• https://www.dead.net/features/blairs-golden-road-blog/blair%E2%80%99s-golden-road-blog%E2%80%94-phish-wsp-derek-and-other-%E2%80%9Cfellow-travele
    Blair’s Golden Road Blog— Phish, WSP, Derek and Other “Fellow Travelers”

    I don’t dig Phish. Lord knows I’ve tried. Through the years I’ve had so many people attempt to convert me. I dutifully auditioned live CDs fanatical fans would pass to me. I checked out every studio album that came my way, wondering if this would be the Phish album that would have songs that actually resonated with me. I recall when one came out a number of years ago a Phish Head pal proclaimed it “Phish’s American Beauty.” Uh, no. I watched most of a live Phish DVD a while ago, wondering if perhaps the visual element would get me off. Nope. “But you gotta see a show, man!” No doubt. I’m still open to that. But at this point, I really have heard many hours of Phish and it just doesn’t do it for me. The songs don’t sing to my soul, and even though the musicianship is clearly amazing on a technical level, it doesn’t hit me emotionally.

    I’ve been through similar scenes with other jam bands (and my friends who like ’em). I can at least understand why Phish appeals to people, but in the case of Widespread Panic I don’t have a clue. They sound completely ordinary to me. Again, I’ve given them multiple chances to show me something — live and studio CDs — but the song craft isn’t there for me, the guitar playing does not blow my mind, and they lack even that quirky dimension that Phish has (way too much of). I suppose I have to see them live, too. So, who’s got my 10th row-center miracle ticket for that show? ’Cause in this era, with ticket prices what they are, I ain’t spending my concert money on a headliner there’s a good chance I won’t enjoy.

    But here’s the thing: I root for both of those bands, and really, just about all jam bands, because they are “fellow travelers.” No, not fellow communists, as that term was originally applied decades ago, but musicians out of the mainstream dedicated to playing improvisational music before spirited and adventure-seeking crowds. I like any crowd that will dance—sorry, just standing there doesn’t count; gotta shake it at least a little — and any band that will get people up and moving. To me, it’s the highest form of musical communion. The Grateful Dead completely spoiled me, because not only did they inspire you to dance, they had perhaps the greatest song catalog (originals and covers) of any band ever, so every part of your body-mind-spirit was engaged. At this point, I’ve learned to go to shows not expecting that sort of soul-elevating trifecta, so I am often pleasantly surprised when I get one or two, and if not for an entire evening, at least in spurts.

    It’s not like I want or expect bands to sound at all like the Grateful Dead. Yes, I love Furthur—it’s those guys and those songs, brought into The Now. But, as I’ve noted before, Dark Star Orchestra, who sound more like the Dead than Furthur, don’t do it for me. Even so, I still want them to do well, because they’re fellow travelers fighting the good fight and providing a space for the people who like them to experience something soulful and true.

    My favorite of the first wave of jam bands — moe.— doesn’t sound anything like the Grateful Dead. Nor does String Cheese Incident, who I’ve enjoyed intermittently through the years. SCI and moe. also have made studio albums I love: Untying the Not and Wormwood respectively, and have written many fine songs. A group that I’ve come to love the last few years who go to some similar musical places as the Grateful Dead but in a completely different way is Railroad Earth. Again, it’s good songs as vehicles for inspired jamming, but more from the bluegrass side. Yonder Mountain String Band is often lumped into the loose jamgrass category, too, but for whatever reason I have not gotten into them in the same way. But I root for them, too!

    The other night I went to the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and they totally knocked me out with their alternately tight and jammy rock, R&B and soul sound. The crowd was great — hanging on every wail from Derek Trucks’ slide, and movin’ to the big, big sound of a surprisingly flexible 11-piece band, with Derek’s wife, Susan Tedeschi, out front with gritty lead vocals that at times recalled Bonnie Raitt, Bonnie Bramlett and other belters. Opening for the TTB was the married duo Tim and Nicki Bluhm (he’s best known as leader of the Mother Hips and also toured with the Rhythm Devils last year), and they were definitely not a jam band. They played short, catchy, country-flavored original songs—just two voices and one acoustic guitar—but you could tell they were fellow travelers because you could hear their roots in folk and old-time music, feel that the characters in their songs were flesh and blood, and that as performers they were connecting with each other and the audience. It was real. They got a tremendous reception from a crowd that was there to rock—but also open to being moved.

    When it comes down to it, I guess what I’m really looking for, whether it’s from so-called jam bands or a solo singer with one instrument, is some sort of connection. When you find it, you know it—you can’t miss it! And when you get it, you want more. So the search continues…

    OK, jam fans — tell us who you like and why! (And yes, I will take recommendations for THE Phish or Widespread Panic disc or download I have to hear!)

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    blairj
    13 years 6 months ago
    Mule is hit or miss for me...

    Loved 'em when I saw them a couple of years ago opening for RatDog in San Jose. Went to their Halloween show last fall at the beautiful Fox in Oakland and dug the first set--Who's Next turned out to be a perfect choice for their traditional Halloween album surprise--but found much of their second set to be slow and sludgy. Warren sure does like those midtempo, Bad Company-style rockers--and I don't.

    I'm definitely pro-Warren, however...

    I thought the version of the Allmans with him and Dickey Betts was awesome, and the version with Warren and Derek pretty good, too, but missing that Betts touch (and his voice and many of his songs) that has always helped define the Allmans' sound for me... I've also enjoyed Warren's stints in both the PLQ and The Dead, especially his singing on Garcia tunes. His sit-in with Furthur at the Best Buy last tour was also very cool...

