Members of jazz-funk sextet Mac Tough seem very much at home within the familiar confines of The Barley Pub in Dover. Most of the musicians have played here regularly, in various contexts, over the past several years. The band’s comfort level and casual approach translate into a perfect fit for the pub’s Wednesday night funk series. Pub patrons can catch Mac Tough on three more nights, Jan. 16, 23 and 30, during the band’s month-long residency in January.

Led by guitarist Jim Dozet, Mac Tough plays a blend of originals and covers, blurring the lines between jazz and funk in the tradition of pioneers like Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith and latter-day Miles Davis. Dozet, drummer Jay Trikakis, bassist Roland Nicol and trumpeter Chris Klaxton are also members of The Press Project, a jazzified Seacoast hip-hop band that has developed a substantial following over the last couple of years. Mac Tough is rounded out by organist Eric Donnelly and saxophonist Sean Barry.

The band’s lineup has continually altered over the last three or four years, sharing members with former Seacoast funk band Out of Print, Pharos, The Press Project and other area groups. Dozet and Nicol have been the longest standing members, and the band seems to have established a solid core with its six instrumentalists.

On Jan. 9, Mac Tough plugged into The Barley Pub’s small, corner stage on a sparse and windy Wednesday and vaulted directly into a fierce jazz number, with all six members establishing the melody before Barry took the spotlight for a tenor sax solo. The next solo belonged to Dozet, who has defined himself as one of the Seacoast’s most active young guitarists. A skilled player rooted in jazz passion, Dozet exudes confidence as both guitarist and band leader. Even as he selects from a menu of multi-colored foot pedals, he directs the other instrumentalists with nods and signals as they turn to him for instruction.  

The second song laid down some heavy funk, with an oozing bass line from Nicol and a winding, Scofield-esque guitar solo from Dozet. Trikakis largely dictated the band’s tone with the rapidity and volume of his drumming, occasionally swept up by clamorous whims of snare and cymbal. Just as he injects his jazz mentality into The Press Project’s style, Trikakis brings a funky hip-hop attitude back to Mac Tough. But he still looks to Dozet to call the shots and maintain an audible infrastructure that keeps the band members on the same page.  

According to Nicol, Mac Tough gives the versatile musicians a chance to jam out in a free format, unrestrained by the formulaic patterns demanded by The Press Project and other gigging bands. Of all the band members, Nicol seems to have the most fun onstage—he bobs and bounces and contorts his face into orgasmic expressions as he slaps the strings of his cherry red electric bass. Nicol and Trikakis seem to have an uncontainable chemistry, and some of the group’s most spontaneous moments occur when the bassist and drummer simultaneously latch onto a beat and build it up to punctuating extremes, like the grand finale of a fireworks display.

Trumpeter Klaxton doubles on keyboard and even occasionally sings into a Peter Frampton talk box-type device. On trumpet, he showcases a cool jazz style that brings a refreshing smoothness to the music. The band temporarily lost its cohesion during a Klaxton solo, with Trikakis resorting to tricky time warp signatures, but they regrouped before the solo was over.
Barry’s saxophone playing represents appropriately funk-oriented jazz, with hints of R&B soulfulness in his solos, and Donnelly smooths things over on organ, giving each tune a glossy sheen. Before the band’s set break, the musicians slowed things down for a soulful tune that featured a melodic bass solo from Nicol, proving that they can play slower rhythms without compromising their musical fire.

It would appear that Mac Tough has taken a back seat to The Press Project, which has begun to play more frequent shows in Boston and surrounding areas. But Mac is still rolling around the Seacoast with an arsenal of songs and a natural joy in jamming that endears them to area audiences. The band offers music fans a chance to see skilled young jazz musicians playing purely for the raw love of playing.
 
Mac Tough’s Wednesday night shows at The Barley Pub begin at 9:30 p.m., through January. There is a $3 door charge. For more information, visit www.barleypub.com/livemusic.html.