A first-call West Coast drummer,
Scott Amendola can be found accompanying some of jazz’s most inventive artists, from violinist Regina Carter to guitarists John Scofield, Charlie Hunter, and Nels Cline. But he’s forged an equally formidable reputation as a bandleader and composer who makes canny use of electronics, particularly via the latest incarnation of his quintet, which debuted on the lavishly praised 2005 album Believe. Featuring the volatile guitar tandem of Cline, an underground legend on the LA improv scene before joining the alt-rock band Wilco, and Jeff Parker, a highly versatile player who’s toured widely with organ star Joey DeFrancesco, the combo traffics in tidal force tension and release powered by Amendola and bassist John Shifflett’s relentless grooves. Combining sinewy lyricism and the emotional heft of old-time music, violinist Jenny Scheinman serves as the quintet’s unpredictable catalyst (a role she’s played with Amendola since their formative years on the mid-90s Bay Area scene). With a sound as singular as its instrumentation, Amendola’s band has honed a protean approach to form unlike any other ensemble.
Cost: $30