  • acefromspace
    13 years 6 months ago
    MULE!!!
    What about the Mule!!!! Right on with RailRoad Earth....Todd is a genius and they create great imagery with the music!!!!
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    blairj
    13 years 6 months ago
    Pardon my ignorance...
    ... but is there an archive.org equivalent where one could easily stream a given Phish show, like a couple mentioned by Dan above? Downloading from some sites is kind of a hassle sometimes; I love how on archive, you click it and you're listening...
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I don’t dig Phish. Lord knows I’ve tried. Through the years I’ve had so many people attempt to convert me. I dutifully auditioned live CDs fanatical fans would pass to me. I checked out every studio album that came my way, wondering if this would be the Phish album that would have songs that actually resonated with me. I recall when one came out a number of years ago a Phish Head pal proclaimed it “Phish’s American Beauty.” Uh, no. I watched most of a live Phish DVD a while ago, wondering if perhaps the visual element would get me off. Nope. “But you gotta see a show, man!” No doubt. I’m still open to that. But at this point, I really have heard many hours of Phish and it just doesn’t do it for me. The songs don’t sing to my soul, and even though the musicianship is clearly amazing on a technical level, it doesn’t hit me emotionally.

I’ve been through similar scenes with other jam bands (and my friends who like ’em). I can at least understand why Phish appeals to people, but in the case of Widespread Panic I don’t have a clue. They sound completely ordinary to me. Again, I’ve given them multiple chances to show me something — live and studio CDs — but the song craft isn’t there for me, the guitar playing does not blow my mind, and they lack even that quirky dimension that Phish has (way too much of). I suppose I have to see them live, too. So, who’s got my 10th row-center miracle ticket for that show? ’Cause in this era, with ticket prices what they are, I ain’t spending my concert money on a headliner there’s a good chance I won’t enjoy.

But here’s the thing: I root for both of those bands, and really, just about all jam bands, because they are “fellow travelers.” No, not fellow communists, as that term was originally applied decades ago, but musicians out of the mainstream dedicated to playing improvisational music before spirited and adventure-seeking crowds. I like any crowd that will dance—sorry, just standing there doesn’t count; gotta shake it at least a little — and any band that will get people up and moving. To me, it’s the highest form of musical communion. The Grateful Dead completely spoiled me, because not only did they inspire you to dance, they had perhaps the greatest song catalog (originals and covers) of any band ever, so every part of your body-mind-spirit was engaged. At this point, I’ve learned to go to shows not expecting that sort of soul-elevating trifecta, so I am often pleasantly surprised when I get one or two, and if not for an entire evening, at least in spurts.

It’s not like I want or expect bands to sound at all like the Grateful Dead. Yes, I love Furthur—it’s those guys and those songs, brought into The Now. But, as I’ve noted before, Dark Star Orchestra, who sound more like the Dead than Furthur, don’t do it for me. Even so, I still want them to do well, because they’re fellow travelers fighting the good fight and providing a space for the people who like them to experience something soulful and true.

My favorite of the first wave of jam bands — moe.— doesn’t sound anything like the Grateful Dead. Nor does String Cheese Incident, who I’ve enjoyed intermittently through the years. SCI and moe. also have made studio albums I love: Untying the Not and Wormwood respectively, and have written many fine songs. A group that I’ve come to love the last few years who go to some similar musical places as the Grateful Dead but in a completely different way is Railroad Earth. Again, it’s good songs as vehicles for inspired jamming, but more from the bluegrass side. Yonder Mountain String Band is often lumped into the loose jamgrass category, too, but for whatever reason I have not gotten into them in the same way. But I root for them, too!

The other night I went to the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and they totally knocked me out with their alternately tight and jammy rock, R&B and soul sound. The crowd was great — hanging on every wail from Derek Trucks’ slide, and movin’ to the big, big sound of a surprisingly flexible 11-piece band, with Derek’s wife, Susan Tedeschi, out front with gritty lead vocals that at times recalled Bonnie Raitt, Bonnie Bramlett and other belters. Opening for the TTB was the married duo Tim and Nicki Bluhm (he’s best known as leader of the Mother Hips and also toured with the Rhythm Devils last year), and they were definitely not a jam band. They played short, catchy, country-flavored original songs—just two voices and one acoustic guitar—but you could tell they were fellow travelers because you could hear their roots in folk and old-time music, feel that the characters in their songs were flesh and blood, and that as performers they were connecting with each other and the audience. It was real. They got a tremendous reception from a crowd that was there to rock—but also open to being moved.

When it comes down to it, I guess what I’m really looking for, whether it’s from so-called jam bands or a solo singer with one instrument, is some sort of connection. When you find it, you know it—you can’t miss it! And when you get it, you want more. So the search continues…

OK, jam fans — tell us who you like and why! (And yes, I will take recommendations for THE Phish or Widespread Panic disc or download I have to hear!)

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I don’t dig Phish. Lord knows I’ve tried. Through the years I’ve had so many people attempt to convert me. I dutifully auditioned live CDs fanatical fans would pass to me. I checked out every studio album that came my way, wondering if this would be the Phish album that would have songs that actually resonated with me. I recall when one came out a number of years ago a Phish Head pal proclaimed it “Phish’s American Beauty.”

