How Cool is That? Cool Cool Cool on Jam Cruise!

What a great surprise! Cool Cool Cool announced Thursday that they will be on Jam Cruise sailing out of Miami in February. The seven band members (with a bass player to be named later) had their Jam Cruise debut in 2017 with Turkuaz and sailed the next three years as well.

Cool Cool Cool. 📷: DubEra courtesy of North Beach Music Festival

It will be deluxe to have them back on board. They just rocked North Beach Music Festival. Our report:

There was a lot of excitement for the set by Cool Cool Cool! This is the new band formed by seven former members of Turkuaz who decided to work together in this new collective. Their debut performance was at Brooklyn Comes Alive in September (also a GMP Live production), and this was to be their second show. Cool Cool Cool are: Craig Brodhead, guitar, synths; Chris Brouwers, trumpet, keyboards; Michelangelo Carubba, drums; Shira Elias, vocals; Sammi Garett, vocals; Greg Sanderson, tenor saxophone; and Josh Schwartz, baritone saxophone, vocals. Brouwers, Sanderson, and Schwartz have been appearing as The Horn Section.

Elias opened Saturday with a great set of her own, and The Horn Section did a set later that night with DJ Yesmann, but now we were getting to see them together. They tapped local bass phenom Rodrigo “Digo” Zambrano of Electric Kif to join them.

Shira Elias, Sammi Garett & Rodrigo Zambrano – Cool Cool Cool – North Beach Music Festival 22. 📷: Zach Smith

The smiles on all of their faces said it all: they were thrilled to be back on stage doing what they love together. “Sing a Simple Song” was the perfect opener, with Elias and Garett singing, dancing, and cheerleading. Brodhead ripped his first of several fine guitar solos on the Swatkins tune “Gotta Give It Away,” and they gave Zambrano a feature as well.

I was writing this article old when I learned that the great tune made famous by The Band, “Don’t Do It,” is a composition by legendary Motown writers Holland, Dozier & Holland! CCC really ripped into this one, with Schwartz chiming in on vocals as well. There was a fine new song from Garett before the ubiquitous Tim Palmieri (Lotus) stepped up on guitar for “Hair,” Schwartz on vocals.

Michelangelo Carubba & Sammi Garett – Cool Cool Cool – North Beach Music Festival 22. 📷: Zach Smith

They offered a tender tribute to lost friends on Xavier Lynn’s “Make It Through,” a great song with a great horn vamp. Schwartz was testifyin’ on Broadhead’s song “Tied Up,” with badass bass from Zambrano, Palmieri with a gorgeous solo, Brodhead huge on electric piano, Sanderson blowing tenor, and the ladies with the magnificent duo dancing (they probably did it earlier, too).

Michelangelo Carubba, Shira Elias & Rodrigo Zambrano – Cool Cool Cool. 📷: DubEra courtesy of North Beach Music Festival

All set long, Carubba directed traffic from his kit, and he was especially fired up for the finale, a fabulous, explosive reading of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Carubba said later they are so happy to be back and that this is just the beginning. Everyone who caught there set can confirm!

The setlist! – Cool Cool Cool – North Beach Music Festival 22. 📷: Zach Smith

Watch the entire set here from the festival’s live stream!

[COOL3: Sing A Simple Song, Gotta Give It Away (Swatkins), Don’t Do It, With You (Garett), Hair, Make It Through (Xavier Lynn), Tied Up (Brodhead), The Chain]

In addition to Jam Cruise, the band will also back Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew of Talking Heads on the 2023 Remain in Light tour, 19 dates in February and March. Before the Brooklyn Comes Alive show, the last time the band members had played together was on Halloween at Suwannee Hulaween at the end of that Remain in Light tour leg.

As Carubba said, this is just the beginning. And you can take that to the bank!

COOL COOL COOL

02/06-12 Jam Cruise 19 | Miami FL

Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew
Remain in Light with Cool Cool Cool

COOL COOL COOL
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P.S. One more item, because I have to: the best line from my upcoming review of North Beach Music Festival, and I didn’t write it!

Digo (Rodrigo Zambrano) is a great friend who plays with Electric Kif, a superb prog fusion band. Friday night late-night, he filled in for the bass player from Guavatron. Sunday their regular bassist was back for the band’s set prior to the Cool Cool Cool performance. I saw him before the Guavatron set, and I said, “I see you got fired from Guavatron!” We laughed. Guavatron crushed. Then I went in for the CCC set, and there was Digo, on stage! So proud of him. After the set, he looked at me with that smile and said, “I got fired by Guavatron, but I got hired by Cool Cool Cool!” KNOCKED ME OUT!

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How Cool is That? Cool Cool Cool on Jam Cruise!