The self-described “ragmop” sensation will be performing with Slightly Stoopid and Ozomatli at the Summer Haze Tour at the Cuthbert Amphitheatre tonight.
He’s been around for quite a while, serving up delicious Philadelphia funk with a side order of hip-hop blues. G. Love and his Special Sauce crew gather an acoustic jam following in the same spirit of Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Australian John Butler. “Baby’s Got Sauce” and “Cold Beverages” are songwriting staples in his soulful scene, combining articulated guitar licks, jazzy bass walks and perfected percussion. His latest record, “Lemonade,” took the musical fusion a step further. Enlisting hip-hop heroes like Blackalicious and Lateef the Truth Speaker, “Lemonade” reveals the real viscosity of the ragmop virtuosos.
“For us, the music is always changin’,” G. Love said. “And I guess we’re just trying our best to follow it. You got to experiment, write new songs to keep the old songs together.”
Since their album debut in 1994, the group has recorded six full-length albums accenting their Philly sound, as well as a brand-new DVD/CD combo, “A Year and a Night with…” featuring a documentary celebrating 13 years of exquisite Special Sauce shows and a 10-track live album pulled from two sold-out nights at New York’s Electric Factory. The documentary follows G. Love on his latest tour supporting the 2006 release “Lemonade.” It captures scenes from Europe to Japan and back to the United States and includes interviews with “Lemonade” collaborators Donavon Frankenreiter and Marc Broussard. The footage exemplifies G. Love’s intimate interactions with his audience, from ad-libbed lyrics to funky beatbox breakdowns.
“We’ve been on the grind almost 14 years,” G. Love said. “And all in all, I don’t think the DVD pulls any punches; it’s just real and it’s great.”
G. Love is always an Oregon favorite. Performing two shows in the state on his current tour, he’s seldom absent from the Eugene tour scene for more than a year. Last year, he hit up the McDonald Theatre twice, the latest of which started off the school year with a fresh hit of funk, opening with one of his newest hip-hop bouncers, “Banger,” and ending the night with the Philly homage favorite “I-76.” Both shows featured two sensational sets, presenting the unprecedented skill of the two other ingredients in Special Sauce, drummer Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens and string bassist Jimi Jazz.
“For us, we always just get up there and do what we do,” G. Love said. “That’s what it’s always been about, gettin’ up on stage and gettin’ off on the music. We all love the music and we’ve dedicated our lives to that.”
For the inexperienced G. Love concert attendee, nothing can truly describe the bounce, ruckus and fanaticism of a show once the Special Sauce take the stage. Deep hard-bop drum solos by Houseman overcome any hip-hop production laid on vinyl, while Jimi Jazz plucks succulent rhythms to extend G. Love’s groove. And, as for the front man, his freestylin’ vocals and freewheelin’ guitar melodies seem minuscule once he blows the cross harp, bringing about that loud and honest musical havoc.
“The cool thing about the harp is I can always have a little jam session with myself,” said G. Love. “I mean, I can solo on the harp and hold down the melody on guitar, or solo the guitar and hold down on the harp. Basically, it’s always made me feel good and I think that’s why I’ve gotten good at it.”
This time around G. Love brings even more fun with the Special Sauce syndicate, if this is even possible. The Summer Haze tour features So Cal Sublime-sounders, Slightly Stoopid, an Ocean Beach trio as seasoned as Special Sauce, but just beginning their paths to stoner-band stardom. The show will also include the eclectic ensemble Ozomatli, who performed a free school kick-off show last year in front of the Lillis Business Complex.
“Both bands can kick my ass daily on a musical vibe level and that’s important for me to be out with people I respect,” said G. Love. “Every artist on this tour is a crackerjack musician.”
Ozomatli orchestrates an eight-person performance, incorporating everything from reggae and Latin samba to down-home blues and hip-hop. Previously collaborating with Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na and recently-acclaimed turntable technician Cut Chemist, Ozomatli has over 12 years experience of uniting communities, turning things up and getting down. Their most recent album, “Don’t Mess with the Dragon,” polishes their world sound parties into a packaged CD, exemplifying musical eclecticism to the max.
“They are definitely one of the top live acts that I’ve ever seen,” said G. Love. “And to have them with us and supporting this tour is an honor.”
G. Love and Special Sauce will be embarking on the Summer Haze Tour fresh out of the studio. The harp-hummin’ guitarist promises new tricks up their sleeve and plenty of cross-group jams and sit-ins. The show shouldn’t be missed; fan favorites of all three groups are guaranteed something different and something reminiscent.