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edheadwharfrat Here's my two cents. I'm a 200plus show veteran dating back to 1982, so for me nothing will ever compare to the Grateful Dead. They are in their own special catagory in my heart and soul. Having said that, I also really enjoy both Phish and Widespread Panic. To me they are sort of yin and yang. Phish is light-hearted goofy fun, and Widepread Panic's music to me is very beautiful, but in a dark way. Depending on my mood, either band can make me happy as a listening choice, and I really love them both in concert. A lot of Deadheads share Blair's opinion of these two bands, but I feel fortunate that I am not one of them.
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There is no-one who comes close to the Grateful Dead. Some people like like Phish, some like Widespread Panic but everybody likes the Dead. Not really a surprising conclusion to arrive at on the Grateful Dead website, but it does seem that there are no other bands that everybody gives a big thumbs-up to. Maybe the Grateful Dead vs. Phish discussion will be resolved on June 14 with the release of... "Grateful Dead vs. Phish". I confess I have absolutely no idea what this release is about, what it will contain or why it is even happening. I guess I will have to wait and see.
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More generally, Grateful Dead music (Hunter and all his collaborators) was great, in my view, due to equal parts fantastic song catalog and inspired, searching performances. Many Dead originals are rich and varied in tone and tempo and mood, such that the band itself was often challenged to sing the material well. The upward re-evaluation of so many Grateful Dead songs and their meaning to many kinds of people was an early "positive" outcome of Garcia's death. Would have happened eventually. As songwriters the Dead often pushed themselves to very high standards. Jam bands? Making jazz noise, I'm all for that, along with jazz.
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it's worth remembering how hard it is for any musician to 1) make a living playing music, 2) find and build an audience and 3) stay fresh and creative. I think its great the jam bands can outrun the music industry's decline, and connect with their audiences. So I think their scenes and tours are to some degree worth my support. As an aside, I am goin' to see Billy Bragg this summer, can't wait!!
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I enjoy listening to Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh playing together. It takes up all my listening time.There's not enough hours in the day for me to absorb much other improvisation "jam" music.I don't just listen to Grateful Dead. Come on man - I listen to the JGB too. I am very well rounded! I tried with Phish for years in the early 90s. This thread is timely, as I put in "A Picture of Nectar" for the first time in many years not long ago. Made it about 10 seconds into two or three songs and couldn't do anymore. Absolutely terrible, for me. I just get zero love back. I used to like Dave Matthews. How many people do you run into that say that? I run into a lot. "I used to like Dave Matthews." Why did we like him at all? It's embarassing to me now. I guess I listened for the drummer Carter. Some of the songs were good, too. But these days, I absolutely can't stand the guy's voice and absolutely abhor is obnoxious, contrived bleeding-heart liberal persona. I can't even stand to look at the guy, he bugs me so much. Any other time I have that I am not listening to Jerry I want a change of pace - to ROCK. Van Halen "Fair Warning" or something like that ...or something else entirely. Dylan, Michael Jackson, or my own music that I've played over the years ...anything but more "jam" guitar solos. It all goes back to Garcia for me. There's no point in looking for substitutes, replacements, additions to what he did. That's just me. I want Garcia or I want something different - Stones, rock, metal, Steve Ray Vaughan. Something totally different in approach.
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"I think it's great the jam bands can outrun the music industry's decline, and connect with their audiences." Amen to that! Bands are having to make money the old fashioned way--on the road!
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16 years 9 months
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Tea Leaf Green?
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17 years 5 months
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Like my momma used to tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say...." well, that's how I feel about Phish.Let's just say I consider them a low rent rip-off, kinda like Kenny Wayne Shepard and Chris Duarte are to SRV.
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17 years 5 months
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Oh... and Dave Matthews? Puh-lease.
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15 years 7 months
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How are Phish a low rent rip off, they are almost nothing like the grateful dead, different styles of music, completely different songs, phish's lyrics are weird, the only thing they have in common is that they have 'Heads' following them on tour, thats the only thing thats the same, everything else is different
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Like 'em or not, they are at least original...
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If Phish is a low rent rip-off of anyone, it is Zappa and not the Dead. That argument can be made- and being a fan of Phish and Zappa, I think I can make it- I just don't believe it. The only connection- musically- I see between the Phish and the Dead are the embracing of Americana, either through originals or covers, in their live setting. The Dead frequented the outlaw country pool while Phish was more bluegrass oriented. They paid explicit respect to their influences and that was/is awesome. Everything else from lyrics to music to jamming styles is pretty different.
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I note in passing that I was just over on the Rhino site and noticed that there is at the moment a Listening Party for Shoot Out the Lights, for any that are interested, here. No lengthy jamming, but classic.
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I'd somehow failed to notice that Rhino had issued a deeeluxe version of Shoot Out the Lights. Question is, is the $40 price tag worth the live extras and whatever other doodads are in the set if one already owns the original vinyl and CD? I'd jump on it in a heartbeat at, say, $25 just for the live side. Hmmm...or Grrrrr....
