Ho-Ho-Home Grown and a Happy New Year to you! The holiday season is always frenetic at Home Grown Headquarters, and this year has proven to be the most frenzied of all. New releases like The Phish Companion book, the "Wintertime Blues" compilation featuring Gov't Mule and Derek Trucks Band, and new CDs from Keller Williams, Frogwings, Big Sky, and Sound Tribe Sector Nine have helped fuel the blitz of shoppers at our website and over the phone. We love it! The HGMN community is growing daily, thanks in part to our wonderful reps who have plastered their towns with Kind Music Catalogs and spread the word about all the great music being made. If you or anyone you know would like to help spread the word and help the innovative bands of the HGMN by becoming a rep, email reps@homegrownmusic.net . There are some great perks, plus you'll get that gushy love-goo feeling from helping others.

A while back you may have voted for your favorite "Jamband Holiday" on this very site...well, it is approaching! New Year's Eve has always been the most outrageous and celebratory time for music freeks, and the bands in our scene definitely know how to make it unforgettable. Head to our website ( http://www.homegrownmusic.net)and subscribe to The Dancing Tree email newsletter, and you'll receive a massive list of New Year's Eve happenings on Monday, December 18. Plus you'll be subscribed and will receive the newsletter weekly. Each week it sums up the newest releases, hottest news, and other happenings surrounding the innovative touring bands of the HGMN! Also check out our email discussion list, which allows like-minded fans to discuss just about anything relating to the scene! Subscribe at http://www.homegrownmusic.net/hgmn.html

New additions to the Kind Music Catalog:

Keller Williams - "Loop" CD - Keller brings his one-man jam back to CD with his first solo release since 1998! This is "K-Dub" thriving in his natural environment, live on stage armed with mesmerizing loop effects and an arsenal of songs that includes favorites like "Vacate" and "Inhale to the Chief" as well as previously unrecorded material like "Kiwi and the Apricot" and "Kidney in a Cooler". It's sure to be one of the best CDs of 2001! $14.00

Cabaret Diosa - "Hi-Fi Latin Exotica" CD - The first release from this high-octane, dance-crazy outfit! If you like their newest "Voodoo Piñata" CD, don't waste any time in getting this one! It's more of the swanky Latin mambo sounds that have made them a favorite among the HGMN Krewe and live music fans everywhere. $15.00

Various Artists - "Wintertime Blues" CD - A truly legendary experience! What could be more magical than some of the biggest names in blues rock playing a concert for charity under the first full moon on the Winter Solstice in over a century? Warren Haynes' annual Christmas Jam turned into a monumental musical happening, and it all benefits Habitat for Humanity. This double-disc live collection was recorded December 22, 1999 in Ashville, NC and produced by Haynes himself. This is simply a summit of incredible talent! Features performances from Derek Trucks Band and Gov't Mule with guests like Col. Bruce Hampton, Jimmy Herring, Susan Tedeschi, Edwin McCain, Larry McRay, Cry of Love, Little Milton, and more joining in for jams. All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. Christmas spirit indeed! $22.00

The Phish Companion - It's finally here! Think "Phish Bible". The most up-to-date, all-encompassing, officially licensed book about Phish, brought to you by the charitable Mockingbird Foundation. This exhaustive guide weighs in at almost 1000 pages. Accept no imitations! This is the ONLY book of correct setlists, show reviews, exclusive photos, and all things Phish that has been approved by the band. In fact, the band's recording archivist, Kevin Shapiro, helped clarify early setlists. This is a no-brainer for the Phan on your Christmas list, and it couldn't have come at a better time as Phish takes their first official hiatus in 17 years. $22.00

Allgood - "Ride the Bee" CD - Groove rock originators! This disc, released in 1994, was extremely influential to a lot of fans and musicians! Their southern-battered rock and intense touring made them a favorite among jam-oriented music fans in the mid-1990's. Check out the final song, "Trilogy", a live jam featuring Boyd Tinsley (DMB). $14.00

mood food - Self-Titled CD - Fresh, unique jazz from the west coast! These guys combine jazz, funk, and blues with a little alien vibration that sets them apart from the crowd. This CD blew us away on the first listen and we're sure it will do the same for you. "Mitch Marcus (saxophonist) is very much like John Coltrane, and playing with him is as close as I'll probably ever get to playing with John Coltrane." - Vince Welnick $12.00

The Radiators - "New Dark Ages" CD - Eleven new songs! The Radiators took a LONG break from studio recording, and on this disc the bottled-up ideas rush forth like a Delta flood! These purveyors of New Orleans style bluesy R&B have become legends and revered road warriors over their 18 year journey. "New Dark Ages" highlights include long time crowd favorites "Papaya", "Umbilical", and "Long Hard Journey Home", a loving eulogy to the "Father of New Orleans R&B", Professor Longhair.

The Samples - The bulk of this veteran Colorado jam band's catalog is now available through Home Grown! Titles include the double live set "Transmissions from the Sea of Tranquility" and the new CD "Sparta", which is a collection of live and acoustic versions of previously released songs, as well as the "Ten Wheels" video. Check out their category in our store for a complete list of titles!

We are now offering unique Christmas greeting cards featuring artwork by Billy Martin, drummer for Medeski, Martin, and Wood. His illyB Gallery is a sublime experience, and Billy has created these cards to add that vibe to your loved one's holiday season! The cards come 12 to a pack, and feature 3 cards per design plus envelopes. The designs (Satellite Love, Make a Wish, Celestial Greetings, and It's A Sleigh!) grace the front of the cards, while the inside includes only the title of the artwork, leaving you plenty of space to add your own thoughts and greetings and keeping with the creative spirit of the cards. It's what all the kind music freaks are sending this year! To check out the cards, go to our web store and search for "illyB". There you will find images of the designs as well as the titles. $14.00 for 12

Confused? Wading through department stores looking for gifts that might not be that great anyway? Solve your Christmas shopping needs! Give Home Grown Gift Certificates! They are available in any amount by calling 1-800-6LEEWAY.

Time is running out! Don't forget to enter our shopping spree giveaway! You could win a $200 free-for-all in the Kind Music Catalog. Just go to this webpage: http://www.emailfactory.com/contest/default.cfm?pid=111, and enter your email! You can also increase your chances of winning by entering the email addresses of friends!

That's all for this month! Swing by and check out my review of the NorVa, Norfolk, Virginia's new live music Mecca, in the Venue of the Month section.

Bryan Rodgers
HGMN
My Website:
homegrownmusic.net/planbee.html