Tag: Trey Anastasio Band

Lockn’ was Rockin’ – Jam Festival of the Summer

This is the first review for from famed live music photographer Phrazz. Check out his full gallery on his Flickr page and enjoy a full recap of Lockn’ Festival.

Peter Shapiro and Dave Frey hit a home run with their inaugural Lockn’ Festival, which was held September 5-8 at the laconic Oak Ridge Estate, a sprawling 4,800 acre tract of fields and forests in Arrington, VA. Furthur, Jimmy Cliff, Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, The Black Crowes and Gov’t Mule brought their best performances to the estimated crowd of 25,000. Although the musical fare was jam-rock heavy, there also plenty of bluegrass, folk, funk and jazz mixed in.

Furthur played four powerful sets over three star-studded nights, with sit-ins by Trey Anastasio and Susan Tedeschi. Anastasio joined Furthur during their re-enactment of the entire Workingman’s Dead album while Phil Less delivered thunderous bass in a ground-rumbling duel with Joe Russo’s drums, while John Kadlecik’s deftly-delivered Jerry-esque leads, and Bob Weir’s impeccable rhythm and vocals were woven into a psychedelic sonic tapestry. On Saturday night, John Fogarty of Creedence Clearwater Revival sat in with Widespread Panic on “Born on the Bayou”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Suzy Q”, and other CCR classics, ending with a powerful “Fortunate Son”.

In a welcome departure from most festivals this summer, Lockn’ had no DJs, instead featuring the best rock, bluegrass and jambands making great music. The two main stages were set up next to each other at a slight angle, with little or no performance overlap, so fans could see every bit of music. In spite of an extremely long entry line, the festival was a huge success. Frey, who worked for the legendary Bill Graham, also booked bands at Shapiro’s club, The Wetlands Preserve (the progenitor to the Brooklyn Bowl). Frey and Shapiro decided to create a festival with “bands they’d like to see”, and little downtime associated with other large festivals. The only significant waits were the line to park and camp (6-10 hours), and the round-trip to the mysterious late-night “Triangle Stage” deep in the woods (40 min walk), whose schedule was only announced by word-of-mouth.

Keller Williams and Larry and Jenny Keel – Keller & The Keels – kicked off Lockn’ on Thursday with originals “Breathe”, “Take Me To The Tundra”, and “Freeker by the Speaker”, along with a rapid-fire delivery of jamgrass-laced covers, such as “Born To Be Wild”, “Another Brick in the Wall”, and an astounding “Pepper” (The Butthole Surfers), which had the crowd singing along raucously, “You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes”, as the afternoon sun blazed on the slowly-amassing crowd.

Warren Haynes fired up the crowd with his soulful blues-rock guitar riffs and vocals on originals “River’s Gonna Rise”, “Hattiesburg Hustle” and “Tear Me Down”, with tasty covers sprinkled in, such as Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic”. Warren Haynes Band had Alecia Chakour on vocals, and Nigel Hall on keys & vocals, along with Ron Johnson holding down the bass, and the legendary Ron Holloway on tenor sax. The String Cheese Incident followed Warren’s blues-rock with their super-funky flavor of discograss, a rousing set that included “Desert Dawn”, “Far From Home” and “Mauna Bowa” > “Colliding” and got the crowd jumping with ecstasy. Keller Williams added his funky acoustic strumming and clear vocals on the bluesy reggae tune, “Best Feeling”, as he “sat up in the branches and felt like a bird / it was the best feeling in the world”, with tasteful solos by Bill Nershi on acoustic guitar, and Michael Kang on electric mandolin, with a funky key jam-out at the end by Kyle Hollingsworth. They ended their flawless set on Friday night with their perennial party favorite, “Texas”.

The music quickly switched to the Ridge Stage, where Gov’t Mule fired right up. Warren Haynes, on lead guitar and vocals, was joined by Jorgen Carlsson on bass, Nigel Hall on keys & vocals, Alecia Chakour on vocals, and Danny Louis on organ, guitar, vocals & trumpet, with Matt Abts keeping the rhythm flowing. A night chill breezed through the crowd as Warren broke into a slow, heavy “Dear Prudence”, where Grace Potter joined them to major applause. Grace lent her soulful Joplin-esque vocals to a soothing “Gold Dust Woman”, and then performed a first timer, “Whisper in Your Soul”. In an apparent homage to Neil Young (who attended, but didn’t play), Gov’t Mule played CS&N’s “Find the Cost of Freedom”, then a scorching “Southern Man”, where Grace briefly hopped on the organ during a crushing Warren guitar solo, and then returned with her impassioned lead vocals.

Friday started out nice and breezy, with an acoustic duet by The Founding Farmers (Andy Falco and Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters, whose annual Festy Experience is hosted nearby), which included ‘Dusters tunes “Fork in the Road”, and covers of “Sitting on Top of the World” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Falco played a modified electric banjo guitar.

Pegi Young and The Survivors came on next with a mix of fun songs, including “Better Living Through Chemicals” (about geriatrics’ pharmacopias), “Walking on a Tightrope”, “Lonely Women Make Good Lovers”, “Obsession”, and “Number 9 Train”. We ran into Pegi in the crowd, where Emily from Tennessee asked Pegi if Neil was planning to sit in. Pegi smiled and said, “Everybody asks that…no, I’m sorry to say,” which quelled rumors among Lockn’ fans.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Soul Rebels blasted horns New Orleans style for “Fire on the Bayou” (Meters), “Superbad” (James Brown), “Turn It Up”, “504”, Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, with encores of “Let Your Mind Be Free” and “When the Saints Go Marching In”, (with both bands playing together).

The crowd grew much larger and closer as one of the founding godfathers of reggae music, Jimmy Cliff, took the stage, opening with a mirthful “Bongo Man” followed by a soothing “Rivers of Babylon”. Telling stories about how he started into acting, Cliff treated his fans to a soul-searching “Many Rivers to Cross”, “Sitting in Limbo”, and a earth-shaking “The Harder They Come”, which really got the crowd dancing. One of the most powerful moments came during “Wild World” (Cat Stevens) where Cliff told a story of how Cat played a song he didn’t quite like over the phone, so Jimmy made it his own. Cliff’s version of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” was a heartfelt moment with the crowd, who also sang along, as Cliff and the crowd connected with the deep roots of “You Can Get It If You Really Want”. The crowd roared as Cliff came back to encore with “Roots Woman”, and then “Come Into My Life” (first time ever played live!), “Johnny Too Bad” and a finale of “One More”.

String Cheese Incident kicked in Friday night on the Oak Stage with “Outside and Inside” > “Valley of the Jig”, whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy. They covered an awesome “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” by Talking Heads and ended with a festive “Restless Wind”. Back on the Ridge Stage, Furthur played one of their tightest sets of the weekend, starting with “Shakedown Street”, “The Wheel”, “Cryptical Envelopment”, and a rousing “Estimated Prophet”. They took off into an ethereal “Cold Rain and Snow”, which was one of Bobby’s best vocal tunes, then a heartfelt “Cassidy”, and ended with a blazing “Jack Straw”.

After Furthur, Zac Brown joined SCI back on the Oak Stage for the Zac Brown Incident, on a variation of the SCI song, “Sometimes a River”. Followed with an extended jam in “Close Your Eyes”, and rocking covers of “Sweet Emotion” (Aerosmith) and “Freeborn Man” (Jimmy Martin). Toward the end of the set they performed Bill Withers’ “Use Me” and ended the set with new fan favorite “Colorado Bluebird Sky”. The crowd and Zac rose boisterously for the encore, “Could You Be Loved” (Marley).

