New York’s TAUK packs Progtoberfest with progressive rock, jazz fusion and jams

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Progtoberfest has steadily become a festival staple in the progressive rock community thanks to the vision of promoter Kevin Pollack. For Progtoberfest V at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago, Pollack made sure to especially wrap opening night’s festivities with a bang.

What makes TAUK a must-see live act and so much fun is its ability to improvise, while always keeping the crowd moving and grooving.

In front of quite possibly the biggest crowd in the history of the event, Long Island’s TAUK took the stage in front of both devoted fans and first-timers. Though the easiest way to describe the foursome is a fusion or jam band, there’s actually so much more happening in the musical mix than any one classification.

During TAUK’s two-hour set filled with material from its latest album, “Shapeshifter II: Outbreak,” plus previous epics, the guys displayed why they can’t be easily defined. The band is anchored by the world class musicianship of guitarist Matt Jalbert and drummer Issac Teel, alongside the synth sounds of keyboardist A.C. Carter and bass-slapping of Charlie Dolan.

Jalbert can play any style and any tone, providing Jimi Hendrix-like riffs, Jeff Beck-style fusion, John Petrucci-esque speed and precision on top of David Gilmour-worthy tones that penetrate the soul. While there are countless phenomenal guitarists in the world of rock, Jalbert’s name should be ranked among the best.

What makes TAUK a must-see live act and so much fun is its ability to improvise, while always keeping the crowd moving and grooving. Each instrumental may have a set structure, but the solos and flow will vary from night to night, ensuring no show or selection is performed exactly the same way.

The material varies in style and mood, ranging from space rock to fusion to funk to reggae to hard rock. Carter’s synthesizer provides a needed element that makes Tauk proggy more often than not, plugging in sounds that are quite similar to Jan Hammer, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea.

Yet it was Teel’s heavy-hitting on the drums that really stole the show at Progtoberfest V, putting on an absolute clinic of excellence and strength. At one point, a mash-up of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” with Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” incited muscular and rapid trade-offs between Teel and Jalbert that really energized the crowd.

But no matter if it was originals or other people’s songs, the performance from TAUK and the resulting vibes in the venue were glowingly positive. Hats off to Kevin Pollack for having the foresight to book this burgeoning band, along with other standouts such as Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin and Felix Pastorius & Hipster Assassins in a bid for quality over quantity.

Click here for more photos of TAUK and Progtoberfest at Reggies Chicago.

For additional information on Progtoberfest and TAUK, visit ReggiesLive.com and TaukBand.com.

For a list of upcoming shows at Reggies Chicago, visit ReggiesLive.com.