Positively Entertainment - Carlee Smith 'delivers the goods'
The locals at the Cider Mill have big expectations and they take their entertainment seriously. The music this evening was the Carlee Smith Band and they deliver the goods. Smith is a longtime pro of the Northwest music scene and her band of journeyman musicians just cooks.
Smith got her start in music spending time with her well-known father horn player Carl Smith; however, she is not living in a shadow. She sings and commands her performance with a confidence that immediately takes control of the stage and room, enveloping her audience with her talent and natural entertainer's skill. Carlee's show is professional entertainment from the first song and continues to build through the evening, taking her audience on a tour of the world's best blues standards and mixing in some of the band's great original songs.
Dave Maitland is the guitar player and you can listen to this man play for hours. Maitland moves effortlessly between the responsibilities of rhythm guitar and lead parts, a trick only some guitar players can achieve. For some, with time, comes wisdom and the skills to blend your influences with your own. Maitland can be in the middle of a technical lead guitar part reminiscent of Eric Johnson and suddenly bring you back to the Filmore for a Robin Trower concert. He performs all the tricks of the trade, blended in a smooth powerful blues style. Maitland is a must-see NW player.
The rhythm section is pure power with bluesman Ron Youmans on bass guitar. He seems to have an endless reservoir of energy to lay down solid bass grooves with confidence and a great tone that comes from strapping on his old Fender four-string.
On drums, Rick Star is always in the pocket with some great snare work just at the right time. His style is heavy on the skins and light on the cymbals giving his band a lot of power without the extra sound levels most live bands struggle with. The drummer sets the volume and Star plays it just right.
J.D. on keyboards gives the band some great coloring and a constant warm tone. He plays with confidence and is entertaining in his own right with very articulate finger work. His lead parts are tight and precise with his rhythm parts smoothing out any rough edges and filling any gaps in the otherwise three-piece sound.
The Carlee Smith Band is a hard-working outfit of nice friendly musicians, who all blend in with their audience during breaks and seem quick to get to know a new face.