Saturday opened with hilarity by Love Canon, who treated the audience to spirited covers of Dire Straits (“Money for Nothing”), Thomas Dolby (“She Blinded Me With Science”), Peter Gabriel (“Sledgehammer”), J. Geils (“Centerfold”), and Harold Faltermeyer’s “Axel F” theme song. They also did an incredible “Legs”, joking that ZZ Top started as a bluegrass band, but the “two bearded members got their beards stuck in their instruments”, and finished their set with a smoking “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne).

The London Souls continued on the Oak Stage (sans bassist) to power through classics like “Steady Are You Ready”, covers like “It Ain’t Easy” (Bowie), and a “Magic Bus” / “Get Back” medley. The Black Crowes took over Lockn’ on Saturday afternoon, with the most impressive set of the weekend. They opened with “Soul Singing” and “Halfway to Everywhere”, and went on to “High Head Blues” followed by an incredible “Medicated Goo” (Traffic) and “Jealous Again”, with Jackie Green flexing his guitar chops, at times lifting up off the stage as he churned out bluesy rock riffs with aplomb.

They also did a killer version of the Stones’ “Jumping Jack Flash”, and pulled out Crowes classics “She Talks to Angels” and “Sting Me”, with Chris Robinson belting out vocals with raw blues power, and whirling around like mad when the band was tearing it up. The Crowes closed their set with a raucous “Hard to Handle” (Otis Redding), followed by a resounding “Hush” (Billy Joe Royal, made famous by Deep Purple).

Trey Anastasio Band then took the Ridge Stage towards sunset, opening with a groovy version of “Cayman Review”, which describes a romantic adventure in Mexico. TAB then went into a horn-loaded “Ocelot”, “Valentine”, and a slow, bluesy “Dark and Down”. TAB’s newest member, saxophonist James Casey, switched to tambourine on a fun “Pigtail”, then switched back to sax to join Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on trumpet, trombone, and vocals.

TAB then broke into a super funky “Gotta Jibboo”, followed by the cooling winds of “Frost”, a hopping Phish-rarity “Magilla” with blasting horns, and a jazzy “Sand”, with grooving bass by Tony Markellis. The crowd chanted along with Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood”, then a brilliant “First Tube”, with Trey shredding his guitar, into a funny “Simple Twist Up Dave”. TAB closed with “Architect”, “Push On ‘Til the Day”, followed by a scorching “Black Dog” encore.

Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of Furthur scaled Saturday night’s peak with Trey Anastasio, who joined them at the end of their re-enaction of Workingman’s Dead, on “Casey Jones”. Trey stayed on for crowd favorites “Bertha”, and then really opened up on guitar for the Grateful Dead classic, “Truckin’”, into a thunderous “The Other One”, with Phil playing melodic bass lines, and the band added to the rhythm with ska and funk nuances. Trey continued for the rest of Furthur’s set, adding his scorching guitar improv to Kadlecik’s magic, finishing up with a fast-paced “Viola Lee Blues”, an a resounding “Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain.”

The Hackensaw Boys greeted us at noon on Sunday with a rousting bluegrass set that in spite of the growing afternoon heat, had the crowd dancing and sweating. The Tedeschi Trucks Band had one of the most fan-loved sets of the weekend, with noted sit-ins from superstars Oteil Burbridge (bassist for the Allman Brothers), his brother Kofi (on flute and keys), Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce, Dr. Klaw), Chris Robinson (of the Black Crowes, on harmonica), and a cameo appearance by Bob Weir on tambourine. Derek Trucks showed why he one of the greatest blues guitarists with his scorching slide work on the Elmore James classic, “The Sky Is Crying”. Susan sent her powerful blues vocals and guitar skyward, sprinkled with Derek’s slide work, peppered by whoops and calls from the crowd. As he came up, Kraz shared laughs with his friend Derek, and many other jam dignitaries started to coalesce. At the end, Tedeschi Trucks slide into Sly and the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song” > “I Want to Take You Higher”, and Chris Robinson added his rock-honed vocals and tambourine to Susan’s lead vocals. A horn section fronted by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown, who blasted us with a scorching trumpet solo into “I Want to Take You Higher”, with a cameo by Bob Weir on vocals and tambourine, and an amazing harmonica solo by Chris Robinson to close out their set.

On Sunday night, Widespread Panic played their most memorable set, opening with “Conrad the Caterpillar”, “Pleas”, “Mr. Soul” (Buffalo Springfield), “Wondering”, “Party at Your Mama’s House”, “Stop Breakin’ Down” (Robert Johnson), after which Derek Trucks joined the band on stage for “Chilly Water”, “Me and the Devil Blues” (Robert Johnson) and “North” (Jerry Joseph). Jimmy Herring was on point all weekend, along with Warren, Derek, Kraz, Trey and Jackie Greene – the pantheon of exceptional guitarists who propelled our shiny new Lockn’ music ship all weekend.

As many Widespread fans called it quits, Furthur closed out Lockn’ with special treats for their dedicated fans, including “Terrapin Station”, “Box of Rain”, “Weather Report Suite”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, “Playing in the Band”, and “Standing on the Moon”, the latter three with Susan Tedeschi joining Furthur on guitar and vocals.

Of unfortunate omission here is rock, blues and folk guitar legend Jorma Kaukonen, who played with Barry Mitteroff on a non-scheduled set deep in the woods that I missed. Because of the long walk, I only experienced the mysterious Triangle Stage on late Saturday night in time to catch the Jeff Sipe Trio, who played refreshingly intense jazz fusion, accompanied by a campfire and laser show, with fire spinners nearby. I had just missed Phil Lesh and son Grahame’s Terrapin Family Band, and also didn’t get back there in time to check out other bands that played, such as Indecision and Pegi Young (when her husband Neil was spotted, but did not play). The Triangle Stage seemed like a bit of an afterthought, but the cozy vibe and low turnout were more socially entertaining, once the evening chill was taken off by a belt and a seat by the fire. People who were already parked that far out got a special treat, since this late-night stage was within earshot of their tents.

The camping at Lockn’ was largely out in the open fields, but there were some rare shade spots and forest camping. RVs were wisely located up the hill, away from the main tent city, which was fairly clean and easily traveled on foot, because of well-designated camp plots. VIP camping was in a very good spot, right next to the main entry gates (and with the other perks was a sell-out this year). The entry holding pens and traffic flow clearly was not planned well, and along with last-minute entry point changes, a disorganized front box office, poor communication, and signage led to a great confusion which added many unwanted hours to fans’ best efforts to arrive early and see the music on time.

In spite of the patience and endurance required to wait in line for most of a day, we were treated to impeccable performances that were supported by the best lighting, sound, and environment, and the overall vibe after Warren was that “we made it this far, let’s have fun!!!” The entry fiasco was a distant memory by mid afternoon on Friday, and we were treated to the most rockin’ and socially fun Jam Festival of the Summer.

September 27, 2013
Lookin’ at Lockn’

Fine wine, craft beer, and pick-your-own orchards aren’t the only things that will draw visitors to Nelson County, Virginia this Fall. Taking place September 5-8^th, Lockn’ Festival (formerly known as Interlocken) will draw thousands into the county for a weekend-long influx of music, featuring nothing but the finest Rock ‘n’ Roll and Jamband acts heard throughout the national circuit today.

