Turkey Bouillon Mafia

Death Jam. That is one of the first words that struck me when reading some descriptions Turkey Bouillon Mafia uses to describe themselves. I am not sure if I would use that word to describe the music myself, but it certainly describes the band's personality - as a whole or as the members that make up the band. With the core of guitar, bass, keys, and drums, there is usually an impressive rotating cast of players who get up on stage - from horns to rappers. Check out their website - www.turkeymafia.com (the bouillon is too much of a pain to spell according to inside sources) or My Space Page to see out the cast Who's Who.

I went to see them this past week at Metronome - quite a while since my last show. I have seen these guys since the beginning as back in the early 21st century we all hung at Valencia, a fun little hippie dive bar that is now home to the hip sushi joint, The Asiana House. I also lived across the street from a few of them and enjoyed many fun, "neighborly" interactions with the bouillon lot.

They have since grown into a well-respected touring band bringing a lot of attitude and energy to their shows as well as a harder edge of excellent jam musicianship than many in the jam genre - a big part of what makes them a key player in the Vermont music scene and much farther beyond. The show last week was much more jazz influenced than I remember, a credit to their continuing evolution as a band, which seamlessly was able to transition into a fantastic rock inspired Led Zeppelin tribute. They make you dance, but, more importantly, they make you listen. And what I find to be one of their most endearing qualities - especially for death jam - is their unwavering ability to keep it real like no one else. These guys like being rock stars, are funny and social dudes, and hide behind nothing. Where they go from here - exploring various musical boundaries no doubt - I hope they keep their wit, humor, and death jam realness. Rock On.