NYS Music 20​15

Category: Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: Circles Around the Sun “Interludes For the Dead”

    Back in July, two giant stadiums, one in Santa Clara, CA and the other in Chicago, IL, held five shows between them in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead.  When fans arrived for the Fare Thee Well shows, they were welcomed to soothing sounds that filled the air before the show started. Set break and post-show also played this same music to fans as they were heading from their seats to grab a drink, meet with friends or leave the stadium for the evening. Fans were curious as to where this music was originating, as it had never been heard before.  Touches of Grateful Dead notes were hinted at throughout, but it was never an exact replica or clear match to being the Grateful Dead.  However, the music had a familiar touch about it, but it could not be pinpointed.  Who was behind this magical music?

    Not long after the reunion run ended, it came to light that Neal Casal was the man behind the music between sets at the reunion shows.  Casal, best known as the guitar player for the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, was approached by Justin Kreutzmann to assist with the musical side of the production during the breaks. Casal got together with three other musicians, bassist Dan Horne, drummer Mark Levy, and keyboardist Adam MacDougall, to create the music that would soon become a part of the Grateful Dead history forever. Over the course of a few days, the group put together over four and a half hours of “walk in music” for the reunion shows.  The album, Interludes For the Dead, contains the music that grew out of these magical recording sessions over a short period of time. Though the music was originally created specifically for use at the reunion shows, due to an overwhelming demand by fans, it has been put together and released in album form.

    When the tracks were being created, it was all done free-form, as the musicians flowed to where their hearts brought them musically. What they created was simply magical. Never anticipating the music being released to the public, the artists pushed some songs to over 25 minutes in length, which tests the boundaries of fitting on one side of a vinyl album. The longest song, “Farewell Franklins,” clocks in at 25:05 minutes.

    The flow of the music throughout this album maintains the same continuous mystical aura, as the notes hint and touch upon slight rhythms of Grateful Dead tunes. In addition, some songs follow the same themes of particular Grateful Dead tunes. For example, “Scarlottas Magnolias” has obvious hints of “Scarlet Begonias,” and “Scarlet Wheel” touches upon “The Wheel.” In addition, some tracks are named for specific people or stories. “Gilbert’s Groove” is named after Gilbert Shelton, the artist behind the cover artwork for The Grateful Dead’s Shakedown Street album.  “Hallucinate a Solution” was named for a quote Phil Lesh said before going onstage one evening during a Phil and Friends show. Casal had been performing with him, and a discussion came up regarding a difficult transition between two songs.  Lesh’s solution was to “hallucinate a solution,” hence the song named in his honor.

    Overall, the album that was never to be is crammed with mysterious tones that overlap transcendental notes and waves of creative bliss from beginning to end. This unexpected release easily hits the heart of fans of all genres, as it clearly falls into a category all its own. Allowing the music to flow from the heart, without the added pressure of producing an album from the get go, is what makes this album beautiful. A delight to the eardrums, each tune offers up gorgeously fluid sounds that take listeners on a journey of pleasurable surprises as the tracks drift from one to the next.

    Each track is completely different, yet similar, with the low key grooves that are maintained.  “Hallucinate A Solution” is chock full of hip beats, while “Gilberts Groove” brings it down with a funky vibe.  Jazzy edges are sliced into “Kaseys Bones,” while the mood takes a 180 with a mystical “Space Wheel.” The longest track, “Farewell Franklins,” picks up the beat with a soulful organ and crisp guitar chords that join arm in arm.  The album closes with the shortest tune, “Mountains of the Moon,” at just over five minutes in length. This spacey jam takes listeners on a trippy ride through quiet tones intertwined with cosmic hues, sculpting a perfect ending to this remarkably harmonious recording.

    Overall, Interludes For the Dead takes listeners from soulful jazz lines to funky, psychedelic punches and everything in between.  The free style jamming the musicians put into each track takes you on a magical ride through riffs that soothe the soul, relax the mind and provide endless colorful vibrations of energy. This is perfect music for any occasion, whether a long car ride, stretching to yoga or trying to calm from a hard day’s work. This is the album that belongs on everyone’s playlist. This will soon become one of your top albums played again and again.

