Cincinnati's Jazz Showcase
Triage, featuring Eugene Goss
Venue: Fairfield Community Arts Center
Group: “Triage” with Eugene Goss on Percussion & Vocals
Billy Larkin on Keys
Teddy Wilburn on Drums
An overcast Sunday afternoon in early April found me at the Fairfield Community Arts Center, seated front and center, ready to listen to the music of Triage, featuring Eugene Goss. I recall seeing Eugene perform with Irwin Stuckey years ago at Chez Nora, and vividly remember his entertaining style, and balanced state of presence.
In present time, seeing him perform has confirmed the reality of that memory still lives strong and true to this day. As Triage, with Eugene on Percussion & Vocals, Billy Larkin on Keys, and Teddy Wilburn on Drums, the performing style of Eugene remains unchanged. Make no mistake – Eugene and Billy Larkin have performed together for 20+ years; so as time goes by, their music becomes more and more expressive.
Triage enters the stage opening with “Here’s that Rainy Day”. With sounds of the rain, and Eugene’s amazing birdcall impressions, the tune breaks into a samba melody, and lends a welcoming connotation to the Fairfield afternoon. Before the next number, Eugene applies his vintage entertaining dialogue to share with the audience the concept and uniqueness of “Call & Response”. A singing method originally practiced by slaves, an instrument or vocal pattern “calls out” to another instrument or vocal who would then “respond”, therefore establishing interaction between musical components within a number. This led Triage into another standard, “Softly, as in a morning sunrise”, where Eugene could be heard giving a 16-bar vocal impression of a trumpet. The “Call & Response” concept was clearly illustrated in their next tune, an original composition (composed by Billy Larkin) called “New Orleans”, which opened with Eugene trudging across the stage, using his rainstick as a cane, and various percussion instruments rattling representing shackles, as he sang “Rain in the Water/Let my people go”. The beginning tempo was slow and dark, transitioning into an up-tempo contemporary flow with a driving bass pattern. During the mid-point of this tune, Eugene gives an uncanny delivery of a muted trumpet. The song comes full circle as it begins to re-darken; with the tempo slowing down. Eugene mentions that this was composed as a dedication to the city of New Orleans, and encourages the audience to visit and learn about the birthplace of Jazz.
Original numbers from the group continued with “Our Love is a Bird”, a contemporary, Stevie Wonder-esque tune composed and sung by Billy Larkin. After Eugene’s Shakespearean excerpt from “Hamlet”, Triage ends the first set with a romantic version of the popular “Somewhere over the Rainbow”, with vocal spring bird impressions throughout.
Triage opens the second set with an uplifting, inspiring song called, “I just want to tell the World”. It was obvious this feel-good number was an anthem of love from one soul to another. The next song finds everyone back in New Orleans with the original composition, “Tell me what to do”. The song carried a sneaky, sly tempo – with piano runs reminiscent of the Storyville days. It was further solidified with Eugene’s brilliant Louie Armstrong scatting.
Every element that forms Triage came together in perfect balance with, what I consider, the command performance of the afternoon. Their earthy interpretation of “Nature Boy” opened with tribal chants, rainforest sounds, and animal calls. Then Eugene’s flute leads the group into the standard melody with a samba backbeat. This was a much extended version that journeyed through a number of different rhythmic patterns; climbing to a crescendo finale with Eugene demonstrating the full power of his vocal ability on the closing lyrics. This was followed by an original number called “Mercy Mercy”, a song with an urban/world beat feel. The group closed the show with Stevie Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of My Life”, and was delivered with all the joy, warmth, and love that it embodies.
Eugene & Billy have performed together for over 20 years. The dialogue between them in music is more fluent than a lot of talking interactions I’ve seen between other people. The interaction on their level doesn’t happen overnight – for its organic, and incredibly universal. From the vocals and entertaining style of Eugene, to Billy’s effortless-like skills behind multiple keyboards, their music is a complete reflection of their synergy – separate components, performing separate functions, with a common objective, as one unit. Triage is entertaining and charming. Triage is grateful and cognizant of their audience – challenging them to hop on, and join them on an uplifting and feel-good journey of music.
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