Krasno/Moore Project‘s maiden voyage continued on Sunday evening with the new organ trio’s fourth straight night at New York, NY’s storied Blue Note Jazz Club featuring a surprise sit-in by guitarist Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead). Other surprise guests who appeared during the Blue Note run included Christian McBride, Mark Whitfield, Cochemea Gastelum, and Will Lee.
Led by the decorated duo of guitarist Eric Krasno (Soulive) and drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic) alongside secret-weapon organist Eric Finland, the three musicians spent the bulk of the evening thumbing through their newly released debut album, Book of Queens, a collection of instrumental organ trio renditions of songs written, performed, and popularized by women through the years.
Krasno and Moore took turns introducing numbers throughout the set, explaining their reasonings for covering each of the artists—from icons of old like Aretha Franklin (a bluesy “A Natural Woman” highlighted by Krasno’s impeccable tone) and Peggy Lee (a syncopated, jazzy “Fever”) to contemporary hitmakers like Billie Eilish (an imaginative “Lost Cause”), H.E.R. (a grooving “Carried Away” absolutely hammered by Moore), and Kacey Musgraves (a dreamy “Slow Burn” with lush accents from Finland). A number of selections from Krasno and Moore’s respective back catalogs rounded out the setlist alongside an opening homage to Stevie Wonder and a multi-band medley featuring snippets of songs by The Meters as well as Galactic and Soulive. .
Toward the end of the set, Krasno/Moore Project tapped into the Blue Note’s ever-present “you never know who might show up” factor by introducing guest guitarist Scott Metzger, a New York City staple best known for his work in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.
While this was a new band welcoming a first-time guest, the history runs deep between these musicians. Krasno and Metzger have collaborated on numerous occasions with a variety of projects, while Metzger has toured with Stanton Moore as a part of his various side projects. With Scott adding a guitar sound notably distinct from (and complementary to) Krasno’s, the trio-turned-quartet blazed through two Stanton organ trio originals (“Pot Licker” and “Pie-Eyed Manc”) and a pair of all-purpose Krasno go-tos (“Curse Lifter” and “76”).
With some of the most talented players on the road coming together to play interesting, unusual covers in an organ trio formation, Krasno/Moore Project offers a perfect mix of master musicianship and broad appeal. As Moore said when Book of Queens was announced, “With this record, we wanted to create an album that we would be proud to play for our wives…something that we could listen to while making dinner or hanging on the beach. Our goal was to assemble a collection of songs that created an instant vibe from beginning to end, and could be enjoyed with family and friends time and time again.”
Now that the album is out and the tour is off to the races, it’s more than safe to say that their mission has been achieved. The Krasno/Moore Project is some of the most unique and satisfying instrumental music you can hear live today, and Eric and Stanton’s collective credentials and creative peer groups all but ensure that talented guests will be a regular occurrence. Don’t miss your chance to catch them in action.
Below, check out the setlist and a selection of crowd-shot video clips from Sunday’s early show at the Blue Note as well as a full list of Krasno/Moore Project’s upcoming tour dates. For tickets, head to either Eric or Stanton’s websites.
Setlist: Krasno/Moore Project ft. Eric Finland | Blue Note NYC | New York, NY | 3/20/23
Set: Big Brother (Stevie Wonder), You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse), Nobody’s Baby (Sharon Jones), Lost Cause (Billie Eilish), The Meters/Soulive/Galactic Medley, Slow Burn (Kacey Musgraves), Carried Away (H.E.R.), A Natural Woman (Aretha Franklin), Fever (Peggy Lee), Pot Licker (Stanton Moore) [1], Curse Lifter (Eric Krasno) [1], Pie-Eyed Manc (Stanton Moore) [1], 76 (Eric Krasno) [1]
[1] with Scott Metzger on guitar
The Krasno/Moore Project Tour Dates
Mar 12, 2023 – Rams Head On Stage | Annapolis, MD
Mar 14, 2023 – City Winery | Boston, MA
Mar 15, 2023 – Ridgefield Playhouse | Ridgefield, CT
Mar 16, 2023 – Mar 19, 2023 – Blue Note | New York, NY
Mar 21, 2023 – Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club | Portsmouth, NH
Mar 22, 2023 – Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club | Portsmouth, NH
Mar 23, 2023 – Dakota | Minneapolis, MN
Mar 24, 2023 – City Winery | Chicago, IL
Mar 25, 2023 – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox | Denver, CO
Apr 4, 2023 – Apr 5, 2023 – Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley | Seattle, WA
Apr 6, 2023 – Star Theater | Portland, OR
Apr 7, 2023 – The Chapel | San Francisco, CA
Apr 8, 2023 – Knitting Factory | Los Angeles, CA
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