Business stuff:

First, for those who don't already know, Mickey, Billy, and Bob announced last week that they are going to release over 2000 concerts from the Vault. Some will be released on disc and others will be available over the internet. While specific information will be forthcoming, this is a major development in land of tape trading, at least in regard to the music of the Grateful Dead, and it will undoubtedly have a huge impact on traders everywhere. Will this have a detrimental effect, or, more likely, will it stock people's lists with only the highest quality recordings? There is a lot to consider here, and we'll talk more about it next month, after more tangible information has become available. Please send in any thoughts on this topic.

Also please send in any and all live tape/CDR reviews. Next month it'll be Phil and Friends month around this page, but send reviews of whatever you are listening to. I'll save them for a month when they fit in, or do a readers choice month. Also send me any comments or suggestions- feed back is always welcome.

Music:

While at my very core I am a Dead Head, tried and true, and while I'm also a long time Phish fan with many years (and shows) under my belt, anyone who knows me knows that there is one groove that, time and again, drags my sorry butt right up in front of the stage and proceeds to beat it into the ground with nothing but the funk. And that groove would be the live soul groove of the one, the only, Soulive. I started listening to this monster of all monster trios a little more than a month after its inception in March of 1999, and I haven't stopped boogeying since.

Soulive, which is comprised of Alan Evans of drums, his brother Neal Evans on the Hammond B-3 organ (on which he plays insane bass with his left hand), and Eric Krasno on guitar, exists in a tradition of soul jazz. Legends such as Idris Muhammad, Grant Green and Richard "Groove" Holmes were the true trailblazers years ago. That being said, the sound produced by the power funk trio is vivid, inspired, and ultimately as unique as anything out there. Much of it has to do with the energy of the band; they rock hard set after set, night after night. They never fail to bring a crowd to the dance floor, and since they are so young as a band, they instantly create fans at every show. Much of it has to do with the incredible listening of Al, Eric, and Neal. It is anything but abnormal to see one of them staring transfixed at another, catching every movement, every note. That extreme degree of attention allows the guys to read each other perfectly. When Oteil sits in, he even joins in fun, usually leaning over the B-3, his face almost as close to the keys as Neal's. But much of it also has to do with one simple fact: Soulive rocks.

Soulive, 8/15/99, Berk Fest, Great Barrington, MA All, CD
Set List: Upshot, Uncle Junior, Steppin', Rudy's Way, It's Your Thing*, Soulive#
* w/ John Scofield
# w/ Prof. Shuman

Soulive played multiple sets at Berk Fest in 99, including opening the festival, a late night set preceding the Disco Biscuits, and this Sunday afternoon set. The rain had forced them inside but I didn't know that at the time and figured the set was a wash out. I caught Scofield and Logic sitting in with DBB instead. Once Sco left the stage, I headed off to find a bathroom, but instead I found Soulive rockin' out in the Upper Lodge. What I missed was a very cool Upshot opener. It's a tune that has become less frequent over the months, but is still one of favorites. It contains a lot of the early stages of exploration along hard funk grooves that has become Soulive's trademark. It simply has more room in it that most of the other songs they were playing at the time. I also missed half of Uncle Junior, which starts off slow, but picks up speed with Neals segment, where he gets some sweet jazzy drumming from his brother. Kraz's segment is nicely juxtaposed because it starts out quiet before feeding off a nice rhythm from the B-3 and really letting it out.

This was my first Steppin' and I was immediately hooked. I remember thinking that the first part was playful and the second more spacious. On listening to it, it's no surprise why it made such an impact on me. Sleek and funktacious, this is a tight version of a very hot song. The trio works in perfect harmony, just spreading out like waves on a shore.

Because of the shape of the room I was able to get right behind Neal and watch him in action during Rudy's. I got to check out that mean left handed bass for the first time on a tune with a heavy but bubbly foundation. I was engrossed throughout the fairly long version.

But when I turned around, standing right next to me was Scofield. He cheered briefly and then responded to Kraz's pleading gestures by taking the stage. Now part of the problem with bands that are purely instrumental is that it can be easy to confuse the songs if you're not too familiar with them. I was convinced for months that Sco sat in for The Chicken, but in fact it was It's Your Thing. I wouldn't make that mistake now, but at the time...

The song starts off with Sco jumping right into the mix, noodling over the intro and playing a pronounced rhythm during the bridge. He takes the first real solo, testing the waters a bit more before synching with Neal's bass and setting off. There is an immediate recognition of Soulive's approach and he ups the ante with each bar, eventually leading to a great moment where the bottom drops out and Sco's blistering guitar just races. A brief bridge by Neal and Kraz takes his shot. It's classic Kraz flurries with John lending a hand on more rhythm work. Al pushes the solo hard and it ends quickly, allowing Neal to get funky on that B-3. Before long he establishes a fat groove, Al's high hat dancing all over it. When the bridge returns, Kraz opens it up again so that he and Sco can trade licks- a truly wonderful first meeting of voices. It's more deconstructed that much of what Soulive does, but ends in an resonating explosion that closes the song. Wooo! This is a moment for the history books folks!

Certainly nothing could top that, but the boys bring up their friend Prof. Shuman, a Boston based rapper with a sly turn of phrase. Soulive gives up a great jam, deep and funky and the Professor dishes out what was once common occurrence, the Soulive chant. "If you need it (Soulive), You got to have it (Soulive)." He spins out a rhyme about spiritual realization, returning to the chant as a bridge, introduces the band, and ends it. When I left the show, I was still shaking with delight; right now, I've still got chills.

