SFJAZZ presents Bokanté
Robert M. Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
8:00 PM, Sunday, September 16, 2018

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2018 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2018 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[8:02 PM lights down, announcements, band out]

1. [8:02 PM] O La
2. [8:14 PM] Fanm (The Woman) Ø
3. [8:22 PM] Rousdesann
4. [8:29 PM] (AF drum solo) »
5. [8:33 PM] Limyè (Light) (for Prince)
6. [8:40 PM] La Maison En Feu (House on Fire) Ø
7. [8:48 PM] Jou Ké Ouvè
8. [8:57 PM] Don't Do It » (WB drum solo) »
9. [9:07 PM] Chambre à Échos Ø
10. [9:16 PM] Nou Tout Sé Yonn (We Are All One)
    [set ends 9:24 PM; all off for a minute or two]
    
    Encore [long yack by ML about touring]
11. [9:31 PM] Héritier
    [show ends 9:38 PM]

• Weedie Braimah: African drums;
• Roosevelt Collier: lap steel guitar;
• André Ferrari: drums, percussion;
• Bob Lanzetti: guitar, harmony vox;
• Michael League: guitar, Ø electric oud, harmony vox;
• Julia Pederson: bass, harmony vox;
• Jose Perez: percussion;
• Jordan Peters: guitar, harmony vox;
• Malika Tirolien: vox.

First night of the latest U.S. tour seemed to come off alright in my opinion. If they had any train wrecks, they were well camoflauged. I probably should have bought the new album, but I didn't feel inclined to do it before the show when I had a good chance; after the show, the line was way too long for an impatient guy like me.

So what kind of music does Bokanté play? That's a darn good question! It's certainly groove oriented, but with three drummers and five guitars it's not at all like most dance music (not a keyboard in sight? That's got to be a conceit of some kind). The guitarists certainly had plenty of chances to shred, but for the most part, they seemed to stick to layering interlocking parts instead of trading traditional solos. Another plus in my book: it's really rare to hear excellent guitar counterpoint.

One of the techs gave me a setlist after the show ended, so I was able to match things up between my scribbled notes and their plan. Seems like they dropped a few tunes: Jou Ké Ouvè from the middle of the set, and Vayan, listed as a second encore.

I'm glad they stuck together to do a second album and tour. With some luck they'll be back again in a year or two!

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

Whoa! This section is incomplete for now, sorry!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2018 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2018 event list! ☸ On to the next event!