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Live Local Music

Black Coffee: Up and Comers Display Potential at Café 210 West

Posted by Stephen Smith on 02/09 at 12:06 PM

I approached the stage at the end of their performance. Lead singer Caitlin Cuneo appeared exhausted, but glowing with the pride of a successful show. She was so overcome by excitement that I had to ask her twice for one of the band’s free CD demos, even though I was standing only two feet away from her. As I was leaving, I saw a crowd of family and friends meet Caitlin at the foot of the stage to congratulate her on a job well done. I exited the bar carrying with me the vigor of a young band’s enthusiasm. And while they have to sharpen their sound’s edge, they have the talent necessary to do this and increase their fan-base beyond just their circle of family and friends.

The bluesy, soul-based, jazz-inspired rock of Black Coffee played at Café 210West  this past Saturday night (Feb. 5), providing a much different sound to the State College scene. The quintet opened their 7:00pm set under the iridescent glow of blue-green lights to a crowd of around thirty who braved the icy weather. Despite the high, arched ceilings and empty dance floor, Caitlin’s opening vocal solo instantly occupied the open air. The rest of the band accentuated the strong vocals by playing smoothly and softly. As is the nature of soul, they drew the audience in with subtlety, rather than by force. The band played to an audience of focused listeners, and was repaid at the end of most of their songs with small, but enthusiastic applause. This created an intimate vibe, which produced a genuine feeling of audience appreciation.

However, since the audience was more attentive, greater expectations were placed on the band’s talent and musicianship. Luckily, this was not an area that Black Coffee lacked. As mentioned before, Caitlin Cuneo’s stunning vocals are the first and last impressions the band is going to make on a listener. Her voice is powerful enough to grab you by one ear, while also being delicate enough to coax the other ear into a deeper, emotional connection to the song. A low-key rhythm section, comprised of drummer Jim DeVoss and bassist Micky New, provided a canvas for guitarist Vince Cuneo and lead guitarist Ryan Alford to whittle away tantalizing riffs. Both guitarists were given considerable solo time during most songs to demonstrate their skills. Vince’s simple, effective riffs were contrasted by Alford’s intricate fretwork. Alford gave the band considerable texture and added a layer of complexity necessary for the success of any jazz-based group.

Though the rhythm section of a jazz/soul band should be more subtle than the rhythm sections of other genres of music, the decrease in rhythmic emphasis should be countered with an increase in complexity. I felt that Micky New’s basslines were lacking intricacy. Likewise, I felt an oversimplification from Jim’s fills and an absence of interplay between the snare and cymbals between basic quarter notes. And while the rhythmic minimalism did enhance the emotional impact of Caitlin’s vocals, the setlist soon began to blur together, missing the variety and power a stronger rhythm section could provide.

Although the guitar-work and vocals were the strongest aspects of Black Coffee, there is room for refinement. The strength of Caitlin’s voice is unquestionable. However, during the night, she would hit notes where the overtones overwhelmed the speakers and could sometimes physically hurt. Unfortunately, because of how dynamic her voice is, if the volume of the mic was turned down, the audience would be unable to hear her softer lyrics. She needs to get better at gauging how far she should back away from the mic to avoid those sharp overtones. Likewise, one cannot complain about the quality of the guitar solos. However, if Vince kept his solos purposefully strong and simple or perhaps explored modal improvisations, he could provide greater contrast to Alford’s sophisticated melodies. Both of these suggestions would add variety and edge to the band’s modest sound.

Black Coffee opened with three original tracks off of their recently recorded self-titled E.P.  The slow, vocally-striking “Working Hard” was followed by the even slower waltz of “Blue.” Towards the end of their set, they played the third track on their E.P., “Bottom of the Barrel,” in addition to a cover of Billie Holiday’s “Fine and Mellow,” also on their E.P. The band went on to cover Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You is to Love You,” Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” and The Band’s “The Weight.” I was unable to catch the name of the last song they played, but if it was an original, it was very different compared to their others. It seemed to have a fast reggae beat that would be broken by slower, lyrical bridges. It ended with a drum solo from DeVoss that energized the crowd and produced a worthy climax to end their show.

Black Coffee is a young band that will become better with time and experience. They have the talent, but still need to hone their sound and style to stand out in the modern blues/soul crowd. State College is a good place to gain experience, but probably does not have the largest audience for their type of music. If nothing else, Black Coffee offered a refreshing alternative to cover bands and the excitement of witnessing a new band beginning their struggle to establish a reputation.