Smith/Cobb Duo Come to R.A. Fountain
Friday, February 11, 2005
7:30 p.m. -- $3

In the side project they call the Smith/Cobb Duo, Derek Cobb of Kinetic and Kelly Mason Smith of the Mason Smith Band join forces for a night of guitar-strumming rythym in word and melody. Front-man Smith will sing lead vocals in the duo while Cobb maestros on guitar.

The pairing of the Wilson natives brings together two diverse musical backgrounds. Cobb hails from eastern North Carolina-based Kinetic. The group, consisting of sax, guitar, organ, bass and drums, blends jazz, rock and progressive music with shades of "all that lies in between."

Smith's influences range from Elvis Presley to Dire Straits and Tom Petty all the way to alt-country hero Lucinda Williams. While with the Mason Smith Band, Smith has served up Americana rock and roll in an old-school style. When playing solo, he roves all over the alternative country, roots and Southern rock landscape.

Jeff Kennedy of the Wilson Daily Times wrote of the the duo, "While Cobb's jazz and progressive roots are the quieter yin of the duo, Kelly's country show-man style is the undeniable yang, or twang, of their tao."