Nate Najar's Swinging Guitars Jazzes up the Side Door Cabaret at the Palladium Theater
We got to see Nate Najar's Swinging Guitars at the Side Door Cabaret at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg. It was the perfect venue for such a swinging event. The sold-out show packed the house. Najar, Carl Amundson, and Dominic Walker owned the stage as they breezed through standard swing, ballads, and even some bluesy numbers. The program featured a repertoire from Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Django Reinhardt, and more. Backed by bassist Joe Porter and drummer Jean Bolduc the trio meshed together perfectly, playing both syncopated harmonic melodies and dynamic guitar solos. While Admundson and Walker were both swinging on hollow-body jazz axes, Nate jumped between punishing licks and gentle strumming on his signature nylon string acoustic. They have played together for a long time, and their familiarity and banter on stage made for a fun backdrop for the over two-hour show. It was musically delicious!