December 11-17, 2003

musicpicks

Martin Sexton

by Carolyn Wyman

Rock/pop

Want to get Martin Sexton's signature multi-octave voice up to its screechiest register? Ask him about new restrictions on busking in his former hometown of Boston. (Beantown subway authorities wanted to ban all horns and amplification as well as make underground entertainers wear photo IDs and be "neat in appearance.") Before the transit authority backed down to just banning trumpets and loud music, Sexton called the policies a "blow" to both the "quality of life for New England residents and the First Amendment rights of performing artists." The soulful singer/songwriter can't help but have strong feelings; his ability to segue from an introspective folk ballad like "Black Sheep" to the funk of "Things You Do to Me" to a joyful jazz tune like "Diggin Me" can be credited to his need to capture the coins of commuters with a wide range of musical tastes. The Boston subway is also where he figured out how to make his voice and guitar sound like a whole band. Those searching for the source of the trumpet turn in "13 Step Boogie" or the squeezebox solo in "The Way I Am" on In the Journey, Sexton's first studio effort, for instance, will find no such instruments in the credits: It's just his amazing vocal chords. But those who've heard Sexton only on studio recordings are getting a monaural experience. Live Wide Open (Kitchen Table), a two-disc compilation of live performances, comes closest to capturing the excitement of his concerts. But live on CD still can't match live in 3-D.

Thu., Dec. 11, 9 p.m., $19.50-$22, The TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.