    Key Tracks: Hallucinate A Solution, Farewell Franklins, Saturdays Children

  • Whole Lotta Love for Elise Testone in Providence

    Elise Testone brought her All Star Tribute to Led Zeppelin to The Spot Underground in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday, Dec. 4. Rhode Island band Sgt. Baker and the Clones opened for her, and Breakfast for the Boys from New Paltz closed out the night.elise testone

    The Spot Underground, now in its third location in Providence, features two stages. Sgt. Baker and the Clones took the stage in the smaller room around 9:20 p.m. Their sound is ’90s grunge meets rockabilly and country. The band consists of three guitarists, two on acoustic; a bassist; and a drummer. The crowd was still filing in throughout their set. They opened with “Stick Fishin’,” which features quotes from The Beatles’ “Cry Baby Cry” outro. This was followed up by a cover of Robert Cray‘s “Phone Booth,” which brought some energy to the crowd as folks started dancing. A country influence could be heard in the slower “Flesh Puppets.” They also played a few more covers, including Mars Volta’s “The Widow” and Cold War Kids’ “We Used to Vacation.” The latter featured additional vocals from local singer/songwriter Nate Cozzolino. They closed out their set with a raunchy cover of “I Will Survive,” played in a similar vein to Cake’s version with some altered lyrics. The lead guitarist played a really nice solo before the band finished the song to end their set. The highlight of the set was “Pigs,” which featured some fun animal sounds from Baker to start. While a bit rough around the edges, the set was enjoyable for all the smiling faces in the room.

    Testone’s set was delayed a bit. To keep the fans happy, Cozzolino, who is also the venue’s cook, played a short set with Mike Baker, aka Sgt. Baker, on djembe. His set started with a cover of Sublime’s “Badfish.” He then played through a handful of originals to a small crowd eager to hear Elise Testone and her tribute to Led Zeppelin.

    Elise Testone and her all-star tribute to Led Zeppelin took the main stage around 11 p.m. The band consisted of Todd Stoops (RAQ) on keyboards and backup vocals, Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz) on drums, Danny Mayer (Alan Evans Trio) on guitar, and Jed Lingat (Timothy Bloom) on bass. Testone, of course, handled the lead vocals. They opened their set with “Black Dog.” It took a little bit for the crowd to really get into it, but when the opening notes to “When the Levee Breaks” were played everyone was pulled in. The set ran through 19 of Led Zeppelin’s more notable songs. “Trampled Under Foot” featured a short, but fun keyboard solo from Stoops. “No Quarter,” one of the highlights of the night, saw an unexpected piano solo, one of the few moments the band took some creative license with the music. This was followed by two of the other highlights of the night, “Kashmir” and “Nobody’s Fault by Mine,” which featured excellent keyboard and guitar solos. “Fool in the Rain,” while a bit rough, was one of the crowd favorites of the night. The entire venue was dancing along. “Heartbreaker” was played without the expected segue into “Living Loving Maid.” Carubba played a solid solo in “Moby Dick,” and his perfect keeping of the beat held the band together throughout the night.

    The set ended with “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” an odd choice given slower tempo. They came back out to encore with “Rock and Roll.” The one other highlight of the night was “Over the Hills and Far Away,” which featured some nice interplay between the guitar and keyboards during a short jam. The crowd was quite pleased with the two hour set. The band was tight and well-rehearsed. Testone’s vocals, while not completely appropriate as a Robert Plant replacement, handled the songs as though they were written for her. If any criticism is to be made, it’s that they simply covered the songs as Led Zeppelin would have played them. With a band of such talented musicians, it would be nice to see them use some creativity in the future, making the songs more their own and fitting them better to Testone’s voice.

    Breakfast for the Boys played a late night set in the smaller room. Their female-led soul closed out the night as the crowd slowly dwindled. Their sound can be compared to that of Lake Street Dive.

    All in all, it was a great night of music in Providence. The Spot’s new location isn’t the most ideal, though the larger room has great sound, which might be better than their previous locations. If you have the chance to see Elise Testone doing any type of show, don’t hesitate. Her voice is fabulous and quite adaptable to many different genres and styles of music.

    Elise Testone will be playing with her All-Star Band on Thursday, Dec. 17 at The Hollow Bar in Albany at 9 p.m. Brian LaPoint and the Joints are the supporting act. Tickets are currently available.