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After Jerry's death, I wasn't into seeing too many "new" jam bands. I wish that I would have seen a few more shows during the 95-2001 period, especially Phil's band with Warren and Jimmy Herring, but I had different priorities during that period. I saw Widespread Panic a few times from 93-98, but the show I saw that got me into seeing WSP shows was 2001-11-16, and it still sounds good today. http://panicstream.com/streams/wsp/2001_11_16/player.html As far as the latest incarnation of WSP, this show from LA in '08 pretty much says it all: http://panicstream.com/streams/wsp/2008_06_22/player.html Hope these get a listen from some folks.
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Has anyone mentioned Akron/Family yet? (http://akronfamily.com) These guys are definitely "fellow travelers" which you get a sense of from this quote taken from a recent interview with AK FAM guitarist Seth Olinsky: "Part of the creative process is that it doesn't know completion—it just knows creativity. It keeps creating, it keeps reinventing itself. It's more cyclical and just process-oriented. Look at all living things: nothing's static. There is no stasis in life." (http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/akron_family) I know a lot of folks around here probably won't like them due to their extremely chaotic and noisy style, but I have come to love them. As the Dead did when I first discovered them, Akron/Family has turned me onto a whole new level of understanding and appreciation of "what music is." They are fearless improvisers and masters of dynamics. Now you can check out a lot of their recent live music at archive.org (http://www.archive.org/details/AkronFamily), but I do not see how you can possibly "get" this band until you experience a show live in person. Lots of crowd involvement with clapping, chanting, singing, and dancing with reckless abandon. Recommended albums: "Love Is Simple" and "Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free"
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16 years 9 months
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Has anyone mentioned Akron/Family yet? (http://akronfamily.com) These guys are definitely "fellow travelers" which you get a sense of from this quote taken from a recent interview with AK FAM guitarist Seth Olinsky: "Part of the creative process is that it doesn't know completion—it just knows creativity. It keeps creating, it keeps reinventing itself. It's more cyclical and just process-oriented. Look at all living things: nothing's static. There is no stasis in life." (http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/akron_family) I know a lot of folks around here probably won't like them due to their extremely chaotic and noisy style, but I have come to love them. As the Dead did when I first discovered them, Akron/Family has turned me onto a whole new level of understanding and appreciation of "what music is." They are fearless improvisers and masters of dynamics. Now you can check out a lot of their recent live music at archive.org (http://www.archive.org/details/AkronFamily), but I do not see how you can possibly "get" this band until you experience a show live in person. Lots of crowd involvement with clapping, chanting, singing, and dancing with reckless abandon. Recommended albums: "Love Is Simple" and "Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free"
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Sorry about the double post.... dunno how that happened! Anyway, if anybody here is into the AK FAM, hit me up, I've some stickers I'll send for free as well as lots of live shows to trade or kick down. Peace, Michael
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17 years 6 months
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I guess the reason for the 40 dollars is the state-of-the-art packaging. Is it worth it? I was undergoing my own failed relationship at the time and this just helped build more character. "Walkin' On A Wire" & "It's Just the Motion" are two of the most emotional songs ever. I would love to hear the live stuff. Major plunge though. Quandry. Thanks marye. " Steal Your Jazz "
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For the Richard and Linda tip. One of the great honors of my life was getting to produce a Richard Thompson solo acoustic show shortly after his last tour with Linda. Unfortunately, he was so little known that we got a very small house (a group rather than a crowd?), knowledgeable but small. Anyway, he made a lot of beautiful music come from one wooden guitar. Check out Valerio - maybe not jamming but an amazing performance. Small Town Romance is from that era. Also, while Richard does not do many extended jams, the 1975 Richard and Linda Live has excellent, and pretty long, versions of Calvary Cross and Night Comes In. And more live albums have been released over the last few years. I love More Guitar, from 1988 shows.
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Thank the God of your choice for this blog!Before i go any further, i am in complete agreement with the sentiment. Even if i don't dig a particular artist, i wish them every happiness, every spark of creativity, every right to continue expressing THEIR soul in that beautiful language we call MUSIC (or vibration if you prefer...). So, with that in mind, please allow me an indulgence; no offense is meant to any artist or fan that i disagree with. It's just my own personal thoughts and opinions; respect and tolerance for all. However!!!! This blog does bring up a number of points that do bug me about certain Dead Heads' (my fellow travellers indeed) approach to other music. It verges on the way radio is guilty of spoon-feeding the public the same ol' same ol'. You know there is a wider spectrum of music out there if you investigate and trust that intuition that we are all born with, yet lose so quickly. Some people just can't peek around the curtains of this "Jam" scene to see what's behind. Hence, this incestuous claustrophobia that permeates other fellows' tastes. There ARE magazines out there other than Relix; impossible to believe you say, yet my newsagents' shelves seem to be bulging. Many appear to have a wider interest in other musics, true; yet, and YET, it always seems to involve just a smattering of the usual high profile artists (damn fine artists they are too). Jazz? just Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman (even the musical equivalent of beige, Branford Marsalis). Where is the championing of Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, David S. Ware, Kaoru Abe, Evan Parker, Anthony Braxton, Peter Brötzmann, John Butcher, Frank Wright, Arthur Doyle, Matthew Shipp? This awful, overabundance of cheesy "electronica"/supposed psychedelic dance infestation? Sorry Eoto, Disco Biscuits. No thank you.... I do fully appreciate that some people only have a limited amount of time to investigate deeper into certain styles, but this is where certain publications are profoundly guilty. When the journalists themselves have a fairly limited musical palette, this will get passed on the the readers. "But hang on" you say, "they cover Folk, Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock; that's hardly narrow minded". True, but it's the same ol' same ol'. (or a variation on