Dave’s Photo Blog

Every Sunday at Precinct, in Union Square, Somerville, you can see the rising talent of Christian McNeill and Jesse Dee jamming their hearts out to a delighted crowd.

I caught a couple of shows just before Halloween, and Precinct was truly decorated for the moment, as you can tell in the photos below. This location has a long history in Union Square, from the original days as a police station, to occupancy by restaurants such as The Elephant Walk, Russia and even a Catalan Restaurant. This latest incarnation, Precinct, appears to be here to stay and it’s a wonderful venue. The club is divided into a front section with a bar, tables and even a funky booth and the back section where the music happens. The back room has got a funky layout, with a bar in the center, the stage to the left and comfy seating to the right. There is also a riser in the back of the room facing the stage that allows for great sightlines to the band.

Christian McNeill and Jesse Dee front Sea Monsters and both are accomplished musicians, songwriters and performers. Christian McNeill is a transplant from Northern Ireland, but Jesse Dee is a local guy, hailing from my current town of Arlington, Massachusetts. Both have different styles and it’s quite interesting to watch them perform, supporting each other in a highly complimentary way. They are backed by a variety of other players, but usually have Lyle Brewer (guitar), Mike Miksis (bass), Jeremy Gustin (drums), John Aruda (tenor sax) and Scott Aruda (trumpet). But they bring other players as well and they always seem to sound great. You’ll see Jeff Galindo (slide trombone), for example, in a photo below. That’s pretty amazing, really, given the number of instruments and the shape of the hall, but the sounds still comes through very balanced even if you occassionally want to hear a particular instrument a bit more.

Sea Monsters (l-r) Lyle Brewer, Christian McNeill, Jesse Dee, Jeremy Gustin and Mike Miksis

Christian McNeill is an exceptional acoustic rocker. He plays that guitar hard, but in the process, he squeezes out some very nice chord changes and displays a good control of the acoustic dynamics. Even with amplification, he brings the volume up and down to suit the mood of the song. Christian’s style is a full-body sort of experience. He reminds me a little of Joe Cocker in that regard. His whole body moves in passion when he plays. Sometimes that’s his hands outstretched to make a point, sometimes it’s his right hand, strumming wildly on the guitar and sometimes it’s getting down, practically on his knees, in a cue to the rest of the band to bring it down. If you met him on the street, you’d think he was a tough bloke from Northern Ireland and not one to be singing, but Christian says his oldest memory is a song and he truly lets the music flow through him.

Where Christian McNeill is raw acoustic rock, Jesse Dee has got soul flowing through his blood. The guy just oozes it all over the stage when he plays. The contrast between the two is somewhat remarkable given that they are playing together in this ensemble. Christian’s writes somewhat aggressive, jam-filled songs while Jesse sings in the spirit of the classic soul performer. Jesse has already racked up an impressive list of credits – I first saw him open for Etta James at the House of Blues earlier this year. Since then, he’s toured Europe and also opened for Al Greene. Jesse is another performer that’s all about the music. He has a fantastic voice and he’s not shy about using it. He is also a very accomplished guitarist. One of the things I like about his style (other than that big sexy hollow body axe) is that he is able to voice chords up and down the neck of the guitar with ease. That’s a lot harder to do than it sounds and he sounds great doing it. Jesse also likes to have some fun putting breaks in the music. A typical Jesse Dee song has him gesturing to the drummer and the band a few times to throw a break in the song, or to launch the final few chords.

It’s really a pleasure to listen to the horn section in Sea Monsters. I saw them perform twice on back to back Sundays and the horn line-up was different both times. And don’t let the instruments fool you, these guys also sing and not just to back up Christian and Jesse. There are so many members of this ensemble the horn players don’t get the benefit of actually standing on the stage, but they don’t seem to mind. The horn section gets a prominent role during the Sea Monsters’ sets. It’s not uncommon for Jesse or Christian to give them the nod to take a solo and it’s a pretty intimate experience since they are basically standing on the dance floor.

(l-r) John Aruda, Jeff Galindo and Lyle Brewer

The Sea Monsters play songs from both Christian McNeill and Jesse Dee’s repertoire. Most often, they switch back and forth playing each other’s compositions. Christian’s songs tend to be longer and occasionally involve an extended jam. These jams are not just rounds of solos, although that happens too. They are often more about the mood of the moment.

One way to assess the popularity of this band is to check the Boston Music Awards. Sea Monster is nominated in the Americana category, and Jesse Dee is nominated for his solo work in the R&B category. Sea Monster plays on selected Sunday’s at Precinct – check their event calendar for details of upcoming shows.

Christian McNeill winds a fresh string