"Hero's" welcome

Blind Man Sun maneuver the long jam

by Chris Kanaracus

Some things -- like a slow, dull child or the traffic light at the intersection of Chandler and Park Ave -- just need a little time. Joining those ranks is the latest release from New Jersey-based Blind Man Sun, Of the Spheres, with opening bars (a redux of the classical standard "Saber Dance") that scream "Phish" -- big-time. There's the squealing, tube-driven lead guitar; the life-and-love-affirming lyrics; and, yes, they have a small but diehard fan base that travels with them on their frequent tours of the East Coast.

But as you get well into the album's two hour, 15-minute set, BMS's exuberant brand of progressive jam rock begins to reveal influences as far-reaching as Yes, Wes Montgomery, Keith Jarrett, and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Though even their press kit lingers toward pigeonholing. One otherwise-glowing review terms the group as "service providers to the granola circuit."

"We have a real problem with that," says singer/guitarist Marco Femino. "In fact, probably two-thirds of the band isn't even into that scene or grew up on the Dead or whatever."

What all the band members -- who range in ages from 23 to 25 -- do share is a music education from Syracuse University. They spent their time there well, evidenced by the monstrous chops each member stretches out throughout the set.

Many school-bred musicians tend to be a little too tight (witness Berklee shred-dorks Dream Theater). Blind Man Sun largely avoid the pitfall, in part due to the respect the members obviously have for their mates' ability -- these guys understand the need to not only ease out for a while when someone is about to tear it up, but also to back him up with taste and restraint. Though not existing in a noodle-free zone, the relative economy of BMS's playing (as opposed to the genre at large) is refreshing.

"We've learned to be that way," says Femino. "In the beginning, that wasn't quite the case." BMS were formed by members from several Ithaca-area bands who had admired each other from afar. "At our first practice as a full band, everyone was sort of in awe of each other. It's a nerve-wracking experience. Everyone wants to show what he can do, and sometimes maybe someone is hesitant to do so.

"We farted out hundreds of times on stage in the beginning," he adds. "I don't know if it ever came down to the band coming to a complete stop, but . . . okay, maybe once. Yeah, we've had a few train wrecks."

You wouldn't know it from some of the absolute smokers on Of the Spheres, such as the epic-length two-parter "Fare Thee Well/Hero's Requiem," an exquisitely composed, infectious chunk of fusion that recalls the best of Pat Metheny Group and, yes, Phish.

But it must be said: Of the Spheres is quite, quite long. "That right there ended up being a necessity, due to the fact that all six of us [keyboard/vocalist JD Daddis, bassist Bob White, Femino, lead guitarist Dave Chiappetta, marimba/percussionist Kevin Romanski, and drummer Darren Gage] are composers." During the six-month on-and-off recording schedule at a studio in Vermont, the group realized that in order for each member's ideas to make tape, a double-CD was warranted. "Each of us has a different musical background. We needed the extra space."

Having hours of good material can't hurt a jam band any, and, to that end, BMS's dedication to touring seems to be paying off. "It's hard to say for absolute sure, but it does seem to be taking off," says Femino. "We started playing clubs like the Middle East [Boston], the Living Room [NYC], and the Tammany in Worcester [where BMS join the venerable Juggling Suns this Saturday] a couple of years back. And each time we return, there's another 50 people there. We're pretty happy. Four years ago [BMS formed in January 1995] we got together and pledged our lives to this [band]."

It seems some of their fans have as well. "There's a group of guys from Ithaca that are just so into the music. They make bootlegs, copy down our set lists, put the music up on the Web, you name it." But Femino has a small issue with the matter of bootlegs. "We're all extremely flattered by it, but, and I don't mean to sound pretentious, the quality of those bootlegs just doesn't do justice to our live sound, which we've worked really hard on, and are pretty proud of."

Blind Man Sun play on March 27 at the Tammany Club. Call 791-6550.