Charlie Hunter
The Continental Club - Houston, TX
August 20, 2000
by Chris Gardner

The early moments of a Charlie Hunter show are for acclimation, for settling, for adjusting, for gawking, and for accepting.  It takes the brain a while to come to grips with the dizzying complexity of Charlie's fret work.  He plays a lead guitar line while simultaneously comping himself on the bass, smothering it all with butta smooth plucked organ tones.  It is hard to imagine whether this is more challenging mentally or physically, but neither aspect seems to trouble the grinning, hooting, hollering, and buoyant Mr. Hunter sitting center stage, flanked by percussionists.

It is natural to feel that twinge of jealousy, to hope he falls flat on his face.  The tendency is to think that he has bitten off more than he can chew or that he is somehow cheating, but his virtuosity and the ease with which it flows from him soon debunk both theories.  Charlie is not showing off, he is just being Charlie.  Then it starts to get strange.

Fifteen minutes into a Charlie Hunter show, you are no longer awed.  The focus shifts from how he is doing it to what he is doing.  With Steven Chopek on a pared down drum set and Chris Lovejoy on a percussion set to the right and left of him respectively, he tore into a groove heavy, danceable jazz set that left the Sunday night crowd at Houston's new Continental Club slack-jawed and giddy.

Hunter is as impressive in the back seat as in the front.  His solos are focused, embarking from and returning to point A cogently, but his work complementing the rich drum grooves with weighty bass lines and faux-organ tones is equally impressive.  The drummers have a gift for implying rhythms, and Charlie fills in all the gaps, attacking empty spaces with every rhythm his mind can muster.

His soloing began in earnest during Thelonius Monk's Epistrophy. In perhaps his most extensive solo of the evening, Hunter strolled away from the theme, sprinkling the path with a string of variously obvious and startling rhythmic extensions, and deftly returned to the theme.  The follower, Al Green from Charlie Hunter the album, conjured the Reverend with seamless, elastic organ lines and long, slow bass lines that slid like jelly off toast.

Chopek and Lovejoy, both students of Leon Parker, who collaborated with Charlie on Duo, make the most of their pared down kits.  The show hit a new height with a Chopek penned tune called Steven's Bad Ass Groove, which is exactly that. Banging a tiny tambourine on his chest through out, Chopek's left hand and right foot slammed out an irresistible pulse that had the most rigid onlookers flopping weak-kneed to the beat.  When Lovejoy added his congas, the roof of the new venue strained.  '

The closing shuffle fed off the crowd's energy, rumbling fiercely.  Half way through the near-rumba, Charlie picked up a tambourine and absolutely wrecked it.  Sounds strange, doesn't it?  Well after seeing Lovejoy get wicked on the triangle earlier in the show, it seemed perfectly natural.  The crowd, which had been tuned in but quietly respectful all night, began to mimic the bands hoots and hollers, and the room started sweating.  Charlie's lightning quick tambo runs seemed unnatural, and there may have been a trick.  It certainly felt like he was cheating.

After a perfunctory exit and a 27 second pause, the band returned for the encore saying, "This is a tune we wrote this afternoon," and laid down yet another slick, multi-textured groove, as if to rub it in. They closed with a revelatory cover of Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown that left the crowd shaking its head, trying to place the melody.

The crowd that left the Continental Club that Sunday night looked ready to race home, lay in bed, stare at the ceiling, and relive the experience immediately, just like I did.

Jazz Mandolin Project Makes Up For It
Stubb's - Austin, TX
August 25, 2000
by Chris Gardner

This was intended to be a review of the Buzztopia tour featuring The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Jazz Mandolin Project, and Rob Wasserman.  The Gods of work, traffic, and absurdity eliminated the Dirty Dozen.  The punch of Africa faded as I raced up to the venue.  I didn't even get to see a sousaphone.  Rob Wasserman, whose set was rumored to be a live hip-hop bounce fest, was surprisingly disappointed.  So much so that I would rather not say anything else about it.

All of which meant that JMP had to shoulder the burden, save my evening from the downward spiral, and justify my four hour drive that afternoon.  They were more than up to the task.  Of the three line-ups I have seen in four shows, this was unquestionably the youngest and the funkiest.  The first line-up, featuring the other worldly, effects-laden bass work of Stacy Starkweather, focused on composition and spacey exploration.  The second lineup, with Chris Dahlgren shredding the bass and a furry kid named Fishman on the skins, had its funky moments as it barreled along, but neither can rival the current line up on the Funk-ah-meter.

