Tag Archives: META

Concert review: META – proved again to be a well-blended confection of jazz and African (both Subsaharan and Northern) musics and sensibilities

Date: April 27, 2013
Venue: Nublu (NY)

Review by Matt Cole

On Saturday, 27 April, META played the early set at Nublu, giving a high energy performance to an attentive and willing-to-dance crowd which grew as the show went on. META is a multinational band which consists of frontman Meta on multilingual vocals and occasional percussion, Ari Hoenig on drums,  Francois Moutin on bass, and Thomas Enhco on keys.

manhattan_1-150x150META‘s sound draws from many influences. While overall, they usually maintain a jazzy sensibility on song structure and improv, often with a predominantly jazz over Subsaharan pop feel, the rhythms often veered into funk territory, and the band occasionally steered into dubby spaces, and even gave a few hints of prog rock (and the jam bands which drew influence therefrom). The band is notably tight and together live, even when mixing styles or melting into chaos, and displayed a talent for grooving well in odd meters. On occasion, two of the instruments (including Meta’s soulful voice) would play in unison together. They tended to stay inside more than a straight-up downtown unit might, but went out sparingly and tastefully; that is, not for show, but in service to the music.

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Concert review: META a well-blended confection of jazz and African (both Subsaharan and Northern) musics and sensibilities

Date: June 27, 2012
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge
Review by Matt Cole

On Wednesday,  June 27; singer, songwriter, and percussionist META played before a sparse, but enthusiastic crowd at La Poisson Rouge, backed by Ari Hoenig on drums, Francois Moutin on bass, and Thomas Enhco on piano and violin. Meta’s music has been described as “world songs,” and tonight’s show would feature a well-blended confection of jazz and African (both Subsaharan and Northern) musics and sensibilities.

Meta opened the show playing a tambourine-like instrument (I wasn’t close enough to see exactly what) in an odd meter, and singing in a tenor voice. I heard bits of both sides of the Sahara in his vocals. Then the rest of the band came in, playing what basically sounded like good 1960s-modern jazz, but fitting quite nicely with Meta’s singing. Presently, Meta stepped back and ceded the sound scape to the instruments, each of whom had a chance to come to the fore before Meta came back in. Whether he was singing conventionally with the band, or more orthogonally, it all came together quite smoothly.

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