February 1, 2024

Went to see PAKT last night, featuring two players I knew: Percy Jones from Brand X and Alex Skolnick from Testament, both bands from ~40 years ago. I was expecting chill ECM vibes given what I'd heard streaming, but damn the interaction was much more active than the tracks I heard. The thing sticking with me this morning, though, is drummer Kenny Grohowski and the propelling force he was, gluing so much together. It made me think of the chemistry I've had with different drummers–Neil Wilson is all over this blog, and my current drummer for most things. This particular Kenny G reminded me of my vibe with John Vallier, who I played with in Wizard Prison and a bit as a duo called Authority Control, which was short-lived once Guitar Cult came into focus in 2016. I kept thinking of this last night driving home - we called this "Broken Servant". Here's what was in the space at the time.