Cecilia Noel, lead vocals; Gisa Vatcky, backing vocals; Kenya Hathaway, backing vocals; Bethina Sayegh, backing vocals; Tony Basil, Guiro, choreography; Carmen Grillo, electric guitar; Jimmy Earl, bass guitar; Jeff Babko, keyboards, Bernie Dresel, drums; Lenny Castro, percussion; Eric Jorgenson, trombone; Vince Denham, tenor sax; Cleto Escobedo, Jr., alto sax; Mario Gonzales, trumpet.

Material
Hip, uplifting and empowering, Cecilia Noel & The Wild Clams' synthesis of rock, funk, and soul with a Latin beat overwhelmed the packed House of Blues with well-written and wonderfully arranged songs which, from the outset to the encore, had a magical affect on a crowd that filled the dance floor.

Musicianship
No doubt, Cecilia Noel leads one of the best bands on the West Coast, let alone L.A. Although this is a pretty large band comprised of fourteen members, their remarkable cohesiveness and chemistry is tighter than some power trios.
But it's Cecilia Noel's star power and stage presence that really spearheads this juggernaut, which is comprised of: 1) a great rhythm section, 2) dramatic choreography; 3) trigger happy horns; 4) beautiful backing vocals; and 5) guitar playing honed to a razor's edge.

Performance
Experiencing Cecilia Noel & The Wild Clams in concert is like watching the Chicago Bulls of the Michael Jordan era. Choreographer Toni Basil is Pippin to Noel's Jordan. The rhythm section of Dresel, Castro, Babko, and Earl is right on time. The backing vocals of Vatcky, Hathaway, and Sayegh are spot on. The horn section reminds me of the best that Chicago, James Brown's horns, and Tower of Power have to offer.
Carmen Grillo's guitar has the tone to give Cecilia's sound a distinctive edge. Noel is something akin to a force of nature, her music seeming to infect the House of Blues with a soulful contagion.

Summary
If some of today's music has you down, perhaps a healthy dose of Cecilia Noel & The Wild Clams will cure your musical doldrums.
Just recently, a band from Caracas, Venezuela, appearing on 'In Session' attempted to duplicate Cecilia Noel & The Wild Clams' mainstream twist.
Hopefully, the kind of musical connoisseurs who found the amigos from Venezuela will also discover that there's an original talent that's burning down the house right here in Los Angeles. Her name is Cecilia Noel.

-Emery Columns