If you’re ever looking for an experience that’ll last a lifetime, go to the Transparent Clinch Gallery in Asbury Park.
I had the pleasure of attending the “Blues Band Workshop & Show with Nick Moss and Dennis Gruenling Live at the Transparent Clinch Gallery,” on April 10, which featured a Q&A discussion and a live performance. The event explored all things Blues along with what goes into being a part of a band full of creative freedom.
Stepping into the Clinch Gallery is unlike anything you’ll ever experience. As a Sea.Hear.Now Festival fanatic, after going the past couple of years, the atmosphere is all-consuming inside the Gallery, much like being in the Transparent Clinch Gallery pop-up tent at the festival.
Danny Clinch’s photography of artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Bob Dylan, Tupac, and Dolly Parton, lined every wall in sight. Along with the insane moments in music history on the walls, were collections of merchandise and the most reasonably priced vinyl I’ve ever seen. I will be going back to sift through and pick out some must-haves for the household.
The Nick Moss Band and Dennis Gruenling kicked the night off by holding a discussion where any of the audience members could ask their burning questions. The group consisted of guitarist and vocalist, Nick Moss, Dennis Gruenling on the harmonica, Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, and Pierce Downer on the drums.
Gruenling is a New Jersey native known worldwide for his harmonica playing and patience to teach others. He released his first album, “Dennis Gruenling & Jump Time” in 1999. Since then, he’s recorded six more albums and even started a Harmonica Camp and Workshop through his platform Badass Harmonica. So, needless to say, Gruenling and his friendship with Moss for over 20 years, was bound to lead them to the stage together.
Moss, a Chicago native, made his debut into the Blues scene as a bass player for Blues icon Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. From there, he played in a band with Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on guitar, which led him to tour with another big Blues star, Jimmy Rogers.
After being signed to Alligator Records, the Chicago based Blues record label that recorded artists such as Koko Taylor, Brewer Phillips, and JJ Grey & Mofro, they recorded their first two albums together, “The High Cost of Low Living” in 2018 and “Lucky Guy!” in 2019. “Lucky Guy!” won “Best Traditional Blues Album” and “Best Song” for the title track at the 2020 Blues Music Awards. The band also won “Band of The Year” for their remarkable collaboration and dedication to the music and one another. And while I’m not an avid Blues listener, I could tell I was with talented musical greatness.
Gruenling and Moss opened up the discussion and urged people to ask their most burning questions about Blues and being in a band. They talked about the collaborative process of being active listeners throughout their improvisational performances. While most Blues music follow the same 12-bar format, improvised solos moments can get lost in translation if a band isn’t locked in. Not only do they have to focus on their individual performance, but they also have to gage the other members throughout the entire song. That way, their sounds complement each another instead of drowning them out. It’s all a give and take when it comes to this style of Chicago Blues. It’s also about finding the balance between playing what the crowd wants and what the band wants.
Being a member of an audience is tricky and almost selfish. As a fan, you know what you wanna hear and what you don’t. The beauty of unspoken (or sometimes spoken) communication between an artist and their audience is what makes a performance. When asked how the band finds that balance, Moss and Gruenling had one common theme: if you love what you play, then the audience will love it too. Once again, confirming that music in any fashion brings love and unity to whatever audience that gathers to hear it. That’s exactly what surrounded the gallery for the band’s performance.
The band kicked off the performance with “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett. If you’re having trouble placing that, think back to any high school band performance. What you’ll probably remember is singing along to, “Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na.” The performance immediately gained smiles from the crowd and even got them to clap along.
They also performed some originals from their records, like “It Shocks Me Out,” “Count On Me,” “Someday,” and “Love Me.” “It Shocks Me Out” was a sure crowd favorite as it was tied to Brazilian bassist Mantovani and his funny way of mashing common sayings together. The high energy level performance compiled with witty lyrics made the audience feel they were in on the joke.
They closed out the performance with “Love Me,” written by Moss about his love for his wife, who he stated is, “way above his pay grade.” But before that, Danny Clinch joined them playing harmonica with Gruenling, which was such a wholesome moment. It felt as if everyone in that room was already part of a family without having ever met each other.
That was the underlying factor of Moss and Gruenling, they formed a community that night without even having to try. Their immense talent and love for Blues don’t call for bells and whistles or theatrics; just pure love for music and living in the creative space.
