Posts by Doug Collette

Rare it is to hear the Grateful Dead's singing as a key to their overall state of being but on this show from September of 1976 at William & Mary College, the sound of their voices is key indicator of their rested and rejuvenated state of being.

Just as there was much more than meets the eye to Tommy Bolin, so is there much more than meets the eye to The Definitive Teaser Collector’s Edition. Enclosed in a slipcase of distinctly budget design, the five CDs within reaffirm why the late guitarist is so rabidly revered to this day, close to four decades after his most untimely death.

Neil Young’s second record of the year with Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill, is an excellent piece of work. With some slightly more astute editing, this long-awaited album might well rank with the best Young’s ever done.   A collection of traditionals and covers, the previous 2012 release, Americana, is permeated with a ramshackle charm that’s in marked contrast to the studied approach of its successor. Still, this record of original material has, as its foundation, the natural chemistry between Young with his beloved backing band.

With  a simply but eye-catching package inside and out, The Georgia Bootleg Box documents the process by which the original Gov’t Mule trio, two years into its existence, was well on its way towards a mission of fine-tuning a repertoire that provides a foundation for the group even today, in its third formal incarnation.

It was only when Hiatt began to trade his acoustic guitars for a Fender electric that the vibrations from the stage grew in proportion to the volume.

Carefully compiled and co-produced by chief archivist David Lemieux (who contributes an essay of fond remembrance), So Glad You Made It displays the same impeccable logic as its companion piece culled from 2011’s Europe '72: The Complete Recordings.

It is extremely rare for a band to achieve a creative advance simultaneous to its breakthrough to a mainstream audience. But that's exactly what R.E.M accomplished with the ever so appropriately titled Document. Accordingly, more so than perhaps any other of its anniversary reissues (except perhaps the two CDs of the Fables of the Reconstruction box), this landmark album deserves the deluxe treatment it receives.

In a photo on the inside liner of his thirty-fifth album Tempest, Bob Dylan stands in the middle of his decidedly-roguish looking band, assuming the body language and facial expression of a musician knowing he’s produced something memorable and daring those about to listen to think otherwise.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s chemistry informs their material as much as their musicianship.

John Hiatt's last two albums (The Open Road 2010, Dirty Jeans Mudslide Hymns 2011) are among the most memorable of his career, in large part because of the assertive yet sympathetic accompaniment of The Combo, a streamlined three-piece band consisting of guitarist Doug Lancio, bassist Patrick O’Hearn and drummer Kenneth Blevins. No doubt inspired by their intuitive savvy, Hiatt writes with the confidence of a craftsman who knows his band can handle anything he composes and the mutual surety of the four men permeates Mystic Pinball.

Far from being merely a sequel to their previously-released acoustic album, Tonic, this latest title incorporates new songs and new sounds into an oeuvre that has been fascinating to follow since it began and continues to grow.

An ideal companion piece to The Complete Beat, the comprehensive chronicle of the Two-Tone band's recording output, this combination CD/DVD set captures the bulk of the Beat's two performances at the groundbreaking US Festival. And though the second of the two appearances occurred near the end of the band's initial run, they acquit themselves equally stylishly on a span of material from their three studio albums.

Free Magic might sound too arcane for its own good, but the title track, coupled with  "Ballade in C Minor, Vergessene Seelen," interweaves the exotic sounds of the opener in almost equal proportion to the traditional piano trio approach. "Where's Sly," from their second album in 1993, It’s A Jungle in Here, thus becomes a refreshing and emphatic close to a recording that, through the course of its playing time, develops an identity all its own…much like the band who made it, by the process of constant reinvention.

Some of the greatest songwriters invariably have some of the greatest backing bands. Bob Dylan had the Band, Graham Parker had The Rumour, John Hiatt had the Goners (and now The Combo) and Ian Hunter has The Rant Band. The vibrancy with which they bring to life the material on When I'm President reaffirms why the former frontman for Mott The Hoople chooses to share headline status with them on his 20th solo album.

Time Out Take Five is season jazz column by Glide contributor Doug Collette, as this season he takes a closer look at Erik Deutsch, Luis Perdomo and more..

Cynics might see the Strangefolk reunion show at Waterfront Park August 11 as nothing more than an indulgence in nostalgia, something akin to the classic rock shows that tour the sheds each summer. But the rain-delayed event was more like the get-together of old friends in a genuine reconnection of their relationship, all parties just as interested in how they had changed as in how much they had stayed the same.

Their first recording in 18 years, Shoes' Ignition reaffirms both their status as unsung heroes of American power-pop even as it confirms how willfully they've embraced their self-styled insularity over the years. This vibrant studio project is the work of musicians capitalizing on their chemistry

English Beat were not the first of the Two-Tone groups–that honor goes to The Specials–but the Dave Wakeling-led band nurtured an eclectic style that broadened their appeal beyond the bounds of their peer bands from the early Eighties. In short order, then, The English Beat usurped the mantle of the movement.

At roughly mid-set of Dawes’ July 31st appearance at Higher Ground, front-man Taylor Goldsmith flipped his center stage mic stand around to face the audience as a means of capturing them singing along to “When My Time Comes,” which the approximately 125 attendees did with remarkably practiced-sounding precision. It was a brash move on the part of the Los Angeles band’s /guitarist/vocalist/songwriter, especially since his invitation to help the group was offered only moments before and seemed to be only in passing.  But it was testament to Dawes’ faith in their fans, not to mention their devotion and, above all, another gesture of quiet self-assurance on the part of a band earnestly devoted to their craft and their listeners.

Call Brian Auger the unsung hero of jazz-rock fusion (but expect a riposte from the man himself) or see him as a Zelig-like figure in contemporary rock and jazz. It hardly matters so long as you listen to him on his instrument of choice, the iconic Hammond B3 organ (or the Fender Rhodes electric piano a close second).