  • Hearing Aide: The Turnpike Troubadours Self-Titled Album

    The Turnpike Troubadours, hailing from middle America (Tahlequah, OK, to be exact), offer listeners genuine heartfelt lyrics over the backdrop of perfectly balanced old-timey, twangy instruments that are heavy on the fiddle and pedal steel guitar. This band epitomizes Americana music at its best, which at times is reminiscent of the Avett Brothers and Robert Earl Keen, and while this style might not be a favorited genre amongst music fans, the Turnpike Troubadours just might help the category gain a few converts.

    Comprised of lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Evan Felker, bassist R.C. Edwards, fiddler Kyle Nix, pedal steel and electric guitarist Ryan Engleman and drummer Gabe Pearson, the Turnpike Troubadours’ self-titled fourth album pulls listeners in right from the first track with the five-member outfit’s driving beats and Midwestern drawl. Each member of the band is individually talented, but when joined together to perform as a group, they create a sonic vibe that is uniquely all their own with country-rock and roots characteristics.

    Amy Lieberman - Turnpike Troubadours (2)

    The 12-track Turnpike Troubadours has an organic sound, with the band basically recording until they got it right. Listening to the album makes you feel like you’re at a barn dance in rural America, particularly on a couple of tunes, including “Easton and Main” and “7 Oaks,” during which one can practically picture a country line dance happening.

    Although the tunes may have an uplifting and catchy sound, if listened to carefully many of the lyrics are a bit dismal, particularly on “Fall Out of Love,” which will really hit a nerve with those who have experienced such a situation. Perhaps the most appealing element of the album is that the songs make the band members seem accessible and real, spinning tales that are universally applicable and played over melodies and rhythms that are easy to get into.

    Formed in 2005, the Turnpike Troubadours have gained quite the following over the years, commonly drawing thousands of people to shows in their home state and nearby Texas. Hopefully they will bring the party to New York State, because it would be hard to picture having a bad time at one of their shows, but for now, you’ll just have to settle for their latest album.

    Key Tracks: “7 Oaks,” “The Bird Hunter,” “Fall Out of Love”

  • Recap: Space Carnival and Lucid at The Hollow, December 4

    As the year begins to draw to a close, local and regional acts may stick closer to home, bringing out friends and fans to end of the year celebrations and final shows before a break around the holidays. December in Upstate New York in particular leads to a great number of bands playing club shows for one last hurrah before starting anew in January.

    Starting out this evening was Space Carnival, a four piece band from Oneonta. With a flowing vibe through their set and command of the audience’s energy, they wove in and out of originals and covers with smooth transitions and improvisation with a balanced approach. Opening with a flowing and spacey “2001”, the segue into original “Filth” made it tough to discern where “2001” began and “Filth” began, as the songs crossed over musically with finesse. Bassist Chris Meier is a next generation Jesse Miller (Lotus) even though he admits to not having drawn any influence from him; the high pluck of his bass marked the start of a transition into four-on-the-floor dance propulsion at multiple occurrances throughout the set

    “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco” found guitarist Jeremy Kraus and keyboardist Cameron Fitch syncing up for a deep groove that transitioned smoothly into “Shakedown Street”, a choice cover on the 50th anniversary of the first ever Grateful Dead show. “Moonboots” had a feel of Ominous Seapods mixed with a dash of Disco Biscuits as they shifted seamlessly into progressive sections. “Entre the Giants” features a Talking Heads vibe, which aided in the build towards the Heads’ “Stay Hungry”, where Meier set the tone with assurance, Kraus dropped an “Inspector Gadget” tease, with various eruptions out of each shift, using the bursts of energy towards a strong build. With an IndieGoGo campaign for their first studio album, Space Carnival is an exciting live show from start to finish.

    Setlist: 2001 -> Filth, Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco > Shakedown Street > Moonboots, Entre the Giants > Stay Hungry > Regal Krad

    Kings of the North Country, Lucid, gave The Hollow crowd two musical cornucopia sets that covered all the bases of blues, rock, jam, soul and funk. “Bangers and Hash” kicked the night off with speedy soul and dips of reggae, followed by “San Pedro,” with Lowell Wurster’s vocals driven in step by the beat from the wooden blocks. Meadow Eliz, who has performed with Lucid on a few occasions, and is quite an accomplished artist, joined the group for a pair of songs, “Despots” and “Gemini Eye,” adding quite impressive vocals to familiar tunes.

