|
|
Northeast Regional Report
Edited by Tony Oliveira & Peter SahlinHello fellow music fans.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the ridiculous amount of fine music that summer seems to bring our way. Also, hope some of you have checked out and enjoyed our little jambands.com tour, which has just wrapped up - with the last few shows being right here in New England. I know I certainly enjoyed it. I've received many fine reviews this month, so be sure to check them out. I've also received a "special" little review that deserves to be read by everyone. It was written by a band member (of the Miracle Orchestra), and lets everyone take a little peek on what "they" are thinking up on stage, while we are immersed in the music. I found it to be pretty refreshing and quite cool. Enjoy the fine weather and music…till next month.
-Tony
REVIEW B&P OFFER: (Analog Only)
Just a reminder that Pete and I will pick one review each month with the winner receiving a B&P offer from my dat list or Peter's analog list, so let's keep them coming! We won't necessarily pick the most well written review; in fact, the winner will be somewhat random. Last month's winner is Daniel Alford….congrats!
FYI * FYI * FYI * FYI >>> FOR YOUR INFORMATION <<< FYI * FYI * FYI * FYI
DRUMMING ABOUT YOU w/Bob Bloom - participatory concerts:
June 19th at Quassy Amusement Park, Middlebury CT, 2:00 pm
"Kid's Konvention" For more info call (860) 454-3329June 20th at "Olympic Town", Special Olympics at Kresge Lawn, MIT, Cambridge MA. 1:15pm 617-978-682-6747 ext. 2275
July 2nd at Harvey's Beach,Old Saybrook CT, 6:30 pm 203-458-8532
July 11th at the Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford CT, 3:00pm 860-236-5621
July 15th at Town Green, Lebanon NH. Noon. 603-448-5121
July 16th at Amesbury Town Park, Amesbury, MA 10am 978-388-8110
July 17th at Washington County Fairgrounds (4-H Fair), W. Greenwich RI 401-392-3469
July 30th at Claremont Town Hall, Claremont NH. Noon. 603-542-7019
"DRUM RIDE" CONCERT AND DRUM CIRCLE - July 29th at Windham Mills, Willimantic CT. 6:30pm Bring your drum!
Assistant to Baba Olatunji's "Language of the Drums" classes at the Omega Institute, Rhinebeck NY 914-266-4444
July 19 to 23 (Arts Week)
August 9 to 13 (Family Week)DRUMMING ABOUT STORRS / YOUR DRUM CIRCLE
June 11th and 25th at First Church Congregational , Mansfield Center CT, 7:30pm 860-429-9280 (June 11 will be facilitated by Adam Cote)
COME AND CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE WITH LAYNE REDMOND, TOMMY BRUNJES, LAUREL MASSE AND BUMBA MEU BOI FRAME DRUMMERS!!
Saturday, June 19 -- Summer Solstice event at the NY Open Center, 212-219-2527.
Sunday, June 20 -- workshop at the NY Open Center, 212-219-2527.
WHEN THE DRUMMERS WERE WOMEN, Saturday, June 19
An Evening Presentation with Layne Redmond, Tommy Brunjes and Laurel Masse This evening opens with an Invocation to The Muse, an ancient Greek hymn from the second century AD sung by Laurel Masse. Followed by frame drum compositions inspired by the ancient women drummers of the Mediterranean world. Layne will then show slides from her book, When The Drummers Were Women, tracing the evolution of ecstatic drumming to invoke the resurrection of the vegetation deity, Dionysos, who manifests as the sacred bull. These ancient rituals are first depicted in the neolithic city of Catal Huyuk in 5600 bc, and are carried on through Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The remnants of these rituals made their way from Portugal to Brazil, where they combined with the traditions of the enslaved Africans and indigenous people. Out of this wonderful synthesis of Catholicism, African and Native mythologies an ecstatic trance festival arose based around the June 24 birthday of St. John the Baptist. This festival is celebrated in Brazil at the time of the Summer Solstice by hundreds of frame drummers, singers and dancers. To close the evening Layne and Tommy will be joined by a group of drummers playing the Brazilian trance rhythms of Bumba Meu Boi -- Rock The Bull!!
*FESTIVUS! ** FESTIVUS! ** FESTIVUS! ** FESTIVUS! ** FESTIVUS! ** FESTIVUS! *
THE 4TH ANNUAL - GATHERING OF THE VIBES!
June 18th-20th - Seaside Memorial Park Bridgeport CT 800-677-8650
Seaside Park is a three hundred seventy acre park that spreads out along a mile of the Long Island Sound coastline. The Park was voted one of the top 100 public parks in the US for its spectacular waterfront design. highly recommended festival ! guaranteed grate time ! check out the GOTV web-site for details.
fri june 18 ------------ 7:45PM - 9:15PM The Slip 9:45PM - 11:45PM Deep Banana Blackout sat june 19 ------------ 10:45AM - 11:45AM Big Wu 11:50AM - 1:05PM Disco Biscuits 1:10PM - 2:10PM viperHouse 2:15PM - 3:45PM John Scofield Band 4:20!! - 5:50PM Max Creek 6:20PM - 7:40PM Merl Saunders Trio 8:10PM - 9:40PM Zen Tricksters 10:10PM - 11:40PM Strangefolk sun june 20 ------------ 10:30AM - 11:30AM Jazz Mandolin Project 12:00PM - 1:30PM Percy Hill 2:00PM - 3:30PM Radiators 4:05PM - 5:35PM Deep Banana Blackout 6:05PM - 7:35PM Strangefolk 8:10PM - 9:45PM moe. 10:15PM - 11:50PM Gov't Mule PLUS Special Guests to be announced soon ! Ticket Info =========== Best way to order tickets is through terrapin tapes at 800-677-8650 - large tickets with cool GOTV logo on them - you can also order them from terrapin's web-site not sure what you'd get if you wait til day of show ticket order order day of type by 4-30 by 6-17 show ------ ------- ------- ------ 3-day $55 $60 $70 2-day $50 $55 $65 sat $30 $33 $35 sun $30 $33 $35GUINNESS FLEADH FESTIVAL - HTTP://WWW.GUINNESSFLEADH.COM
6-19 Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA 617-931-2000
Elvis Costello, Hootie & the Blowfish, Saw Doctors, John Lee Hooker, Shane MacGowan, Shawn Mullins, Mary Coughlan, Francis Black, Luka Bloom, Richard Thompson, Eileen Ivers Band, Tommy Makem, Black 47, Liam Clancy, Eleanor McEvoy, John Martyn, Moxy Fruvous, Martin Sexton Mark Geary, Kila, Too Cynical to Cry, Jack Lukeman, Watercress, Blink
THE 4th ANNUAL HO-DOWN!