the same ol' same ol'). Whatever happened to experimentation? To pushing the boundaries? To the endless journey? To knowing that the right-hand path is the correct one and damn well pursuing that left one as if your life depended on it? But lets not end on a negative note; I mean for this post to be signpost as it were; a source of inspiration if i may (am probably going the wrong way about it, but i'm passionate, that's all). Before my humble list, i AM a fan of a lot of the bands in the "jam" (shudder at that term boys and girls...) scene; I love Phish, String Cheese, Widespread, Railroad Earth (good call Blair), Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule etc. etc. It's just not all there is. As Blair mentioned in his next post, out of print is virtually unheard of in the age of internet. EXPLORE!!! Firstly, for fans of this "electronica"/"trance" scene, try these, especially the early 90's recordings: Etnica, Doof, Infinity Project, Astral Projection, Eat Static, Banco de Gaia, Orichalcum & The Egg, Cosmosis, Psychaos, Man With No Name, X-Dream, Slide, Koxbox, Cwithe, Anesthesia, Saafi Brothers, Shin-Ra. Labels such as Transient, Blue Room, T.I.P. Records, Psy Harmonics. Other random artists deserving of appreciation and support, by no means comprehensive: Toru Takemitsu, Group Doueh, Coil, Akio Suzuki, Ruins, Chrome Hoof, Taj Mahal Travellers, Henry Cow, Derek Bailey, Yabby You, Boredoms, Tom Zé, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Throbbing Gristle, Olivia Tremor Control, Susie Ibarra, Duck Baker, Biosphere, No Neck Blues Band, Faust, Konono No.1, Stan Kenton, Curd Duca, Milford Graves, Os Mutantes, Aube, Juan Atkins, Omar Souleyman, The Orb, The Congos, Headhunter, Drexciya, Davy Graham, Stock Hausen & Walkman, Amon Duul, Goatsnake, Jacob Kirkegaard, Augustus Pablo, Raz Mesinai, Phil Niblock, Philip Jeck, Derek Bailey, Nick Drake, Neu, David Kristian, Paul Westerberg, Oren Ambarchi, Derrick May, Chris Watson, Can, Squarepusher, DJ Olive, Otomo Yoshihide, OOIOO, David Toop, The Focus Group, Volcano The Bear and a whole helluva lot more!! Labels: Touch, Aum Fidelity, Important, Editions Mego, Incus, Zero Gravity, Erstwhile, Warp, Leo Records, Tzadik, Ninja Tune, Compost, ESP-Disk, Emanem and Captain Trips. Lastly, i urge ALL of you to subscribe to one of THE visionary, informative publications on the market - The Wire. (Their Editor, Biba Kopf is THE biggest Dead fan. This is a man who filled his iPod with only versions of "Playing In The Band" to compare their transformation through the years.......). Everything above written with the purest of intent; to fill the friends i haven't met yet's minds with glorious sound. Apologies for the length and any dissing; i want Eoto and Disco Biscuits to continue for many years. Good luck and happiness to them both. It's just me who doesn't get it, that's all. Peace and respect.
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Hijack this into a Shoot Out the Lights thread, but it's still a Rhino thang. The $40 price tag is somewhat more distressing as I've just preordered Richard and Linda Live at BBC, a 4-disc set from Universal (UK) for what amounts to about $55 including shipping (Amazon has it for sale currently in the low-mid $60s range). Four discs, not two. Not a fantastic bargain, but compared to the Shoot reissue, a steal. Ahh, it's just money... Let me put in a plug for my all-time favorite jam band...the Grateful Dead! You gotta hear these guys, trust me. And the best fans on the face of the earth!
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A number of years ago I returned to college as an adult to finish what I started many years ago. I took a music appreciation course primarily because I thought it would be an easy way to fill an elective requirement! I knew music pretty well and wasn't expecting to really learn a whole lot. The text book for the course was a book by Aaron Copeland (my favorite American composer) and in it he talked about not being lazy when listening to new music. That was the focus of the course and it helped open new musical experiences to me. I have applied that to my experience of the new crop of jam bands. Railroad Earth required no work, they grabbed me immediately! Keller Williams has required more effort but I appreciate him more as I listen more. Phish is a work in progress for me. They still don't blow me away but I'm finding more gems the more I listen. Of course there will always be some music that doesn't do it for me no matter how much I listen but I've found that making the effort has expanded my mind, and isn't that a key part of the whole Grateful Dead experience!
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Notably, a lot of these folks have Dead/Furthur connections, but I always get great music plus that something extra from Bruce Hornsby, Branford Marsalis Quartet, David Byrne, John Prine, Taj Mahal and John Wesley Harding.
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I agree with Picnic, I don't see how no one mentions the Radiators. The only other band I ever connected with in a way similar to the Dead.
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That's quite a list; many folks I have not heard of... though I must say in all honesty, I have zero interest in Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, etc.--"free" though they may be, I just don't care for noisy avant-garde jazz. Not my thing at all. Never has been. Ornette is even border-line for me. Archie Shepp-- not my idea of a good time...
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It's a shame the Radiators are about to play their last few shows this weekend. While technically not a jam band (they don't really jam that much, just awesome solos interspersed in their songs), they are a band that has developed a deep connection with their fans. Probably because so many fans are also Deadheads, the feeling of community and connectedness at their shows is something amazing. Probably because of my addiction to the GD (first show was in 69), I often view an upcoming Rads show as nothing special. But when I go to a show, I am almost always totally blown away at one point or again and again by the incredible guitar playing of Camille Boudin and the tight synergy of the band. But Blair, if you think Kimock is too funky then forget about the Radiators. The best place to see them is in New Orleans, preferably at Tipitinas, with a hot sweaty crowd. That's where they seem to get the greasiest, funkiest soul stew going. Most bands I see in NOLA like to jam. That comes from the jazz influence, I guess, and besides, it's just plain fun. I think most of them don't consider themselves "jam bands", but they sure do a lot of jamming. That may be the greatest thing I took away from seeing the GD - the jazz approach to playing (and living) that includes making each moment new and interesting, whether you are playing the same song with the same people that you played a hundred times or you are playing a new song with new cats and you make it all up as you go. And speaking of soul stew, Derrick and Susan T's new band is one of the best things going. Saw them at Wanee Fest not too long ago and was mightily impressed. And another band that showed heart and soul and improv skills was Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. I wasn't too sure what to expect from Plant since I was never a real big Zep fan, but he was humble and generous allowing the band to shine as much or more than himself. Of course the Allman Band was exceptional with Derrick and Warren et al, and they sure know how to jam! Like many of us here, I can take it or leave it when it comes to WSP. I tried but I don't get it. Phish is way better, but their lyrics usually kill it for me. Face it, we are one spoiled group of music lovers. With Hunter's lyrics and the bands incredible musicianship, it's hard for anyone to live up to.. But since we live in the NOW, and that , sadly, was then, we are left with a whole bunch of great musicians making incredible, foot stompin', booty shakin', mind expanding music. Let the good times roll!