    “Po Man’s Blues” kicked off Set 2 and things kept rocking with “Blessed and Cursed” and the fan favorite “Whisky Dreams.” A cover of the Clash’s “Clampdown” took a few by surprise, while “Dirt”, off their latest album of the same name balanced out the Brit Rock. Among the many highlights in this set was the stand out performance of “Silhouettes,” featuring Jamie Armstrong on saxaphone, a full rocker with strong keys. Bassist Chris Shacklett took to the mic for the penultimate song of the evening, the always enjoyable “Debra,” with Chris hitting every high note seemingly effortlessly. There was little left to ask for on this incredible evening of music from New York bands both new and old.

    Set 1: 4 Bangers and Hash, San Pedro, Miles Deep, Psychedelic Circus, Lucky Dice, Mind Trippin, Despots*, Gemini Eye* > Ancient Incantations, Ground on up, Whoa Mamma, On My Knees

    Set 2: Po Man’s Blues, Blessed and Cursed, Whiskey Dreams, Black Smoke, Clampdown (Clash Cover), Dirt, Came and Went > Silhouettes, Boats, Backwoods, ***Debra (Beck Cover), Crazy Fucked up World***
    * with Meadow Eliz

  • Hearing Aide: Kimberly Schad “Mystic Kingdom”

    Kimberly Schad debuted her new self-produced, four-song EP, Mystic Kingdom, Friday evening at The Palace Theater, bookending her eighteen song set with the tracks from the new release. In this case I saw the concert before listening to the EP, it gave insight to the formal version and how Kimberly sees the music in a bigger picture.

    Kimberly Schad Mystic Kingdom
    Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

    She is an artist who has complete control over her music and how it’s presented. In the studio she handles all facets of the project, from vocals, piano, keys, to programming, mixing and producing, besides one tasty guitar track on “Secret” from Kevin Farrell (Hard Promises, The Hurricanes). Live, the lush stage production and instrumental ensemble represent her complete vision.

    Her backing band consisted of her long-time partner Will Masiclat – keyboards, sampling and video, Travis Reed – piano, Andrew Greacen – guitar, Jim Lucas – drums and Gary Lucas – percussion. All of this tied together with her father, Tim Schad, mixing F.O.H. and her uncle, Steve Schad, as L.D.. The stage was set with flowing white drapes, an elevated, spinning riser at the center with an antique chaise lounge and access ramps on each side dressed in white. Dozens of moving light fixtures cast their colors in dramatic scenes accentuating the setting combined with a rich, full mix of ear candy for the highly receptive crowd that assembled. All of the songs performed were Kimberly’s compositions with the exception of four covers that will be noted along the way.

    Kimberly Schad Mystic Kingdom
    Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

    The show and EP opener, “Secret” has a Spanish note and feel, brought to bear through the acoustic performed by Andrew Greacen and the drums/percussion/sampling. Her vocal reading gives many hints at what was to come from her in both the concert and the EP. She has a tremendous grasp on what she feels, believes and practices. “After Midnight” is deep and proggy, while flexing her R&B and trip-hop chops. The breadth of Kimberly’s lyrical content becomes evident even more here, as she often does, speaking from her soul, deeply.

    “Dirty/Money” features the piano of Travis Reed, a voice we’d hear from often through the show, a brilliant young talent who played as if he wrote the material. A deft touch with ease and a knack for the open spaces. Kimberly mixes in a taste of Drake’s “Star 67”, the code on your phone used to block your number when dialing someone. Stalker? Joker? You decide. The next song is one I’ve been told the background story for and it has twisted my listening a bit since. “Nothing But a Bitch” is a biting send-off to emotional attachment delivered with an appropriate bitch-slap. “Where R U Now?” was the first cover of the evening, the Skrillex/Diplo collab. featuring Justin Bieber is given a fittingly electro-pop read and hits right in her sweet spot.