Soulive, 9/10/99, The Exit Inn, Nashville, TN All CD
Set List: Uncle Junior, So Live!, Rudy's Way*, The World is A Ghetto*^, Turn It Out
* w/ Oteil Burbridge
^ w/ Derek Trucks

This set is from Soulive's first foray into the South, opening for the Derek Trucks Band. The shows generally included Derek or Kofi [Burbridge] sitting for a tune or two, and Soulive sitting in at the end of Derek's set.

Soulive opens with a pretty standard trio of songs, but each one is a high energy version. Junior is tight and to the point without a long intro. The crowd responds well to the song and you can't but dig the So Live! follow up. This performance happens at a transitional point for the song. For those who don't know, So Live! was a shorter tune with some very catchy, kinda harsh riffs from Neal. During this tour, however, the guys began to open it up, stretching the solos and leaving much more space in which to roam around in the middle section. The development stage actually culminates with the version that is on Turn It Out, recorded at Baby Jupiter in NYC.

Oteil joins in for Rudy's Way, pulling out a vocal/solo. Such solos don't always fit, and this one is somewhat out of synch. But it is not a big deal, especially since the real meat of the set follows: an 13+ minute cover of War's The World Is A Ghetto, for which Oteil stays and Derek takes the stage. It's an incredible jam, with the pair of Allmans adding a really thick texture. Derek's southern style sets off a series of fireworks, including a great segment where he and Neal trade high speed licks and a meandering vox solo from Kraz. The energy that was pumping on that stage is almost palpable, even through the CD. As Al says, "It'll be hard to follow that, but we'll try," with Turn It Out to close. You always know when Soulive is rockin' not by Neal's insane sustain, or Eric's freaky faces, but by the sound of Al's drumming. When he's psyched, the kick is fast and forceful, just as it is straight through this Turn It Out. The grooves emerge as if they were always there and Soulive simply uncovered them. It's only a matter of seconds before you start boppin' and jerkin' in a circle motion, joining this sick soul explosion. The set is painfully short- but then again when Soulive plays for hours on end, it's still too short. I only wish I had the DTB set 'cause if this disc is any indication of the vibe that night, it must've been hot.

Soulive, 4/26/00, The Avalon, Boston, MA, All Daud 1
Side A: Cannonball, Steppin', It's Your Thing, Bridges to Bama, Doin' Something*,
Side B: So Romantic, Jesus Children, Turn It Out^
* w/ Chameleon Jam
^ w/ Church Intro

This fairly recent set is a no holds barred opener for Deep Banana Blackout featuring a few of the newer tunes. Cannonball, for instance, is the latest song from guitarist Eric Krasno. It is definitely in line with other things he's written, featuring a heavy dose of his speedy wa-wa rhythm. Some nice dips and swerves make it an interesting tune and the bridge is very catchy, making it an instant favorite. They follow it with a Steppin' that cooks, played a bit faster than earlier versions. In the spring of 2000 Soulive really pushed things into high gear, playing with a new fury. It seems impossible, but they were rockin' harder than before and this Steppin' is good example of the energy overload.

Bridges to Bama is a very sophisticated new song, also written by Eric, with a series of passages that frame the core. The outermost ridge is a haunting line played by Neal, a creepy organ riff that gets swallowed by Al and Kraz. The song dips and slips through a myriad of passageways, slinking through the shadows and kicking a mean strut. The tune is still very young, and while it's unquestionably amazing, wait till it develops. This one has potential to end up as a thirty-minute monster jam- mark my words. Once the music clears the center of the tune, it slides out through mirrors of the first two segments, ending with that same creepy organ. Do do-do Do...

Doin' Something > Chameleon > Doin' Something is a spectacular jam and has already become a classic (as much as something can become a classic in a matter of months anyway.) This one fits the rest of the set- a pulse pounding rocker. During the middle jam Kraz hits on Herbie's Chameleon early on and puts out a bit of speedy vox work. Returning to the Chameleon bridge, he is ignited by a great bass line from Neal, and explodes into a furious feedbacked return to Doin' Something. It rocks!

My favorite part of this whole set, however, is So Romantic, with Goapele Mohlabane (?). Although her vocals aren't quite as loud as they should be to really contend with Al and Neal, she lays out some smooth, snaky lines. The boys are definitely feeding off her presence and they pour out fantastic funk to back her up. The chorus of the song starts "You're so (fuckin') romantic, I can't stand it," and it dips just right, drawing you in. It can be dangerous to add vocals to a really tight instrumental band, but this works perfectly. I am looking forward to more collaborations between Mohlabane and Soulive.

Jesus Children has a bit of feedback in the vox section, but the end jam is boiling with energy. Everyone is nailing the one for a brief second before racing off on scorching trails, Neal's sustain carrying throughout. The Turn It Out has a longish Church jam as an intro, filled with rolling cymbals. The song takes off, stomping up to a huge second section with sly echoing effects from Kraz that give way to an infectious wa-wa rhythm/solo. This whole set is absolutely smokin' from start to finish. It shows Soulive to be a band that just gets better and better. They are hotter now than at any previous point, and they're only gonna continue to blow us away in the future.