Sunday, December 26, 2010

20 Best cd's of 2010 (in alphabetical order)

* Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion
http://amzn.to/e0SUBZ
JB delivers the goods on his first studio recording in 7 years. He's still a badass, he still says more with one note than all the Yngwie wannabe's say with fifty 64th notes. This cd is short (40 minutes) but sweet, and it left me wanting more. You know you're in for a good ride when it opens with a cover of Jeff Buckley's arrangement of "Corpus Christy Carol." The personnel vary from track to track, but musicians accompanying Jeff include Tal WIlkenfeld, Joss Stone, Pino Palladino, Vinnie Colaiuta, Imelda May, and others, plus a 64 piece orchestra. I am not hip to Joss Stone, aside from the fact she is mainstream, but I don't blame Jeff if he's trying to cash in… She does nail it on "I Put a Spell On You." Then again, he's been recording and touring with women since at least as far back as his "Who Else!" cd released back in 1999 (Jennifer Batten), and either Tal or Imelda have been part of his touring band since 2007. So, yeah, if you're a fan of Jeff Beck or electric guitar in general, then you owe it to yourself to give this cd a spin.

* Black Country Communion (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/fst1o5
I hate the term "supergroup" but that is what this album's been described as. Joe Bonamassa on guitar/the up and coming "guitar god," Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals/from Deep Purple Mark III, Jason Bonham/son of Bonzo on drums, and Derek Sherinian on keyboards/a heavyweight in the metal and progressive rock worlds. This is music that begs to be played loud. You can definitely hear the Zeppelin and Deep Purple roots, actually this album sounds like it could have been released in the 70's, stylistically that is... You won't find any nu-metal or rap-rock or other subgenres here, just good old (mainly blues based) rock and roll that would fit right in on a playlist from any classic rock radio station.

* Lois Deloatch - Roots: Jazz Blues Spirituals
http://bit.ly/gLhUG7
Lois on vocals, Scott Sawyer on guitar, Gabe Evens on piano, John Brown on bass, and Beverly Botsford on percussion. This is NC jazz, from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). Fans of vocal jazz and blues, ala Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn, will find a lot to like here. The band sounds excellent and all get ample opportunity to stretch it out at times. Top notch production too, this cd sounds excellent. There are 4 original tunes, the other 8 a mix of covers and traditional songs. The entire cd swings but my favorite tracks are Wade in the Water, Queen KoKo Blue, Pennies From Heaven, When The Saints Come Marching In, Steal Away, and Someday Soon.

* Bill Frisell - Beautiful Dreamers
http://amzn.to/gfFT08
Bill on guitar, Eyvind Kang on viola, Rudy Royston on drums, and produced by the great Lee Townsend. Not the standard instrumentation as most trio's, but not at all a surprise from the shy bespectacled One… It works, and a lot of the tunes definitely groove, and there is plenty of odd timing, use of dynamics and space between the notes, along with more of the out weirdness that Bill Frisell is known for. This cd is mainly original tunes, but there are some interesting covers too, including Nobody's Fault but Mine, Keep On the Sunny Side, and Goin' Out of My Head (I'll admit I caught myself off guard the 1st time I noticed myself singing the words to this Frank Sinatra classic, while driving my truck). Bill Frisell isn't for everybody, but if you're a fan, this is pretty much a must hear cd. Lastly, kudos to Bill for his shout out to the late great Vic Chestnutt, RIP.

* JJ Grey & Mofro - Georgia Warhorse
http://amzn.to/eJlOCN
JJ is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Jacksonville, FL. I have been following him since I caught his late night set at High Sierra Music Fest a few years ago. This is his 3rd release on Alligator Records, and in my opinion he has hugely stepped up his game. This is swampy greasy southern music, and he has a great band backing him. He is joined by his neighbor Derek Trucks on "Lullaby," and the great Toots Hibbert joins him on "The Sweetest Thing." I will go so far as to proclaim this JJ Grey's breakout cd. Good stuff!

* Buddy Guy - Living Proof
http://amzn.to/dYE6Iq
Buddy Guy is 74 years old, just 4 years younger than my Dad! This autobiographical cd is his best since his coming out (to the masses) party, "Damn Right I Got the Blues" - Not that he has anything to prove, but he hasn't lost a thing, he can still solo with complete reckless but perfect fury and abandonment. His voice sounds great too. Check out the opening track, "74 Years Young," damn! He comes out of the gate strong and doesn't let up for the next 54 minutes... Like all his albums these last few years it seems, there are guests; on this one BB King plays on a track, as does Carlos Santana track. As far as I am concerned, Buddy Guy is today's undisputed unified "heavyweight champion" of the blues, whether he wants it or not (I am sure he'd disagree and point to BB). He's earned it, he's a master of his craft; and anything he does usually sounds light years better than anything done by Cats 20, 30, 40, and 50 years younger.

