By Andrew Poretz***Guitar ace and songwriter, Peter Calo, who’s a particular favorite of this reviewer as a soloist (or in any configuration of performance), appeared recently at Pangea with Paul Adamy accompanying him on five-string electric bass. The set, consisting mostly of originals, showcased Calo’s warm, light tenor voice, w
hich suits him and his material quite well. Add to that an appealing presence and humble demeanor, plus stories that are engaging and endearing.
“Tomorrow is a Gift” is a message song that builds on a simple, but deep life philosophy. Calo’s guitar work here had a Celtic feel, with the bridge reminiscent of The Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon.” “Every Ordinary Day” was written in 2003 in a hospital waiting room with Carly Simon (with whom he has often performed and collaborated) while his wife was in labor with their daughter Fiona. Simon said: “This is a good time to write a song!” The lyrics, which find meaning in the little miracles of life’s mundane aspects, was featured in the 2019 independent film, Extra Innings. Calo honored Carly Simon with one of the show’s few covers: “Anticipation,” s
haring the story of the first time he played it for Simon, who had forgotten her own chords!.
The delightful “Elephants Never Forget” came out of jamming and trying to find a groove with another of his three daughters, the then eight-year-old drummer, Maya. When he asked her about her favorite thing, she declared, “Elephants!” The four-chord song is deceptively simple and called for a sing-along (something he initiated several times during the set). A romantic song dedicated to his wife, “Have You Seen My Sweetheart,” had a country-blues feel. The follow-up, “On My Way Up the Hill,” a metaphor of growing old, seemed the perfect pairing. But perhaps the best number of the evening was “Full Moon Tango,” written for Calo’s wife while they were still dating, over 30 years ago. Adamy played a bass solo as if it were a lead guitar, followed by a sweet solo from Calo.,
“Wired to the Moon” could have been a secret collaboration between Sting and John Lennon with its complex 
guitar riffs, Lennon-esque-augmented chord progressions and a James Bond-style ending chord. Calo’s outstanding cover of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home” showcased his versatility, while “Do I Love You Too Much” gave him the opportunity to throw in clever musical quotes, including the themes from The Godfather, The Munsters and James Bond. “Our childhood in four songs!” he declared.
The final song of the set was Calo’s “Love You,” a previously unfinished demo by the late Bobby Hebb (famous for “Sunny”), whch he was asked to help “sweeten” into a finished song, and which he performed as a slow, sexy blues. Calo ended by demonstrating how the same riff has appeared in several other songs: “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” (Ivory “Deek” Watson, William “Pat” Best), Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” and the Everly Brothers’ “Dream” (Boudleaux, Felice Bryant). With the audience joining him on the outro, “These Are the Good Old Days,” another hat tip to Simon, it felt like anticipation was over, capping another satisfying appearance by Peter Calo.
Photos by Andrew Poretz
