He only comes back to Budapest twice a year, but least that is more often than Santa, the Easter Bunny, or democracy in Hungary. Jamie Howell's virtuoso guitar playing fuses jazz, blues and bossa along with looping, improvising and wailing. Jamie, along with Michael Kentish are two of four former-members of Budapest's Tea Thieves. They joined up again for a rare appearance last Thursday night at Treehugger Dan's. The most important aspect of seeing these two play is that they really are having a lot of fun on stage. Some of the highlights included songs by Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and Jimi Hendrix; everyone in the audience banging their heads to a couple Led Zeppelin tunes; and my favorite Tea Thieves/Michael Kentish original "When We Were Five." Some day I would also like to hear their "Lobsters" and "Bottles on the Balcony" again - maybe in December.

Jamie's solo set:
'How Insensative'(Jobim)
'This is the life' (Living Colour)
''Tie your mother down' (Queen)
'Sir Duke' (Stevie Wonder)
'Crazy as me' (Alison Krauss)

Michael Kentish solo:

1. Everything Must Go (Manic Street Preachers)
2. Solar (Michael Kentish)
3. Fires (Michael Kentish)
4. Faust Arp (Radiohead)
5. Peg (Steely Dan)

Jamie Howell & Michael Kentish:
1. I Wish (Stevie Wonder)
2. What Is and What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin)
3. Some Day One Day (Queen)
4. Don't Let Me Down (The Beatles)
5. Inner City Blues (Marvin Gaye)
6. Manic Depression (Jimi Hendrix)
7. Since I Was Five (Tea Thieves)
8. And We Sing (Tea Thieves)

Encore:
10. Black Mountain Side (Led Zeppelin)
11. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)