* Charlie Hunter - Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid
http://amzn.to/hlsyjh
Consider me biased, I have been a Charlie Hunter fan for 17 years and his cd's are always among my favorites of the year, every year. Same thing applies to this release (a mono recording!); Charlie on 7 string guitar (simultaneous guitar and bass lines), Eric Kalb on drums, Alan Ferber and Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, Eric Biondo on trumpet. In my opinion Charlie continues to "hone" his voice, and evolve and cross over into different genres; and this cd is as heavily influenced by blues, as it is jazz. Like his other cd's, the band is top shelf, great compositions and great production. Also very worthy of mention is his just released extremely excellent solo cd, "Public Domain" which as of now is only available at live performances and from his website (http://bit.ly/btGVHd).

* Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust
http://amzn.to/918JCf
Los Lobos: The most underrated American band ever. This is their first studio album of original music in 4 years. Nothing revelatory compared to 2006's "The Town and the City" cd, which I also thought was killer, but I do rank this up there with their best: Kiko, Colossal head, This Time… They have perfected their groove, which happens after making music together for 35 plus years… They continue with their signature sound and production here. Wolves fans won't be disappointed with this latest effort. 11 tunes in all, 2 of which are in Spanish, and a cool rendition of the Robert Hunter penned Grateful Dead's "West LA Fadeaway," plus a new Robert Hunter/Cesar Rosas composition. Viva Los Lobos!

* Pat Metheny - Orchestrion
http://amzn.to/ieXyRS
I suspect this is Pat's most controversial work since his noise album "Zero Tolerance for Silence." To me, it's definitely the most interesting inclusion on my list this year… This is a solo album, but do not be deceived… In this particular context, solo equates to Pat Metheny on guitar, and via MIDI triggers and a series of pneumatic assemblies and solenoid switches; Pat Metheny on piano, orchestra bells, marimba, vibraphone, bass, guitarbots (?), percussion, cymbals, drums, and other custom-fabricated acoustic instruments… His inspiration for this was memories of player piano (automatic, self-playing) from his youth. There is plenty of info on the web on all the prep work, the process, and the inventors Pat worked with to record this album and follow it with a tour. While the description could lead one to believe this cd sounds sterile and is lacking soul, this is not the case at all. You can hear Pat's voice, it has an organic sound/human element, it does groove at times, and there's plenty of great guitar. I would say the opening "center piece" 15 minute long title-track "Orchestrion" is the most ambitious tune on the album, as far as the compositional complexity and number of instruments being played simultaneously. Techo-Geeks and gearheads especially should dig this cd.

* Stanton Moore - Groove Alchemy
http://amzn.to/gjDn9B
Galactic's Stanton Moore on drums, Will Bernard on guitar, and Robert Walter on B3 and piano; all heavyweights. This cd owns anything Galactic has released in recent memory. Yeah it's a drummer's project, but this is a band cd all the way. The music is funky, and although Stanton's from New Orleans, this is not strictly a Nola affair. I will say this trio plays their collective ass off on this cd; and I hope they collaborate more in the future, in the studio (they did play a run of live shows, the night in San Fran was great - a double bill with Anders Osborne).

* Willie Nelson - Country Music
http://amzn.to/ieQwqL
First off, this is Willie's 81st studio cd in 49 years! That is simply a mind-boggling stat, period. To be doing it for half a decade, and still be as relevant (artistically) as he is, well that just doesn't happen often. This cd was produced by T-Bone Burnett, and features plenty of Nashville heavyweights; including Buddy Miller, Stuart Duncan, and Ronnie McCoury, to name a few… This is great country music, easily the best I have heard since Willie's "Asleep at the Wheel" cd from last year; but take that comment with a grain of salt, because I am not a huge country fan and am pretty selective in that genre of music. Anyway, 15 tunes, some Willie Nelson originals, some covers (Ernest Tubb, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, George Jones and Ray Price, and others), and some old school traditional tunes; including a sweet "Nobody's Fault but Mine" to end the cd with.

* Anders Osborne - American Patchwork
http://amzn.to/hdvzMs
Anders is new to me, I am still discovering him… On one hand he is a gifted guitarist, a musician's musician, capable of blistering frenzied slide runs; and on the other hand he's a singer/songwriter from New Orleans whose other gig is professional songwriter in Nashville since the mid 90's (country star Tim McGraw had a #1 hit with one of his songs, and he co-wrote 2 songs with Keb Mo on Keb's Grammy winning "Slow Down" cd in 1999) . This is his debut release on Alligator Records; and joining him is Robert Walter on various keyboards/keyboard bass, Pepper Keenan on guitars and vocals, and Stanton Moore on drums. This cd has a little bit of everything: Blues (the opening track, "On the Road to Charlie Parker" is burning), rock, funky Nola grooves, even some reggae/calypso; with great, sometimes dark, and introspective lyrics. This is Anders' homage to New Orleans.