Wendell State Forest, Wendell, MAFriday, July 9 starting at 5pm
Electric Blue and the Kozmic Truth
Soulive (Neal and Alan Evans with Eric Krasno)
SchleighoSat, July 10, noon
Actual Proof
The Hosemobile
Moon Boot Lover
Lettuce
Jazz Mandolin Project
SchleighoSun, July 11
The Jimmy John Band (formerly of Yolk) Miracle Orchestra
Lake Trout
Percy Hill
The Slip
Schleigho
All-Star JamTickets are:
$25 Advance
$20 at the gate
$15 for sunday onlycall 1-800 THE TICK
visit www.schleigho.com for directions and more info.
3 days of music camping for your head...
7-30->8-01 THE BEATROOTS PRESENT 3 DAYS OF MUSIC, Union Fairgrounds, Union, ME. Featuring: The Laura Love Band, Peter Mulvey, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jiggle the Handle, Inanna Akwapim, The Recipe, The Nields, Smokin' Grass, Entrain, Jim's Big Ego, Maggie, Pierce & EJ, Gordon Stone Band, and many, many more! Ticket info: (207)667-6585 For more info, check out: www.beatroots.com.
HYPNOTIC CLAMBAKE'S 3RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL, THE O.U.R. FEST 99, will take place August 13, 14, 15, 1999. It will be in Sherman, NY at the Brushwood Campground. About 12 bands will be playing this year...
For more info on the above, please visit our website at http://www.hypnotic-clambake.com
THE BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL
August 13-15; Butternut Basin Ski Area; Great Barrington, MAf e a t u r i n g:
Los Lobos
Soul Coughing
The Roots
Strangefolk
Tony Trischka Band
The Greyboy Allstars Sidecar Project
feat. Karl Denson
The Slip
Deep Banana Blackout
Percy Hill
Jiggle the Handle
Disco Biscuits
Addision Groove Project
Miracle Orchestra
Acoustic Junction
Soulive
Willy Porter
Vinyl
The Rockett Band
Electric Blue & The Kozmic Truth
The New Deal
Day By The River
Ray's Music Exchange
The Reverend Tor Band
and more to be announced soon…
SHOW REVIEWS: REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS!
FEATURED REVIEW- "Members of" Grateful Dead Tribute – 5/4/99- by Bill Carbone
Editor's Note: You've all probably read countless reviews from the "fan's" perspective, but here is a little something different, and pretty interesting…a review from a band member's perspective. The band member who was good enough to bestow this little nugget upon us is Bill Carbone, drummer for the Miracle Orchestra, which just happens to be one of my favorite local bands…thanks Bill!
First of all, the lineup:
Geoff Scott, (Miracle) Guitar
Garrett Sayers (Miracle) Bass
Jared Sims (Miracle) Sax
Bill Carbone (Miracle) Drumset
Brian Sayers Drumset
Gordon Stone Pedal Steel
Brad Barr (Slip) Guitar
Andrew Barr (Slip) Percussion
Dan Rockett (Rockett Band) Vocals
Dan Berkson (Rockett Band) Keys
John Trauma (Rockett Band) Guitar
Brendan Tominey (Rockett) PercussionWe've done the Grateful Dead tribute concerts twice before. People don't tend to realize the effort it takes, even from a bunch of guys who grew up on the Dead, to pull one of these shows together. The past two shows, at the House of Blues in Boston, featured only the members of Miracle and Rockett, but on this day, we some how ended up with a lineup of twelve musicians! I must admit that despite the fact that all of the musicians involved are close friends, I was still worried about pulling the show off. The truth is that we never really practiced for this one, so we were relying solely on the memory of the part of the band that had played these tunes before! And three guitars, keys and pedal steel! With even some of the best players around, that many chordal instruments can be a recipe for a harmonic disaster. Before the show, it was obvious to me that we might have all had a few doubts, not to mention that we were playing outside on a cold rainy day under a tent (memories of the Berk Fest!).
I was pleased that the tent started to fill up with people as we were hitting the stage, I just hoped that we all remembered the tunes! Then we hit. The change happened almost instantly. All of my doubts were totally out the window by the end of our "Shakedown" opener. Brad and Geoff sounded great with the falsetto background "don't tell me this town ain't got no heart," and the solos were extremely energetic. As usual, when playing with my two drumset partner Brian, the groove was deep (Brian is like the rock of Gibraltar when it comes to playing drums - his time is AMAZING). Furthermore, the audience was a sea of grins.
After Shakedown, we launched into one of my personal favorites to cover, West L.A. Fadeaway. The groove is just so damn slow and pounding, it's the textbook example of Mickey and Billy's playing. It was a great number for all those instruments, especially Gordon on Pedal Steel, he really tears it up on that tune. Also, Dan Rockett belts out the words "West L.A. Fadeaway" in a manner that would have caused Jerry's heart to go a few years earlier. After West LA, we did "Eyes of the World," which is always fun. It really brings out our Jazz influence. The Groove is so light and floating, I hardly have to touch the drums to keep the time going. Jared also really likes to take sax solos on Eyes. He, although certainly open to the music, didn't grow up on the Dead, but I've played him all those tapes with Branford Marsalis sitting in, and he loves those. The band really hooked up on Eyes, and Brad took a really killer guitar solo.