Featuring sets from The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the festival pays homage to its southern-bred roots, but appearances by Furthur, The String Cheese Incident, and the Trey Anastasio Band interweave soulful, hard southern rock with mastery of improvisational jam, making Lockn’ the premier and most talked about festival of the season.

Not only does Lockn’ offer world class music, but it offers it in a most picturesque setting. Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia, the festival will take place at the 5,000 acre Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington. Over 15,000 tickets have already been sold and organizers are expecting a crowd twice that size. Ticket prices range from $285 – $1099, including camping, RV and VIP options. Lockn’ isn’t the first music festival to hit Central Virginia and the surrounding area, as the state is also home to Floydfest and The Festy Experience, among many others. Yet Lockn’ proves itself to be quite different.

Longer sets from fewer artists will make the Lockn’ experience unlike any other. Organizers Dave Frey and Peter Shapiro have made the Oak Ridge Estate the final stop on Summer tour and whether one’s been following Furthur, or traveling from town to town catching the Crowes, come September the wheels will stop in Arrington for a cumulative and collaborative four day epic show with multiple artists, two main stages, no breaks, no overlapping sets – a weekend of continuous music.

Thursday will feature performances from: The String Cheese Incident (2 sets), Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes Band, Keller and the Keels, and Grace Potter.

Friday, Furthur (featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir) will perform two sets, and the Zac Brown Incident, String Cheese, Jimmy Cliff, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Soul Rebels, Pegi Young and the Survivors, and the Founding Fathers (featuring members of the Infamous Stringdusters) will share the stage.

Saturday, Furthur will perform Workingman’s Dead in its entirety and Widespread Panic will hit the stage with John Fogerty sitting in. With the cancellation of Neil Young and Crazyhorse, the Trey Anastasio Band has been added to the bill and The Black Crowes, Punch Brothers, The London Souls, and Love Canon complete the Saturday line-up.

On Sunday, Furthur , Widespread, and the Crowes will perform individual sets once again, joined with performances by the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col. Bruce Hampton and Friends with Oteil Burbridge, and the Hackensaw Boys.

Jorma Kaukonen, Jeff Sipe Trio, and Indecision will also be performing as special guests and a live soundtrack cinema, featuring specially-selected silent films will compliment performances taking place throughout the weekend.

Live music isn’t the only thing Lockin’ has to offer to its patrons either. New York based civic engagement group HeadCount is organizing Participation Row, an interactive Non-profit village. Anchored by the “Qello Lounge” the village will feature a number of organizations and provide a space within the festival grounds for people to gather consciously. Upon entering the festival, patrons will receive a card they can bring to any non-profit booth on Participation Row. Booths will be giving away stamps for taking specific actions, and once a card has four stamps, it can be brought to the Qello Lounge, where one will find couches and a sampling of the world’s largest library of on-demand music content.

While Lockn’ may be the premier festival of the season, there is a simplicity that lives at its core. This simplicity is a movement, an interlocking if you will. Lockin’ brings together all that is worth celebrating in life: world-renown and regional music, local sustainably sourced food and drink, picturesque camping and so much more – all at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the quaint, quiet town of Arrington, Virginia. Nelson County better get ready.

For more information, including ticket sales visit: www.locknfestival.com

August 27, 2013
Bassist Tony Markellis is Playing a Few Local Shows This Summer in Saratoga Springs

If you live in Saratoga Springs, you live in the hometown of Tony Markellis, bassist for Trey Anastasio Band, a master of bass guitar and a regular at many local venues in Saratoga Springs on a regular basis. This summer, Tony has a number of shows planned with various local and regional musicians, at venues in Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Troy and Wells.

Photo by Andy Hill

Catch Tony at a couple of these shows this summer and soak in the bassist who Trey Anastasio calls “The Heart and Soul of our band,” of which Tony is a member of the original trio with Trey and Russ Lawton. Read our interview with Tony from 2011.

You can catch bassist Tony Markellis this summer performing with the following bands in Saratoga Springs, or otherwise as noted.

June

Thursday 6/27 Markellis, Haskell and Maul at Druthers, 7-10 pm (an Eclectic acoustic power trio)

Saturday 6/29 Billy Eli & Spook Lights at The Ale House, Troy, 9 pm

July

Thursday 7/4 Juke Joint Jokers at Gaffney’s, 8 pm -12 am (Electric blues)

Friday 7/5 Markellis, Haskell and Maul, Mouzon House, 7 pm

Saturday 7/6 Street Corner Holler at Gaffney’s, 9 pm – 1 am (Slide guitar blues trio)

Thursday 7/11 Street Corner Holler at Druthers, 7 pm – 10 pm

Friday 7/12 Bob Warren Trio at Mouzon House, 7 pm (Great original songs)

Saturday 7/13 Bob Warren Trio at Oliva Vineyards, Fort Edward, 2 – 6 PM

Saturday 7/13 Street Corner Holler at LakeHouse Grille, Wells, 8 pm

Tuesday through Sunday 7/16 – 7/21 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at Saratoga County Fair, Noon to 5, daily

Thursday 7/18 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at Druthers, 7 – 10 pm

Friday 7/19 Bob Warren Trio at Mouzon House, 7 pm

Saturday 7/20 Street Corner Holler at Mouzon House, 7 – 11 pm

Friday 7/26 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at Mouzon House, 7 pm

Wednesday 7/31 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at The Track, Noon – 4 pm, with special guest Ted Hennessy

August

Thursday 8/1 Larry Clyman Duo at One Caroline, 8 pm

Friday 8/2 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at Tang Museum, 7 pm

Thursday 8/8 Larry Clyman Duo at One Caroline, 8 pm

Friday 8/9 Jeanne O’Connor & the New Standard at Tang Museum, 7 pm (Favorites from the ‘60s and ‘70s)

Saturday 8/10 Bob Warren Band at LakeHouse Grille, Wells, 8 pm

Friday 8/16 Burns Sisters at Spencer Picnic Festival, Spencer, 8 pm (Americana)

Saturday 8/17 Burns Sisters at Taughannock Park, Ithaca 6 – 9 pm

Thursday 8/22 Markellis, Haskell, Maul at Druthers, 7 pm

Friday 8/23 Bob Warren Trio at Mouzon House, 7 pm

Sunday 8/25 Doornails at Lyons Lake 4 – 7 pm (Bluegrass & roots rock)

Wednesday 8/28 Street Corner Holler at Gaffney’s, 9 pm – 1 am (Slide guitar blues trio)

Thursday 8/29 Larry Clyman Duo at One Caroline, 8 pm

Friday 8/30 Bob Warren Trio at Mouzon House, 7 pm

Sat-Sun 8/31-9/1 Bob Warren, Final Stretch Festival, 7 – 11 pm

June 25, 2013
More Than Just a Music Festival – A Passing of Tradition: An Inside Look at DelFest 2013

“When you want genuine music,” writes Mark Twain, “music that will come right home to you like a bad quarter, suffuse your system like strychnine whisky, go right through you like Brandreth’s pills, ramify your whole constitution like the measles, and break out on your hide like the pin-feather pimples on a picked goose – when you want all this…invoke the glory-beaming banjo!” Or, better yet, make your way to the mountain side of Maryland and invoke the glory-beaming gem of a music festival known as DelFest 2013. Not only will you find music that’s truly genuine, but a place that after only a few days’ time you’ll come to call home.

