Better late than never

I have to start off this article with this header. I recently went to see Robojazz at BSMT254. Marc Decho is the bass player in the band. His wife and I were talking about the time I saw him perform at the same location back in March. She let me know she was still waiting for the article. I swear I put it up. So I looked around and somehow forgot to add this article to Blast Toronto. So, my apologies to Marc and his wife, here is the article. Better late than never…

Recently Blast Toronto has started a new series called, “Undiscovered Treasures”. It is focused on place we are now discovering in the city of Toronto that contains great live music. I usually post it on my Facebook page, but today I would like to add our website to this ongoing exploration.

BSMT 254

Located at 254 Lansdowne Ave just north of the corner of Dundas Street West, Bsmt 254 is a little difficult to find. The street is dark, and the sign is very small. It is like they are daring you to look really hard. But when you do find the door and proceed down the stairs, what you will find may surprise you.

It is a room the size of a typical basement. It has a nice bar, the décor is retro cool. You will find a flower motif on the wallpaper and a sponged stucco ceiling. The atmosphere is very welcoming, especially on a winter’s day.

There is enough light to soak in the fun chapel and dark enough for the vampires to fade into the trappings of the place. It fits about 40-50 people, and the stage is large enough for a typical band. The sound system is crisp and clean.

Lately, I did a poll of why people are not going out too often to clubs. One of the top answers was they didn’t want to stay out too late. Well, BSMT 254 is a perfect spot for those kinds of patrons. The band I saw went on just before 8pm and wrapped up at 9:45. Is that early enough for you?  If you wanted the evening to continue, they have a DJ spinning music for the rest of the evening.

This is a great experience for all music lovers because this place brings in an eclectic list of top musicians to play. Blast Toronto gives this place a big lift off!

Marc Decho

Marc Decho is a very talented jazz bass player. I first met him playing with jazz keyboardist Mathieu Fiset and I knew I had to see what else he was up too.

It seems Marc with a C, is working on a brand-new recording and it will be ready for release later this year. Tonight was the night where he got to showcase what he has been working on so far.

The beginning part of this journey was a slow chilled vibe that was filled with small ingredients of earth communing with messages from outer space. The bass and drums kept out feet on the ground while a duo of keyboardists filled our heads from above with inviting correspondences.

Marc is clearly the captain of this ship, and he is the force that drives this interstellar machine. His band mates are the collective tendrils that reach out and explore the reaches of infinite space. This is done with pure intuition and amazing listening skills.

The two keyboards who I was referring to as Thing 1 and 2, worked in perfect unison as they switched parts of their solos and created colourful metaphors throughout this journey. It was as if these two shared a special mind hive that kept this experience as tight as a funeral drum.  This is jazz fusion at a very high level. Their techniques reminded of other band like Weather Report and even had a splash of Return to Forever. Even the drummer had wonderful moments of unpredictable rhythmic patterns and cues. His style kept you in balance for the most part, but like a shifty pilot he could quickly throw you off course before bringing you back and smiling like a rascal.

So, while we are here, let me introduce you to the band.

Marc Decho- Bass

Mateo Mancuso- Drums

Chris Pruden- Keys

James Hill- Keys

I really enjoyed their piece called “Stints”. It opened with a White boy funk that seems to travel just above the speed limit. It was just fast enough not to get a speeding ticket.  As they were coming in for a landing, because they needed to be finished by 9:45 that night, they jammed in another piece called Lava Fire Hose. Marc said this piece was going to be Cra, Cra!

We were indulged in yet another frantic ride and when this rollercoaster was over, Marc looked at his watch and it was 9:45. These guys are so professional.

If you are a jazz fusion enthusiast, then keep the name Marc Decho close to your memory and look for him. I asked him to use Blast Toronto’s Events Calendar. So, keep checking it at www.blasttoronto.com/events/

If you feel Blast Toronto is making a difference in the music scene, please “Buy us a Coffee” on our website so we can keep bringing you the best talent in Toronto today!

Please follow Marc on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marcdecho/

This is Marc and his band: