Rock ’n’ jazz

Legendary: What do you get when you pack a nightclub with a mix of millennials, Gen Xers and one of the most iconic alt-rock bands?

A roomful of pumping fists, dancing bodies, opinionated sniping and a solid if not particularly inspiring night of rock ’n’ roll, apparently.

That was the scene last Wednesday when the Pixies played to an enthusiastic sold-out crowd at Ace of Spades as part of a four-date “warmup” club tour ahead of its lengthier European trek.

The band was slated to take the stage at 9:15 p.m. but, instead, struck up the first chords of its 1989 single “Debaser” almost a half-hour ahead of schedule, plunging into a nearly 90-minute set that spanned its 30-year career.

The Pixies—original members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, David Lovering and new-ish member Paz Lenchantin—didn’t say much throughout the entirety of the set but that didn’t matter to the crowd. Less talking equals more hits, after all, and the band had plenty of those to parade.

The 29-song set list covered the favorites with solid renditions of classics that still hold up and show why the Pixies were considered so revolutionary in the first place. Blending pop, punk, post-punk and new wave with something decidedly indescribable, songs such as “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Gouge Away,” “Subbacultcha” and “Where is My Mind?” still reverberate with tension, melody and smarts. The band’s newer tracks exhibit a similar vibe, too, including the infectious “Um Chagga Lagga” and “All I Think About Now.”

The latter song has been described as an homage to the Pixies’ original bassist Kim Deal (who departed the band a few years back) and, certainly, Lenchantin’s vocals recall Deal, but on that song (and throughout the night) she also proved she could easily hold her own.

It’s doubtful most in attendance were looking for the Pixies to break any new ground (they did that back in the late ’80s and ’90s, thank you very much) so although a few griped that the band lacked energy or seemed uninspired (or, at one point, grumpy thanks to an equipment malfunction), most just enjoyed the hell out of the show.

—Rachel Leibrock

Jazz hands: Sacramento has a bit of New York jazz to call its own.

After 14 years entrenched in New York’s jazz scene, Jacam Manricks left last year to take a lecturing position at UC Davis running a jazz composers workshop. He’s also bringing his music to venues in town.

He is releasing a phenomenal slice of his Big Apple life in the form of his fifth album as band leader, Chamber Jazz. His release show takes place Thursday, November 10, at Gold Lion Arts (2733 Riverside Boulevard).

Recording for the album took place in New York, of course. Manricks played various woodwinds and featured prominent New York musicians to accompany him, like Ari Hoenig (drums) and Kevin Hays (piano) as well as Italian bassist Gianluca Renzi.

The record has both a lively and easygoing, mellow vibe to it. Yet, while the groove feels laid-back and white tablecloth-appropriate, there’s a complexity to the composition that’s striking and beyond the typical scope of jazz ensembles. This is a result of the very concept driving the album: Classical music is one of the album’s primary influences, hence the album name.

It’s not a complete departure from traditional jazz. Besides, classical music has always been an influence on the harmonic and melodic approaches of jazz musicians. But on Chamber Jazz, Manricks incorporates these elements more deliberately than the average jazz player. He even studied three composers (Sigfrid Karg Elert, Beethoven, Jean Sibelius) to broaden his musical vocabulary for the album.

The result is sublime. These aren’t songs with mere repeating phrases and horn solos. Each track sounds as though it’s telling a complete short story. The entire record reads like novel, dripping with emotion but never overflowing.

—Aaron Carnes