HEROS, FRIENDS, ALBUMS, PROJECTS AND HEARSAY
da Flower Punk - March 15, 1999
<tlynch@socrates.berkeley.edu>
LEFTOVER SALMON has gone into the studio in with a bunch of its
friends and heros to record a new CD. "The Nashville Sessions" was
recorded at Randy Scruggs' studios there and will feature a slew of
special guests. Taj Mahal guests on track. Waylon Jennings sings
on another. Bluegrass master Del McCoury and his son Ronnie sit in
on a different one yet. Jerry Douglass dropped a few fat lines of
dobro here and there. Earl Scruggs did a banjo duet with LoS 5-
stringer Mark Vann. Sam Bush and John Cowan add a bit of their
magic, as does Sally Van Meter. Leon Russell, John Bell
(Widespread Panic), John Popper (Blues Traveler), and Todd Park
Mohr (Big Head Todd) are also gonna be on the disc. I can hardly
wait to hear what results from this.
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LEFTOVER SALMON and JAZZ IS DEAD now share an APARTMENT.
Speculation was rife when it was first announced that drummer JEFF
SIPE, aka APT. Q-258, would be touring with JAZZ IS DEAD this
spring that perhaps Sipe was leaving LoS. It ain't so. Sipe will
tour with Jazz Is Dead when LoS isn't touring, but will remain with
his slamgrass friends. "I need to play 400 nights a year," Sipe
said, and LoS "only keeps me busy 300 nights a year." Drummer
Billy Cobham has left Jazz Is Dead, and those times when Sipe is
unavailable to the group another drummer will fill in. When both
are available, both will play, in true Dead two drummer style.
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LOTS OF ARTISTS HAVE RELEASED SONGS IN THE MP-3 FORMAT. Many more
allow their concerts to be traded in the algorithm, which allows
for tapeless, digital transfer of (arguably) CD-quality sound over
computer networks. But Athens jam band DAY BY THE RIVER is about
to become the first band to release an entire album in the format.
Information can be found at the DBR www site,
. The release is a four hour live
set from the group, and it will parallel the commercial release of
the set on CD. Look for both about March 30, 1999. Talk about
your new marketing paradigms in the age of the internet, DBR is all
over it.
_________
DAY BY THE RIVER is also one of the featured artists on a new CD
by Lauan Records called "Three Sets." It is a collection of
live tracks from DBR, Boston's JIGGLE THE HANDLE, and San
Francisco's Latin-tinged funksters VINYL. Not only is this
compilation a fine way to get a taste of three good bands you
might not have heard for yourself yet, a portion of the revenues
will be donated to The Boston Living Center, which provides all
kinds of services and therapies to folks living with HIV and
AIDS, including hot meals. Want more information or to order one
of these things? Then check out .
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WHAT'S WRONG WITH CAPRICORN RECORDS? They seem to have this thing
about getting good records from good bands, and then sitting on
them for over a year, thereby killing any momentum the band may
have worked up for themselves. It is discouraging for artist and
fan alike. The latest example of this phenomenon is the new CD
from ACOUSTIC JUNCTION. The group, which has also been known as
FOOL'S PROGRESS, was joined by Rickie Lee Jones and Graham Nash in
the studio, on "new" songs that us Acoustic Junction fans can not
wait to hear. We've been hearing many of them, after all, in
concert, for a year or two. It's stuff like this that sometimes
leaves jam band artists and fans thinking they'd be better off
without major label contracts than they are with them. Hey
Capricorn, forget whatever "logic" you're using to hold off on this
CD till Winter 1999. I smell a Summer 1999 hit, if you're open to
it: "Who's Gonna Guide My Boat?" And that's not all there is
that's both radio ready and wonderful music on the new ACOUSTIC
JUNCTION disc. But when will we finally get to hear it?
____________
PHIL LESH OUT OF THE OTHER ONES. Phil Lesh announced in a post to
Dead Net Central recently that he will not play with THE OTHER ONES
this summer. He cited creative and business differences for his
decision. Lesh, who has recovered enough from his recent liver
transplant to return to the stage with Trey Anastasio, Page
McConnell, Steve Kimock and John Molo at the Warfield in San
Francisco for three shows around tax day, said the differences were
simply too big for him to return. BOB WEIR answered those that
thought he was the reason Phil opted out in a post of his own on
Dead Net Central. Weir said he had been "trying to move a
mountain" to bring "the same lineup" as last summer back out on
tour.
So what's really at stake? A few things may be the root causes of
the differences. First, we will never know if those who say Lesh
wanted only one lead guitarist, Steve Kimock, in the band is true
or not. What seems to me more important is that Weir, along with
MICKEY HART, BRUCE HORNSBY, and promoter JOHN SCHER (owner of
Metropolitan Entertainment and a shareholder in many a large
amphitheater in the US) own the FURTHUR TOUR. Lesh is not in on
that. The "business" differences probably focus in part on this
issue. Last year's heavy touring schedule (which focused heavily
on one night stands in venues Scher owns a piece of) might not look
all that appealing to Lesh, who turns 59 this month, especially
since TOO ignored long-time DEAD strongholds like the Northwest,
where Scher has not stake in the venues. But clearly, there are
many differences the group can not get over.
What does it mean? A couple of things, of course. On the one hand
I'm disappointed that all of us Deadheads, who only get together en
masse when something like TOO is on-stage, will not have the
impetus to get together and party like it's 1999. On the other
hand, I'm glad. I have seen the Grateful Dead literally fight with
each other on stage during a show, and those shows sucked. If
WEIR, HART, LESH and HORNSBY are not all in 100% agreement about
the arrangements, no tour is better than one where folks are making
compromises they can not abide by. Seriously.
_______________________flowerpunkprods______________________
Da Flower Punk loves music and he loves life. He loves
some other things too, but let's not go there. Check out
his CD and concert reviews at <http://pauserecord.com>.
