Little Feat was founded over thirty-five years ago. In that time they have forged a reputation for diverse, improvisational music. Like many long-standing bands they have had some personnel changes but the values of quality musicianship have remained a constant. Little Feat was and is a well-respected live band. They have spent much of 2004 touring in support of Kickin' It At The Barn – their twenty-second release – and we caught the last leg of their world tour as they barnstormed their way into Red Bank, New Jersey on November 16, 2004 for a show at the legendary Count Basie Theater.

Paul Barrere's guitar and slide playing kept the crowd on their feet!

The current seven-person line up serves up a rich, flavorful, musical gumbo of the blues, country, Dixie, funk, jam, jazz and rock. Their tour is aptly named "Barnstorming" as Little Feat sets the stage on fire with their unique brew of New Orleans funk meets the rest of the musical world. Sizzling guitars, steady rhythms and infectious grooves are still important ingredients in their diverse and savory arrangements. The band often plays hundreds of shows per year thus Little Feat is tight yet elastic allowing experimentation and opportunities for each artist to shine.

After battling traffic on the Garden State Parkway we arrived in Red Bank around 6:30p.m. Down the street from the Count Basie Theater is a festive looking Mexican restaurant called Carlos O'Connor. From floor to ceiling there were colorful lights, sparkling Christmas-type ornaments, ethnic pictures, local music memorabilia and enough knick-knacks to look at before, during and after perusing the menu. The tables are covered by sheets of acrylic that can be lifted up and many people left business cards and notes of praise for Carlos O'Connor's fine food and decor.

Carlos O'Connor was bustling this Tuesday night with locals and people in town for the Little Feat show. Chips with two types of salsa were placed on the table before the main course. Our tasty tacos were served on colorful plates garnished with fresh lettuce, rice and beans (you have a choice of three). The portions were generous and well prepared. We must commend our waitress who also seated us. She appeared to be the only one covering the two cozy rooms of the restaurant but despite that she was friendly and efficient. Carlos O'Connor was a good start for a night of spicy music.

The Count Basie Theater, which opened in 1926, retains much of its earlier charm. The acoustics are great and the Little Feat sound technicians were able to tap into that making sure that each instrument could be heard including more subtle tones such as the tambourine and the cowbell.

The band took the stage shortly after eight and they were greeted by the loud and enthusiastic crowd. Little Feat opened with an animated version of 'All That You Dream'. Paul and Shaun's vocals blended perfectly as the drums, bongos and bass crafted a funky groove. Bill on his Korg was creating sounds that were almost horn-like before moving into a more colorful keyboard segment. Guitars were soaring before the jam came to a quick close.

'Love You Like A Woman' featured Shaun singing the blues over a funky beat before the Triton kicked in with a variety of textures and tones. An extended jam melded into a feisty vocal and guitar exchange that brought the tune to a rousing climax and satisfying completion.

"This next song is about several trains," commented Mr. Barrere before launching into 'Red Streamliner' from their timeless 1977 release, Time Loves a Hero.

This time Mr. Payne handled the lead vocals as the rhythm section fashioned the flow of motion. A driving, extended jam was played with intensity. Little Feat really taps into each other's energy, often forming a circle on the stage, intent on watching and riding the flow of the music.

'In A Town Like This' had a slower groove with the keyboards leading the way. Heavy guitars and a fat beat soon joined in. Shaun sang with power and soul.

Paul introduced 'Business as Usual' from Let It Roll remarking that the song made it into the night's set, "because we are not happy about the election."

Dueling guitars carried the angst of the moment and Shaun joined in on tambourine adding to a dynamic rhythm. Little Feat plays so well together, yet many intricate sounds still come through.

Shaun Murphy was the featured vocalist for much of the band's two-hour set.

The band took a half hour break before returning to the stage to perform 'Stomp' from the new record. The track is aptly named as the rhythm does somewhat resemble a stomp with its heavy groove. The song starts with a flavorful keyboard part before the guitars kick the song up. Fat beats combined with Shaun's emotional vocals to fill out the intense performance of this new fan favorite.

Building on the power of 'Stomp' the band played a magical montage of 'Fat Man In The Bathtub' and 'Gringo' which detouring briefly into Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up'. Both Sam and Ken soared on their solos before Shaun pulled the song back to 'Fat Man'. This extended set was a powerful highlight of the night and received a standing ovation.

The next tune featured a blues riff enhanced by the slide guitar and commanding vocals melding together to create a trademark Little Feat groove. Shaun was belting out woeful blues Janice style. While not as pained as Joplin her passionate delivery was impressive all the same. Shaun really connected with the crowd on this song, pacing the stage and singing to various sections of the audience.

Sam's deep range vocals are perfect for singing about "whiskey and bad cocaine" during a stellar interpretation of their classic song. 'Spanish Moon'. Little Feat closed the night with an extend version of Dixie Chicken that featured impressive jams and solos and an encore of 'Feats Don't Fail Me Now'.

The two sets of the evening featured extensive, experimental instrumentation combined with passionate vocals and first-class musicianship. The show at Count Basie truly demonstrated the skills, synergy and passion that Little Feat continues to bring to their music.

Little Feat's members are multi-talented artists within the band and beyond. For example, Paul Barrere plays guitar, slide and is the lead vocalist. He has been with Little Feat since the Dixie Chicken album, which was the band's third release. Besides his contributions to Little Feat he has a number of solo projects and has worked with many well-respected musicians such as Robert Palmer.

Sam Clayton who also came on board at the Dixie Chicken period is a singer and passionate percussionist. Kenny Gradney, a DC veteran, plays innovative bass and has worked with many greats including Bob Weir, Warren Zevon and Carly Simon. Ken provided strong support for the band and he got a chance to shine towards the end of the night when he stepped forward to solo.

Richie Hayward is the talented drummer who spent part of 2004 touring with Bob Dylan. Shaun Murphy joined Little Feat in 1993. She can belt out the blues or sing a soulful ballad and has worked with the likes of Eric Clapton, Bob Seger and others.

Bill Payne is a founding member of Little Feat. He plays keyboards and sings. Bill has an impressive resume of side gigs with Beck, Jackson Browne and many others.

Fred Tackett plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, trumpet and sings. He joined the group during the Let It Roll period and he too has a long discography that includes the Allman Brothers, Bonnie Raitt and many more.

The barn may be closed for now but the band promises to be back real soon. They'll be spending the early part of 2005 recording a new record before warming up the tour buses again. Don't miss them when they come to your town because Little Feat is a live act worth seeing!!!

Fred Tackett (l) and Bill Payne (r) played off of one another all night long!

Related Links: For more information on Little Feat and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Official Little Feat Site | Buy Little Feat's KIATB

(Originally Published on November 30, 2004)