Les Claypool brings improvisational jazz group to Great American for New Year's Eve
Prolific Bay Area bass hero Les Claypool brings his latest project Bastard Jazz to the Great American Music Hall for this special New Year's Eve show.
While born in Richmond, Claypool' s family would move to nearby El Sobrante where his musical development took shape. He released his first proper record full-length record as part of the thrash metal quartet Blind Illusion in 1986. While the group went through member changes before he joined, the record also featured guitarist Larry LaLonde, who had made his name with influential Bay Area thrash band, Possessed. LaLonde would later end up being Claypool's creative partner in their main group, Primus.
Started with guitarist Todd Huth in 1984, Primus injected Claypool's funk-focused bass playing into a noisy, quirky punk/metal sound that drew on elements of progressive rock and experimental music acts like the Residents. Teamed with early drummer Jay Lane, the band built a loyal fan base with constant shows across the Bay Area. Claypool and a new version of the power trio that included drummer Tim Alexander and LaLonde on guitar would record the band's self-released live debut Suck On This at the Berkeley Square in 1989. That album would get Primus signed to Caroline Records, the label that reissued the live recording and their first studio effort, Frizzle Fry.
Claypool introduced an element of self-deprecating comedy into the band's performances -- "Primus Sucks" was an early band slogan and frequent rallying cry for fans at live shows -- that stood in counterpoint to his unorthodox, virtuoso style of bass playing that made followers stare in awe. The band's audience grew with touring as support for Jane's Addiction and the Pixies, graduating to a major-label deal with Interscope Records. They enjoyed a massive breakthrough into mainstream popularity despite their idiosyncratic sound with their second album Sailing on the Seas of Cheese, largely thanks to the MTV hit "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and a new version of the live favorite "Tommy the Cat" featuring Tom Waits on guest vocals. The elevated profile led to Primus to appear in the move Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and bigger tours opening for the likes of U2 and avowed inspiration Rush. In 1993, they headlined the third edition of the Lollapalooza festival.
Though Primus remained Claypool's main creative outlet through diminishing commercial success and drummer changes as the decade progressed, eventually going on hiatus in 2000. The bassist had already diversified with a rotating series of bands and all-star projects that included Sausage -- a reunion of the early Primus line-up with Huth and Lane -- his more jam-oriented and frequent covers project the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and collaborative groups Oysterhead (with Police drummer Steward Copeland and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio) and Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, an improvisational outfit with Primus drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, the late P-Funk keyboard wizard Bernie Worrell and freakshow guitar virtuoso Buckethead.
More recent creative endeavors have included a pairing with renowned solo artist and Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger guitar player Sean Lennon (son of Beatle John) in the Claypool Lennon Delirium and his stripped-down acoustic Duo Du Twang with guitarist Bryan Kehoe. The bassist has a long tradition of playing New Year's Eve shows with Primus and his other projects, an annual celebration that continues this year at the Great American Music Hall with another new project, Les Claypool's Bastard Jazz.
First unveiled in the summer of 2022, the band features the bass player exploring instrumental improvisation with a group of frequent collaborators including saxophone experimentalist Skerik (Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois, Tuatara) and vibes player/percussionist Mike Dillon -- both have played in Claypool's Frog Brigade and Fancy Band -- with Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch joining the ranks for this show. Former Limbomaniacs/MIRV guitarist Marc Haggard and his surf group Uncle Sea Monster open the show.
Les Claypool's Bastard Jazz
Sunday, Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. $65-$199
Great American Music Hall
