Hopped on the L train last night and wound up at Pete’s Candy Store. We’re still trying to figure out the whole Williamsburg thing–like where everything is and why you have to go to the back of the room to order a sandwich, or get funny looks if you ask if the red cab is any good. No matter, it’s for the youngins anyway, and they seem to enjoy it all right.
We were there to check out Alessandro & Bando, packed into the Candy Store’s tiny, railway-car-like back room. Guitarist and composer Alessandro Ricciarelli was joined by guitarist and bassist Jerome Harris and percussionist (and fellow Berklee alumn) Satoshi Takeishi for an acoustic set. The Bando played a few traditional numbers alongside some of Ricciarelli’s own tunes, which I liked. Ricciarelli was born in Milan, grew up in Munich, studied jazz at Berklee, is a music therapist by trade, and also, I’m told, is a very good writer. He has a very understated vocal style, and ended the set with a very convincing Jobim impersonation. A nice set. And tho Bourbon Princess, the next act, looked & sounded interesting enough, we didn’t dally.
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