By the time Eyes was over, the tent was packed. The energy under it was amazing. People were having such a good time, and the band was right there with them. Any worries I had about the day working were gone; the band was the tightest we had ever been in our short history. I also got the feeling that most of us were living out our childhood fantasy for a day - growing up and being in the Grateful Dead. None of our bands even sound like the Dead, but when we get together and do these shows, some other energy possesses us. I, as a drummer, feel the spirit of that music throughout my body when we do these shows, and that day was especially strong. The audience definitely felt the spirit as well. It's great because we've made a conscious decision not to just play the Dead's songs, but to try to infuse every jam with the fiery fury of the greatest of Grateful Dead jams. Obviously that is a lofty goal, but aiming high never hurts.
After a rollicking shuffle version of New Speedway Boogie with a raging organ solo by Dan Berkson, as well as an unplanned "One way or another, this darkness got to give" vocal jam by Rockett, Brad and Geoff, we launched into my favorite, Scarlet>Fire. This tune just has this great kind Latin vibe for the drums, which is really fun when there are four drummers! The crowd also loved this tune. In that freeform jamming void in between the two songs, Geoff ripped one of the best guitar solos I have ever heard him take. I truly believe that the spirit of Jerry Garcia descended into his body for a moment in time. It wasn't that he sounded just like Jerry, but that he played with the driving improvisational fire that made Garcia what he was. Just when I thought Geoff had taken it to the extreme, he stepped on his MU-Tron pedal and took the energy three more stories in the air. I had chills. The audience did too. When Geoff's solo finally faded into Fire, the audience reacted with a passionate round of hollers and applause that led me to believe that they had all followed us into that time warp that we had charged into. To me, that is what it's all about. When the audience and the band connect, be it on a Dead tune or a Miracle Orchestra tune, something special happens. It's that natural high that both us musicians and our listeners spend our lives chasing. It is probably the best high I have ever had, and it has nothing to do with drugs. That feeling is why I will NEVER stop playing music.
After reaching this point, the band was all grins. We decided to follow up with what would have been the knockout punch at a real Dead show, Other One>Darkstar>Drums>Space>China Cat. Garrett is the most amazing bass player I have ever heard in my life, and if there is anything he loves about these tribute shows, it is definitely getting to drop the "Phil Bomb" at the beginning of the "Other One." The drums really locked up on "Other One's" rolling 6/8 groove this day. It felt GOOD. Then Garrett opened hatch and let the bomb go. We all laughed when it exploded on one of the next bar. It was truly a rollicking version of the tune if ever someone other than the Dead played one. The Other One is also fun because it's the only tune that Garrett sings. It slipped beautifully into the calm and tranquil "Darkstar." I love playing Darkstar. I usually don't even play anything until after the first chorus. It's so nice to just let it develop slowly over the course of about 30 minutes. After the "Transitive nightfall of diamonds" line, Andrew picked up a big gong and sent a soft wave of white noise over the stage and audience; just like Mickey used to do in the late 60's. AHHHHHHH. Darkstar seemed to put the audience in a trance. All of those energetic screams and whoops melted into a fluid sway as the song progressed towards drums.
Drums. Drums. Drums. When I was a kid, Mickey Hart was God. All those drums. From Africa, India, The Middle East, and all those drums that he just invented himself. So now when I get to "play Mickey," I bring every single drum I can find and just let go. My favorite is this huge old floor tom that I mount to the left of my bass drum, just like Mickey used to do. The sound actually reminds me of those huge bass drums that he had suspended behind his head, it is absolutely thunderous. This was probably the best drum circle I have ever been a part of. There were two drumsets, two percussionists, and a bunch of the other guys grabbed cowbells. I became truly possessed. I just started playing that big floor tom, and slipped away. I don't really remember the whole drums, but the guys tell me that I was on fire. I do remember pounding, pounding, pounding, and some calling and answering between my drumset, Brendan's Bongos, and Andrew's Djembe, and when all of us stopped together, I definitely remember the crowd going totally wild. As the four drummers walked off stage to relax during space, it seemed like we got as many high fives as the Chicago Bulls did on the way back to the champion locker room!
I've always loved space, and the guys did a great job of it. What a bunch of Tweekers! Dan stood up at the vocal mike and made wacky sounds into it for about three minutes! I got a real kick out of watching the crowd try to watch space. People try to dance for a minute, but then it just gets too crazy for them. Space is just so out there. China Cat is great tune to bring out of space; I've got to wonder why the Dead never did it themselves. It's a real fun tune, and was a great up-tempo pick me up to get the energy pumping again. Geoff really spent a lot of time learning all of Jerry's melodies in China Cat, and he makes the whole thing work.
We closed with our only non-Dead tune, Santana's "Evil Ways." It's a very fast and spastic romp, perfect for lots of drums, and definitely a real good closer. "Evil Ways" had the crowd yelling and screaming at the tops of their lungs. John Trauma plays his guitar through this voice tube thing on Evil Ways, and it was incredible sounding. That guy is the stuff that rock stars are made of! When the tune ended it sounded like the end of Sugar Mags second set closer! It felt great. I had slipped away for a day into my dreams of being in the Dead. Its just so much fun to slip away like that on occasion, I wish everyone could have the chance to do so.
The B.C. Springfest, despite the clouds and doubts, turned out to be one of the most fun gigs that I have played in quite a long time. I think I can speak for both us and the crowd in saying that everyone there had a blast. We've decided that we're going to keep our tribute group together and do occasional shows of our versions of Dead music. We've all got to do something to keep that spirit alive.
To contact Bill Carbone, email Bill@miracleorchestra.com
Band Websites
www.miracleorchestra.com www.rockettband.com www.theslip.com
HUNTER AND CRUZ, MEDESKI AND MOSES - 5/22/99 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
Editor's Note: This is another show where we've gotten multiple reviews, and rather than choose just one, I'd like to think everyone enjoys reading different perspectives on the same show, so enjoy.
