Miami has long had an issue with attracting innovative music.
Many national touring bands often skip Florida all together, unless they are playing a huge music festival. This goes more-so for jam bands, jam-tronica, jazz and funk troupes and other experimental or world music. Whether it's a lack of venues, or poor ticket sales, Miami has a problem appreciating certain genres of music. We are not New Orleans, a city of sound. We are more a city of sight: look at me, follow me, like me, tweet me, share me, look at me, pay me, mi-mi-mi-My-ami.
And then you have groups that exist going against this grain.
The Rhythm Foundation is one such group. Others exist too, like Massive Ideas, Moksha and the NY based producers behind the Grassroots Festival in Virginia Key.
But the Rhythm Foundation is probably thee most consistent organization delivering authentic jam and multi-cultural world music to Miami. The Rhythm Foundation IS Miami's version of New Orleans.
Whether in Little Haiti during the third Friday series "Big Night in Little Haiti" or the dope TransAtlantic Festival in April, or now with Seaside Sessions at the North Beach band shell, I've said this before: the rhythm foundation is gonna get you.
The Seaside Sessions seems as awesome as selling sea shells by the sea shore.
(say that three times fast)
This Saturday is the last in the series, featuring DRKWAV, led by John Medeski (keyboards), Skerik (saxophones) and Adam Deitch (drums) three master musicians who come together with improv-heavy psychedelic fusions.
Previous shows brought together keyboard wizard Marco Benevento, the New Orleans-raised, Berklee-educated, Manhattan-based Christian Scott, and Ethiopian jazz keyboard and accordionist Hailu Mergia.
Just smart, deep music created by talented and skilled musicians in a setting one block from the beach where the air literally tastes like salt.
Simply put it's a breathe of fresh air.
Let's hope they continue to deliver events like this.
And, more importantly, let's hope we learn to appreciate them.