"rhythmic, nuanced, yet dynamic interplay"
There aren't that many art forms that you can see, revel in live. You can't exactly view a skilled painter besides those spray painter novelty acts in city centers that are taught to create quick galaxies or the occasional juggler or the theatrical plays that unfortunately are few and far in between or cost too much. The one art form that you can see on street corners, in small venues or large concert halls are musical artists but even then, we have all had the experience of seeing an artist whose live performance just does not match the power or grace or intimate nature of their recorded work. And strip down the number of performers, exist as a solo act or a duo and captivating an audience is that much harder.
My first introduction to Scout Harris (an indie cross genre duo based out of Portland, Oregon) is a YouTube live performance and the only thing better would of been actually being there when they performed it. The song is Gone Numb and it is a rhythmic, nuanced, yet dynamic interplay between Gabriela Tessitore (guitar, vox) and Rick Martinez (drums, keyboards). Tessitore (as singer-songwriter) formed the musical project / band Scout Harris in Brooklyn. That multi player version of Scout Harris released a self titled EP in 2018. Fate and circumstance ended that line up and lead Tessitore to Portland where she, eventually, met Martinez.
Gone Numb (LIVE) is perfectly rendered. Tessitore's nimble playing, so precise in tempo and attack is amazing to watch. Not content to sing over simple strumming, her rhythmic patterns of notes form the framework for her words. Her vocal aesthetic is just as captivating, there is a lot of tension throughout the song from start to finish and that tension is in Tessitore's voice too. She sings in a slow burn (as if talking through clenched teeth) that you know will erupt and it does just that. The eruptions and the more quiet moments all are on edge though and much of this drama lays in the hands and feet of Martinez. He is such a nuanced drummer. He supports the song without washing over it and is able to add bass notes and lead lines from his keyboard with out missing a beat (no pun intended). Both Tessitore and Martinez (on this performance) play like time ticking robots in the sense that they both have a stellar ability to keep time in the best possible way (to actually be not only on top of the beat but a fraction ahead) and that is not always the case with even the best musicians. This makes the performance tightly wound with that aforementioned edge and tension.
What a stellar introduction. I don't know what Tessitore (as principal singer-songwriter) has in store for Scout Harris but my hope is that it stays as just a duo or introduces only a bassist (but nothing more). Tessitore's style (I thought of St. Vincent) is built on movement and a combination of eclectic styles fusing jazz, folk, rock, proto punk and more into a blended stew. Stew's can get muddled up with too many ingredients and the spaces in between the potent sounds Tessitore and Martinez create are as important as the sounds themselves.
I look forward to hearing more from them as Scout Harris and hopefully I will be able to experience them live in some intimate setting in the near future.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Gabriela Tessitore formed Scout Harris in Brooklyn after writing a collection of songs on her first electric guitar. Following the release of their self-titled EP she moved to Portland, OR and connected with drummer Rick Martinez. Together they’ve been evolving Scout Harris as a duo, weaving honest vocals with dynamic melodies, crunchy guitar lines and sprinkled synth magic inspired by their cross genre backgrounds of jazz, folk, punk and rock.
Scout Harris, Brooklyn, Portland, Gabriela Tessitore, Rick Marthinez, dynamic, eclectic, jazz rock, proto punk fusion, indie rock, alternative rock
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