Business: Thanks to everyone who wrote over the past month. A few people correctly pointed out that the Cape Cod Ratdog show was 6/18/00, not 6/24/00, which was the GOTV set. Please continue to send comments, criticisms and contributions.

Next Month: Hold onto your hats true believers (ooh, I hope we can't get sued for that), as we feature the first true Phish month at Tape Cases. Since the Phab Phour are leaving me high and dry for the first New Year's in 9 years, we're gonna celebrate the over looked portion of last year's festivities- namely everything except the long set. If anyone wants to toss in their thoughts, or wants to tackle part of the long set, please contribute. Also remember that next month will be the first installment of the Official segment, taking a look at a different officially released live recording each month.

Music: The gift-giving season is just about on top of us or, depending on when you read this, it may already be in full swing. As a service to jambands.com readers and live music fans, I've put together a brief list of some of my favorite official live releases from the year 2000. Everything that is on my shortlist is available through the bands' websites, through the music publishers, or through Homegrown (click their add on the main page). I left off a pair of discs that I have yet to get, but which are undoubtedly worth a listen, Fat Mama's Phoenix Presents release and Dick's Picks 19. Actually any Dick's Picks is a pretty safe buy, and it seems that the same holds true for Phoenix Presents. Personally I'm still hoping someone will give me Jorma's Magic 2- been asking for it for three years now! Happy Listening.

moe.- L, Fatboy Records FB 6633

As the first live album from these goofy guys become rock stars, "L" is a hard rocking feast for those hungry for straight-ahead psychedelic guitar rock. It's a double disc set taken from 4 different shows, but put in order similar to a show. The Spine of a Dog > Buster that opens the first disc is a great example of what the whole album represents: fun. Upbeat and shakin', with a nice transition, this is moe. classic gets a great run through. A handful of tunes later, the Plane Crash that closes the disc is a crowd pleaser, and for good reason. The guys tear through a ragin' jam before dropping back an addictive rhythm riff, and who could pass up a layered chorus like, "Too fuckin' high!"?

The second set has some more subtle work on it including Captain America, a side step into more pensive land with a nice solo section in the classic tension/release vein. The second disc also has an exceptional closer, a 42 minute Timmy Tucker > Recreational Chemistry. A blazing wildfire of rhythm and sound, I can only guess that this one is for the true moe.rons. Precise and pushing guitar work, slap bass and exceptional percussion barrage the eardrums on this truly monster example what makes moe. a long-term staple of the improv rock scene.

Sector 9- Live, Landslide LDSE-917

Sector 9 is easily one of my two favorite younger bands on the scene. My first exposure to them was as an opener for the sublime groovautomatons Soulive, and I was hooked immediately. A quintet for the southern states, they present what is to my ears an increasingly unique sound. A superficial summation would place them in the techno/trance subset of modern jammers, as they churn out exclusively instrumental songs that are based on solid drums and driving bass. But to call the band techno is 100 percent wrong, because there is something fundamentally and undeniably organic about their sound. It may have something to do the interplay between the band members, it may have something to do with the fact that there is space and time left for the highly danceable songs to develop, and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the congas. Whatever it is, it's reflected on this album.

On first listen it is a bit rougher than the studio release "Interplanetary Escape Vehicle." Each musician is more distinct in the mix, so the sound is less blended. But on each consecutive listen, it becomes easier to appreciate how the songs are constructed, how all the legos click together. The centerpiece of the disc is Frequencies of Mind and Nature > Peace 2 > Peace 3. The first segment is cool and flowing, with sparse keys and guitar work and brief pauses where the congas take the focus. Peace 2 is essentially just a rise in sound, picking up speed with a definite destination in mind. And that destination is marked by a scorching cosmic bass intro that sends the music spiraling towards the unknown reaches, with crazy keys and churning syncopated rhythms that eventually all mesh together into an outrageous climax. That little jam alone makes the disc a worthwhile buy.