* Robert Plant - Band of Joy
http://amzn.to/gmQpfx
At 17 years old, I was a bona fide Led Zeppelin fanatic. If I wasn't driving all over the state of TN to record conventions, in order to buy bootleg concert albums; I was trading cassette copies with people all over the world, via classified advertisements in Goldmine magazine. My daily attire for several years was completed with a brown light-weather army jacket, with a large Swansong winged dude airbrushed on the back. I have seen both Page and Plant solo and together (no live Zep for me though) a number of times, starting in 1983 to most recently 2005. At one time I considered Robert Plant pompous and arrogant for not wanting to go on tour with a new Led Zeppelin. Now I completely understand his logic. Bonzo is dead and buried for 31 years, and Mr. Plant continues to grow as an artist. His music is still evolving and I can understand why he would consider a Zep tour a step backwards. Incidentally, "Band of Joy" was a band he was in prior to Led Zeppelin, along with John Bonham. While Robert is accompanied by all Nashville Heavyweights, like the Allison Krauss collaborated "Raisin' Sand" cd, "Band of Joy" is more rock and roll… I still hear roots and Americana, but it's less folkie. Produced by Buddy Miller, Robert on lead vocals, Buddy on guitar, Patty griffin - vocals, Byron House on bass, Darrel Scott on various stringed instruments, and Marco Giovino on drums. By the way, and in case you didn't know it, Buddy Miller is badass. Only 1 Plant penned tune here (co-written with Buddy Miller), some of the covers are traditional, some are more well known than others; and the cd opens with "Angel Dance" by Los Lobos.

* 7 Walkers (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/i4Sllm
Let me start by saying I am pretty heavily into the Grateful Dead, and GD drummer Bill Kreutzmann is on this; so I am biased. However, this cd was produced by singer/songwriter/guitarist Papa Mali, a New Orleans area native now based in Austin, and he is a heavyweight himself. The full lineup is Papa Mali (guitar and vocals), Matt Hubbard (keyboards, harmonica, trombone), funky George Porter Jr. (bass, 1 track), and Reed Mathis (bass, the rest of the tracks), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Willie Nelson also sings and plays guitar on "King Cotton Blues." All words were co-written by Papa Mali and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. In my humble opinion, this is by far the best album featuring any Grateful Dead member since Jerry died. However, this music veers much more in the direction of New Orleans music then it does the Grateful Dead; although I bet fans of both will like this. Papa Mali's 2007 release "Do Your Thing" was one of my favorites that year, and I was wondering if he would be able to top it with his next release… Well, this is the closest thing to his next release and I believe he has.

* Soulive - Rubber Soulive
http://amzn.to/haULd2
Soulive cd's have been hit or miss for me. I prefer their straight guitar/organ/drums instrumental side, versus horn sections and guest vocalists and MC's…. This one is straight trio, doing all Beatles tunes; and yes, it's a hit. If you've been "on the fence" regarding Soulive these last few years, like me, you should give this one a listen; especially if you're a Beatles fan.

* Triple Fret - Songs in Borrowed Time
http://bit.ly/fmla6v
More NC music here. Triple Fret is Mike Babyak's Band. I am pretty sure He wrote 11 of the 12 tunes (at least the lyrics), although the whole (very tight) band is credited on the cd, speaking of which: Mike Babyak on guitar, lap steel, and vocals - Mike Rosado on drums - E. Scott Warren on bass. Also, guest appearances by Jim Kost on keyboards, John Metcalfe on miscellaneous percussion, and several background vocalists. This cd straddles a lot of different genres, there's a bit of everything here... I hear blues, roots and Americana, some reggae, straight rock and roll, jamband like vehicles, even a little Afro-Caribbean. If you are a fan of lap steel then this cd should be moved immediately to the top of your queue, as there is plenty of it all over this excellent recording. Are you a Steve Kimock fan? David Lindley? If so, you will very much dig this music. Lyrically, the cd covers a lot of different subjects, some serious, nothing too heavy, some just fun. Vocally, I do hear North Carolina, Mike's voice is sometimes raspy, and at times I am reminded of John Bell and maybe Lowell George. This cd is a great listen and highly recommended.

* Trombone Shorty - BACKATOWN
http://amzn.to/gzZACz
I got turned onto Trombone Shorty when he played a set @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival back in July. As good as their live show is, this excellently produced studio effort matches it, musically and "energy wise" too; killer Nola funk and soul/R&B, this is music designed to make you shake that ass! All but 1 tune are originals, and the cover was written by Allen Toussaint. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews has a great band backing him (and some heavyweight guests sitting in); whether they're laying down a thick groove, or going off on an instrumental jam, this band brings it.

