Words by Corinne Casella | Photos by Jeremy Gordon
The Nth Power and Jennifer Hartswick Band (JHB) played the 2nd leg of their ‘Jenth Power Tour’ on March 16th at Brooklyn Bowl. Hartswick, stunning as ever, came out the gate showcasing her incredible voice and stage presence. The set was sexy, high-energy and improvisational. Hartswick was backed by keyboardist Rob Marscher, bassist Dezron Douglas, drummer Nikki Glaspie and guitarist Nick Cassarino and special guest Natalie Cressman on trombone. Classically trained, Hartswick makes the transition from soulful vocals to horns seamlessly, igniting the crowd and keeping the band on-point. The set ended with a combustive drum and bass solo, performed by Glaspie of Nth Power and Douglas.
Taking the stage once again, Glaspie and Cassarino, took the energy from the JHB set, and raised it to new levels of consciousness. They were joined on the stage by the rest band, bassist Nate Edgar, percussionist Weedie Braimah, and Courtney “Jay-Mel” Smith on keys and vocals. The Nth Power performed their signature hybrid of soul, funk, r&b, gospel and a whole lot of love. The band’s dynamic range led to fever pitches of sound, with tight but organic jams, with a layered fluidity. Unsurprisingly, it was a night of epic drum solos, with Glaspie and Braimah channeling a higher power through their hands, with incredible speed and precision.
The set included music off Nth Power’s new album Abundance, including ‘Only Love’, ‘Soul Survivor’ and ‘Could It Be.’ For the encore, guitar prodigy Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer, joined the group for a heart-pumping rendition of ‘Holy Rain.’ Taz, who currently stars on Broadway’s School of Rock the Musical, celebrated his 13th birthday on stage. His solo with Cassarino proved beyond a doubt that age has nothing to do with musical chops. Both sultry and spiritual, the night was live music at its best; raw, imaginative and transporting.
www.thenthpowermusic.com
TheWaster.com | Brooklyn
3.20.16