Twain’s writing came from a period in American history when a new culture was born out of carved gourds, animal hide and strings – when the concept of “old-time roots music” emerged in the 1800s, country twang, ancient rhythms and front porch blues weren’t the only things that broke ground with it – values were something that could be heard and a strong sense of community resonated from the plucking of five strings. From the minstrel shows of the 19^th century to the rise of Appalachian folk in the 1900s to the jam/grass/blues blend we hear today, roots music is alive because of the shared tradition that is the stored energy within it. No man better exemplifies this ideology than bluegrass legend, Del McCoury, for with DelFest he has created a space for all to come together under a single canopy that transcends both place and time.

Taking place over Memorial Day weekend, the festival had the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the summer and its unique blend of music education, unbeatable live performance, picturesque surroundings, and overall value for family and community make the DelFest experience a tough one to beat. Nestled among the Allegany Mountains just outside of Cumberland, Maryland, the festival’s home is the Allegheny County Fairgrounds – perhaps one of the most ideal places to host a festival of this kind. From the flowing waters of the Potomac River, to the steel iron crossing of the railroad tracks, from well-maintained facilities (yes, folks – actual bathrooms) to the intimate venues that hosted the weekend late nights, from sustainably-minded food vendors to one of the best family camping areas one could dream, the infrastructure was in place to keep festival-goers happy, dancing, smiling and continually exchanging the weekends’ coined but surprisingly not over-used phrase, “Del Yeah”.

There are several things that set DelFest apart from other music festivals scheduled to happen throughout the summer, but one truly unique component to the DelFest experience lies with that of its pre-festival musical education opportunity, the DelFest Academy. From Jason Carter teaching fiddle, to Ronnie McCoury guiding students along the mastery of eight-coupled strings, students who attended the academy had the privilege of studying music with the very musicians set to take the stage throughout the course of the weekend. Other instructors included Don Rigsby (mandolin), Rob McCoury (banjo), Alan Bartram (bass), and Ronnie Bowman and Kenny Smith (guitar). In many ways, the DelFest Academy captures what we see on stage with members of The Del McCoury Band – the passing on of bluegrass tradition and technique, the sustainability of a type of music that calls us home.

On Thursday, students of the academy traded in their pre-fest wrist bands for the colored cloth that granted them access to one of the best-kept secrets of the festival season. With sets from the Rambling Rooks, the Jerry Douglas Band and Leftover Salmon, opening day of the festival set the pace for what would become the “Weekend of the sit- ins,” with members of The Del McCoury Band stealing the collaborative crown. Leftover Salmon’s set featured Jason Carter on fiddle throughout its entirety and Rob and Del McCoury inaugurated the stage as they collaborated with Salmon on “Midnight Blues” the featured McCoury/Salmon track on 1999’s acclaimed album, The Nashville Sessions.

By Friday, the record-breaking attendance of this year’s event continued to climb and the camping moved out from the central grounds and made its way to the other side of the railroad tracks. “I always love it when the train rolls by at Delfest,” remarked Jeff Austin during Yonder Mountain String Band’s Sunday night set, and there is no question as to why. While pitching a tent only feet away from the steel roll of the tracks may not seem ideal, one couldn’t think of a more appropriate addition to a bluegrass festival – the train rolling by was a constant fiddle and brought a certain inexplicable magic to the weekend.

“This band can change a group of strangers into a full-out hoe down at the drop of a hat,” remarked DelFest’s very own MC, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven (Mamajowali) when introducing Trampled by Turtles, whose Friday afternoon slot kicked the party into full-swing. The band displayed their impressive capacity in musical juxtaposition by opening their set with the soft ballad, “Widower’s Heart” and immediately shifting energy into a high-powered rendition of “Sorry” – both of which appear on the band’s latest album, Stars and Satellites. Bassist Tim Saxhaug took an impressive vocal lead on a tune that was seemingly inspired by summer – and while the song’s title remains unknown, it came as a nice radiance of warmth during a set when there was a strong chill in the air, comparable to, as lead vocalist Dave Simonett put it, “Minnesota weather.” Chilly, windy, over-cast or not, heads were bopping, and feet were moving – it was apparent that the boys of TBT felt right at home and the powerhouse acoustic five piece was all anyone needed to feel the heat.

When a festival has so many talented, highly acclaimed national acts on the weekend bill, it is only natural that the one leading frustration an attendee might have is the age-old dilemma of overlapping sets. While Trampled by Turtles was raging heavily on the main stage, whimsical sounds were emulating from the Potomac Stage as Elephant Revival enchanted the crowd with their heartfelt, infectious tunes birthed out of nature as the band’s premier muse. “I absolutely love this band, everything about them is beautiful,” was a statement that echoed from a captivated crowd and one truly could not think of a better description for this Colorado five piece. In celebration of the full moon that was to appear later that evening, the band made time to include a most glorious rendition of “Ring Around the Moon” featuring Bonnie Pane on the musical saw, but it was their performance of “Time” that received the strongest response, for it featured an incredible washboard solo – scrubbing clothes or wringing out rhythms, the washboard is an embodiment of strong, virtuous women – exhibited both by Pane and later on in the weekend by Breezy Peyton of The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.

Del McCoury and Trey Anastasio took their respective bands to the stage as Friday’s full moon headliners; bringing the two together made for a truly unforgettable experience. Compared to the other acts on the bill, the presence of the Trey Anastasio Band is what made Delfest’s line-up truly unique. When hearing Trey, one wouldn’t necessarily think “old time,” or “bluegrass,” but the inspiration within the genre is something that is clearly heard. “I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it,” remarked Trey as he described the impact that Del McCoury’s album Blue Side of Town had on his music while traveling with Phish back in 1999.

When Del graced the stage, together he and Trey’s band performed “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” and “Beauty of My Dreams”. Later, Jason Carter and Ronnie McCoury joined in for the set’s encore, featuring “Heavy Things” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” but the collaborations were not the only notable moments during the set. An unexpected cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” resulted in a crowd-pleasing uproar and the full moon breaking free from behind the clouds mid-set created a profound sense of unity for all. Friday night at DelFest. What magic!

The Travelin’ McCoury’s and Leftover Salmon hosted the late night Friday Pickin’ Party at the DelFest Music Hall – while the headlining performances of the night certainly raised the bar high, there’s something to be said about the boys of the Travelin’ McCoury’s when they loosen up a couple of buttons and trade in the blue jacket for a weathered flannel and a taste of the late night crowd.

While this year’s DelFest showcased some of the finest acts in bluegrass/newgrass/old-time/roots, call it what you will, it also lent an opportunity for up and coming bands to take their stab at a heightened sense of fame. Saturday morning brought the final round of the bluegrass band competition at the Potomac Stage. This year’s winners, The Unseen Strangers, will have the privilege of performing at DelFest 2014, yet one band that didn’t quite make the bill, Cricket Tell the Weather, are certainly noteworthy and one not to miss.