* The Derek Trucks Band - Roadsongs
http://amzn.to/hpLDgC
If you know me, any dTb inclusion on my list is no surprise; especially a live recording, as I have been preaching about this particular lineup of the dTb for several years now. In my opinion this is/was consistently the tightest touring rock band out there - Derek Trucks on guitar, Todd Smallie on bass, Yonrico Scott on drums, Kofi Burbridge on keyboards/flute, Mike Mattison on vocals, and Count M'butu on percussion; and on this particular night in Chicago they were augmented by a 3 piece horn section. Although dTb is a rock band and this is a rock album, stylistically the dTb crosses over many genres; and my favorite moments take place during the jazz tunes. This cd is worth picking up alone for the killer version of "Afro Blue..." But less adventurous ears not so much into the out stuff will find plenty to like here too. In closing, any live dTb is top shelf… Speaking of which, anybody heard anything about this band ending their hiatus and going back on the road?!?

* Doug Wamble (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/eAKPmQ
I am not sure if this recording falls under rock, jazz, or pop; but at the end of the day Doug Wamble is another relatively unknown and very badass guitarist from TN, now living in NY. This cd is yet another Lee Townsend produced masterpiece, and I heard about it via a plug from Charlie Hunter (who plays on one track)… Although he's better known for his acoustic and slide playing, there is some fine electric guitar all over this album. Doug also sings, and although there are plenty of great moments of lead guitar and improv, this is a song based cd. Definitely worth seeking out, as is his '05 release "Bluestate" on Branford Marsalis' record label (http://amzn.to/etGTqJ).

* Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence
http://amzn.to/el9KyG
Heavy music from Chicago… I found this cd at Reckless Records, which is a very cool store on the north side, Belmont and Broadway (3126 N. Broadway). Their "thing" is, in addition to the bins of cd's to browse through, their walls are literally covered with cd's in completely random order of varying genres, that have little index cards taped to them noting descriptions/recommendations from staff. I have discovered some great music from that wall, including this cd; and that is an experience that in no way can be reproduced when you buy all your music online… Anyway, back to this cd: It's pretty interesting stuff. This is their 5th album - I haven't heard the earlier ones. There are too many metal subgenres for me to keep up with, and my limited research found this album being classified under several different ones: avant garde progressive metal, post-apocalyptic hardcore, grindcore; with elements of jazz and world music. I read that the death metal cookie-monster vocals were more prevalent on their earlier albums, but Singer Bruce Lamont has eased up to focus on his secret weapon: The saxophone! Some of the more mellow tunes with heavily reverberated guitars remind me of Opeth, and the dominant berserk sax reminds me of 70's era King Crimson (a good thing); but overall this band sounds very unique, and at least on this particular cd, they have their own thing happening for sure.

Honorable Mentions
* Hill Country Revue - Zebra Ranch
http://amzn.to/h43ZsY
This is a North Mississippi Allstar's side project; including Cody Dickinson on guitar and vocals along with his drums and washboard/percussion, Luther Dickinson on guitar, and bunch of other Cats including Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel. I hear a strong southern rock influence, swampy Mississippi music, lots of slide guitar, a bit of funk; and parts of this remind me of Frank Marino, and Pat Travers (pre-Shrapnel records). They include a couple covers: Going Down, and Wild Horses. Incidentally, their father Jim Dickinson played on the original Wild Horses. The only reason this cd didn't make my top 20 is a couple of the more "radio friendly" tunes lyrically/vocally remind me a little bit too much of 38 Special, but that could just be me… Still, at the end of the day, I love this cd.

* Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King - Have Blues Will Travel
http://amzn.to/dMGW2B
These Cats have been recording cd's together for 20 years and are (IMO) unheralded royalty in the blues community. This is their 2nd Alligator Records release. There is plenty of tasty slide and lead guitar all over this latest effort. Nothing groundbreaking here - Just more Texas blues, but they are masters of their craft… The opening title track is reminiscent of early ZZ Top. Some of the lyrics on this cd are a little too "tongue in cheek" for me, but the strong guitarwork makes up for it… To summarize, Smokin' Joe and Bnois both play the shit out of the blues; and Texas blues aficionado's and fans of guitar in the vein of Hendrix, Freddie King (whom Joe backed up on rhythm guitar), Stevie Ray, Chris Duarte, etc will dig this cd.

* Railroad Earth (Self Titled)
http://amzn.to/hF8dKH
RR is one of the rare jamgrass bands that don't bore me senseless after 30 minutes (SCI?). In fact, I have been following these Cats for about 5 years now and own all their cd's. Although their product is usually and rightly in the bluegrass section, like their last release "Amen Corner" this cd is IMO more roots/Americana and less bluegrass compared to their earlier recordings. The band is still very tight, and there is plenty of great storytelling and jamming guitar, violin, and mandolin to treat your ears to.

