Hopefully the dreaded H word doesn’t last too long for The Black Crowes as they have never been more “on” over their entire career. With progressive albums and electrifying tours, it is a shame they are putting it to bed, here’s wishing also that Luther Dickinson keeps bringing his magic on that day when the Crowes do come back to roost.
Few people have experienced such an event that has featured performances by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, ZZ Top, B.B. King, Derek Trucks, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi and Buddy Guy all in one concert, and now everyone has an opportunity to relive the ultimate guitar lover’s dream on the two DVD Crossroads Guitar Festival.
The best moments of Soulive’s last visit to Vermont, in April of ‘08 occurred when the core trio had the stage to themselves and ripped it up without interruption for over thirty minutes, reminding what a powerful band they’d become in their (close to a) decade together. The high points of the Halloween run at Higher Ground exceeded even that altitude.
Azure Ray fans have been eagerly anticipating their return, despite the lengthy wait. Taylor and Fink certainly delivered in many ways on Sunday at the Independent, but at times their musical weaknesses (lack of experimentation, crowd connection and risk-taking) became particularly apparent in the live setting. Even so, it was a thrill to see them back together again. The show was a night of real emotional catharsis, and a great way to bring Taylor and Fink back into the indie music fold.
Soul Mining is Daniel Lanois’ story, but it’s chock full of the people he’s shared his life with. Yes, there are chapters about his studio experiences with folks such as the Neville Brothers, Emmylou Harris, U2, and Bob Dylan, but he also acknowledges the people he feels shaped him into who he is.
If I can praise only one guitarist this year, I have to shout out Luther Dickinson. The man knows how to cause shivers to run up your spine with his slinky drop down blues riffs via a slide. The man has GOT IT. And lucky for The Black Crowes they are allowing him to plow the field with his on fire solos in such an unassuming manner you’d swear he wasn’t even there.
A giddy, anticipatory vibe pervaded the Atlantic City boardwalk before the first of the final three shows of Phish’s Fall Tour began. Under heavy skies, bemused, early-arriving heads wandered the wide, wooden pathway looking for tickets and sipping beers. In a surreal twist, emanating from the loud outdoor casino speakers was none other than the Grateful Dead and select Phish tracks — the weekend-long soundtrack to chilly strolls from hotel rooms to Boardwalk Hall.
No one can accuse Kristian Hoffman of playing it safe. Rather than aping the trends of current pop music, Hoffman draws his influences from 60’s rock and pop, theater and even vaudeville on Fop. Hoffman imagines himself a modern-day David Bowie and spends large portions of the album trying to live up to that self-billing. At times it works – such as in the glam rock of “Mediocre Dream” – at times, not.
Public Domain (Spire Artists) is the follow-up to Charlie Hunter’s first such album, 2000’s Solo 8-String Guitar, now long out of print on disc from Contra Punto Records (though still available as a download). As indicated by its title, this new work consists of largely familiar tunes, all of which have been around long enough for their copyrights to expire (as stipulated by law, after seventy years). In doing justice to the material in his own imitable fashion, however, Hunter insures the songs will retain their indelible mark on contemporary culture.
Kelley Stoltz has put together a snappy collection of 50’s-60’s dreamy garage-pop with his most recent effort To Dreamers. Echo vocals, glimmering tambourines, a dash of feedback and random horns all come and go like the breeze as Kelley sings about “getting the girl” and “all of our stars aligning”. The retro vibe is obvious, but this album was certainly produced in the digital age with clear sound and at times too many instruments/sounds trying to make a mark like on “Keeping the Flame”.
