StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Jamming with Garage A Trois

Today, let's check out some video footage of the band Garage A Trois, who are coming to St. Louis on Tuesday, September 14 to perform at the Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St.

Garage A Trois was formed in 1999 by drummer Stanton Moore, single-named saxophonist Skerik (nee Eric Walton) and guitarist Charlie Hunter. Hunter left the group a couple of years ago to pursue other musical interests, and their current lineup includes Moore and Skerik along with Mike Dillon on vibes and percussion and Marco Benevento on keyboards. Garage A Trois' most recent CD is Power Patriot, which came out in October 2009.

Although Garage A Trois often are identified as part of the jam-band scene, their music doesn't sound much like the Grateful Dead or Phish. There's a strong influence from 1970s fusion bands, especially Weather Report, and Dillon's vibes sometimes evoke the sound of latter-day fusionistas Steps Ahead. Asymmetrical melodies played as staccato, unison licks recall the music of Frank Zappa, as do titles like the first selection above, "Fat Redneck Gangster," recorded earlier this year at The Mint in Los Angeles.

In contrast, the song in the the second clip down below, "Real Morning Party," which was recorded in 2009 at the Bear Creek Music Festival in Florida, has some of the flavor of a 1960s rock instrumental. (Warning: The audio on this one is somewhat distorted due to volume.) Below that, you can see and hear a performance of the song "Computer Crimes" from the Power Patriot CD, taped last December at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, and an excerpt from Garage A Trois' in-store performance at the Louisiana Music Factory during the 2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.