* Widespread Panic - Dirty Side Down
http://amzn.to/dNcm0H
This cd didn't initially grab me; I got sucked in after listening to it quite a few times and then catching their 3 night run in Oakland back in October. The production is great, Jimmy Herring is continuing to gel with the band and sounding less like a hired gun… But as good as this cd is, it doesn't match what I still consider to be the best Panic cd's: Space Wrangler, Mom's Kitchen, Everyday, Ain't Life Grand, and 'Til the Medicine Takes - That is why it didn't make my top 20. That being said, most old school Panic fans AND Panic newbies should dig this music.

* Vinnie Zummo - Swinging Guitar Sounds Of Young America: Volume 2
http://bit.ly/ff5m0p
I discovered Vinnie around 2007, via Myspace! He's based in NYC and best known as Joe Jackson's guitar player. He is yet another badass NYC musician, one of the more unknown guitarists on my radar, deserving of wider recognition, and also a very adept drummer (he plays accordion and harmonica too). There are guests a plenty on this cd too. Too many to list all of them, but here a few of them: Shawn Pelton, Mark Egan, Mike Mainieri, and John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful)… I am still absorbing this recently released cd, it's a lot of different styles of music to take in. This cd is meant to be a tribute to his musical heroes, and it's fun to pick out who inspired which tunes. I am hearing some Jeff Beck, BB King, Cream, Jimi, some Beatles (nobody does the George Harrison slide sound better), Patsy Cline, John Abercrombie, and some Elvin Jones to start with... I also recommend his 2006 release SGSOYA Volume 1 (http://bit.ly/hCjTUw).


If I had to pick a favorite cd of 2010, I would say it's a tie between Anders Osborne, and Trombone Shorty; with the 7 Walkers not far behind.
Other realizations I made, or was reminded of, while composing this blog (aside from the fact I spend too much money on music):
* I Like Rounder Records (Willie, and Robert Plant)
* I Like Alligator Records (Mofro, Anders, and Smokin' Joe)
* 2010 was the year of Nobody's Fault but Mine (recorded by Frisell, Willie, and Vegas crooner Tom Jones).
* I still consider Lee Townsend a superstar producer.
* I should consider relocating to Nola, or at least try to make it to Jazzfest this year!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Jazz Record Mart, in Chicago, is f*#%ing awesome!

Dear Jazz Record Mart, in Chicago, on 27 E. Illinois Steet.

Please forgive me for not remembering you these last few years; when discussions of best record stores came up, and I always endorsed the usual west coast suspects such as Amoeba and Everyday Music... Now I love those 2 stores, and Rasputin, Silver Platters, Easy Street, and Reckless Records are all great stores too; but I bet the farm there isn't a record/cd store on the planet (including Amoeba) with the selection of jazz and blues music (especially blues), available on both cd and vinyl, that Jazz Record Mart keeps in stock!

I was in your fine establishment on Friday July 2nd (1st time in a decade), and had to pull myself away within 45 minutes, otherwise I would be missing my rent and car payment this month. Not only is JRM's selection of music mind boggling, their staff is also very knowledgeable and helpful. No wonder this store still does business and has been run by the same owner for the last 40 years; while the trend of record/cd stores closing continues at a high rate in Chicago and elsewhere.


So next time somebody asks, my answer will be: My favorite record store is a tie, between Chicago's Jazz Record Mart (for their untouchable jazz/blues selection), and Amoeba Music in Hollywood; because man does not live on jazz and blues alone.

http://jazzmart.com
http://www.amoeba.com

P.S. For the record, my quarry from JRM on Friday 7/2/2010
* Taj Mahal - Mo' Roots
* Taj Mahal - The Real Thing
* Herbie Mann - Stone Flute
* Brute Force (I'd never seen this, produced by Herbie Mann, with Sonny Sharrock on 3 tracks)
* Jack McDuff - Screamin' Brother Jack McDuff
* Joe Farrell - Moon Germs
* Joel Paterson & Modern Sounds - Hold it Fellas / Stomp Stomp
* Derek Trucks Band - Roadsongs
* 1 JRM / Chicago Blues t-shirt



Wednesday, February 3, 2010

July 1999 - 12/31/2009, best musical multi-night runs...

