"Collective Unconscious is like Led Zeppelin meets Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on a camping trip," chides George Maurer, Twin Cities' preeminent Jazz pianist, composer and SJA's Assistant Music Director/Sunday Mass Accompanist. Collective Unconscious consists of three singer/musicians (Nathan Nesje, Jeff Engholm and Muggsy Lauer) along with accompanist Maurer who ambitiously play note per note tributes in concert to some of the classic albums of all time like The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and most recently Steely Dan's Deja  vu. Coming back to SJA from their last year's concert sensation Come Together: Singing The Beatles, CU this time presented Bridge Over Troubled Water: Collective Unconscious Recreates the 1970 Classic Album for St. Joan's concert series Sunday, March 21 to a 500 capacity audience with loudly riveting results.

For the first half of the evening, CU decided to showcase the three singer/musicians' solo contributions. "Think of us as our own opening band," mused Engholm. Lauer, singer/guitarist up first offered his own composition "Sky," a beautiful three part blend from the trio evoking a CSN&Y like sound. Engholm followed with his gently breezy- bathed in sweet "doo doo nahs"- pop ditty "If I Only." Nesje worked the piano along with Maurer and joined by drummer Andy Decker for the Nesje written "Miracle Signs and Wonders," a flashback in sound to the 1970s group Traffic.

Lauer's "CU Sunshine" used the talents of the full ensemble including four string players, and trombone, trumpet and tenor sax capturing the feel of a great Steely Dan tune. Maurer's country tinged composition of Rainer Maria Rilke's poem "Dark Days of Rain" showcased the exquisite playful rhythm of Maurer's piano playing with Engholm singing lead vocal. Simon & Garfunkel's "Feyo(Feuilles-O)," a brief Haitian Folk song done with intricate three part harmony followed.

Paul Simon's politically profound "American Tune" from his 1973 release There Goes Rhymin-Simon, received a gorgeous rendition with vocals from Engholm and Nesje nailing superb harmony. Lauer took up the ukulele with Engholm on recorder with two flute players for a cover of Paul Simon's "Duncan" with Nesje leading a strong vocal to rather tepid musical accompaniment. S & G's "At the Zoo" zipped along regaining the band's vibrant energy. To finish the first act the full band including three trombones, a trumpet and two saxophones delivered a highly caffeinated mash up of Simon's "Kodachrome" and Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" with Lauer singing the lead on the former while keeping a steady guitar beat and Engholm handling a nifty vocal on the latter.

After a twenty minute intermission, like clockwork the second part of the evening proceeded. Nesje asked the audience, "Are you having a good time? Not just the wine, the CDs and Joe Mauer?" He referenced an announcement of Mauer's return, but added, "no word on healthcare." That would come the next day.

With anticipation building high from the audience, it seemed palpable with the band as well. "Bridge Over Troubled Water," a masterpiece in the American songbook of pop songs, sonically starts out ever so gently. Engholm vocally glided through these gentle waters with deft tenderness aided well by Maurer's familiar piano accompaniment plus an organ player. Soon the lush strains of four string players followed while Nesje joined Engholm vocally, all just gorgeous. When the verse "Sail on, silvergirl/ Sail on by. Your time has come to shine" hit, goose bumps just transpired. The build peaked to a crowning finish from Engholm's last note. What a performance and received with a standing ovation.

Lauer took Simon's beginning vocal for "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" while Nesje handled that high Garfunkel head voice part, both admirably and aided by the wonderful instrumentation of Bridget Vork's harp playing and two flute players.

The four string players engaged in a complex series of musical handclapping with Maurer among others to accompany Nesje, Engholm and Lauer's fantastic three part vocal of "Cecilia." A radio top five favorite, the song's rollicking percussive beat's a treat to behold and done wonderfully by the CU ensemble and even if the hand clapping might have slipped a bit hardly matters. What fun to watch them get into it like they were double dutching hand claps.

"Keep the Customer Satisfied" a great vocal fit for Engholm and Lauer also showcased CU's magnificent horn section of three trombones, a trumpet and two saxophones. Particularly impressive the piercing high notes from trumpet player Pat "Stratosphere" Vork. Ironically, in my notes I wrote that the horn section here's over miked. They were not on microphones. This performance rocked on fire from all.

Many regard Art Garfunkel's "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright" Paul's farewell to Art. The duo's breakup hit soon after this album's release. The fuller bodied upper register of Nesje's reaching vocal here replaced the feather lightness of Garfunkel's distinctive falsetto. The lovely string parts and a fabulous flute solo buoyantly glided along. After completion Nesje started imitating the scratches, hisses and pops of a needle reaching the end of play on a vinyl LP. "You need to flip the record over," cracked Engholm. Recreated to the last detail, indeed.

Side two, so to speak, in LP terms followed. Nesje and Engholm strumming guitars took on "The Boxer" poignantly capturing the vocal delicate directness of each "Lie la Lie" and subsequent verses aided by beautiful horns and strings. The song's sentiments still ring so relevantly true today. A standing ovation from the audience.

Lauer and a bouncing Engholm captured the carefree fun of "Baby Driver" with its Jan and Dean surf-style harmonies. Add the revved-up wail of saxophones and we were set for one awesome jam.

Nesje commanded the lead vocal for "The Only Living Boy In New York," such a gorgeously written pop cantata composed of stacked harmonies - "Ah-ah-a-ah. Here I Am" - sung passionately by the entire ensemble. The care put into singing this arrangement so meticulously just shined from all. Along with Maurer's ecclesiastical keyboard and soothing horns this number just made me tear up, soaking in the audible beauty of it all. My favorite of the evening, I remain awestruck.

Engholm and Lauer took a hold of "Why Don't You Write M" mastering the close harmonies and cooing falsetto with big playful verve while Engholm simultaneously fretted away a dancing bass line. Much to dig about those Bari-saxophone solos, too. Lauer spit out some zippy vocal lines regarding the days of the week culminating to a wildly fun crying falsetto tag. They dutifully followed with a cover of the Everly Brothers "Bye Bye Love."

Maurer lamented sheepishly about the evening, "Simon & Garfunkel - all guitars, all singing, no piano." A mocked sympathetic response ensued from both the band and the audience. Indeed, S & G's musical catalogue gets rather guitar heavy. For the final LP closer "Song For the Asking," Nesje handled the lead vocal accompanied resplendently with violins and cello and Lauer's strumming guitar.

There you have it: S &G's Bridge Over Troubled Water, the album, revisited note per note by one glorious ensemble of singers and musicians, Collective Unconscious. Collectively Sensational.

Three encores followed: Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By The School Yard" sung by Nesje and Engholm, driving guitar work from Lauer, some solid horn section and drum solo from Decker and sharp wet whistling from Nesje initiated one he kava party vibe. "(Late) In the Evening" kept the momentum thriving New Orleans style with Nesje spicing up the vocals and Engholm thumping his funky bass right along with shaking maracas and those fabulous horns getting a real workout. People started dancing in the aisles on this one. To complete the evening, the collective three, Nesje, Engholm and Lauer returned for some three part harmony with CSN&Y's Deja  vu treat "Helpless."

Written by SJA Concert Reviewer and Parishioner Michael Reinbold

Photos by Bill Cameron