Shams Split

One of Cincinnati’s finest Rock bands has decided to call it a day. Singer/guitarist Zachary Gabbard recently announced that Thee Shams have ceased to exist. Together since 1999, Thee Shams (who would only later add the “e,” after another “The Shams” laid claim to the name) played swampy, authentic Garage Rock with interesting tinges of Blues, Pop and Psychedelia. Their ever-evolving sound caught the attention of several noted indie labels over the years — the band had music released on Orange Recordings and Norton Records, before ending up with widely-known Fat Possum Records, home to The Black Keys and old-school bluesmen like R.L. Burnside. Cincinnati’s Shake It Records released last year’s Sign the Line after Fat Possum balked at releasing too much material from the band, following their FP debut, Please Yourself, in 2004.

Though the band sometimes seemed to be in the shadows of some of their local peers (Cincy’s Heartless Bastards signed with Fat Possum and received more mainstream acclaim, and the band’s compadres, The Greenhornes, worked the same circles before exploding), but the group scored glowing press across the country for their soulful albums and singles, and they toured relentlessly, doing extensive treks with Indie superstars like Spoon and on their own. It appears the roadwork is what eventually did the group in. In a press release, Gabbard says the weight of their schedule was wreaking havoc on him and his bandmates. “We needed to do this so everyone can get their shit together,” Gabbard says in the release. “Most of us are on the verge of a complete mental and physical break-down.”

An album of unreleased material might never see the light of day, the release continues, but Gabbard says this is hardly the end of Thee Shams members’ musical adventures. After some time off, they all plan to pursue new projects. (theeshams.com)

Circular Motion
Some of the best players from the local Jazz scene have joined forces to form the new ensemble, The Jazz Circle. The “little big band” features vocalist Steve Coghill, trumpeter Mike Wade, bassist Mike Sharfe, alto saxophonist Steve Hoskins, tenor saxophonist Brent Gallaher, drummer Dan Dorff, trombonist Bill Gemmer and pianist Bill Cunliffe. The group’s debut performance (with guest guitarist Phil Willis) is Sunday at downtown’s Blue Wisp Jazz Club, starting at 7 p.m. The gig is also a CD release party for their first recorded effort, Joshua, a tribute to ’60s Jazz greats Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Wayne Shorter and Oliver Nelson. The album features reinterpretation’s of some of the legends’ classics, with Hoskins adding new vocals and lyrics to some of the compositions. Joshua includes the group’s takes on Mingus’ “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” and Nelson’s “Stolen Moments.” (bluewispjazzclub.com)

Rumors, Lies and General Misunderstandings
· Improv-heavy, instrumental Jam band 8 Ball Junkies celebrate the release of their debut album, Alhambra Palace, on Thursday at the Square Bubble in Anderson Twp. The album boasts an impressive roster of guest players, including Michael “Maddog” Mavridoglou (Ray’s Music Exchange, Swarthy Band, Jazz Mandolin Project) on trumpet, Freekbass on mutron bass, John Gentry Jr. (Da Lemmings OnSombol, Ray’s Music Exchange) on guitar and Matt “J” Reynolds (4-Track Allstars) on sax and flute. Cover for Thursday’s show is $10 (including the new CD) or $5 (without the new CD). To hear some tracks, go to myspace.com/8balljunkies.

· Friday at the Cincinnati Artist Warehouse in Northside, it’s kick-off time for the sixth annual Bob Marley Tribute Reggae Festival. The 8 p.m. show features local Reggae, spoken word and Hip Hop from Vibe 1 (of the Watusi Tribe), 144,000 Poets and Positive Reaction, plus regional acts like World Force Reggae Band, The Lioness, Shock Out Crew and others. Saturday, at Scotty’s in West Chester, the Marley fest continues with Cleveland’s popular The Ark Band and other performers. Music starts at 9 p.m.

· This weekend kicks off the “Womens Music Festival,” a series of concerts throughout March to benefit the nonprofit organization, Womens Way, advancing women in the arts. The series, which takes place at the Monmouth Theater in Newport, begins Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. performance by Ma Crow (with Larry Nager and Greg Schaber). Sunday at 2 p.m., the Fest continues with Folk trio Raison D’Etre. Future shows include Jayne Sachs with Pale Beneath the Blue (March 11), Betsy Lippitt and Chris Collier (March 18), and Katie Laur and Her All-Girl Bluegrass Band (March 25). For details, call 513-923-1414 or go to womenswayonline.org.

This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2006.