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I understand your point Blair and feel the same way. That being said I have gone to Phish shows and Moe shows and had a great time. There is definitely something that happens between the audience and band at a "jamband" show that is often missing from other concerts. A certain type of connection or high level of attention or something. Thanks for doing the blog man.
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just because a band can jam just don't do it for me. i love all periods of the dead, not just the early years. the band evolved, great art always does. i too love the rads. i think camille is one of the best guitarists out there. he never bores me, like so many others. thats probably my biggest issue with phish. its not their lyrics for me, i see lots of bands i like that i have never bothered to learn their lyrics, the music first has to hit me. phish always has bored me, esp trey. they just dont say anything. wsp too. i saw them with guitarist #1 and 3. nope, not my cup. music, like any art, has to hit you in the gut, in the soul. if i dig it, i'll follow it up. yonder, bore. one time i saw them, they were fine, playing songs, then to end their first set, they set out on a 15 min jam. yes, the kids started jumpin, so what? another band i love is nrbq. LOVE THEM!!! i could listen to big al play all day. they are like the rads, they play songs. rarely "jam". but they know its not about length. dont get me wrong, i love a band that can take the music somewhere, the problem with yonder, wsp, is that there flights dont say anything to me. jerry and the boys made 20 min seem like heaven. i could listen to phil, or bob, or jer, and it was like they were having a conversation with one another. as far as jazz, i love some of that 'free' stuff. i just found coltrane's ascention on cd. i love that album. blair, you would hate it. the entire album is one song, just music in your face! really cool stuff. its just personal taste. i don't listen to music 247, usually when i listen, i like to sit down, record or cd in hand, and listen. i'm all about lyrics, but what was interesting to me was the first time i saw dylan, in high school, it was his christian time, and his show i saw he did nothing classic. i knew nothing new, maybe gotta serve somebody, so i couldn't sing to any song. and if you've ever seen bob, if he plays a song you don't know, forget about trying to understand the lyrics! but i loved it! he had it for me. and to me some of his recent stuff is his best yet. mississippi, red river shore, i cant stop listening to them! i love 40 min dark stars and 2 min folk songs...if they resonate to me. sorry, phish, widespread, moe, umphries, mmw, yonder just dont have IT for me. oh, and the richard thompson talk here...i love me some richard. for those who love lyrics, he's the best! i have seen him acoustic and electric, both are winners. oh, and every jam band i mentioned, i've seen. some only once, some, like phish, a few. i guess i kept trying to dig them in some way, just didnt work for me. blair, i love your blogs. i've been wanting to chime in here for a while, but had too much to say. i love your most recent post with our roots. i'll chime in at some point. and btw, thanks for mentioning the burrito bros cd that bear recorded. love it.
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That Bootleg Series "Tell Tale Signs" CD set where "Mississippi" and "Red River Shore" appear is my favorite thing Dylan has put out for years. I won't see the guy live; been burned too many times. I've defended his singing since 1964. but I now find his gargling growl unlistenable. I still love the guy, but...
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I'm also ambivalent about "free jazz". Even Ornette. I bought the "Beauty is a Rare Thing" box set solely on Garcia's recommendation- Jerry's passion for Ornette being well-known. I'll break it out every few years for a listen but I'm never sure I'm really "getting it". I saw him live a few years ago in LA and there was a mass exodus towards the exits during his set. Still, I seldom am bored listening to him and it seems like sincere, serious music to me. I can't say the same for Phish and Zappa......
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the one not included in "Beauty is A Rare Thing" is his first and only for OJC called "Something Else!!!" Seems more accessible even than the stuff from just a year later.The guy I really like is Eric Dolphy. Miles said he played as if someone were stepping on his foot. Get over yourself Miles, this guy is wild and accessible to boot! (I hope Miles doesn't get me for that one.) " Steal Your Jazz "
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Interesting response to the "free jazz" mention. I think it is one of those kinds of music that may well need a "gentle" entry point. My interest started through the earlier Standards, then Hard Bop, then the more freer, avant-garde pieces. Once the ear becomes accustomed to a stated theme or melody, then it's the exploration and extemporisation that follows that can produce gold; bit like the Dead, really. Not always, of course! Sometimes its just wailing that doesn't go anyway (which is why some of Miles' stuff was abruptly curtailed when he felt it wasn't "happening", Coltrane too), but its the Journey that was important. Again, like the Dead; wading through a disappointing 2 hours of lethargy for THAT jewel to appear, bright as the sun. Not every Jazz titan produced amazing music all of the time, contrary to popular opinion that the sun shined out of their rear quarters (witness some of those Charlie Parker recordings, where he is drunk/doped). As for your comment about "never sure i'm really getting it" Turlock, i really wouldn't approach it in that way; if it moves you, you've "got it". Don't force it because it will run away from you every time. Let it wash over you; listening on a different day with different weather at different hours can produce