    Following a costume change, Kimberly took to the piano, solo, where her art truly comes from. Hitting on yet another mark of professionalism, that being the whole picture, the aesthetic, were well looked after. “Afterglow Confessions” is a post-show expression of love and emotion toward her muse. These moments directly after baring your soul to an audience can be some of the most reflective to an artist. One of the highlights of a show filled with them, this one stands out clearly. Travis took the stage again for Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece, “All Is Fair In Love” with more than a hint of Jennifer Hudson’s take on it. Immaculately executed, Kimberly’s voice and Travis’ piano brought the crowd to a height of exuberance, it was simply brilliant. “Look Outside” and “Twice,” a Little Dragon cover, stayed in the piano/voice form, lending clarity to the vocals and space to the piano, both flourishing within it.

    “When I Think Of You,” “Might As Well Be Magic,” and “Solid Ground,” all being from Kimberly’s deep repertoire, grow and develop with time and perspective. They’re reflective of her maturing as an artist and a person, it’s remarkable to behold. “Two Weeks,” the final cover of the night, this time by FKA twigs, is emblematic of where she is now. Dream Pop, Trip-Hop, Prog R&B, Trap Nouveau, way too many different influences to pin-point, which is probably thee point.

    “Fly” and “See Your Face” lead us to the final two songs of the night expressing more themes from her life. She exhibits her behind the scenes skills in tracking, sampling and triggers that become pillars of her compositions. It shows in every note. “One More Time” marks Greacen’s chance to bring his electric guitar to the ensemble, he does it well, perhaps a bit under the mix, but layering textures is what it’s all about. I’d like to hear more of him. The closer, “Mystic Kingdom”, is a signature piece that is perfect in its placement and character. It sums up much of what the performance was about and what we have to look forward to from Ms. Schad.

    While Mystic Kingdom is Kimberly’s first officially released EP, it’s apparent that there is much more to be heard from her. She has plenty of material for two full length albums and her skills as a writer, performer, producer and engineer are growing in giant steps. Her consciousness toward the larger picture and vision are strengths many will never enjoy. At twenty-six, she has a very long way to go and all of the faculties to get her there. Congratulations on the magnificent work and we cannot wait to hear and see what comes next.

    The EP is available for purchase on iTunes and CDbaby and can be streamed on Spotify.

    Setlist: Secret, After Midnight, Dirty/ Money, Nothing But A Bitch, Where R U Now? (Skrillex/Diplo), Afterglow Confessions, All Is Fair In Love (Wonder), Look Outside, Twice (Little Dragon), When I Think Of You, Might As Well Be Magic, Solid Ground, Two Weeks (FKA twigs), Fly, See Your Face, One More Time, Mystic Kingdom

    You can see many videos of the songs performed in earlier concerts on Kimberly’s Youtube page, and keep up with her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

  • Robert Trujillo Premiers “JACO” for RSD Black Friday 2015 in Syracuse

    Many people associate the madness that is Black Friday with people waiting in extremely long lines, sometimes even camping out, to get the hottest items of the year at the best bargain prices. Typically the main events happen at malls and big box stores and end up being the centerpiece of the 5 o’clock news. I, however, associate Black Friday with an event that is a quintessential experience for devotees of vinyl record collecting: Record Store Day.

    Chris Besaw Robert Trujillo 14

    Syracuse is fortunate enough to be the home of Soundgarden, an amazing independent record store. Soundgarden is one of the hosts of Black Friday Record Store Day, a day that boasts rare and unique music releases primarily on vinyl, but other formats are included in the celebration as well. One of the special releases this year was a documentary film that highlights the life and death of Jazz musician Jaco Pastorius. The film was directed by Paul Merchand and Stephen Kikak and was co-produced by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and John Battsek of Passion Pictures.

    Robert Trujillo has been on the road promoting the release of the film and made a stop at Soundgarden on Black Friday Record Store Day. Trujillo signed copies of the film, took photos and chatted with a long line of fans. Anyone who purchased a copy of the film at Soundgarden received a wristband for the meet and greet. The purchase also included tickets to a premier screening of JACO and a question and answer session with Robert Trujillo at the Palace Theater that evening.

    The event at the Palace Theater was packed with fans. It kicked off with a very heartwarming introduction by Frank Malfitano Executive Director of Syracuse’s Jazz fest of over 30 years. Michael Massurin Executive Director of Syracuse International Film festival and Soundgarden owner Bryan Burkert were also in attendance. Robert Trujillo provided a brief history of how the idea for the documentary was conceived, including the process and some of the highs and lows during production.