Charlie Hunter and John Medeski playing on the same bill is a dream combo. No doubt the double encore found the ambassadors of 90's acid jazz scene jamming, yet, the shining star was neither. Adam Cruz, the foil in Hunter's duo, came out as the real surprise. The youngster's chops were economical, bright, and displayed a wonderful play. Compared with the master elder Bob Moses' direction less cacophony, Cruz became a new name to follow on the jazz scene, an invigorating spark. Not to say that Hunter was not excellent as always, setting up tight bass grooves on his bottom bass strings while simultaneously comping on the 8-string guitar's upper registers and fingering tasty leads. The only disappointment was Medeski who seemed underwhelmed by Moses and perturbed at the limitations of the baby grand. No matter how hard you bang it, it's still a piano.
The first set led off with a tight funk. Moses' grunts and gesticulations, somewhere between bass line and another percussion instrument, put the spotlight on the eccentric gentle giant for better or worse. Medeski's playing concentrated on atonal clusters forced into a groove that stopped and started but never really went anywhere. They did manage to hit "Syeeda's Song Flute" a la the MM&W second disc, It's A Jungle Out There, with ease. They gave the standard a playful funk injected into the head while drifting off from one another in the solo sections. A gospel number followed, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" ( oh, missing the B-3 on that one ), and another Coltrane, this time a ballad, "Your Lady". In either case Medeski stuck to chord clusters, crashing bass notes, and a minimalist approach to solos. The approach was clearly deconstructionist in the sense of harmonies, as well as Moses' approach. However, many times Moses' audible vocal garble over scored Medeski's subtleties and the drums became a pounding roar over Medeski's strains towards delicacy. What we ended up receiving was a Bob Moses drum clinic whether or not we paid to see the Medeski's name on the marquee. It is doubtful that a rehearsal even took place before the show, which was a shame. At times the duo seemed to be completely playing to themselves. The connection was lost somewhere in Moses' shouting, funk layovers that came and went, and a harmonic structure that ceased to have any meaning in the void of whatever.
That the Charlie Hunter Duo would bring the music back to the improvisational structure of jazz, there were no fears. The only question was, after seeing a superb show with Leon Parker at the Regattabar in Cambridge a few months ago, how would Adam Cruz be? From the first dive into "Recess" off of Hunter's latest disc, Cruz had Parker's' grooves down with his own flourishes, mostly a combination of rudiments and understanding of textures that Parker's a master of as well. Cruz's steel drum break, during one break, brought the house down and solidified that the kid was good and Hunter had once again surrounded himself with great talent on the skins ( Jay Lane, Scott Amendeola being the others ). Other highlights include "Mean Streak" - a great rhythmic break in the middle reminiscent of Grant Green - and the beautiful rendition of Brian Wilson's "Don't Talk ( Put Your Head On My Shoulder ). Playing without horns showed-off Hunter's ability to build a solo off a tight rhythmic groove usually centered around a mode rather than a chord structure. This gave Hunter plenty of room to make the solo a strong statement, which he nailed every time. This, along with impeccable communication with Cruz made this show the best I've seen since trio days.
An encore with Medeski and Moses was climactic, as one would expect with the two most-well known musicians playing the "acid jazz" derivative in the 90's. They built upon a strong funk groove with Hunter sticking to bass and rhythm comps. Medeski came out strong with more of his signature sound than heard earlier. After the solo Moses had his set up and it was time for drum wars between him and Cruz. A steel drum solo by Cruz was the kid's shining moment in a jam that had Hunter shouting chord changes over the melange and Medeski sitting back to watch Cruz perform while Moses ended his solo with a scream of frustration. The second encore was a Monk tune, "Off Minor" - a nice ending to an evening with a lot of promise. On one hand we saw Medeski become human again, and on another we saw a kid whose name will emerge many times in coming years as one of the best around.
One final note on the venue, the Somerville Theatre; great sound and stage- excellent lighting as well. One drawback is that being a dry theatre, the mood never enters a party atmosphere, and the crowd seems to lull. I would have much rather seen the show at the Regattabar - more of the intimate jazz club type setting.
HUNTER AND CRUZ, MEDESKI AND MOSES - 5/22/99 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
By Dan AlfordOn May twenty second the Boston area was granted a rare treat as the Double Duo show visited the Somerville Theater. John Medeski and Bob Moses began the show playing a fare amount of material unknown to me, a few Coltrane covers, and a few Moses tunes. I actually missed the beginning of the set, (who would've thought that a concert could start on time!) but what I saw what remarkable. Medeski played only piano and was essentially playing back up to Moses. For his part Bob, who I had never seen before, was one of the most intense and passionate performers I have had the pleasure to witness. He played abnormal rhythms and was, as I indicated, a lead drummer. His charisma, chanting, and howling kept you absolutely transfixed. The pair sent my mind spiraling, forcing it to chase after elusive and ultimately transitory themes. Definitely some cutting edge jazz.
Charlie Hunter and Adam Cruz followed with a set comprised mostly of material from Hunter's Duo album, which was recorded not with Cruz but Leon Parker, who coincidentally opened for MMW the following Friday. Hunter's rich, organ-like 8 string guitar, complete with solid base beats, led the way as they flew through a number of cool grooves and a few quieter ballads. Cruz was a much more rhythm oriented player than Moses and worked well with Hunter's style; in fact it is pretty obvious, for you Ratdog fans, how Jay Lane fit into the Charlie Hunter Trio. The two percussionists have similar full sounds. Cruz's solos each started with a repetition of a theme, working it over three times before adding variations. He also played a couple solos on a steel drum to the delight of the audience. Overall, this set was more musically accessible than the Medeski and Moses adventure, as my significant other pointed out.
For an encore, the expected jam took place. Two drummers, guitar, and piano tore through two numbers with multiple solos from each performer. Again Moses dominated the scene, letting loose and heading into regions where the others couldn't follow. The mutual admiration on the stage was spectacular; what a treat to see a group of performers hanging on every note that their peers played. Medeski, in particular, was incredibly respectful of space and sat quietly through most of the jam, taking a few long solos and playing a little rhythm, but mostly not cluttering the sound.
