Horrid pop hits associated with one of the goofiest pop stars of the 1980s were transformed into dazzling reveries at Westport Coffee House on Sunday, November 9. Fifty people paid a $15 cover charge to witness the soul-jazz miracle.
Reminiscing about a road trip he took with the Kansas City organist Chris Hazelton more than a decade ago, the Canadian saxophonist Cory Weeds recalled a Huey Lewis compact disc provided the sole sonic diversion on the trek.
Still uneasy with the “stupid idea,” Weeds confessed thinking that “these tunes lend themselves to a greasy organ quartet.” Along with guitarist David Rourke and drummer Rudy Petschhauer, Weeds and Hazelton fulfilled that vision by means of immense talent and supercolossal swing.
Hazelton’s arrangements made Lewis material like “Do You Believe in Love” no less effective than interpretations of a few jazz-rooted compositions during the 90-minute performance. Weeds’ assessment was accurate: “in the hands of Chris Hazelton anything is possible.”
Setlist: The Power of Love, Measy’s Back in Town (sp?), Hip to Be Square, At Long Last, I Want a New Drug, Bad Is Bad, Boop Bop Bing Bash, Do You Believe in Love, If This Is It