Jazz, punk hybrid coming to Orono

Color and Talea doesn’t really fit into either of the categories that tend to fall upon it – jazz or punk. While the band members are all accomplished musicians and make up what looks like a jazz trio, their frenetic, high energy live show owes more to punk rock than what you’d find in a dark, smoky club.

The Allston, Mass.-based band, which is playing Saturday at Soma 36 in Orono, is a bit of both, and also more than that. Listening to tracks off its most recent album, “Project Mayhem,” you can hear a distinctive electronic music influence – something that is often hard to replicate in the studio or live.

Drummer Adam Sturtevant’s skittering, rhythmically complex percussive style recalls Bjork and Aphex Twin more than it does many jazz greats, providing a welcome change of pace to complement horn player Anthony Buonpane’s free-jazz-inspired sax lines. Add in Benjamin Das’ muscularly funky bass work, and you have a band that’s a few degrees left of center, eluding the classification of punk, funk or jazz. If you want to call it something, call it experimental.

“I like some mainstream drummers like Brian Blade and Jeff Ballard, but I really love a lot of electronic music, too,” he said. “Whatever I listen to shoots into my subconscious, I guess.”

Color and Talea employs loops and other electronic elements in its music, though the drums are all Sturtevant. An Apple iBook accompanies them onstage, as well as some other electronic gadgets, and, as they describe it, “beat boxing, screaming and the occasional display of manic acrobatics.”

“We’re into many different types of music,” said Buonpane, “though the trio has always been the kind of stuff we do now. In terms of performing, we play everything from jazz standards to funk tunes to rock covers.”

The band has embarked on several mini tours this summer and is making its way through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine this week. Starting July 2, it is beginning a summer residency at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge, Mass., where the band will play Saturdays at 7 p.m.

“We’re having a blast on this tour,” said Sturtevant. “We’re getting good responses and selling a lot of CDs. It’s going great.”

If jazz is your thing, but you aren’t afraid of something that breaks the mold a bit, Color and Talea is worth checking out.

Color and Talea will play at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Soma 36 in Orono. There’s a $3 cover charge, and it’s open to those 21 years of age and over. Information can be found at www.colorandtalea.com.

Supporting acts

The Space Gallery in Portland will hold their second annual prom, a benefit for the nonprofit gallery and venue. Sure, it’s $20 to get in, but that money goes towards ensuring Space can continue bringing excellent art and entertainment to Maine. Plus, it’s an excuse to get all gussied up and see some great local Portland talent pretend they’re big time rock stars for the night. Check out Emilia Dahlin doing her best Blondie impression, Jose Ayerve and members of Seekonk covering the Cure, and the Funeral doing a Beatles revue. For information, visit www.space538.org.

Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.