While the group's focus remains on Jamie Masefield's adept compositions, whose thoughtful and original transitions shape the readily identifiable sound of the band, the unit can also slip into a groove, rooting itself around a bare bones beat and improvising within the groove.  While previous incarnations have stretched themes further and explored more ground, none has explored the same ground so thoroughly.

Within ten minutes of taking the stage, the band had the crowd.  Seemingly every head bounced in time as Jamie led the band through a series of originals.  Bassist Danton Boller and drummer Ari Hoenig, a North Texas graduate, stay in the pocket. The two find their place, flesh it out, and pick their spots perfectly.  It is their steady work that allows Jamie to extend.  This is not to suggest that they are not capable of extemporaneous flights into the nether regions of melody.  They are.  Danton's  bass crackles wildly with fuzz effects  at times and blooms with low-end at others, and Ari attacks his pared down kit voraciously, hammering out grooves to make the dead dance.

Meanwhile, Jamie's playing improves each time I see him.  He is more confident, more patient, and more relaxed as a player than I have ever seen him.  He chases melodies with a butterfly net, pins them to the board and moves along, stringing together a series of interpretations of the theme seamlessly, creating a chain with no two links alike.

Oh Yeah!, a new tune that they, "have been having fun with", gave the audience a chance to play.  The crowd is encouraged to shout out, "Oh Yeah!" at any time and in any way they see fit for the duration of the song.  While most timed themselves with the highly energetic Hoenig, there were still spurts and blasts from the crowd, some entirely premeditated and patiently awaited and others much less so.  During one particularly fervent Jamie solo, a cluster of fans began shouting, "Oh Yeah!" out of time, as though it was not their choice.  It was easily the most entertaining and effective crowd participation device I have encountered as it truly gave the crowd the impression that they could add to the jam by focusing on individuality rather than conformity.  All of which is to say that it was really cool and lotsa fun taboot.  Most importantly, it contained the finest musical moments of the show as the band devoured Jamie's funky composition.

The newest version of the Jazz Mandolin Project seems to stretch Jamie in new ways.  With a newfound focus on groove, his extensions and solos seem somehow more focused; condensed, concentrated, and richer.  In an ever-evolving band, this incarnation is, again, an improvement.

Matematoot Debuts
The Mercury - Austin, TX
August 18, 2000
by Chris Gardner

The crowd filtered in slowly for Matematoot's live debut at the Mercury on Sixth Street in Austin.  (Click here for sound.) The throng was small but growing as five of the city's finest jazz musicians took the stage. Matematoot, the brain child of guitarist Willie Oteri, is a quintet featuring Brannen Temple on drums, Mike Malone (who did a stint with Jimmy Smith) on tenor, Chris Tondre and Willie on guitars, and Michael Stevens on bass. Malone, Temple, and Stevens play together with Blaze, a straight jazz project, and Tondre sits in on the Hip Hop Humpday gigs.  Willie, who had seem the others play around, pieced together the guitar heavy fusion outfit to cut "Concepts of.", which includes most of the songs played this evening.

The Spanish Key opener woke the crowd up, and Malone's solo stopped them in their tracks.  The cut from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain takes on a thick and gritty quality in their hands, and Temple's punchy drum beat elicits a hidden funk from the tune.  Each of the seasoned members can solo mercilessly, but their strength is in the true jam.  Despite minimal practice time, the unit achieves a cohesion that works as a springboard for legitimate, evolving jams.

This was never more evident than when local trumpeter Ephriam Owens, fresh off a stint with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe and also a member of Blaze, took the stage.  The interplay between Malone and Owens was uncanny, and it was clear that they were "feelin' each other".  Ephriam's strong personal voice brings a distinct flavor to any jam, and it lit a fire under the band this night.  They truly cooked when he joined in.

Willie and Chris on the guitars add an attitude all their own.  They add the grit and fuse elements of funk and rock bravado into the mix.  There were times when the jazzier side did not accommodate the rawk well, but there were enough perfect fits to suggest that, with time, the unit could synthesize into something special.  The mix is a departure for all involved, a true compromise, and they all seemed to enjoy the challenges and opportunities that the fusion presents.

The room resonated with skintight grooves, blistering solos, thoughtful interplay, respectful comping, and moving jams all night, and it can only get better.

To see Eric Rothschild's pictures of the show, click here.

