Boston Herald – “Llama Rhymes” review

THE CHANDLER TRAVIS PHILHARMONIC
“Llama Rhymes'” (Sonic Trout)
3 stars (out of 4)

Cape Cod-based Chandler Travis is a rock ‘n’ roll Britannica. He gleefully catalogs one vintage style after another on this never-a-dull-moment outing by his horn-propelled, eight-piece-plus-guests Philharmonic.

After nimbly picking the pockets of such rock luminaries as Ray Davies (“My Old Man”) and Nick Lowe (“Sha La La”), among others, Travis and company move on to ransack the treasuries of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Sun Ra in a zonked-out style Travis has dubbed “alternative Dixieland.”

Much has been made of Travis’ nutty sense of humor – but Travis is obviously – and audibly – dead serious about his music. Wednesday at the Lizard Lounge, Cambridge.

KEVIN R. CONVEY

Boston Herald website

Boston Herald – “Llama Rhymes” review