different results. There is a danger in Jazz to succumb to that chin-stroking, anal stereotype who will smirk if you are not dutifully clapping a certain solo, or if you can't name all the chord inversions in a Coltrane improvisation. Jazz (music in general actually), like the world of wine has an unbelievable amount of snobbery surrounding it. If you like it, it's good. END of story. As Mr. Muir once said, "Remember, "Cool" is only three letters away from "Fool"". But, i do feel that trying again and again, when the muse calls can lead to revelation; sometimes dipping in at the "wrong place" can put your off for life; hearing a '95 Dead, slowly strangling a ballad would not be a good entry point to their music!! Same for Zappa. They both have such a varied sound and diversity throughout their careers (Zappa more so, obviously), that one can easily hit a track that kills it stone dead. (I remember the first time i heard the Grateful Dead was purchasing beautiful vinyl copies of Aoxomoxoa and American Beauty, and while i loved them dearly, they weren't the improvising, psychedelic beast that i'd been reading about. Was that it? NO! i just hadn't heard the live stuff at that time, money and exposure being tight an' all). It was time to try again. Sun Ra, too has a huge body of work, from '50's Big Band, Walt Disney interpretations, gorgeous ballads, massed vocal chanting, pioneering electronic organ colourings, psychedelic blankets of revelatory noise and Afro-Futuristic philosophical epiphanies. This will change your life everybody - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UINN_bQzCPE Albert Ayler = Deep Spiritual, Gospel Infused Marches and Blues Energy Music. No other way to say it. Try this too - David S. Ware - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFU1arKn7T8 And this site has a great collection of Jazz and Avant Garde/Improvised specials, featuring performances and interviews. (Never mind the presenter though! Still not sure if she's putting that on or is really like that...). I'd recommend Andrew Cyrille, William Parker, Jerome Cooper, Pauline Oliveros, Sainkho Namchylak, Billy Bang, Ned Rothenberg, Min Xao-Fen, Ikue Mori, Oliver Lake, Henry Threadgill, Tenko, Christian Wolff and Earl Howard....for starters that is!! http://vimeo.com/roulettetv/videos And lastly, i'd recommend this; it's an extraordinary series of documentaries by Derek Bailey on the art of improvisation, featuring many interviews and clips with those artists striving for musical alchemy (Jerry and the Dead are featured too in Episode IV). http://www.ubu.com/film/bailey.html p.s. That whole website is an archive of incredible recordings and film available to stream. Essential material for the ears of the universe and eyes of the world. Love your honesty, Blair; a really refreshing change. Got to love someone who speaks his mind. I'll end with a cheeky "shout out" to Mr. Kreutzmann, for his drumming inspiration, approach to music and for adding the Fish Fight campaign to his Tribes section! (not the post really for that but i did warn that cheekiness would make an appearance!!). No where's my 57 minute Coltrane performance of "My Favourite Things".......
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Thanks for the reminder about those improv specials. I've been hyped on those by numerous folks and somehow always manage to forget 'em! Lots of food for thought in your posts, jonapi. Thanks! And thanks to all of you who have made listening suggestions! I've already checked out some...
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Thanks Deadicated and jonapi for the kind advice and recommendations. I'll surely take them to heart. I should have mentioned that even though it seemed like nearly 1/4th the crowd walked out of the Ornette concert I saw, those that remained gave him a joyous, roaring standing ovation. In the end I consider myself an Ornette fan, and I'll be there next time he comes to town. I agree its all about the journey and I don't mind a little confusion along the way. My favorite jazz so far is the 2nd great Miles quintet-those 1965 Plugged Nickel recordings are stunning.I haven't given up on Zappa. I usually take a few of his CD's when I go on a long road trip. Nothing beats the Grateful Dead 68-74 for good road trip music,but when you need some variety- Zappa's usually a good bet. I saw a neat Zappa concert last year- a whole concert of the Yellow Shark orchestral music (outdoors!) by the Ensemble Modern. It was fun, no complaints. Just nothing very deep. Thanks to everyone involved for this great blog!
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Oh yes, those Plugged Nickel recordings are mighty fine!!What i've always loved about Zappa is that variety; he truly was a one-off and no mistake. Completely opened my young, impressionable eyes. Found his book a while after my first encounter his music, "The Real Frank Zappa" in my local library, decades ago. He thinks like i do! He has absolutely no boundaries! He loves noise! Anything can be music! Surreal is a way of life! Improvisation is to be encouraged! Suffice to say, i was never the same again, much to my parent's dismay. There's a "before and after" me. Those jump-cuts between styles is something i always wanted to hear; i actually heard it! In my own head, all through my junior years, but believe me, NOBODY felt the same way in my small, conservative, English suburban community. Nowhere-land. Beginning to think i was an alien there for a while..... A pleasure to be introduced to you, Mr. Zappa. Where the hell have you been?!!!!!! Led to free jazz, avant-garde classical composition, undulating waves of guitar feedback, rhythm and blues, tape-splicing, BRUCE BICKFORD!!!!!! A one-off alright..... I too saw an interesting Zappa live experience, many years later. An intriguing combination of some original members (Napoleon Murphy Brock, Mike Keneally), with an orchestra and the mighty X-Ecutioners (superlative turntable trio; Rob Swift is an amazing artist; god bless you, the late Roc Raida, SORELY missed). Not altogether successful, but had the occasional moment; but worth a try, right?, every time.
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In reference to a comment back on May 28th, a large and dedicated fan base is a sign you are doing something right whether it is WP or Brittany Spears. The difference however is that WP has been selling out 3 nights a Red Rocks for well over a decade, year after year (even Furthur couldn't sell out the 3rd night at RR last year), I doubt Brittany Spears has a fan base that dedicated. Plus, like the Dead, new generations can get into this music - young and old, while Brittany's music is geared towards females and young ones at that. It is useless to debate on which band is worthy enough to be liked by the majority at dead.net, if you like a band that's all that matters in the end. "It's got no signs or dividing line and very few rules to guide"
