Chieli Minucci & Special EFX concert recap 2 September 17, 2011

Friday was day two of the annual Long Beach Jazz Festival.  Fall was in the air outside one week early.  The festival’s main venue is the Long Beach Public Library‘s auditorium.  The second of two shows in the auditorium that night featured Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, whom I last saw a year ago at Sounds of Brazil.

The auditorium was packed to the gills.  And a few of the people I saw two nights earlier at the Dharma All Stars gig were present.

Chieli Minucci was on electric guitar…

…and acoustic guitar:

Jay Rowe on keyboards:

Jerry Brooks on bass:

And Lionel Cordew on drums:

SET LIST
1. Courageous Cats
Originally heard on: “Jewels,” 1995 (Chieli solo album)

2. Greenway North
Originally heard on: “Modern Manners,” 1985

3. Ascension
Originally heard on: “Sweet Surrender,” 2007

4. Nature Boy
Originally heard on: “Confidential,” 1989
Chieli played solo guitar on this.

5A. My Girl Sunday
Originally heard on: “Sweet On You,” 2000 (Chieli solo album)

5B. Miami
Originally heard on: “Masterpiece,” 1999

6. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
Originally heard on: “Renaissance,” 1996 (Chieli solo album)

7. New Bop
Originally heard on: “Sweet Surrender,” 2007

8. Kickin’ It Hard
Originally heard on: “Night Grooves,” 2003 (Chieli solo album)

Jay’s “Courageous Cats” keyboard solo:

Chieli switched to acoustic guitar for “Nature Boy” and “My Girl Sunday”:

“My Girl Sunday” began with solo improv by Jay:

Lionel’s “New Bop” drum solo:

The last note of “Kickin’ It Hard”:

The band left to a standing ovation:

Their next stop is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, next Friday for a jazz festival there.