MEDESKI, MARTIN AND WOOD – 5/28/99 - The Orpheum, Boston
By Dan Alford
I've been waiting for two years to see MMW. It's one of those situations where whenever they're in town, I'm not, and vice versa. Thankfully, their show at the Orpheum in Boston, as part of the Bell Atlantic jazz festival, did not disappoint. Leon Parker opened with a painfully short set. He worked the stage with three drums, a shaker, his voice, and his body. His final piece was to use the audience as a syncopated drum machine over which he scatted and sang. The real irony was that Medeski and Bob Moses opened for Charlie Hunter and Adam Cruz the previous Friday and Hunter's set was comprised mainly of tunes from his Duo album, which was recorded with Leon instead of Cruz.
D.J. Logic followed with a 50 minute set in which he spun tunes from his Spring Time Logic mix. Sources include everything from bagpipes to Bird, sitars to Curtis. I enjoyed the set but it certainly wasn't what I expected, and I have to defer to my friend who is better versed in the hip hop scene who asked, "What was up with that wack ass shit?" He too was expecting a lot more scratching and improv and less spinning of discs. The set, however, led right into MMW's set. I was unfamiliar with a lot of the early part of the set, but it was fairly experimental jazz work. Start/Stop was stretched out and chaotic a la early seventies Miles. The third tune had a great Middle Eastern feel and a solid groove featuring a follow the leader segment by John and Logic. It was great to see John play full force in comparison to the relatively reserved playing during the jam at the Hunter show less than a week earlier. That number segued into a wonderfully far gone percussion solo that helped to make the point that, for me, 1999 has been the year of the drummer: Fishman with the JMP and Pork Tornado, Bob Moses (who is unreal), Adam Cruz, Leon, and now Billy Martin. He moved around his small alcove shaking and smacking everything. He played with a unique intensity; it was as if he was unsure what each instrument would do and was discovering each sound for the first time. After a pair a piano led tunes, the quartet found its way into a garden of grooves. Combustication (?) had a talking drum intro and was the gateway to the danceable funk flowers that bloomed throughout the rest of the show. ITAHWLMJ was a welcome older tune that sparked the Pentecostal flames into a raging inferno. Logic blazed on this one and on the Sugarcraft that followed; he was just plain sly. Certainly his own set could've included more of that type of playing. The funk continued up to the quiet show closer (Everyday People ?). The encore had a bass intro, with Chris on stage by himself, into a short tight tune, back into a bass solo which left Chris alone again. The show was a lot of fun, with a challenging early section and a funked dance fest to end. I do wish that they weren't so heavy on the Combustication material, or rather that more of their earlier material was included, although I knew that wouldn't be the case from the other setlists I had read. I'm just waiting for the show on the Cape this summer.
BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES – 5/30/99 - City Hall Plaza, Boston
By Dan Alford
The last couple of times that I'd seen Bela, I didn't care much for what was going on. At the St. Patrick's Day show in 98, the NYC crowd was rowdy and not prepared to listen at all. That was a real shame because the bulk of the night was spent trying out new tunes from the then unreleased new album. As it was, I could barely here the band in a very small venue and even a Sinister Minister (my favorite Flecktone tune) encore during which Victor snapped a string (!) couldn't salvage the night. The last time, at the Orpheum in the fall, the band seemed rowdy and I didn't care for it. The performance lacked much of skill and subtlety that we've all come to expect from the Flecktones. Jeff Coffin, who took over Paul McCandles's spot on woodwinds, did not mesh well with the band and I did not like the direction he was pushing the trio towards. The upside of that night was that I was exposed for the very first time, in concert, the way it should be, to the String Cheese Incident. They blew my mind and I honestly would have been ecstatic if they had stayed on the stage for the whole night. I imagine that SCI also tainted the Flecktones for me.
That being said, who would pass up a free Sunday afternoon outdoor show on Memorial Day weekend? The day was gorgeous, sunny and in the mid-eighties, and the city was all but empty. The show was the closer for the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival that was in town for the weekend and featured another great opener, The Paradox Trio. Part of the paradox was that the band was a quartet made up of a woodwind player (heavy on the sax), percussionist, cellist (a great change of pace), and guitar player. They were a very groove oriented band with a Middle Eastern sound; they played fantastic landscape sounds and straight out belly dance numbers. Their guitar player was a fast picker with a serious jamband attitude. Overall they made the perfect opener for Bela and the boys; similar attitudes and, at times, similar sounds.
Bela came on at about ten after two and set out on the best musical foray, I've seen from him in quite a while. I didn't recognize the first few numbers, but the second one, which was reminiscent of Two Soldiers Jam > Spanish Jams, featured a great jam-let from the brothers Wooten. "Big Country", which for those who don't know, is an instrumental of the traditional Fennario- better known as "Peggy-O" to heads. It was long and rolling with a fine piece of work by Jeff and Victor, and Bela's strut out into the crowd. Many of those uninitiated seemed shocked by that move. The quick "Almost 12" followed, as did "Two Horny Blues". The latter number is a showcase tune for Jeff, but its dark, gritty detective feel is fun. Other highlights included a hard grooving rock n roll tune followed by "Communication Is the Only Way". Granted, Flecktones lyrics are a bit on the cheesy side, but the song is still a lot of fun. The "Stomping Grounds" that closed the show was spectacular, and appropriate for Bela's return to his one time home.
It was filled with "Yankee Doodle" teases, an Andy Griffith tease, and a serious breakdown. The encore was a fifteen plus minute "Sinister Minister" with an extra long solo by Victor. He also did a somersault while playing, which was for me a new addition to his stage theatrics. Over all the show was a wonderful lesson in Flecktology, filled with solid, intentional playing and lots of musical trade-offs; the kind of stuff that makes Bela Fleck and the Flecktones a powerhouse in the jazz, bluegrass, and jamband scenes.
SOULIVE – June 6, 1999 - the Central Square World's Fair, Cambridge
By Dan Alford
Set list: Untitled, Soulive, Uncle Jr., Rudy's Way, The Chicken
Wow! Two great weekends in a row, both with free live music on Sunday; we're getting spoiled out here in Boston. This time the festivities included a line up on two of nine stages that was set out by New England's best friend in the jambands scene since Dionysian Productions, Gamelan Productions. Acts included The Living Daylights, Morphine, and Jiggle the Handle among others. Opening the festivities on the B-Side Lounge stage, however, was the incredible R&B trio Soulive. Made up of the Brothers Evans (Alan on drums and Neal on organ, both from the original Moon Boot Lover) and guitarist Eric Krasuo from Lettuce, this group, who has been with us for a mere six months, absolutely blazes. They are easily the most danceable band I heard in eons, and in the past year I've discovered the Disco Biscuits and SCI, so I'm not just talking here.