    The film explores the life of Jaco Pastorious from his childhood through his rise to fame as the world’s greatest bass player to his tragic and early death in 1987. The film also explores the sad reality for many people who suffer from mental health issues. During the time that Jaco was alive the reality was that the issues were mainly ignored and written off and there was no effective treatment in place for mental health disorders.
    After the film ended, Robert spent some time with fans answering questions about Jaco, his journey making the film, what happened to his famous “bass of doom” and one exuberant fan managed to sneak in the question many Syracuse fans have been wondering “when is Metallica, coming back to Syracuse?” to which Robert smiled and stated, “Well, let us finish working on the new record and I will see if I can get all of us here.”
    It was great to see so many musicians and music fans of all genres come out to this event. It truly shows how supportive the Syracuse music scene is of all music types! I hope to see more events like this take place here in the near future.

     [FinalTilesGallery id=’548′]

  • Hearing Aide: Ellie Goulding ‘Delirium’

    EllieNovember was indubitably a huge month in pop music. A number of artists like Justin Bieber, Adele, and One Direction each released new albums that are all getting a great deal of hype in the music world. In addition, Ellie Goulding’s Delirium was released on a New Music Friday with a whopping 23 tracks on the deluxe version. The album features the 2015 top hit “Love Me Like You Do,” which was featured the on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack back in February. However, this album is filled with a lot more than just the big movie hit.

    Delirium is one of those albums you don’t have to listen to in order; however, it’s best to listen to the wistful, wordless introduction track and its progression into “Aftertaste” before listening on. The two songs are nicely juxtaposed, contrasting a ballad with a more upbeat tune, and this foreshadows the variety of styles throughout the album.

    In an article on Music Times, it says, “Ellie… has stated that she is trying to step away from indie and EDM to become a bona fide pop star.” This is made clear as Ellie’s last album, Halcyon Days, released in 2013, could be classified as indie pop/synthpop. New album Delirium falls under the category of plain old pop. Without being cliché, this album is definitely pop first and foremost because all the tracks are incredibly catchy. You’ll be whistling the choruses to “On My Mind” and “Around U” after each play. It also seems like each track is about the great or the no-so-great parts of a romantic relationship, which is standard for the genre. In addition, the album cover features the top half of her body in a somewhat provocative pose, which is in congruence with the often-sexualized portrayal of pop artists.

    So how has her sound changed? Overall, her vocals haven’t changed much with her standard doubled lead vocals and her own voice harmonizing the backing vocals. The instrumentation is also quite similar to her other albums. It’s important to note that Ellie was a contributing writer on each of the tracks, and thus had a great deal of creative control. It seems like she wasn’t pushing for an entirely new sound, but rather a change in how the album was to be marketed. She desires to be known as a pop artist in the music scene, perhaps on a quest for more recognition.

    Each song on the album was artistically produced by her producers with a number of electronic instruments. There isn’t really one song one would identify as a “banger,” but they’re each high-quality and deserving of a listen or two. The single releases of “On My Mind,” “Something in the Way You Move,” “Lost and Found,” and “Army” were decent picks in incentivizing listeners to check the album out. Overall, this album would be great to play as ambient music at a small party or to sing along to in the car.

    Key Tracks: Don’t Need Nobody, Codes, Army

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_sDIQe6gk

  • Unknown Blues Band Not so Unknown

    Nectar’s, the mecca of Vermont’s music scene celebrated it’s 40th birthday with a re-union of the Unknown Blues Band which also marked the tenth anniversary of the passing of bandleader Big Joe Burrell. This famed band reunited with it’s crack Kilimanjaro brilliant core of Paul Asbell on guitar, Chas Eller on organ, Tony Markellis on bass, Lucas Adler on drums with Terry Younk and Dave Grippo on saxophone. They were joined vocally by soul man Dave Keller and the stellar Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson as well as honored harmonica hosts Charlie Frazier and Bob Stannard. It was a night of great music recalling the past songs of Big Joe Burrell with shakes and solos to a crowd that swung to the groove and called for more.

    unknown blues bandBig Joe and the Unknown Blues Band first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and then toured the world in the 1990’s as well as backing up the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield. Musical celebrities passing through Burlington would frequently join the band such as B.B. King and Betty Carter.