The Colorado Round-Up
By Jeff Buske

Ahhh yes, summer shows are too much fun! It's just too hard to catch 'em all! Some of the (very high) highlights of my summer included the High Sierra Festival in Quincy , CA, WP @ Red Rocks, Stir Fried, the Big Wu, and many more. In detail, however, I thought I would write about these past few weeks. The Schwag was in town for the fifth anniversary of Jerry's death. They are a fun band to see.  Unlike many Dead cover bands, they have their own unique take on the tunes. While playing Grateful Dead music, their own musical personality shines through. I caught them Aug. 13 & 14th at Quixote's in Aurora (a kind of suburb of Denver), a fun deadhead bar that hosts live music nightly.

Next we have WIDESPREAD PANIC!@ River Run in Keystone, CO.  This was the close of their summer tour, which opened at Red Rocks. Keystone is a resort town consisting of condos and condos. Camping for the fest. was in a sort of "concentration camp," a fenced in parking lot. We made the best of it though.  We also made a banner for a contest held for tickets to all the shows on fall tour. Unfortunately for us, it was stolen from the campground. My girlfriend and I spent many hours painting it and were very disappointed that someone would be thoughtless enough to steal. We also lost a sign we made which read, "No left turn unstoned," so if you see this sign or a banner which read Widespread Panic with cartoon caricatures of the band interspersed with other cartoons, (Simpsons, etc.) and "In the Middle of the Summertime" on the bottom, then you know it was stolen from us. I would love to get it back.

Sorry about that, now on with the show. The stage was set against a beautiful mountain backdrop and must have inspired some of the great jams that occurred. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Karl Denson(and his Tiny Universe) opened and came out to play with Panic. I had fun on Saturday and really enjoyed One Armed Steve, and Old Joe, the Superstition with the Dirty Dozen was incredible.  There was a great Porch and the rowdy new instrumental Action Man, among others, but Sunday was the best for me with too many great tunes to list , Low Spark , Tall Boy, All Time Low, Imitation Leather Shoes with the great line, "my little brother is an insect he likes to crawl around the room."  I could go on and on about Widespread.  Just go see them again and again also go to Spreadnet to check out the setlists. A great disc has been circulating among spreadheads that contains all the new songs which debuted on spring tour, great stuff.

  Furthurmore... on August 29th we headed to Fiddler's Green in Englewood, CO for The Other Ones, and what a show it was. You know a show is amazing when it opens with Dark Star>Shakedown>Loser.   Next was Down the Road Again, a Mystery Box tune which includes a line about Fiddler's and finished with a great Hornsby inspired gospel ending. Fiddler's Green is not exactly a kind place. It's located in a tech-park surrounded by office buildings, and, just as the show was picking up speed, it was cut off by the strict 10:30 curfew. They don't let anyone play over, and they turn off the sound and turn on the lights.  What a bummer! Be prepared for this when Phish plays in September. The acoustic portion of the show was nice featuring Me and My Uncle and an unexpected mid-show Ripple featuring Alphonso on a stand-up electric. Definitely a great jam band to catch, they even played the second verse of D.S. into a rough but ready Terrapin, closing with the oft maligned Corrina which I feel is misjudged, especially in this rockin' and rollin' version. Still the highest point for me came during Drumz.  Just seeing the boys(Mickey and Billy) back together having fun is worth the price of admission.

This coming weekend brings the first annual Planet Salmon, a Leftover Salmon festival, and I must say I am psyched! What a line-up!  Included are solo acoustic J.B. (from WP), Maceo Parker, Derek Trucks, Yonder Mt., Acoustic Syndicate , John Brown's Body, Runaway Truck Ramp, Col. Bruce, and too many other great performers to list. It's being held in Lyons, CO at the Planet Bluegrass site over a two day period.

Besides the Salmon Fest, Neil Young is coming for three nights at Red Rocks.   Also coming up are Phish, moe., Disco Biscuits, The Big Wu, Split Lip Rayfield, Ben Harper with Galactic at Red Rocks, and some other kick ass bands.  So even though fall is approaching, the fun ain't over yet. I'll see you dancin' out the rest of summer!!

Last but not least in my thoughts is the tragic death of Allen Woody. We have been toasting his greatness and mourning his loss since we first learned of his very untimely demise. It is such a sad event, and Mule was set to play here in a couple of weeks.  So raise a toast or take a toke and put on a Gov't Mule album or A.B.B. boot and pay your respects.  Thank You.

John Bell at Planet Salmon Lyons, Colorado 9-9-00
by John Lapelle

I must say that Lyons, Colorado and the friends and family of Lefotver Salmon were mighty gracious hosts at the first annual Salmonfest held on September 9 and 10th. Spirits and energy levels were very high all weekend as a positive vibe flowed through the campground and the music. And some good music we were treated to as well. Not only did we receive a soul-rousing solo performance by John Bell, but were also treated to superb perfromances by Derek Trucks, Col Bruce Hampton, Maceo Parker, Yonder Mountain String Band, and of course Leftover Salmon.