They opened their very short 45 minute set with an untitled tune that helped set the groove for the afternoon. They have no base player, but strategic use of a bass drum by Alan, coupled with low end organ chords spells a low-down, funky bass that drives the music, allowing for lots of solos that often culminate in a tension/release jam. The self-titled next tune was smokin', with a catchy theme and solid, but tight improv. The following pair of "Uncle Jr." and "Rudy's Way", penned by Alan and Neal respectively continued to rock Mass. Ave, drawing a larger and larger crowd to the source of Hammond wails and speedy rhythm guitar. They ended the set with "The Chicken" which gave Eric a chance to stray away from his very jazzy, Tony Mattola sound and head towards the Chuck Berry end of things, into "Upshot". This band is fantastic; I strongly urge anyone who can to catch them as soon as possible; their touring schedule has them floating around the Connecticut/ Massachusetts area with frequent stops in NYC.
JOHN SCOFIELD – 6/6/99 at the Central Square World's Fair, Cambridge, MA
By Dan Alford
Set list: Untitled Funk, Green Tea, Chank, Untitled Logan, Hottentot, Deadzy > Boozer
At about quarter after two the John Scofield Quartet made its return to Boston. In February they played a four night, eight show, run at the Regattabar. I only caught one show but it was great and Sunday's set was a nice follow up. They opened the set with an untitled tune, but it was very much in the vein of the material from A Go-Go, which was released about a year ago. In the middle of the song Scofield began scratching his strings, sounding a bit like a mix master, or someone playing a real heavy organ, as in MMW versions of "Lonely Avenue". That was followed by "Green Tea", the coolest little funk number around. It was really stretched out, with multiple solos from John and his organ player Will Bulware. The only way to follow it was with "Chank", another selection from A Go-Go that ranks high on the groovability charts. Here John set his pedals to work, running through a variety of sounds, while a nice drum solo and bass solo from Matt Garrison helped clear the path to the climactic break down at the end. The following tune was another untitled one, this time a ballad.
Scofield said "If it reminds you of something, let us know..." Immediately, I started thinking of driving to the airport. It was kind of sad, with delicate solos; a rainy day drive to Logan. Then, out of nowhere, it spiraled off into vicious chaos, with loud bass bombs and screeching feedback. After it settled down, the band began "Hottentot" and followed that with a quiet "Deadzy". I don't know what the title refers to, but this version was seriously spaced out and right before dropping into the rocking "Boozer" that closed the show, the band stood there, with lightly rolling drums, sporadic organ, frantic bass, and noodling guitar... you make the connection. The "Boozer", by the way, had a long section of scratching by John, which created a great counter-balance to the opener. Closure can be a wonderful thing! The hour and twenty five minute set was great and I look forward to their set at the Gathering of the Vibes in a couple weeks. If you get a chance, check out this band. And if you have the urge to get a new CD support your local independent music merchant and pick up A Go-Go, the best studio album I've heard in years. I've had it for a year and still listen to it often, sometimes two or three times a day.
NEW ENGLAND SHOW CALENDAR
Here's the latest New England Shows listing. if you don't want to receive further listings send email to: armand.turcotte@bigfoot.com and ask to be removed from the NEshows list
This listing is mirrored - check out Mark's web-site: http://www.tufts.edu/~mchoh/neshows.html
Let me, Armand know about any other cool bands, shows, or web-sites !
***** make sure you call before you head to the show ! *****
New England tour dates: ( ? before date means ***unconfirmed*** ) tu 6-15 Moon Boot Lover Red Hook Brewery, Portsmouth NH 603- tu 6-15 Big Wu - The Muse - Nantucket, MA we 6-16 Big Wu - The Muse - Nantucket, MA we 6-16 DeepBananaBlackout Larkins, Fairfield CT 860- we 6-16 Joe Deveau Payson Park Fest, Belmont MA 617- we 6-16 Goodfoot - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 th 6-17 Zen Tricksters Higher Ground, Winooski VT 802-654-8888 th 6-17 Bruce Mandaro Band –Tammany Club – Worcester, MA 508-791-6550 6-18>20 Gathering Of The Vibes ! Bridgeport CT details below ! fr 6-18 Entrain Boat Cruise, Salem Ferry, Salem MA 978-741-2205 fr 6-18 Radiators HeatGen The Call, Providence RI 401-751-2255 fr 6-18 Susan Tedeschi Toad's Place, New Haven CT 203-624-TOAD fr 6-18 Currently Nameless Mad Mtn Tavern, Waitsfield VT 802- fri 6-18 Laughing Water - The Claddagh Pub - Lawrence MA 978-688-8337 fri 6-18 Wild Blue Angels (Hendrix Tribute) - Tammany Club – Worcester, MA 508-791-6550 fri 6-18 Soulive The Stone Church Newmarket, NH 10 pm sa 6-19 Drama Northboro Fish & Game, MA 508- sa 6-19 Entrain Whaling Blues Fest, New Bedford MA sa 6-19 Entrain Ranch House, Marshfield MA 508- sa 6-19 Radiators HeatGen The Call, Providence RI 401-751-2255 sa 6-19 The Ominous Seapods - Tammany Club, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 sa 6-19 Laughing Water – Great Scott – 1222 