    An association formed with Phish guitarist’s Trey Anastasio, who said he moved to Burlington largely because of the Unknown Blues Band and the quality of live music they put out. Paul Asbell, the UBB guitarist’s became Trey’s guitar teacher, and later on bassist Tony Markellis began playing with Trey in Trey Anastasio Band and keyboardist Chas Eller partnered with Trey at his personal recording studio, The Barn.

    After this great show, people are hoping that the UBB will be back on the scene and bringing the blues back to Burlington and beyond.

  • Leftover Salmon Lays it Down at The Egg

    Twelve years after last appearing at The Egg, Leftover Salmon returned to Albany for a nearly two-hour set in the intimate Swyer Theater. Fans danced in the periphery, while others remained seated, tapping their feet to the rhythm and mouthing the words to familiar lyrics, yet rarely seen live in these parts. Going in with no expectations, this marked my first opportunity to see Leftover Salmon after 14  years of patient listening.

    Drummer Alwyn Robinson stood out immediately, not only because of his presence behind the kit in a bluegrass band, but especially because he did not overshadow his bandmates. He was not driving the songs nor was he reserved to the point of a feigned presence on stage. Robinson is the ideal bluegrass drummer.

    Giving a nod to recent corruption news from the nearby Capitol, Vince Herman introduced “Hey Woody Guthrie,” calling on the fabled folk legend to return as the good fight is still being fought. “Flight of the Durban,” led by Andy Thorn on banjo, was upbeat and a long journey through a composition that could double as a soundtrack for a travel video. “Troubled Times” and “High Country” were on the country side of things, while an upbeat version of Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” was a refreshing take on a classic folk tune.

    Drew Emmitt showed masterful prowess on the mandolin and switched to electric guitar during an extended jam, following the same style of Robinson—not taking an overpowering Warren Haynes-esque solo, but augmenting the existing jam. Herman introduced “Two Highways,” a song he dedicated to his wife to-be (as of next week) in Mexico during Strings n Sol festival prior to band intros, capping off the set with a lively cover of T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get it On).” The band returned to the stage with a standing ovation from the audience and performed “Gold Hill Line” for an encore, prior to signing autographs in the lobby for the ardent fans.

    Leftover Salmon performs tonight at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA, on Dec. 4 and The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT, on Dec. 5.

  • Dark Star Orchestra Keeps it Alive at the Palace

    On November 16, DSO barreled into the Palace Theatre in Albany, a place guitarist Rob Eaton said is near and dear to the band’s heart. There are more Grateful Dead cover bands than I can count in the Albany area alone. These groups keep the spirit of the Dead alive and well.

    dark star palace
    Dark Star Orchestra

    Nationwide, the number of Dead tribute acts is basically astronomic. Hell, there’s even a website to help us keep track of them all.

    But there’s only one who is universally known across the jam band scene: Dark Star Orchestra. As of November 29, DSO has played more than 2,500 concerts since forming in 1997, either recreating old Dead setlists, or creating their own from the Dead’s hefty 30-year catalog of shows.

    From the opening pair of “Alabama Getaway” and “Greatest Story Ever Told,” it seemed as if the band might be playing an early 1970s set. Then “Dupree’s Diamond Blues,” “Black Throated Wind,” “Ramble on Rose,” “Easy to Love You,” “Passenger,” “Shining Star,” “Beat it on Down the Line,” and “China Cat Sunflower?I Know You Rider” made me think the group had concocted it’s own setlist.

    dark star palaceAnd in grand Grateful Dead fashion, DSO even had an equipment issue, when keyboardist Rob Barraco lost power to his rig following “Dupree’s,” prompting Eaton to talk about how the Palace is one of the band’s favorite venues to play.

    The second set was a non-stop roller coaster, kicking off with a tender “St. Stephen>Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance>Terrapin Station,” before giving way to a somewhat boring “Drums>Space.” “At a Siding>Terrapin Transit>Terrapin Reprise>Hey Jude>Visions of Johanna>One More Saturday Night” closed out a fun, but at times slow second set.

    One of my personal favorites, “Unbroken Chain,” finished the night in style, sending the near capacity crowd home with one of Phil Lesh’s songs.