By: David Schultz

Whenever anyone describes a band as playing “world music,” it’s usually taken as an oblique way of saying that they play music that derives from Africa or the Caribbean. BuzzUniverse, who takes the universe part of their name seriously, has carved out a nice niche for themselves by putting their own spin on the world music concept, incorporating South American gaucho rhythms and Latin American flair into blend of blues, funk and mountain-class bluegrass. After experimenting with a larger version of the band, BuzzUniverse has stripped back down to their original four-piece configuration: Alex Garay on vocals and lead guitar, Greg McLoughlin on bass, Dave Migliore on drums and Brian Ciufo on sax.

One thing that’s marked BuzzU’s shows over the past few months has been their willingness to experiment and refusal to remain static. Their penchant for incorporating jamband oriented rhythms into the song structure of progressive rock makes many of their songs perfect vehicles for other musicians to join in. At Sullivan Hall, violinist Meredith Bogacz sat in for the heart of their set, inspiring a zany dancing reverie from Garay with a traditional Irish jig and on “All Of My Friends,” blending in with Ciufo’s subtle baritone and soprano sax to provide a wonderful counterpoint to McLoughlin and Migliore’s sinuous beat. Broadening their universe, Aaron Wilkinson of the Honey Island Swamp Band sat in on mandolin for BuzzU’s version of the Marshall Tucker Band’s “This Ol Cowboy.”

BuzzUniverse will be offering a couple free shows in New York City over the next couple weeks. On July 4, they will be playing a 3:00 p.m. set at the South Street Seaport and on July 16, will be entertaining Manhattanites in Union Square Park with a set starting at 6:00 p.m.

Labels: BuzzUniverse