Comm. Ave, Allston, MA 617-734-4502 ?sa 6-19 Big Wu – Tammany Club- w/OSP??? Worcester MA 508-791-6550 su 6-20 Stephen Perkins Drum Circle, Advance Music, Burlington VT mo 6-21 Arthur Dent Tammany Club, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 mo 6-21 Stephen Perkins Drum Circle, Center St Drums, Brockton MA tu 6-22 Ben Folds Five Worcester Palladium, MA 508- ?we 6-23 Ben Folds Five Landsdowne Music Hall, Boston 617-536-2100 ? we 6-23 Ben Folds Five Lupos HH, Providence RI 401-272-5876 we 6-23 JGeils/TootsMaytalls TweeterCenter Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 we 6-23 Pork and Beans - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 th 6-24 Conehead Buddha Chicken Box, Nantucket MA 508- th 6-24 JGeils/TootsMaytalls TweeterCenter Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 th 6-24 Moon Boot Lover Harpers Ferry, Allston MA 617-254-9743 th 6-24 MikeRay/Soulive Higher Ground, Winooski VT 802-654-8888 th 6-24 Mancini Munzer Project - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 fr 6-25 Conehead Buddha Chicken Box, Nantucket MA 508- fr 6-25 Arthur Dent Above Club, Worcester MA 508-752-2211 fr 6-25 Joe Deveau Commonwealth Brew, Boston MA 617- fr 6-25 Entrain Town Line, Malden MA 781-322-2101 fr 6-25 Slip Iron Horse, Northampton MA 413-584-0610 fr 6-25 Bela Fleck on VH1 "Sessions on West 54th" www.rockontv.com fr 6-25 Soulive - Vermont Jazz Center – Burlington, VT fr 6-25 Jah Spirit (Reggae night) - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 fr 6-25 Joe Pennacchio (Solo Acoustic) Silver Star Restaurant & Pub sa 6-26 Allman Brothers Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 sa 6-26 Conehead Buddha Chicken Box, Nantucket MA 508- sa 6-26 DrJohn / Entrain Lowell Fest, Lowell MA 2:00 978- sa 6-26 The Wall (Floyd Tribute) - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 sa 6-26 Joe Pennacchio & John Reddie (Acoustic) The Outrigger Bar & Grille sa 6-26 Soulive - Ben & Jerry's Music Festival - Sugarbush, VT 10:30 am sa 6-26 Soulive w/Blokah- The Middle East (downstairs) – Cambridge, MA 10:30 pm su 6-27 Allman Brothers Meadows Music Th, Hartford CT 860-422-0000 su 6-27 Entrain Waterworks, Quincy MA 617-786-2200 su 6-27 Toots & Maytalls Higher Ground, Winooski VT 802-654-8888 mo 6-28 Arthur Dent - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 th 7-01 Moon Boot Lover Salem Boat Cruise, Salem MA 978-741-2205 fr 7-02 Jimmy Cliff Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis MA 508- fr 7-02 Drama Ramada Inn, Auburn MA 508- fr 7-02 Moon Boot Lover Stone Church, Newmarket NH 603-659-6321 sa 7-03 Jimmy Cliff So Shore Music Circus, Cohasset 508- sa 7-03 Drama Ramada Inn, Auburn MA 508- sa 7-03 Eddie From Ohio New Bedford Summer Fest, MA 508-999-5231 mo 7-05 Arhtur Dent - Tammany Hall, Worcester MA 508-791-6550 we 7-07 Laughing Water Harper's Ferry – Allston, MA http://listen.to/laughingwater we 7-07 Dexter Grove w/ Jim Loughlin – Bull & Bier Haus- Plymouth, NH th 7-08 Eddie From Ohio Club Passim, Cambridge MA 617-492-7679 th 7-08 Dexter Grove w/ Jim Loughlin – Bull & Bier Haus- Plymouth, NH 7-09>11 4th Annual Ho-Down, Wendell State Forest, MA details below fr 7-09 Eddie From Ohio Club Passim, Cambridge MA 617-492-7679 f r 7-09 Phish on VH1 "Sessions on West 54th" www.rockontv.com sa 7-10 ElasticWasteband Sharkey's, Nashua NH 603- sa 7-10 Eddie From Ohio Iron Horse, Northampton MA 413-584-0610 sa 7-10 JazzIsDead/DerekTrucks WinterIsland, Salem MA 978- su 7-11 JazzIsDead/DerekTrucks WinterIsland, Salem MA 978- mo 7-12 Phish Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 mo 7-12 Arthur Dent - Tammany Club- Worcester MA 508-791-6550 tu 7-13 Phish Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 th 7-15 Laughing Water - The Beachcomber – Wollaston Beach, Quincy MA 617-479-8989 sa 7-17 Ronnie Earl Muddy River Smokehouse, Portsmouth NH 603- sa 7-17 Jonathan Edwards Salem Boat Cruise, Salem MA 978-741-2205 7-17>18 Phish OswegoCountyAirport, Volney NY 315-472-0700 th 7-22 Ronnie Earl Harbor Cruise, Boston MA 617- 7-23>25 Woodstock '99 Griffiss AFB, Rome NY details below tu 7-27 Jewel/RustedRoot Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 we 7-28 Jewel/RustedRoot Meadows Music Th, Hartford CT 860-422-0000 sa 7-31 VT Reggae Fest Shepard Field, Hardwick, VT details below sa 7-31 Laughing Water – Annual Garcia Tribute Show; Great Scott , Allston MA we 8-04 Roger Waters Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 8-06>08 Ben&Jerry's Newport Folk Festival, Newport RI details below ?fr 8-06 CSNY Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 fr 8-06 DMB Meadows Music Th, Hartford CT 860-422-0000 ?sa 8-07 CSNY Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 sa 8-07 DMB Meadows Music Th, Hartford CT 860-422-0000 8-07>08 Gathering On The Mountain, Blakeslee, PA details below su 8-08 Roger Waters Walingford Theatre, Oakdale CT 860- 8-13>15 Berkshire Mountain MusicFest, GreatBarrington details below su 8-15 Africa Fete Hatch Shell, Boston MA details below fr 8-20 Allman Brothers Tweeter Center, Mansfield MA 617-931-2000 fr 8-20 Bruce Hornsby So Shore Music Circus, Cohasset 508- su 8-22 Bruce Hornsby Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis MA 508- we 8-25 Spirit Of Unity ReggaeFest, BankBoston Pavillion, Boston 617- 9-04>05 Garden Of Eden Festival - Strangefolk & guests details below ?? 12-99 Bob Marley Tribute, Oracabessa, Jamaica www.rockontv.com