Perhaps one of the most impressive performances of the weekend came from the soulful sounds of 22-year old Texas singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz. “I’ve found my wings and I’m ready to fly,” were the heartfelt words that emulated from her lips during “Left Home” and there couldn’t be more truth behind the lyrics. Coupled with her soulful voice, bouncing between the six-string banjo, octave mandolin, mandolin and guitar, this multi-instrumentalist withholds a sense of talent that makes her truly unforgettable. Her rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells” can bring tears to a grown man’s eyes and she can cover songs in a way that truly make them her own. Following her set in the DelFest Music Hall was a small, “chill little performance,” as she put it, where audience members were able to ask questions and open up conversation with her in an intimate setting. Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song” was a memorable moment from the music hall performance, one of many more to come. Watch out for Sarah Jarsoz. While young, sweet and seemingly innocent, she truly is a force to be reckoned with.

Performances by Greensky Bluegrass, Keller Williams with More Than a Little, Red Baratt, as well as the 6^th Annual McCoury Family Jam took place throughout the rest of the day and trying to fit it all in, at times, seemed nearly impossible. “If you want to sit around your tent, camp in your backyard,” was a memorable quote from Reverend Peyton during Sunday night’s late-night set, and this couldn’t hold itself to be more true while experiencing DelFest. The festival is so rich with good, wholesome music, that camp was a place often abandoned until wee-hours of the morning, or after a disappointing rejection trying to catch one of the three sold-out late night shows.

Friday night was magic and Saturday night was on fire. While the barnburner was scheduled for the Sunday late-night, the sparks emerged prematurely and the result was something worthy of the history books. The Del McCoury Band’s Saturday night set featured, not only the original members of the band, but the Masters of Bluegrass themselves – JD Crowe on banjo, Bobby Hicks on fiddle, Bobby Osborn on mandolin and Jerry McCoury on bass. Together they showcased their mastery with tunes like “Love those Hills of Old Virginia” and “Wheel Hoss” a perfect precursor to their Sunday afternoon set.

Then came Old Crow Medicine Show with an unstoppable energy unlike any other. The band moved across the stage in a way that holds them true to their name, for they aren’t just a band, they truly are a show and one not to miss at that. They come together, split apart and move across the stage in a way that claims it as theirs to own. From fan favorite “Take Em Away” to “Methamphetamine” their set showcased a range of tunes, yet they all had one thing in common – they left the crowd dancing and thirsty for more. “If you’re going to play in Cumberland, Maryland, you have to have two fiddles in the band,” was a statement by front man Ketch Secor that opened the flood gates for a McCoury sit in and Del, Jason and Robbie joined in to add flavor to “CC Rider,” “Darlin’ Corey” and “Tear it Down”.

Entering the music hall for Saturday’s late night, the “less refined” Hackensaw Boys took the stage. The juxtaposition to the Old Crow set couldn’t have been more appropriately placed and the Virginia Hoe Down was now underway. Chance McCouy (OCMS) sat in on fiddle and banjo, the venue was packed and the night gave way to hootin’, hollerin’, stompin’ and rompin’. The Infamous Stringdusters kept the party going well into the early morning, opening with a high energy “Fork in the Road” making room for a crowd pleasing Grateful Dead cover “He’s Gone” and leaving room for guests Ronnie McCoury and Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck to share the stage. It wasn’t until after the music hall cleared out however, that things got truly interesting. Post late-night jams in the coined “Moonshine Tent” with members of Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles and Old Crow Medicine show lasted until the sun came up, and even then the party wasn’t over. The sun was up, but fires were still burning and bows were still gliding rapidly across weathered strings.

As if Saturday wasn’t satisfying enough, Yonder’s Ben Kaufmann described Sunday as “The best Sunday of my life,” and he wasn’t the only one who shared that sentiment. There was a slight chill in the air all weekend but Sunday’s weather proved to be nothing short of pristine. The day began with a gospel session that no Sunday morning at Delfest would be complete without. Following was a set by Larry Keel and the Natural Bridge, bringing Jeff Austin on stage for his debut 2013 DelFest appearance on a cover of “Ramble on Rose”. While the main stage offered up a variety of talent that day: Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, there was a draw to the smaller of the two stages and memorable performances from Aoife Donavon of Crooked Still, The Hackensaw Boys and Spirit Family Reunion made the Potomac Stage the Sunday hot spot. Check out Yonder Mountain String Band’s set from Delfest on Archive.org

Perhaps most noteworthy, however, was the big sound that came out of the New York-based six-piece, Spirit Family Reunion. There was a purity that poured from their sound and they are not just a band to “stomp, clap, shake and holler with,” but rather a band to come together around. There is something to be said in their name, for their performances cultivate family – they bring people together over a common theme woven throughout the originality of their sound. Fred Moyse of The Hackensaw Boys sat in on the band’s closing tune, “I’ll Find a Way” and what resulted was something of true beauty. Complete strangers came together, linked together, singing and swaying, repeating the chorus “Don’t worry about me, I’ll find a way,” and that was how Sunday at DelFest felt – care and worry free.

Following the Spirit Family Reunion set, a crowd gathered in the music hall for a performance by Keller Williams and the Travelin’ McCourys. Packed from one end to the other, the group played an impressive set, playing off of several covers, including yet another Dead tune, “Candyman” and a personal favorite, My Morning Jacket’s “I’m Amazed”. Among others, Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” “Hobo Song” and “Something Else” off of the group’s latest collaborative album, Pick, also made their way into this unforgettable set.

“We’re going to give you our all, we promise you that,” noted Jeff Austin during the opening of Yonder Mountain String Band’s headlining Sunday evening set, and he wasn’t lying. Yonder was perhaps the most appropriate pick for a Sunday night act, for they are Delfest veterans with enough gusto to breathe life back into a crowd that had been going strong on a bluegrass buzz since Thursday afternoon. Yonder’s set was everything you’d hope for out of the band: a mind-exploding version of “Sidewalk Stars” with enough distortion to balance out an otherwise unplugged weekend, “Holdin’”, “Sometimes I’ve Won” the happy, catchy little tune “Don’t Worry, Happy Birthday” and so many more. Claiming Del McCoury as one of the best champions of music any genre can have, Jeff Austin invited Del to the stage and he joined the band for “Prisoner’s Song” and “Hit Parade of Love”. Ronnie McCoury and Jason Carter quickly followed suit, closing out the set and the main stage with a hyped up “Traffic Jam” into an encore of the traditional bluegrass “Red Rocking Chair”. But the weekend wasn’t over.

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Greensky Bluegrass were scheduled to burn the barn down in the music hall, but this wasn’t a show for just anyone; only the strong can survive when it comes to a Sunday late night and the performance was, according to Anders Beck, “a celebration of those still standing.” RPBDB and Greensky served as a great pair for closing out the festival, as both bands have a certain roughness about them, a bit tattered and slightly torn, the perfect metaphor for the crowd gathered in the venue come Sunday night.

Greensky Bluegrass is a unique group of talented musicians that take bluegrass music to a different level – there is an originality in their sound that is not seen in other acts in the circuit and it is only a matter of time before they begin to soar in their own green sky. Opening their late night set with “Jaywalking,” a track from their latest album, Handguns – the boys of Greensky Bluegrass certainly brought down the heat and the flame spread throughout as their performance advanced. What makes Greensky different is something that exists beyond words: they hit at the depths of the soul and extract the beauty that is pain within us all. Each band member has his own contribution to the Greensky sound, but Paul Hoffman and his mandolin stand at the forefront while Dave Bruzza extracts the darkness with his deep, almost haunting vocals and incredible capacity to express feeling with the hollowed sound of his acoustic guitar. They closed their set and in turn, the weekend, with a cover of Bob Marley’s “Could You be Loved,” rounding out the circle and centering in on the roots of the music celebrated at DelFest.