Ulu- Live at the Wetlands-Preserve, New York City 11-19-99, Phoenix Presents 3005

NYC's hometown funkafusionists lay their skill and flexibility on the stage for this album, which was recorded before guitarist Luca Benedetti left the band. Ulu straddles the slight gap that separates the groove fiends from the freak jazzers with style and grace. They are deft handlers of a slick vibe that's so hot you just gots to boogie, but they can just as easily stop on a dime and let loose the wacky skwonk. "Live at the Wetlands" is really a showcase of that versatility. From the fluted soft-core porno-slide of Dilly Dally to Herbie Hancock-esque Grape to the cartoonified Bert's Meatballs, these guys can snake all over the musical map without compromising their sound. Other highlights include the rest of the disc. This one is just plain enjoyable, and would be even if it didn't have a cover the Super Mario Brothers theme.

The Steve Kimock Band- Live from the West Coast, SKP-1

This debut release from the Steve Kimock Band serves up some of the most slippery smooth cosmic delights I've had in a long time. Serious old school Bay Area journeys are the order of the day, and they'll float you to some unexpected destinations. The line-up includes the duo of Kimock and Vega that has been thrilling audiences for years, along with Alan Hertz (KVH_), and either Tom Coster or Hot Tuna's Pete Sears (unquestionably one of the most underrated musicians around) on the keys. The Samba opener is soothing, a warm bath of easy sounds. The crowd favorite 5B4 Funk is great, a bit more energized and a lot of fun, but the real masterpiece is the huge It's Up To You that closes the disc. A true musical voyage, it starts strong, de-evolves to a primordial form and muddles in some incredibly intense amorphous regions before easing back to shape- certainly a path best traveled with a good set of headphones.

Uncle Sammy- Naturally Preserved, Phoenix Presents 3016

If someone asked me what a "jamband" is, after running around in circles for a bit, I'd probably let 'em give Uncle Sammy a listen. It's true that they stay on the Rock and Roll side of things, but within that world, they're probably the best amalgamation jam sounds around. It's obvious that the guys in the band count moe., Phish, and the Disco Biscuits, among others, as influences, since you can pick out the area's where those bands ooze out of Uncle Sammy's jammies. There is something immediately comfortable about their sound- not necessarily roads you've traveled before, but the terrain is familiar.

Don't misconstrue such comments as a negative. Tom, Max, Brian and Sasser are all talented musicians with skill and style, and they use their abilities to create energetic modern psychedelic music, ranging from bright, transcendent peaks to goofy sarcasm. This disc was recorded at NYC's Wetlands Preserve after the first Phish Radio City show and features a great sampling of their tunes. In particular the opening track, Jorge Benson's New Funk Explosion, is wonderfully quirky as the lyrics, "Everybody, it's party time," are sung over and over in deadpan voices; can't quite find the balance between authenticity and dry humor. It's fantastic! The second track is also a personal favorite, with a nice southern Californian feel, as is Sociology, written in the classic jam style, with strange lyrical interludes and long instrumental segments. This disc is definitely worth checking out and sharing with a friend.

Grateful Dead- Ladies and Gentlemen. The Grateful Dead, GDCD 4075

This recently released 4-disc set is a compilation culled from the closing of the Filmore East in 1971. Most everyone who has any sort of GD tape collection has at least something from this run of shows, but as a colleague said, "My copy sucks;" that's the price of highly circulated tapes. So to grab some of the highlights in pristine quality, well who could pass up that opportunity? Many of the songs are taken from first sets which, as Smokin' Dave said, "rocked in 71." Of course at that time there was a lot of interplay between sets, so China > Rider or the still new Birdsong could pop up just about anywhere. On disc one there is a rare Second That Emotion (2 were played over the course of 5 nights) and a nice Good Lovin'. Disc two has a still folky Uncle John's into a huge, raunchy 22-minute Lovelight. Disc three has both by all accounts the best Hard to Handle ever and a stellar Dark Star > St. Stephen > NFA > GDTRFB > NFA with Tom Constanten. To round it out, disc four contains one of the most famous GD performances ever Alligator > GDTRFB > Cold Rain, a 28 minute musical construction of unparalleled excellence.

Yeah, it's true, the Duane Allman tunes would've been nice, and if you've ever heard it, you know the Beach Boys stuff is outrageous and worth releasing, but despite those missing moments, this is what a 4 disc GD collection should be: a great set for beginners and the hardcore alike.