other tour dates, festivals, and fun stuff ============================================ Guinness Fleadh Festival www.guinnessfleadh.com 6-19 Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA 617-931-2000 Elvis Costello, Hootie & the Blowfish, John Lee Hooker, many more 6-26 Randall's Island, New York 212-307-7171 Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Hootie, John Prine, many more Gathering Of The Vibes ! www.ttapes.com/vibes99 Seaside Memorial Park, Bridgeport CT 800-677-8650 6-18 Deep Banana Blackout, Slip, more 6-19 Strangefolk, Zen Tricksters, Merl Saunders Trio, Max Creek, John Scofield Band, viperHouse, Disco Biscuits, Big Wu, more 6-20 Gov't Mule, moe., Strangefolk, Deep Banana Blackout, Radiators, Percy Hill, Jazz Mandolin Project, more High Sierra Music Fest www.hsmusic.net 7-01/04 Bear Valley, CA 510-420-1529 Widespread Panic, Bela Fleck, String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Day By The River, Dirty Dozen, Dr Didg, Darol Anger & Mike Marshall, Wolfman Washington, Tony Furtado, Karl Densons Tiny Universe, Slip, Living Daylights, Keller Williams, Jiggle The Handle, Smokin' Grass, Jackmormons & Jerry Joseph, Deep Banana Blackout, Zen Tricksters, more 4th Annual Ho-Down www.schleigho.com Wendell State Forest, Wendell MA 413-586-8686 7-09 Schleigho, Soulive, Electirc Blue and Kosmic Truth 7-10 Schleigho, Jazz Mandolin Project, Percy Hill, Lake Trout, Hosemobile, Actual Proof 7-11 All-Star Jam, Schleigho, Slip, Lettuce, Moon Boot Lover, Miracle Orchestra, Jimmy John Band PhishFest '99 www.phish.com 7-17/18 Oswego County Airport Volney NY 315-472-0700 Grassroots Festival www.grassrootsfest.org 7-22>25 Trumansburg Fairgrounds, Trumansburg NY 607-387-5098 Thomas Mapfumo, Solas, Donna The Buffalo, Second Hand Dance Company, Keith Secola / Wild Band of Indians, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Jones Benaly Native American Dancers, Colorblind James Experience Preston Frank & his Zydeco Family Band, The Hix, Hank Roberts, Swamp College Revival, Walter Mouton & the Scott Playboys, John Specker, Sunny Weather, Organic Groove Farmers, Black Fire, Kinfolk, Go Figure, Nedy Arevalo, Perfect Thyroid, Jennie Stearns, Good Dog/Bad Dog, Bubba George Stringband, The Red Hots, Zydeco Experiment, many more ! Woodstock '99 www.woodstock.com 7-23>25 Griffiss AFB, Rome NY 212-397-7474 Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, Bush, Chemical Brothers, George Clinton, Collective Soul, Counting Crows, Creed, Sheryl Crow, DMX, Everclear, Everlast, Fatboy Slim, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Guster, Mickey Hart & Planet Drum, Ice Cube, Jamiroquai, Jewel, Kid Rock, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Lit, Live, Los Lobos, Dave Matthews Band, Metallica, moe., Alanis Morissette, Willie Nelson, Mike Ness, Offspring, Our Lady Peace, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rusted Root, Brian Setzer, Sugar Ray, Tragically Hip, Wyclef Jean, more Camp Creek '99 www.maxcreek.com 7-30>01 Indian Lookout Country Club, Mariaville, NY 860-653-7616 Vermont Reggae Festival www.vtreggaefest.org sa 7-31 VT Reggae Fest Shepard Field, Hardwick, VT 802-862-3092 Beenie Man, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Itals, Nadine Sutherland, Mikey Dread, Clinton Fearon, & Boogie Brown Band, Lazah Current Rocky Duwani Ben&Jerry's Newport Folk Festival www.newportfolk.com fr 8-06 Hotel Viking Grand Ballroom, Newport RI 401-847-3700 sa 8-07 Fort Adams State Park, Newport RI 401-847-3700 Joan Armatrading, Wilco, Melissa Ferrick, many more su 8-08 Fort Adams State Park, Newport RI 401-847-3700 Indigo Girls, Suzanne Vega, Susan Tedeschi, many more Gathering On The Mountain www.big2resorts.com/gathering 8-07>08 Fern Ridge, Poconos, Blakeslee, PA 800-468-2442 WAR, Jorma Kaukonen, JGB, Jefferson Starship, Merl Saunders, Ekoostik Hookah, Tom Constanten, God Street Wine, Gary Duncan's Quicksilver, It's A Beautiful Day, Toni Brown Band, Recipe, Foxtrot Zulu, Big Wu, Jiggle The Handle, many more Berkshire Mountain MusicFest www.berkfest.com 888-245-7081 8-13>15 Butternut Basin Ski Area, Great Barrington MA 617-435-3003 Los Lobos, Soul Coughing, The Roots, Strangefolk, Tony Trischka, Greyboy Allstar SideCar Project, Slip, Deep Banana Blackout, Jiggle The Handle, Percy Hill, Disco Biscuits, Living Daylights, Addison Groove Project, Miracle Orchestra, Acoustic Junction, Soulive, Vinyl, Willy Porter, Rockett Band, Electric Blue, Day By The River, New Deal Ray's Music Exchange, Reverend Tor Band, more ! Africa Fete www.pollstar.com su 8-15 Hatch Shell, Boston MA 617- Africa Fete, Baaba Mall, Daande Lenol, Kulanjan, Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabate, Oliver Mtukudzi Garden Of Eden Festival www.strangefolk.com 9-04>05 Addison County Field Days, New Haven VT 802-654-8740 two days of Strangefolk, Gordon Stone and special guests - fun stuff !
|
| JamBands.Com is published on the 15th of every month. Submissions are due ten days earlier on the fifth of each month. Please contact the specific editor for the section you are interested in contributing to. For general content comments, please e-mail jambands@jambands.com. For all technical web site related issues, please contact Sarah Bruner |