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Phil Keaggy and Friends – May 17, 2008  There aren’t many concert experiences that would compel me to drive three and a half hours to get to. But then again, how often does a musical event like Phil Keaggy’s Master and the Musician 30th Anniversary Tour happen? A live concert celebrating the release of what was arguably Christian music’s first important all-instrumental album certainly sounds like a once-in a lifetime event. Still – paying $4.00 a gallon for gas and fighting your way through New York traffic to get to Maryland makes you count the cost. Let’s see…

Seven musicians onstage - some truly masterful musicians - re-creating a ground-breaking album….?

Two-thirds of Glass Harp  Flute, keyboards, bass, drums, a hybrid guitar/bass/harp, at least one mystery instrument, and some very hot guitars.
Hmmmm. That’s right – get in the car and go west, young man.
 

The recently-built auditorium of Joppa, Maryland’s Mountain Christian Church provided excellent lighting and sound for this final night of the initial tour (there should be a few limited stops at the summer festivals). The previous night’s show was apparently recorded for a future DVD release, so this stop was both enthusiastic and relaxed, with Phil and the band obviously enjoying the culmination of a successful run of performances. The lights dimmed and the legendary guitarist walked to the center of the stage to graciously introduce the first of two numbers by supporting band members: Bryan and Melissa Lautenbach (also known as Loudbrook) were up first, on keyboard and flute, respectively, offering a sample of the interesting blend of ambient jazz, rock and classic instrumental sounds that are featured on their debut CD, “Spirit Songs.” They were followed by Tom Shinness, who performed on his unique hybrid harp/zither/bass/guitar (two necks for the price of one), captivating the audience with his unique instrumental technique. Phil then reappeared, this time with long-time friend and Glass Harp drummer John Sferra, guitar whiz Ric Hordinski, and bass player, Joel Jimenez in tow to round out the ensemble. The stage was now set, from left (Melissa on flute) to right (Hordinski on guitars), with Keaggy appropriately in the center, surrounded by some of the most capable players around, ready to bring “The Master and the Musician” to life once again. 

Song after song, the seven musicians re-created the familiar tracks from Keaggy’s “The Master and the Musician” album, each song feeling like an old friend, yet infused with the kind of energy, improvisation and re-invention that defines great musicians. This is the missing element in so much of today’s rock/pop music scene – musicians jamming onstage, bouncing off of each other’s ideas, and spontaneously creating special, unique moments within a song instead of slavishly mimicking the recorded version, tied to pre-programmed tracks or video imagery. This is music. 

The increasingly elfish Keaggy played in delightful contrast to the somewhat physically intimidating Hordinski, as the two guitarists traded off playing lead lines where necessary.

Ric handled the Keaggy lines very convincingly, also abetted by Shinness’ on occasional guitar, percussion, vocals and impressive cello parts. The arrangements allowed several spots for solos and improvisation by most of the band members, including an intricate drum solo (remember those?) by Sferra. In typical Keaggy fashion, Phil managed to sneak in a Beatle reference when he injected a bit of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” into the vocal-percussion, guitar/scat song, “Mouthpiece.”

The second half of the show featured classic songs from Phil’s repertoire, fleshed out by this wonderful band, and including such classics as “Your Love Broke Through,” “What A Day,” and the too-seldom performed “Time,” which ended in a blaze of inspired jamming. Looking to the future, the band played an as-yet unreleased instrumental that will be featured on Phil’s upcoming project. The project’s name isn’t yet set in stone, but one of Keaggy’s team has suggested ‘Master and the Musician Part II.’ 

Obviously, Phil still has a lot more in store for his fans. He’s still full of energy and creativity, and still plays with passion and skill. I’m ready for the ‘Part II’ tour. 
 

Tomm Shinness, Bryan Lautenbach, Melissa Lautenbach, Phil Keaggy, Ric Hordinski, Joel Jimenez, John Sferra