Niacin -
Live!
(Blood, Sweat & Beers)
Performance 
Production
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Niacin -
Live!
Performance |
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Niacin started out as a side project for superstar rock bassist Billy Sheehan that provided him a vehicle for exercising his jazz/fusion chops. Sheehan recruited Hammond B3 organ maestro John Novello along with legendary drummer Dennis Chambers to complete this trio of fusion virtuosos. Niacin is actually the name for Vitamin B3, and it fits this Hammond B3 dominated band very well. Sheehan actually met Novello while his band Mr. Big was taking vocal lessons from Novello's wife. When Sheehan heard that Novello's instrument of choice was the B3 they decided to get together and jam. This led to them recording a song together for a Guitar World compilation disc, and eventually led to the formation of Niacin. Sheehan's career began to blossom with the band Talas, who had made a name for themselves in the 80's New York and Northeast music scene. He was later recruited to join David Lee Roth's band, where he joined Steve Vai on Roth's first two albums. Sheehan later formed his own hard rock band called Mr. Big, and now tours extensively as a member of Steve Vai's band. Novello is a respected session musician and keyboard instructor who has worked with Chick Corea and Mark Isham, among others. Dennis Chambers is a virtual touring and performing machine who has worked with dozens of legendary jazz/funk/rock/fusion musicians including Parliament/Funkadelic, Mike Stern, and The Brecker Brothers. Live - Blood, Sweat, and Beers was recorded in 1997, the year following Niacin's debut album. The show was filmed in what appears to be a small, jazz club in Tokyo, Japan. The stage is tiny, and the lighting consists of only a few stage lights and a spotlight for each performer. The DVD begins showing the band members as they exit a public bus, in front of the club, carrying their own gig bags. They begin the show with my favorite song from the first Niacin album, "No Man's Land". This is one of the more rockin' songs and has a great organ riff that sticks in you head. The show's highlights were easily Dennis Chambers many little solo spots. On almost every song he would go off on a short thirty, or so, second solo and the crowd would eat it up. When I saw him play with the Mike Stern band at Blues Alley, in Washington, DC, a few years ago, he did precisely the same thing. He totally stole the show. The guy is blazingly fast, yet remarkably smooth. During "Klaghorn" he has an extended solo spot where he just closes his eyes, smiles, and pulls out all of the stops. Billy Sheehan sits in a chair for the whole show and leaves no doubt that he is one of the best, and most diverse bassists in the business. The guy has some of the largest hands I have ever seen, which allows him to play chords on the bass better than most guitarists. He plays every style flawlessly. Novello is certainly an excellent keyboardist, but I didn't find him to be as remarkable to watch and hear as Sheehan and Chambers. I never found myself focused on his playing, but just enjoyed it as nice accompaniment to the incredible bass and drum action going on. Niacin's set included a cover of the Weather Report classic "Birdland", where Sheenan did Jaco proud. They also did a clever version of the Motown classic "You Keep Me Hanging On", which featured Sheehan demonstrating some incredible slap bass playing. This DVD only includes nine songs totaling just under an hour in length, but presents an excellent introduction to this unique power trio. The only audio mix provided is a PCM stereo mix, but it is a great one. There is good instrument separation, and the sound is bold and powerful. The video was nice and clear although it wasn't as sharp as could be. The camera work was simple, yet affective. Each musician was featured during their respective solos and key parts. I would like to have seen a few more full stage shots showing all three musicians playing together. If you are more of a fan of guitar-led fusion music, as I am, Niacin's organ/bass/drum style fusion music might be a little hard for you to swallow at first. As impressive as Niacin's musicianship is, and as catchy as some of their songs are, I usually found myself thinking about how much better these guys would sound with a good guitarist in the band. I would love to see them feature some guest guitar spots on future albums and videos, as this would definitely entice me to check them out again. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - September 2004 |
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Set List |
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Running Time: 57 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - March 2000 |