Alexis P. Suter Band – Just Stay Live featuring Garth Hudson
This band, with its veteran Americana singer Alexis P. Suter, hails from the rootsy territories of Brooklyn & Woodstock. It’s primarily a set of covers with some originals, but it’s here to capture a beloved musical atmosphere, with tradition & spirit.
These 11 tracks recorded live at the Falcon Arts Center in Marlboro, NY for Just Stay Live features the late Garth Hudson of The Band (Drops March 17/Nola Blue Records/65:16). Produced by Vicki Bell (vocals), Peter Bennett (bass) & the Alexis P. Suter Band.
Now, if you were going to pump some adrenaline into some vintage songs, this would be the integrated band to tap. The opening is the gospel/blues-infused Blind Willie Johnson number – “John the Revelator” covered numerous times, but this arrangement is muscular, has a rock n’ roll breeze that drifts through its skeleton & the skin of it sounds youthful.
The presence of Garth on piano & accordion is noticeable. If this is one of his last contributions, it’s a doozy. The “Garth Piano Solo” has the veneer of Garth’s notes, his flourishes on the ivories & his personality throughout the 5-minute indulgence. The melody segues into “Right On Time,” & it’s evident that anything Garth is aligned with makes everything brighter.
This would’ve been a wonderful band for Garth to find a new home in. But it wasn’t meant to be. The band itself is stellar with crisp guitars, snappy drums & if this band had the entire Butterfield Blues Band playing with them, you’d still be able to hear Garth Hudson’s “sound.”
Alexis & her booming pipes are nuclear powered in a Koko Taylor/Big Mama Thornton tradition. But her savvy entertainment quotient is higher. The Gregg Allman “It’s Not My Cross To Bear” is bluesy & spiritual with eruptive backing vocals & cement solid Ray Grappone drums.
The LP is live, recorded pristinely & well-captured despite spots of “openness” due to its lack of studio compression. But that spaciousness allows the band’s presence to come through with delicious immediacy. They maintain their octane with “Whistling In the Dark” — a darker, deeper soul but anchored in the same electrifying excitement that Janis Joplin & Genya Ravan once displayed. The fiery “Rise” is a showstopper that comes across even on the CD.
Don’t settle for beer when you can get whiskey. This is music with spirits.
Highlights – “John the Revelator,” “Garth Piano Solo,” “Right On Time,” “It’s Not My Cross To Bear,” “Whistling In the Dark,” “Knocking On Heaven’s Door,” “Hole That I’m In,” “Rise” & “Isn’t It Pity.”
Musicians – Jimmy Bennett (guitar), Linda Pino (vocals), Benny Harrison (keys) & Connor Kennedy (guitar on 3 tracks).
Image collage courtesy of Alexis’ website. CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + https://alexispsuter.com/
Previous Review: https://americanahighways.org/2025/06/02/review-the-alexis-p-suter-band-just-stay-high/