Jazz has been alive since humans first clicked two rocks together. It hasn’t always been known as “jazz,” but the human spirit wants to move fluidly, gracefully, and smile. That is what jazz is all about. Starting the modern era in the Southern U.S. as the blues, jazz is not tied to a strict format but changes as the mood moves the performer. That is the most endearing part of jazz music: its adaptability.
Enter a troupe of today’s musical legends known collectively as Lettuce. The band's story is one of perseverance. The name, Lettuce, was derived from the band always asking venues to “Let us play.” Now venues consider themselves lucky to book the six-piece phenomenon. Tonight, the lucky venue is Warner Vineyards in Paw Paw, Michigan. The beautiful venue has a unique feature: guests can sit across from the stage and still see the band, as a river runs through the middle.
Lettuce is scheduled to start at 7:30, but at 7, as fans are lining up to get in, the band kicks off. If you want to fit three hours of music in on a Wednesday night, start early. None of the fans minded at all. Guitarist Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff and incomparable bass player Erick “Jesus” Coomes are front and center as the band lays into “Reunion.” The tunes keep rolling with “Bowler,” giving Ryan Zoidis (sax) and Benny Bloom (trumpet) a chance to stretch out. The guitar riffs over the top are a hallmark of Adam Smirnoff’s playing and complete the feel.
We take a funky side trip to super-funky with hits “Shin” and “Gold Tooth.” These are the amazing, twisty jam tunes that let the band lay back and roll with the vibe. Jesus and Adam Deitch (drums) lay down that ever-present foundation that allows for infinite, groovy interpretation. “Straighten It Out” and “Lettsanity” round out the first set.
Set two starts right up with “Royal Highness,” and the band plays it out. If Nigel Hall has a theme song, it is “Risin’ to the Top.” Nigel’s amazing, soulful voice drives the melody and allows him to express his uplifting, positive message. “Shmeeans” Smirnoff and Jesus play a point and counterpoint to the horns and keyboards on “Vamanos,” another of the band's easily recognizable improvisational tunes. Keeping the funky vibe simmering, the band heads into “Lett It Gogo.” The horns dominate the landscape, but drummer Adam Deitch keeps them all together.
Nigel leads the crowd in song as the band gives a lighthearted cover of “Inspector Gadget” that morphs into Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair.” The crowd moves and grooves to this fifty-year-old song. Done right, music lasts forever, and Lettuce does it right. The evening concludes with “Do It Like You Do.” The whole band puts everything they have left into the tune, and the crowd responds in kind.
The evening just seems to have gotten started when the last song rings out. We all have jobs and homes to get to, but the desire for just a little more brings the band back out for an encore, and it’s a fan favorite: “The Force.”
Lettuce is a band best enjoyed live. In your car or home stereo, you can hear the music, but the band plays off the living audience as well as their instruments. Available on all streaming services—and, better yet, sure to be coming to a town near you—Lettuce never fails to entertain.