Sometime around 4 a.m., the music hall cleared out and the late night wanderers found their way back beneath a darkened sky. Approaching the tracks, the whistle of a train approaching off in the distance became more evident and shortly thereafter the bars at the crossing lowered. It was a cloudy evening with the moon completely out of sight, leaving the lights on the passing train to twinkle like the stars absent from the sky. Soon after, the bars rose and the train was out of sight but its whistle could still be heard. The 6^th annual DelFest may have been over, but the tradition it has created lives on – not just until next year, but always. And there is one person to truly thank for that – the legendary master of bluegrass himself, Mr. Del McCoury.

You can also read about our preview coverage by ‘s Kristen Mack-Perry – Family-friendly DelFest is Full of Tradition

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Than You to our Contributing Photographers – Mark Loveless and Susan Skidmore

June 4, 2013
DelFest Announces Late Night Schedule & Tickets!

DelFest announced their late night schedule recently, and if you know DelFest then you know these tickets are HOT items with limited quantities available. Do not get left outside the show during these moments in bluegrass history! These shows are a separate purchase and can ONLY be bought in addition to multi-day wristbands.

The pickin’ continues until the wee hours of the morning at DelFest and we’re excited to announce this year’s schedule. All artists performing in late night shows will also perform on the daytime stages. These are separately ticketed events, on-sale now.

These late performances will take place in the DelFest Music Hall and begin after music has ended on the Grandstand Stage. Doors open at Midnight and specific set times are TBA. Admission is $20/show. Get your tickets in advance here or at the Late Night Box Office which is located at the merchandise tent between 11a.m-10p.m Fri-Sun or at the DelFest Music Hall between 11:30p.m-2:00a.m Fri-Sun.

2013 DelFest Late Night Schedule

Friday – Leftover Salmon and The Travelin’ McCourys

Saturday – The Infamous Stringdusters and the Hackensaw Boys

Sunday – Greensky Bluegrass and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

April 8, 2013
Trey Anastasio Band closes out Winter Tour at The Palace, January 26, 2013
Trey Anastasio loves Albany – for evidence, take a look at his opening words to the sold out house at The Palace Theater in Albany on a frigid January 26, 2013. “Thank you guys, this is the … I just want to say how much it means to me whenever I come here … I have so many friends here tonight from this part of the country … Thank you so much. This is also the last show our tour, so lets celebrate … Thank you for sharing it with us.”

And with that, Trey led his band into the song that the original trio of Trey, drummer Russ Lawton and Saratoga Springs resident Tony Markellis wrote back in 1998, “First Tube”. A Grammy nominated rock instrumental that usually closes down these TAB shows, “First Tube” got the crowd moving early on. “Cayman Review” followed, now a classic first set staple for many years now that features Ray Paczkowski on clavinet to drive the funk into the song. With the crowd settling in, they were treated to “Alaska”, one of the handful of crossover songs that Phish and Trey Band both play.

Rather than drop this tune in the middle of set two, per usual on Phish tour, Trey brought it out early and let the song shine in its proper venue – with TAB and with horns. The placement wasn’t just great – the version of the song was impressive as well, with some extra licks from Trey while Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman and James Casey (Lettuce) continued to pepper the tune with just the right dose of horn. “Tube Top Flop” (ne, Wobble), surprisingly showed up net, as this is one of the earliest songs from TAB, debuting in 2001 on his first big band tour. Although it fell out of rotation, its appearance tonight elicited great cheers from the older TAB fans who followed the bob and rhythm of the horn-driven piece.

“Pigtail”, possibly the most poppy Trey song to date, and written by longtime writing partner and friend Tom Marshall, has become a staple of Trey shows in the past two years, its flirty lyrics and confusion-inducing refrain, “I’m conscious again, unconscious again, I’m conscious again, unconscious again”, is the kind of tune that sticks in your head, pleasantly, and accented by Trey’s guitar bursts at the end of each refrain. What was once a 20-minute song in 2001, “Last Tube” is now half that but compressed into an equally stellar song. This high energy, spastic tune with a dash of Caribbean Island music gets the band firing on all cylinders at once, blowing up the song before crashing it down with a big band finish that peters out. “Last Tube”, welcome back to TAB! The Bob Marley classic “Small Axe” followed, as did two new songs, “Dark and Down” and “Scabbard”, off the new album Traveler.

“Dark and Down” was more somber than anything else up until this point of the show, while “Scabbard”, a Zappa-esque single, captures the best of Trey’s songwriting skills and multi-instrumentalism of this band. “Greyhound Rising” provided the other piece of somber bread for this relatively new music sandwich. “Shine”, Trey’s breakout single from 2005 has proven to grow as a crowd favorite and continues to take shape in the regular rotation. Set closer “Money, Love and Change” was another oldie and goodie that can still find the nasty notes to cap off a set.

During setbreak, it was easy to observe that the crowd for a Trey Anastasio Band show is different that a Phish crowd. At SPAC in the summer, the crowd is typically 80/20 guys/gals, but at TAB it is closer 60/40, plus some older fans who come out in larger numbers to the Palace. The band attracts more couples to shows, either as a segue to seeing Phish, or replacement value for Phish shows not seen/enjoyed as a couple. The ornate building’s interior continually looks sparkling and new (The Palace is nearly twice as big as the past week’s show at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse) and the broad interior walls gave the light show room to make an incredible visual spectacle throughout the show as the lights danced all over.

Set two began with the Afrobeaty “Curlews Call”, building the band’s sound up, particularly with the percussion supplied by returning TAB member Cyro Baptista, whose inventive percussion instruments (gong and flippers, anyone?) make him not just a band member to watch, but one to listen for on show recordings. “Gotta Jibboo” is never a disappointment and having horns once again adds an extra layer to the upbeat tune. A standard “Alive Again” came next, then a trio of songs from Traveler: “Land of Nod” is incredibly horn driven, especially Natalie Cressman’s trombone, while “Valentine” was played much like the album version, although that’s hardly a bad thing. The reworking of “Valentine” for Traveler includes more vocals from Cressman and Hartswick, and although when performed live, the song could have been stretched out a bit by Big Red, the true highlight in this song is the visual interpretation that one can gather from the lyrics:

“Jagged beams of light, explode and dance in the darkness around me. And I can reach out and touch the beams and the light turns sold and wraps around my wrist. One makes a loop, a thousand more follow, a thousand more follow till my arms are surrounded by a conical web of light. My arms in the eyes of a web of light, a tornado of light beams and I feel the pull and start to rise, and every beam is there to guide.”

In a recent interview with NPR, Trey mentioned how this song reflected his time getting sober period while living in Saratoga Springs, a Valentine letter to God. Listen around the 7:40 mark of the interview to hear Trey talk about the genesis of the song.

Speaking of great lyrics, “Architect”, while a bit mellower, still carried the themes from “Valentine” that are marks of Trey’s life from 2006-2008. Fan favorite, “Sand”, recently destroyed by Phish the past few years at 18 minute clips, is a staple from the original trio. But with horns, again, it’s just sublime. Although Phish fans are getting spoiled with these extended versions on Phish tour, the reserved Sand on TAB tour not only suffices, it gives a new spin to a classic. The strong anthem of “Tuesday” stepped in, where the vocals of Hartswick and Cressman continued to dominate, but not overpower the song. Then there’s “Clint Eastwood”, the Gorillaz original that debuted as a cover last year at The Palace. Jennifer Hartswick’s powerful vocals are not to be missed – you’ll still be amazed that she did the lyrics for the album version in just one take.

