manage gigging with hired gun sound engineers and with so many instrument components, 2 lead vocals and a fiddle.

These guys are hot, in tune with what's up these days, on the edge, in the cut. Their lyrics are conscientious, silly, stupid and make me jealous I didn't come up with the idea that the stereo really is my most faithful lover first. (their single "Stereo" can be heard on their website www.hiprocksoul.com). They understand presentation, brand and integrity without being too uppity about any of it. They are... to be reckoned with.

The only thing they lack is a little more staging acumen and interaction with the crowd. That being said, the size of their ensemble and the force of their performance I can only imagine in bigger houses that B B's.

Overall, the roads that separate skill, fun, genres, soul and ingenuity are what makes both of these short sets with Miles Long and 4th Avenue Jones a detour I'd like to get lost on again - no matter how long the set is.

ET/ld
Lisa Dowda - Entertainment Today (Jun 16, 2005)