I have managed to see some epic musical performances. Sometimes it was just one night, other times it was 2 or 3 consecutive nights; and on rare occasion, a bit longer... Anyway, below is my list of the most memorable multi-night musical runs I have experienced these last 11 years, in chronological order. I chose summer 1999 as the starting point because there were some stand-outs then and the preceding couple years hadn't been as huge... While the majority of live music performances I have attended in my lifetime has been great, these multi-night runs stood out. Why, might some of you be asking, is there no mention of Widespread Panic's 1999 European Tour? Because I only caught 1 night (Paradiso/Amsterdam). As for the Beacon Runs, if I am going to list every one I've been to, whats the point of making a list here? That is why I was selective in which runs I chose (Allman or other bands). If my next 11 years on this planet are even half as interesting, from a music fan perspective, then consider me a damn lucky mofo :-)

* 6/12/99, 6/13/1999 - The Allman Brothers Band @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morrison, CO)
I came from another continent to be there that weekend; from Reading, Berkshire (UK)... The fact I crossed an ocean from Allman deprived Europe gave this weekend an extra double or triple dose of sweetness. There was a large tribe of Disreputables, we were all staying at the Marriott in Golden, and we took it over. It was a crazy couple of nights. This particular weekend, these 2 shows were the first with Derek Trucks as a full time permanent member of the band (replacing Jack Pearson). It was this weekend that really launched my "traveling obsession/fanaticism" of my favorite bands.

* 12/30/1999, 12/31/1999 - Phish @ Big Cypress Seminole Indian reservation (The Everglades in South Florida)
Another major effort to be there... This time I traveled from Brussels, Belgium. Millennium weekend. I was there with my best friend since junior high school (early 80's), Mike, and although he had initially turned me on to Phish 8 years before, these were the first shows we caught together... 2 nights of solid music, on NYE they played from approximately 11:30 PM until sunrise the next morning.

* 3/23/2001, 3/24/2001, 3/25/2001 - The Allman Brothers Band @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
Another major effort to be there... This time I traveled from Santa Catarina, Brazil, which I had been calling home for the previous 5 months. The day before my flight, I was hiking in some woods and got bitten by mosquito's... By the time my plane landed in NY approximately 20 hours later, both my ankles were swollen to the point I could have used some crutches. Anyway, I had excellent seats with very close friends for 3 consecutive nights (3/23, 3/24, and 3/25); and these were the final 3 nights of the extended Beacon Run... It was after this run they announced that Warren Haynes had rejoined the band on a permanent basis (He was "guest guitarist" for the run, replacing "interim guitarist" Jimmy Herring who had initially stepped in when Dickey Betts left the band)... Regarding the vibe that weekend: The energy in the air, being generated both on stage and from the audience, and back and forth, was incredible... This was my first Beacon experience too. All the familiar faces I saw in the theatre and/or neighborhood, and the huge tribe staying at the Beacon Hotel made it even more special... By the end of the weekend, I lost my voice. To this day this might be the best 3 nights, overall, of live music I have experienced, period. Not that the rest of this list wasn't as good, they were; but this weekend was the perfect overall vibe that will never be recaptured.

* 12/30/2003, 12/31/2003 - Gov't Mule @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
This was a last moment deal... I found out a couple weeks before the shows that a friend was holding some extra's if I wanted them, and worked this weekend into my NYE plans. I stayed at the Beacon Hotel, more quality time with Disreputables; and since this was a present to myself because I had just annulled my marriage, after enduring a very unrewarding few months of marital non-bliss, I followed this weekend with a short week in Amsterdam ;-) If I remember correctly, on 12/31, Warren teased 20th Century Schizoid Man AND Hocus Pocus (I am such a prog geek).

* 10/22/2004, 10/21/2004, 10/24/2004 - MagnoliaFest @ Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, Fl)
A sh*tload of bands over a 3 day period... The one though, that influenced me to pull the trigger on a ticket and be there was a Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit reunion show. Aside from this zambirrific band, other highlights were Peter Rowan's Crucial Reggae (with the Burning Spears Horns), The Codetalkers, Oteil & the Peacemakers, Derek Trucks Band, Railroad Earth, Blueground Undergrass, and Donna the Buffalo. Great music, a beautiful venue, and easy low stress not-too-crowded primitive camping.

* 4/15/2005, 4/16/2005 - Wannee Festival @ Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, Fl)
This was the first annual Allman Brothers Band extended family musical orgy. Lineup was the Allman Bros, Derek Trucks Band, Gov't Mule, Oteil & the Peacemakers, Robert Randolph, Galactic; plus a few more. Another big showing of Disreputables from the tribe made this extra special; plus it wasn't too crowded, and we knew some people who had a cabin with warm water and AC if we needed a brief reprise from the weather and elements. The fact I got so drunk one mid day, almost passed out during Derek Truck's late afternoon daylight set, then recovered enough to the point I could communicate and be comprehended later that night; is the kind of tale of which legend is born :-) I also wound up backstage one night, and although it wasn't the first time back there, it was the first and only time I was introduced to Gregg Allman and got to personally thank him, for so much great music and memories over the years. We also had a crazy Matt Abts moment in a trailer I can't go into detail about here... The music wasn't bad either...

