George Panos @ The Bitter End Mondays

[CDweller]

Just got back from seeing George Panos at The Bitter End. He's the house bassist for the Monday night jam there. Richie Canatta hosts it, Jim Moran plays guitar, Dave Clark (not that Dave Clark!) plays ridiculously good keys, and I didn't get the house drummer's name, as good as he was. The funk was glorious. I've always enjoyed Jim's guitar playing since before I was in a band with him 10 years ago or so- one of the highest compliments I can muster is that he's good and greasy, like fried chicken.

Good to see guys who can really play. George is fantastic- kind of like a more harmonically inclined Rocco Prestia. He was playing through a Mesa 400 and some cab-forget which it was. The sound was really good. You heard the articulation (the mids, I guess), and the bass kind of gut-punched you at the same time. But the bass didn't drown out anybody. It was George's hands and musical knowledge that made it work.

I never saw so many horn players, and top shelf ones at that, at one jam. They were so good. A highlight was a chick who actually jammed, and jammed with authority, on a French horn- who'd a thunk it? But hey, it's NYC, right?

If you're not doing anything, come down next Monday to The Bitter End- 147 Bleeker St. George Panos is worth seeing.