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Thanks for the Jaimoe link jonapi- nice call! Love "Freedom Jazz Dance". I remember my first time hearing it on an old Garcia-Saunders boot tape. You inspired me to dig out some of my old Zappa CD's. I was always partial to "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" and "Weasels Ripped my Flesh"- also the "Shut up and Play Yer Guitar"- no doubt Frank was a fine guitarist!
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Blair,Sorry you can't get into Phish. They are the best out there now. They have enough fans. I don't have to point to a particualr show to covert you. I would just say...go see them live the next chance you get and go in with an open mind. WSP isn't the same. Herring seems to have taken over the band. JB is great but Phish is where it's at nowadays once again.
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Blair, PHISH obviously doesn't "speak" to you and in all likelihood, never will. I think you can safely stop trying. I tried for years to get my wife to love the GD - and it ain't never gonna happen. At best, she tolerates them, likes a couple songs, dug The Dead when I took her to see them in 2004 I believe, but if she never heard them again, that would be just fine with her. Like you and PHISH, she just doesn't "get" them. As far as other improvisational music I like, it's basically prime Allmans and a whole lot of jazz. Saw Lee Ritenour's "smooth" jazz band last night - freebie tics no less! - and they were awesome - tight and improvisational at the same time. Once in a while you get shown the light In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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Nothing like the GD, but two other groups who are surely in "the transportation business" are Antibalas for a seriously sweaty Afrobeat/funk show and STS9 for a more electronic dance/groove show.... Great musicians in both groups, taking wildly different paths to make people get up & move. Improvisation, tension/release, a bit of the unexpected - all of the good stuff that sends me home with a smile on my face.... I've sen Phish a number of times since back in the day when they were playing colleges around New England, and never got 'em either. Always had a good time, but never more than that. Just felt too much like an "in joke" that I didn't get.
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I didn't read all 15 pages of this thread so I don't know if they've already been mentioned, but for me right now, Wilco and My Morning Jacket are my favorite bands to see live these days. The Black Crowes, in 2005 and 2006, with the return of Marc Ford, were, IMO, at their peak and they, like the Dead, were torchbearers for almost every kind of good American music style in their originals and many covers. Seeing their 5 night December runs at the Fillmore 2008-2010 was a lot like going to see the Dead in that you'd run into people from the year before and make new friends all the time. And they'd do 5 nights with only one or two repeated songs, pretty impressive. They also got more and more "rootsy" and less hard rock in the last few years. My impression is that many Deadheads find/found them too "hard rock" and not soulful enough. Chris Robinson has become more and more of a Deadhead himself and he truly has an encylopedic knowlegde of lots and lots of music. His current band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, is even more in the flavor of the Grateful Dead and appeals to the more hippie segment of Crowes fans. Wilco are like the Dead in that they play ensemble rock, even though they don't jam, per se. The mood may be way too angsty for lots of Deadheads, but when they get cooking, especially with their three guitar mode, they are freight-train powerful (check out their live DVD Ashes of American Flags and particularly the song Impossible Germany). Bobby recently said he was way impressed with them live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I79m7_kAnA My Morning Jacket have a charismatic, passionate and shaggy leader in Jim James and they rock the f*%k out!! They seem to blend the spirit and style of the best of the 70s bands. They are super-tight and they have some trippy moods. The best way to get into them is their live DVD Okonokos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLLJ4sD9JN4&feature=related
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When I saw Wilco several years ago at the 10,000 Lakefest in Detroit Lakes, I saw many bands that week (WSP, DMB, etc) but I really enjoyed these guys, fine live show, dynamic mix, quiet to deafening, simple to almost (but not quite) frenetic, fun and personal lyrics, really Jeff Tweedy (lyric/music) reminds me of the personal songwriting/story telling of Neil Young and at times John Lennon (without much of the political stuff). Musically & arrangements reminiscent of Beatles Revolver/White ablum eras, with synth and prepared sound. Guitar work of course is top notch and lead guitar player Nels Cline is stratospheric, along with Tweedy and the other guitar player (who also plays keyboards about 1/2 the time) who are no slouches either. Saw Wilco more recently in that small theater in Kansas City 'The Uptown Theater'. Nick Lowe was their warm up (solo on guitar) and then later Lowe came out to play his 'hit Cruel to be Kind at the end of the Wilco set with Wilco playing as his back up band. Wilco has a loyal fan base who really to get into the shows. Very good ensemble playing. Their drummer is a monster, the base player has been with Tweedy the longest (I believe) and sings harmony vocals very well, and Jeff Tweedy in his rumbled suit coat or crunched hat as the front man telling the story and taking us all along for the ride. Lead guitar player Nels Cline can play feedback that will make your jaw drop and at times he appears to be using a wood rasp for a slide. He can go from such sweet delicate finger picking to hammering the guitar ala Neil Young. Nels' leads really can soar. He can surprise you, and often then the band is swirling around him and they all do one of those 'lifts' and then crescendo, dropping back to a quieter more sedate play on the main melody, only to ramp up again, and whip the crowd into a frenzy. Wilco is playing a couple shows at Red Rocks (my favorite outdoor venue) in June. Anyway, can you tell that I recommend Wilco? "The bad news, is there is no key to the universe, the good news, it was never locked".
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Good description of Wilco, thanks for that! Yep, Glenn Kotche kills it on drums and Nels Cline on guitar is a force to be reckoned with. I never got to see the Grateful Dead at Red Rocks, in fact I've never seen any show there. Now this summer I'm seeing two nights of Wilco in June and two nights of My Morning Jacket in August! I can feel the synchronicity starting to brew already! I can only imagine what it was like to see the Dead there... must've been awesome! I'm also gonna catch Tedeschi Trucks for the first time in Sept. I do love a soulful big band ala Delaney and Bonnie or Mad Dogs and Englishmen, I'm really looking forward to it.