* 10/14/2005, 10/15/2005, 10/16/2005 - Steelin' & Slidin' (The Netherlands)
The Derek Trucks Band's 1st ever 3 European shows, with Sonny Landreth, Buddy Cage, Dan Tyack, and Dutch musicians Johan Jansen and René van Barneveld... The 14th was in Groningen, the 15th in Eindhoven, and the 16th @ Paradiso in Amsterdam. All 3 nights were small venues but very nice rooms, with very enthusiastic fans. I made some great friends on that tour, hung out with DTB a bit, met Derek's grandfather; and I had the honor of buying Sonny Landreth a pint of Guinness late one night ;-) The music was awesome, seeing Sonny and Derek on stage together was pretty incendiary, and unknown (to me, at that time) Dan Tyack was killing it on pedal steel. The overall energy, although smaller scale due to smaller crowds, was comparable to the ABB's 2001 Beacon run mentioned above. Sadly, I haven't been back to Europe since this run of shows... I hope to remedy this situation sometime in 2010.

* 1/20/2006, 1/21/2006 - Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit @ Fox Theatre (Boulder, CO)
A couple more Col. Bruce Bruce reunion shows with Jimmy, Oteil, and Sipe; always something to get extremely excited about. I was in the beautiful town of Boulder, I was seeing ARU twice, and I was with a couple very close friends who were ARU virgins. What more needs to be said?

* 4/19/2006, 4/20/2006 - David Gilmour (Los Angeles)
I caught the show 4/19 @ Kodak Theater, and 4/20 @ the Gibson Theatre. I enjoyed the 4/20 show just a tad more because our seats were better. But, being a long time Pink Floyd FREAK and David Gilmour FREAK, I thought both of these shows were off the hook. Band included Phil Manzarek of Roxy Music on 2nd guitar, and Floyd alumni Richard Wright on keys; and for these 2 LA shows we also got David Crosby and Graham Nash doing back up vocals... Not too shabby.

* 3/19/2009, 3/20/2009, 3/21/2009 - The Allman Brothers Band @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
Another ABB Beacon run... This one was extra special for a few reasons. I was able to book my bro Scott's band "Go There" at Sullivan Hall, in the Village, on 3/18. This was the first "Go There" show w/Oteil Burbridge on bass, since Scott had released his "Go There" cd the year before which did feature Oteil along with his bro Kofi. I was pretty damn proud of myself for helping to make that happen. Secondly, Eric Clapton sat in 2 nights for a full set, those were my first ever live EC experiences... To see him playing Layla with Derek Trucks playing the Duane parts, it was MAGIC. Thirdly, I was able to gift brother Scott with a 2nd row seat for the 3/19 show... It was his 1st ever live Derek Trucks sighting, his first time seeing the Allman Bros since the 70's, and I don't know if he had ever seen Clapton before that night. So, aside from the awesome music I heard 4 nights in a row, it was pretty rewarding to turn my bro onto this wonderful scene I am a part of.

* 4/15/2009, 5/8/2009, 5/9/2009 - Derek Trucks Band (NorCal)
I have seen the Derek Trucks Band a sh*tload of times since my 1st show in January of 2000... As good as every one has been, the next one is always just a little bit better. I pretty much try to catch whatever shows are reasonably nearby as often as they come through; and these 3 were the last ones I saw - Thus they are included on this list. 4/15 was at Regency Center in San Fran. Carlos Santana sat in. At one point he and Derek were soloing and trading licks, and while Derek was going off Carlos just kind of quit playing and was laughing at Derek, watching him play and point at him; it was obvious he was as mesmerized as the rest of us. Fast forward a couple weeks later - 5/8, the Crest Theatre in Sacramento. A nice old room I had never been in before. 5/9 was the Fountain Blues Fest on San Jose State Campus. Sacramento was fun (like every DTB show), good crowd, the band feeding off the crowd, an out version of My Favorite Things... You know the drill... San Jose was more a blues set, which DTB doesn't give you too often (it was a blues fest). There were a lot of Derek Trucks newbies at this festival, and it's always a lot of fun seeing their reactions and expressions when seeing the Derek Trucks band for the first time. This band is on a prolonged hiatus now; and while I am sad I won't get to see this particular group of artists on stage together for a year or longer, I am very excited about all the other possibilities this hiatus opens up for them

* 10/30/2009, 10/31/2009, 11/1/2009 - Phish @ Festival 8 (Indio, CA)
This was another spontaneous last minute deal for me... I had seen them the previous August here in the Bay Area; and a couple weeks before this festival I saw some cheap tickets for sale on craigslist. I asked for and was given a couple days of paid time off at work; so I snagged the ticket, booked a cheapo hotel room, and drove down to the Palm Springs desert. The music was exceptional, the festival was a trip, Halloween was particularly wacky. The album they covered was Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street" and they had Sharon Jones of the Dap Kings doing backup vocals. We were also treated to Phish'es 1st ever acoustic set. It was a great time, a very well organized festival, and I hope they do it again in 2010.