With the show winding down, “Traveler” appeared, and while it started out slow, grew into one of the more impressive tunes of the night, generating swaying motions from the crowd amid the lyrics “Maybe if you stand still, you are traveling too, making it easy for someone to choose you”. Trey took a moment to introduce the band as the song’s chorus was repeated, then delved into “Push on Til the Day”, one of the most popular and well known TAB tunes, where it is always fun to watch Trey spin around with his guitar leading up to the triumphant big band ending. An encore of The Five Steps’ “O-o-h Child” was very apropos for the evening for this reviewer and capped off a whirlwind tour for Trey Anastasio Band.

Even though he didn’t play some tunes that have been staples of his shows – “Drifting”, “Sultans of Swing”, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, “At the Gazebo”, “The Way I Feel”, or “Burlap Sack and Pumps”, – it became clearer during this short tour that Trey’s catalog for TAB has grown so much that you can start to expect the unexpected and never get the same show twice. Trey has grown as a band leader with TAB and expanded his catalog with both bands. It is impressive enough to see him with Phish, but with TAB, it’s a completely different experience, and one that is continually changing and improving.

Out into the cold night we went…

Setlist

Set 1: First Tube, Cayman Review, Alaska, Tube Top Flop, Pigtail, Last Tube, Small Axe, Dark And Down, Scabbard, Greyhound Rising, Shine, Money Love And Change
Set 2: Curlew’s Call, Gotta Jibboo, Alive Again, Land Of Nod, Valentine, Architect, Sand, Tuesday, Clint Eastwood, Traveler, Push On Til The Day
Encore: Ooh Child

Download bvaz’s recording of the show

Download andyjah’s recording of the show
February 1, 2013
An Interview with Tony Markellis

Upstate New York music legend and producer Tony Markellis has played with the likes of David Bromberg, Jo Henley, Paul Butterfield, The Mamas & the Papas, been a member of The Unknown Blues Band and is the current bassist for Trey Anastasio Band.

With a career spanning from his origins in Helena, Montana to his current home in Saratoga Springs, NY, Markellis has spent the past forty-plus years playing a wide variety of music, including jazz, folk, rock, country and blues music, including appearances on nearly 100 albums in his storied career. Tony was kind enough to sit down for an interview after meeting at the Soule Monde show at Putnam Den on May 12, 2011 and discuss his bass playing and local musical impact.

Pete Mason: What is it like being one of the most famous local music celebrities in the Saratoga area? How has your status as a musician evolved over the years living in the region?

Tony Markellis: I really don’t think about it much. I live a pretty private life, and for the most part, I come and go without much notice when I’m not in a professional setting. I don’t think most of my neighbors know what I do for a living, and I tend to prefer it that way.

PM: What is it like playing with guys like Russ Lawton and Jo Henley?

TM: Playing with Russ is a real pleasure. We’ve known each other for over thirty years, and I’ve been a big fan of his playing since I first heard him playing with Zzebra (a Vermont based Afro-fusion band led by Nigerian musician Lofty Amao, formerly of Osibisa). My band, Kilimanjaro, was losing drummers just about every five years. Every time that happened, I would recommend Russ as a replacement, but the timing was never quite right– even back then he was in high demand! When Trey called me up to start what became TAB, I couldn’t think of a better drummer for the project than Russ. My one and only regret about Russ is that he’s a strict vegan, and I’m definitely not. Wherever we go, I’m always in search of the local equivalent of a goat roasting on a spit, or just about any cuisine that involves a combination of immigrants, meat and fire. As you can imagine, we don’t get to share many dining adventures.

I’m glad you know about Jo Henley. I got introduced to them about five years ago when they were recording their CD Sad Songs and Alcohol in Schenectady, NY. They happened to be between bass players at the time. The engineer mentioned that I lived in the area, and the guys knew me from my work with TAB. It worked out well, and I even played out with them for a while. I went on to do their next CD, Inside Out, as well (which also included Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski from TAB). Jo Henley has just released a very autobiographical new CD called Mohawk, which is a great representation of how the current working band sounds with their new bass player and drummer.

PM: You play a wide variety of music. Where does this interest and ability come from and do you have a style that you prefer to play above all others?

TM: I’ve always had varied interests– not just in music, but in everything. Life’s just too short to think that only one type of anything is good. As a college kid in Ann Arbor, I got to start playing with some living legends like blues singer Johnny Shines and singer/songwriters like Paul Siebel and Rosalie Sorrels. After that, I worked for years with people like David Amram, David Bromberg, Kilimanjaro, the Mamas & Papas and Paul Butterfield, just to mention a few. I also got some great opportunities to play once in a while with people like Professor Longhair, Martin, Bogan & Armstrong, Ellen McIlwaine and Nick Brignola. I have played almost every form of American music in one context or another, and I hope I can continue to do that for a long time to come. I have to agree with Duke Ellington that there are only two kinds of music– good and bad.

PM: Can you talk about the group of talented musicians in the Saratoga area?

TM: There are so many great musicians in the Albany/Saratoga area who I am fortunate to have worked with at one time or another. I have a couple of great singer/songwriter friends, Michael Jerling and Bob Warren, who I have been playing and recording with for about thirty years. I’ve played Mexican and cowboy music with Don & Victoria Armstrong on and off for the same period of time. They have migrated back and forth between Saratoga and the Southwest for as long as I’ve known them. For the past ten years or so, I have worked with a great roots/blues trio called No Outlet (with Kevin Maul on slide guitar and vocals and Dale Haskell on drums and vocals). For about the same amount of time, Kevin and I have been traveling and recording with the Burns Sisters, a wonderful three-sister country/Americana act out of Ithaca, NY. I worked with the Sarah Pedinotti Band (now Railbird) for a couple of years, and for the past couple of years have been playing in an intense roots/blues trio called Street Corner Holler with Dale Haskell and slide guitarist Mark Tolstrup. For a few years, I had the pleasure of playing with Albany songwriter Rosanne Raneri, who just might be the best singer I’ve ever heard.

PM: What kind of bass do you play?

Tony Markellis, The Palace Theatre, Albany, NY February 19, 2011

TM: I have a number of basses that I use, depending on what the gig demands. I have two almost identical P-J basses (combining features of the classic Fender Precision and Jazz basses), one fretted and one fretless, that I assembled myself out of parts from various makers. The fretted one is the one I generally use when I play with TAB. I have a fretless Taylor AB-1 acoustic/electric bass guitar that I use on a lot of singer/songwriter, jazz and bluegrass gigs. I have an Eminence Portable Upright that I use on some blues and jazz gigs. And I have a couple of headless Hohner basses that sound great and are wonderfully easy to transport– I can carry them on a plane and put them in the overhead rack.

PM: How did you get into playing the bass?

TM: I began playing upright bass in the third grade in my grade school orchestra in Helena, Montana. The music teacher gave us a choice of which instrument we wanted to play, and for some reason, the bass spoke to me.

PM: Any bass influences or favorite musicians amongst your peers?

