Adam Deitch's Big Quartet

 

Adam Deitch is the drummer for Lettuce, a jam band crowd favorite, but not a band I have ever really cared for that much. They are fine players, but more times than not, they leave me cold. I've seen them throw crowds into a frenzy, but what I hear is what I imagine those who don't like jam bands hear--just a lot of riffing and noodling with little substance. Still, when I see Deitch's name as part of an ensemble, I am intrigued because he is a fantastic drummer. While listening to WWOZ New Orleans radio a few weeks ago, Adam Deitch was a guest and they played a track from his 2019 release "Egyptian Secrets" and I wanted to hear more. The record is billed as the Adam Deitch Quartet, but it felt much bigger. 

The band features Lettuce alumnus Eric "Benny" Bloom, an excellent trumpet player who I have seen play with more people in New Orleans than I have with his own band, the great Wil Blades on organ, and Ryan Zoldis on sax, who was new to me. Legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield guests on a few tracks, as well. I found this whole record to be a breath of fresh air. It's melodic. It swings. It gets funky. But most of all, it feels like a jazz record, with real compositions and arrangements and not some tossed off jam session. There is even a groovy Michael Jackson cover.

 

 

Give these tracks a chance and hopefully you will dig them enough to give all of "Egyptian Secrets" a spin. I really enjoyed the whole vibe of this record.