Black Dub

Black Dub is the latest project from production wizard, musician, and composer Daniel Lanois, whose studio work has resulted in landmark albums for such heavyweights as U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, the Neville Brothers, Emmylou Harris, and, lately, Neil Young's Le Noise. His signature sound involves potent atmospherics laden with soulful intensity and swirling squalls of roots. That carries over into Lanois's own work, including Black Dub, actually a quartet including the highly versatile and supple New Orleans rhythm section of drummer Brian Blade and bassist Daryl Johnson, plus powerhouse singer Trixie Whitley, daughter of the late Texas bluesy guitarist Chris Whitley. The Black Dub moniker reportedly is derived from Lanois's strong Jamaican influences and a new dub technique he developed. The music is a seamless mosaic of blues, soul, gospel, avant-pop, roots rock, jazz, and psychedelia, plus strong undercurrents of New Orleans and reggae/dub. Tracks most subject to Lanois's studio tricks, such as "Slow Baby," conjure an earthy impressionism electrified by Lanois's shimmery, stinging guitar (which references Hendrix here and elsewhere) and the charged, slippery rhythm section. Just in her early 20s, the Belgian-born Whitley infuses her vocals with large measures of Texas grit and sassy spirit, picking up tendrils that stretch back to Janis herself. All ages. (Photo by Andrew Hoshkiw)
Wed., Nov. 24, 7 p.m., 2010