Vince of Leftover Salmon was the master of ceremonies and did a good job of introducing everybody that played. HIs introduction of John Bell was hindered only by the crwod that had amassed in front of the chair and microphone that lay by themselves on stage. And what an introduction it was, the energy level was so thick you could cut it with your lighter. Jb settled comfortably into his big ole chair and gave a big ole "hey everybody!". He was greeted with a roar from the crowd that meant it was time to do this. He wasted no time as he startt strumming "crack and whistle", i hadn't seen this since sit and ski in '96 where he also did it solo and man did he nail it right off the bat. "Look at our reflections in the mirror, long and big, curly tall" made me laugh as his first Jbsim of the night invited me to think funny with him. He also muttereda line about "johnny running backwards" taht also caught my ear. Jb made it through all the parts of the song exceopt for the "sit back" part he used to do at the end of the song a couple years ago.

The tune-up for christmas katie sounded exactly as if the panic was warming it up and you could hear it coming. Jb delivered the lyrics of this comforting ballad with ease and professionalism. Absolutely perfect. I was wondering how he was gonna end it, at this time astounded by how loud his guitar was turned up and how hard he was playing it!, and he did it exactly as promised with a climactic "make it last all night!!". He then slowed things down with an "old joe" that turned my thoughts directly to the late Allen Woody who has always been closely linked with JB and the panic family.

Jb hit a chord during the 'live long and lucky' lines when after ending 'old joe' he let us in on a little bit of his life after telling us that this was a old broken up swedish poem his grandfather used to sing on birthdays. This was so funny to me since i have been wearting this song out ever since he rapped it during the 'postcard' encore the last night of red rocks this summer and here he was singing this after i have been listening to it in my car from some '88 tape of the panic for the last 3 weeks. Jb hit some really high notes and his voice was really shining during this song as he yodeled and gave us good wishes. Defintiely a highlight of the set for me. Then he gave us the double punch when he followed it with an 'opportunity' which had the audience enthralled again by the range of his vocals, this time going extremely low. Very cool song that was. Then he started strumming pretty fast, defintely faster than any "mercy" i have ever heard. Jb has always had a dark fascination withthis song and it does hit home. This version was feverish, with clouds rolling into to the frenetic speed of his strumming. The chorus almost had a spanish tint to it. But the clouds he summoned during 'mercy' were divine and it was a very cool moment filled with a whole lot of energy.

Then he donned the slide for a nice 'Ribs and Whiskey" complete with a nice long intro. "Dog Song" followed in which jb hit up the ice cream man for a 'popsicle' this time.

Then a long awaited duo appeared as Drew Emmitt appeared onstage next to Jb. These guys could do some cool side projects, they almost garcia-grisman-esque in their knowledge and pursuit of musical exploration, appreciation, and exoneration. Then the Apt (Jeff Sipe, drummer leftover salmon and lontime zambi activist) joined them onstage and i knew it was on.

They added different dimensions to a song that has only been performed live one other time, also referred to as "dance of the seven veils", "Body and Soul" envisions the Jb ballad to the fullest extent. Drew on the mandolin was going up and down and all around jb's vocals and lyrics for a beautiful rendition of a song I personally am eager to see mature, however it takes it's course. I just hope i don't ever miss one. "Get Back' followed and then we were treated to a foreshadowing of the madness that was to ensue later during the hilarious "Give me back my wig!!' which had Jb, Drew, and Jeff rolling in laughter while they played for us. Who was having more fun?

That became apparent later when after one of the Leftover set's these huge floats came rolling through the crowd. And who was up there with the Leftover boys complete with hat, sunglasses, and wig!! Mr Jb. He then joined the Salmon for an amazing "low spark" in which leftover really took over and jammed it out, winwood style. Jb stayed out for "Blues in a Bottle" and then "nobodys Fault but mine" which appears on their 'nashville sessions' cd that jb appears on. The slow "nobodys fault" with john bell's and john cowen's vocals was a sight to see. Jb uttered out a verse to show how good of a sport he was, "JC taught me how to pray, one day he'll teach me how to sing", when his vocals were clearly one of the highlights of the weekend. I can't wait til next time. See ya there. Big thanks to Lyons, colorado crew, banks, weldon, etc....... in all honesty......john lapelle