Sounds to Soothe the Savage: Myron Walden Countryfied

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Having come from a rather disappointing event where I failed to meet up with some people I was planning to spend the evening with, I stomped across The Village through stormy weather, in a foul mood, making poor company for the friend who did show up, as we pressed on to Fat Cat. Now, I am no longer a church-going man, nor do I ever plan to be, but if I found a congregation that worshiped with the music I heard on that rainy Friday night, then my parents might get some relief from worrying about my hell-bound soul. Pushing through the crowded underground of Fat Cat, my friend and I managed to negotiate our way past the pool players and gaming tables to the welcoming sounds of Myron Walden Countryfied. Ranging between funk, jazz, gospel, and rock, this trio of soulful musicians single-handedly altered what had otherwise been a miserable evening. You know that music is good when you close your eyes and it comes to you in colors. With Myron Walden on the alto saxophone there is a full spectrum of beauty, sorrow, pleasure, and pain. Walden, along with drummer Kenneth Salters and organist Jared Gold, combined that evening to make a sound that refuses to be neatly tucked into one genre of music but instead joins in celebration of the purest kind of expression. Walden's horn burst with excitement, blurting out yelps of joy when he's holding back and proudly proclaiming songs of triumph when he goes into full release. Walden's brand of triumph is the kind that speaks of the wrenching trials that had to be overcome to get there. In short, the only kind of triumph worth speaking of. His command of the instrument is masterful and his intonation perfect. He is as well versed in the screaming wail as he is in the plaintive moan, all wondrous sounds that warm the spirit and soothe the aching soul. Salters provided rock 'n' roll drum beats of great power and energy, and Gold's organ vibrated with the spirit of a gospel choir. The audience was somewhat more reserved in their responses than was fitting for the scene, but it was clear that the music had the undivided attention of those who came to listen. Jazz often runs the treacherous path of being overly intellectualized by some of those who listen to it, and while this is indisputably music for the mind, Countryfied is aimed at the heart and soul as well. Countryfied is in the process of being recorded for an album, a prospect of great promise, but any chance to see these musicians live should be considered a treat and tickets should be bought in advance.