Posts by Doug Collette

The oldest sibling of The Wood Brothers, Oliver, was in an unusually voluble mood throughout the band’s appearance at Higher Ground March 1, 2014, but toward the home stretch of their single set, he mentioned the Woods’ eight or nine year history coming to Higher Ground, he was indirectly referring to the fact they had […]

These two innovative guitar legends only joined forces for one live tour. Their appearance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 1973 no doubt met and exceeded the enormous expectations.

[rating=7.00] The music on Luther’ Dickinson’s Rock and Roll Blues is every bit as earthy and organic as its cover art would suggest- a guitar planted in an expanse of verdant countryside. Teeming with the spontaneity of the moment, the album is a series of pithy vignettes extracted from every phase of this not-so-young man’s […]

If Gary Clark Jr.’s sold out appearance at Higher Ground is any sign of his popularity, the buzz around the Austin bluesman is about to turn into rolling thunder. Clark had the Vermont venue’s ballroom audience in the palm of his hand as soon as he walked onto the darkened stage. A fist-pumping audience greeted […]

Paul Rodgers’ voice may be more familiar than his name because, by and large, his success has come within the confines of collaborations with notable names of their own. Consider the groups under which Rodgers has built his career: Free, whose “All Right Now” help define rock radio the Seventies; Bad Company gave the lie […]

It is perhaps only inevitable marketing to see the Beatles US Albums out in line with the fiftieth anniversary of the Fab Four’s first visit to America. Unlike the previous release of The Beatles Capitol Albums, 2004 and 2006 sets now out-of-print, this collection has the additional selling points of the inclusion of the Hey […]

Seven years ago, almost to the day, Texas-born bluesman Johnny Winter appeared in this Vermont venue, largely looking and playing like a shadow of his former self. It was only on the very last song of the evening, his signature rendition of Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” that the albino man came alive to the extent […]

Dr. Dog ended their early 2014 performance at Higher Ground the same way they kicked it off: pumping away as a unified sextet, seeming hell-bent on a mission. There’s no doubt the comfort level they developed with their repeated visits to Vermont inspired them to invite to the stage Queen City music-scene fixture, and Grace […]

[rating=8.00] It was an equally brave and honorable gesture Paul Rodgers made with The Royal Sessions. Offering homage to those artists, like Albert King, Sam, Dave and Otis Redding, that strongly influenced him to develop a career that included singing for “Free,” forming “Bad Company” and fronting the remaining members of “Queen,” one of the […]

[rating=9.00] It is a tribute to Eric’s Clapton’s fundamental integrity as a musician that, no matter how deeply he’s pursued mainstream acceptance, he’s never wholly forsaken his roots in the blues. Accordingly, what might seem just another careerist move, his appearance on “MTV’s Unplugged television program in 1992, turns into a reinvention of his persona […]

There have been numerous tributes to the late Jerry Garcia since his death in 1995, but none such as an accurate reflection of the man’s own uniquely Zen approach to life and art. If the tongue-in-cheek opening interval is slightly disconcerting-showing actor Luke Wilson asking directions to the site of the filming at Bob Weir’s […]

The early January announcement of the departure of both Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes from the lineup of The Allman Brothers Band at the end of 2014 represents an inevitable moment for all loyal followers of these musicians. With Haynes’ return to the ABB fold after his 1997 exit to concentrate on Gov’t Mule, he […]

If ever a beloved band (besides the seminal country-rockers Poco) deserved its story told, it’s Little feat. One of the most distinctive rock and roll units of its time, Lowell George and co. went unjustly under recognized during his lifetime despite an affectionate fanbase whose passion and loyalty far surpassed its numbers. Founding Rolling Stone […]

Zevon showcased his stellar songwriting and showmanship during this solo show.

[rating=7.00] All Your Life may be the loveliest album Al Di Meola has ever done. His affection for the Beatles material that comprises the album was no doubt amplified by recording at Abbey Road Studios where the iconic foursome did the bulk of their work. In producing this tribute to the Beatles, Di Mieola remains […]

[rating=9.00] Even apart from their historical significance, the relative rarity of live recordings by the Beatles makes both volumes of Live at the BBC valuable on their own terms. Half a century after the iconic quartet captured the fancy of the world, listening to the infectious energy captured on this second edition, progressing more or […]

Quite apart from its Black Friday release date, Dawes’ Stripped Down at Grimey’s comes at just the right time for both the band and its fans. It should remind both parties what brought them together in the first place, a bond that might well have become tenuous due to the anonymous nature of the group’s […]

[rating=8.00] Neil Young’s Live at the Cellar Door follows in the footsteps of previous entries in his archival performance series, bearing marked resemblance to Canterbury House, the Riverboat and Massey Hall. All sterling documents of brilliant solo performances, this one is only slightly less so due to the paucity of spoken interludes that, on its […]

Heading toward the twentieth anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death and the ostensible passing of the Grateful Dead, the band’s legacy has never loomed larger in the history of contemporary rock and roll. The remaining members’ arrangement with Rhino Records gave birth to a brand-new archive series called Road Trips, which has already come and gone […]

With “I Was There When…,” veteran music journalist Doug Collette reflects on his experiences in the glory days of live rock music. With each column, he takes us back to a specific concert he attended way back when, spotlighting bands like The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Allman Brothers Band, among many others. Whether you […]