TM: From early on, I was a great admirer of Paul McCartney’s playing. Unlike most of the players who I consider influences, he was always more of a ‘guitar player playing bass’ than a bassist, but the playful fluidity of his playing was always very appealing; his playing with the Beatles is consistently brilliant. As a teenager and as a college kid, I listened to guys like Jack Bruce, Jack Cassady, Freebo, Rick Danko, Bruce Palmer and Phil Lesh, but it didn’t take me long to discover the masters– giants like Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Blanton, Ray Brown, Willie Dixon, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, Duck Dunn, Jerry Jemmott, Phil Upchurch, Scott LaFaro, Eddie Gomez, Family Man Barrett and George Porter. If anyone reading this doesn’t recognize some of those names, I hope they will do themselves a big favor and go look them up. Of my contemporaries, I think very highly of Lincoln Goines, Huey McDonald, Mark Rubin, Sarah Brown, Conrad Lozano, Lee Allen Zeno, Oteil Burbridge, Victor Wooten, and of course, the late Jaco Pastorius.

PM: How did you develop your method of playing bass, seated with the bass so vertical? Is it a comfort thing?

TM: I have sustained a number of injuries over the years, the cumulative effects of which have made standing up with a bass around my neck really difficult. I was an avid and overly daring skier as a teenager, and I broke my back and one of my knees. Those injuries didn’t bother me for a long time, but they’ve both kind of snuck back up on me over the years. I also broke my collarbone as a baby. It apparently didn’t set right, and after some fifteen years of hanging heavier-than-average basses over my shoulder, I started getting pinched nerves and numbness in my left arm. About ten years ago I dislocated both ends of my left collarbone in a badly-planned home logging mishap. To top it all off, last year I was on an extremely turbulent flight on the edge of a tornado system, resulting in a case of whiplash that I’m still trying to get straightened out. With all that, a seat and a bass stand makes it a lot easier for me to do what I do.

PM: How did you develop your method of playing bass, seated with the bass so vertical? Is it a comfort thing?

TM: I have sustained a number of injuries over the years, the cumulative effects of which have made standing up with a bass around my neck really difficult. I was an avid and overly daring skier as a teenager, and I broke my back and one of my knees. Those injuries didn’t bother me for a long time, but they’ve both kind of snuck back up on me over the years. I also broke my collarbone as a baby. It apparently didn’t set right, and after some fifteen years of hanging heavier-than-average basses over my shoulder, I started getting pinched nerves and numbness in my left arm. About ten years ago I dislocated both ends of my left collarbone in a badly-planned home logging mishap. To top it all off, last year I was on an extremely turbulent flight on the edge of a tornado system, resulting in a case of whiplash that I’m still trying to get straightened out. With all that, a seat and a bass stand makes it a lot easier for me to do what I do.

PM: What is it like going from the high energy/big crowds at a Trey Band show to your regular quieter gigs in the region?

TM: In many ways, I find it easier playing for a sea of faces than for a handful of people who are only an arm’s length away. The biggest difference, though, is that on the TAB gig, everything– transportation, business, equipment set-up, logistics– is taken care of by a very well-oiled crew of professionals. Back in the real world, I have get used fending for myself again.

PM: Is it a wind or a bug?

TM: Ah, yes– I’m afraid people will be asking that question long after we’re all gone.

PM: Seriously though, how did “Windora Bug” come about?

TM: It predates me. Knowing Trey and Tom, they were probably having an evening writing session near an open window, and heard something unidentifiable outside, raising the question, “Was that a wind or a bug?” and another classic was born. Trey’s always trying out different material in different contexts, and that’s one of those songs that I guess he had tried out with Phish, and then shelved until Russ and I came along.

PM: How did Trey first invite you to join him in the creation of the original Trey Trio?

TM: When Trey first went to Burlington to look at colleges, I was playing there with Kilimanjaro and the Unknown Blues Band at a great (now-defunct) club called Hunt’s. Trey claims that we were one of the deciding factors in making him choose to stay in Vermont. He and his girlfriend Sue came out to see us on their first date; years later, we played at their wedding. As we were watching Phish develop into the juggernaut that it is today, they were also looking to us “old guys” for inspiration. The Phish guys were also big fans of the Sneakers Jazz Band, some of whom also became members of TAB. In 1999, Trey wanted to get a side project going, and he got in touch. At the time, he was very interested in African music such as that of Fela Kuti, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than Russ Lawton, with his strong background in African beats, to recommend to Trey as a drummer for the project.

PM: Did you have any input into the evolution of the band as it went from 3 members to 6 to 8 to 9 to 10 and back to 7?

TM: I brought Russ on board– beyond that, it’s all been Trey’s doing. The process has involved Trey trying to assemble a group of individual musicians who are not only versatile enough to handle all the many styles that he might throw their way, but are also agreeable enough to coexist smoothly. And I think it’s worked beautifully– I can’t imagine a better group of not only musicians, but people, than the current TAB lineup.

PM: Describe the evolution of songs like “Sand”, “Gotta Jibboo” and “First Tube”, three of the most popular and famous TAB songs that have become full fledged Phish songs.

TM: When Russ and I first got together with Trey, he encouraged us to build some basic grooves from the bottom up, based on things we liked or had been working on individually. He then fleshed the grooves out with his own ideas. We came up with the foundations for about twelve or fifteen tunes from our first rehearsals. After we left, Trey continued to tweak ideas, eventually adding some of Tom Marshall’s lyrics onto the finished tunes. He eventually took a few of them to Phish, and now they’ve become standard parts of the Phish songbook– so much so that when a lot of people hear us play them, they think we’re covering Phish tunes.

PM: How does life on the road affect your playing over time? Do you prefer to stay local for shows?

TM: They both have their good points. I love to travel– I have since I was a little kid. My parents would throw us on a train and take us from Montana to Chicago or New York, or we’d drive to San Francisco or the Oregon coast. Now, as an adult, how much better could it get than getting paid to travel around the country playing music with a bunch of people I like? There is, however, something to be said for being able to jump in the car, drive five minutes to the gig, and five minutes back to sleep in my own bed. One thing I know is that I don’t get much time to practice when we’re on tour.

PM: How did the 6/20/10 sit-in at SPAC with Phish come together? What prompted it and how did it all go down?

TM: I hadn’t heard Phish play for a few years, and I wanted to stop by to say hi to all my friends in the band and the crew. If you know anything about Trey, you know that he is unable to pass up a show-biz opportunity. As soon as he saw me, I know he was thinking, “How can we work this into the show?” It worked out fine– he picked a song that I cowrote (Gotta Jibboo, which Phish even plays in the same key), so it wasn’t a stretch. Fishman is such a pleasure of a drummer to play with, it was just a piece of cake. I think Mike even enjoyed playing guitar for a change. I guess I’m just lucky that Trey didn’t have the crew try to stuff me in that bathtub with all those little kids!

PM: Have there been any TAB moments that stand out among the rest over the past decade-plus?

TM: I enjoy listening to the other players in the band so much that there have been moments– I couldn’t tell you exactly where or when they were– where I’ve just sort of left my body while listening to them play. I’ve enjoyed the beautiful venues we’ve gotten to play– Red Rocks stands out, as does RadioCityMusic Hall, the Ryman Auditorium, the Pabst Theater and the gorgeous Fox Theaters. One of the most memorable highlights for me would be when Carlos Santana came to sit in with us at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco in 2003. He’s been a musical hero of mine since I was in college. What a great night that was– I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!

January 25, 2013