* 11/12/2009, 11/13/2009, 11/14/2009 - Widespread Panic @ Fox Theatre (Oakland, CA)
I've been catching WSP shows since '92, but was never really motivated to do multi-night runs until the Jimmy Herring era... I would have loved to have done more runs earlier on with them, but it wasn't in my budget, or my work schedule didn't allow it... I was a bit of a Mikey snob, and even though I am a HUGE Jimmy Herring advocate (I am obsessed with his 1st band, ARU), it took me quite a while to really enjoy a Panic show without comparing them to their former and different 6 headed monster jam... They are still KILLER, but a less balanced band in my opinion, with sideman extraordinaire Jimmy Herring playing lead guitar. I did an LA Orpheum run in '06 I think it was, the Oakland Paramount run in '07, and this Fox Oak run back in November last year... After 3 plus years of Jimmy being in the band, this last run makes my list. I had a blast at these 3 shows! Still, long live the memory and music of Mikey Houser.

* 12/29/2009, 12/30/2009, 12/31/2009 - Phish @ American Airlines Arena (Miami, FL)
10 years later, back in South Florida seeing Phish play some NYE shows, with my old friend and partner in crime, Mike. We caught 3 nights of a 4 night run. More excellent music, and despite the fact Miami is a very weird city (There was a fight at Shakedown Street one night post show AND I saw a cop beating up a hippie for hitting a nitrous balloon - I know its illegal and bad for you, maybe I have been in Cali too long and thus I'm jaded), that weirdness added to the weekend overall, and this run still makes my list; because musically Phish is so on top of their game at this moment.

My belated picks...Best cd's of 2009

Better late than never... Here is my list... But first, some disclaimers and notes... I stuck to cd's that are more or less commercially available in stores - I didn't include any Allman Beacon cd's, although all 6 of the ones I bought are killer, as are the other shows which I procured SBD's of... Same thing applies to the other live ABB cd's I got (Vegas and Fox) which also sound mighty fine. I also didn't include any downloads from muletracks.com or livephish.com - I also didn't include dTb's "Already Live" because it's an EP and not a full length show,and there are many complete excellent sounding dTb recordings on the LMA. Anyway, these are my choices, with a few comments thrown in here and there, (following a **). The list is in alphabetical order.

...Like Perry Farrell says: "Everybody has their own opinion..."

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Best of 2009

01- John Abercrombie Quartet - Wait Till You see Her
02- Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue ** Alice in Chains is back!
03- Pedro Arevalo - Pedro Aravelo & Friends Too ** Great cover of Jimi's "My Friend" - This cd reminds me of Hot Tuna, although I like it better than Jorma's 2009 album "River of Time"
04- Roy Buchanan - Live: Amazing Grace
05- Five Peace Band (Chick Corea & John McLaughlin) - Live ** This and the phish are my 2 favorites of the year.
06- Bill Frisell - Disfarmer
07- Gov't Mule - By a Thread
08- Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies For Dark Times ** Ben Harper is so underrated as a guitar player.
09- Living Colour - The Chair in the Doorway
10- Eric McFadden - Train to Salvation ** Awesome album, not the trio; more songwriter oriented, very dark.... Comes w/a live DVD. This album is a French import, and I had to order it from Switzerland, even though we practically live in the same zip code; because I was too impatient to wait.
11- Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians (II & III, or the entire box set)
12- Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Willie and the Wheel
13- Phish - Joy ** This and the Five Peace band are my 2 favorites of the year.
14- Porcupine Tree - The Incident ** Still IMO the best post 80's prog band.
15- Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11 ** This is a burning album. If you're into the McLaughlin/DeLucia/Dimeola albums, then you'll dig this too.
16- John Scofield - Piety Street
17- Mike Stern - Big Neighborhood ** Guitar geek music. Guests on this cd include Steve Vai, Medeski Martin & Wood, Randy Brecker, Dave Weckl, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Eric Johnson (where has this cat been since he released "Tones" 24 years ago??)
18- Derek Trucks Band - Already Free ** Woohoo, 2009 Grammy winner :-)
19- Umphrey's McGee - Mantis ** It took a long while for UM to grow on me, but they finally did... I had them written off as phish wannabe's, but on this album IMO they now have their own musical voice. If you dig classic prog bands you'll probably dig this album.
20- Steven Wilson - Insurgentes ** Steven Wilson is Porcupine Tree's mastermind; or dictator, depending on how you read into it. This album is more out, textured, and lush; not as heavy as what PT is doing nowadays. This is closer maybe to Pink Floyd or Radiohead.