2009

The Allmans Jazz Up The Beacon Run

Scott Bernstein March 15, 2009 1 Comment

For the first four shows of their 40th Anniversary Run at the Beacon Theatre, the Allman Brothers Band invited a number of special guests who came from the blues and rock worlds. Last night, the Allmans tipped their collective caps towards the elements of jazz that play a large role in their music by inviting jazz greats Stanley Clarke, Randy Brecker and Lenny White to join them at various points during show number five.

[Moogis Screenshot capture of Oteil admiring Clarke by Gondicar]

Following along on the cripsy Moogis webcast feed, I saw the Brothers kicked things off with Little Martha once again before digging deep into their repertoire for hot versions of Rocking Horse and Gambler’s Roll. For the Dreams that ended the first set, the Allmans brought out trumpeter Randy Brecker and drummer Lenny White who’s best known for his work on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and in the recently reunited Return to Forever.

The second set started with a beautiful Melissa that was the only song of the set that didn’t feature any guest spots. Pedal steel wiz Robert Randolph and jazz drummer Adam Nussbaum started the parade of special guests for rollocking versions of Turn On Your Lovelight and One Way Out before giving way to Brecker for a cover of Joe Zawinul’s In A Silent Way that led into another massive In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Lenny White came out for the Liz Reed and was joined by his Return to Forever bandmate Stanley Clarke for a mindblowing bass/drum segment towards the end of the mammoth song.

READ ON for the setlist, stats and more from night five…

Bisco Inferno Hits Red Rocks

March 15, 2009 No Comments

The Disco Biscuits will make their first headlining appearance at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 30, 2009 for an event that is being billed as Bisco Inferno. This

Briefly: Kevin Shapiro on Blues For Breakfast

Scott Bernstein March 14, 2009 1 Comment

Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro returns to Burlington, VT’s illustrious Blues For Breakfast radio show on Sunday morning starting at 9:45AM to discuss the number one video on this week’s Billboard

ABB at the Beacon: Night Four – Diehardest

Scott Bernstein March 14, 2009 6 Comments

The Allman Brothers Band’s 40th Anniversary Run at the Beacon Theatre continues to be filled with special guests, bustouts and tremendous playing all around. Last night, the parade of epic

Video: Gene Simmons vs. Bob Lefsetz

Scott Bernstein March 14, 2009 2 Comments

Faceoff at Canadian Music Week 2009… Gene Simmons vs. Bob Lefsetz

Friday Mix Tape: The SXSW Edition

Jeffrey Greenblatt March 13, 2009 2 Comments

Typically, by now I’ve given up caring about the music schmooze fest going on next week known as SXSW, but this year is different. I’ve somehow managed to convince my

HT Review: JFJO Gets On The Goodfoot

A.j. Crandall March 13, 2009 No Comments

What trip to a jazz festival would be complete without seeing a band that actually has the word jazz in their name? Not being familiar with most of the players on the Sunday schedule, I probably allowed that fact alone to make my decision. The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey sounded a bit edgier than Matt Kirk Jazz with special guest, Margie Boule.

I have read Ms. Boule’s occasional column in the local paper and have seen her on television. She seemed nice. But, and this is totally without ever hearing her sing a note, mind you, just a quick impression etched in my head that I have to let out, I believe that the most improvisation one would witness at that performance would be Ms. Boule scatting a bit at the end of Embraceable You. And, no, I’m not dissing on Margie Boule as a person and she’s probably a perfectly capable singer and those in attendance that evening, I am sure, had the time of their lives. Nor do I know a single thing about Matt Kirk. Not one bit. Nada. But I ain’t no hater.

I’m just saying that I was looking for more of what jazz is supposed to be. The smoky bar, one drink too many or too few kind of riffing and experimenting with the sounds, with a steady beat and rhythm to spare. Hardly any words in the songs I was looking for. More like improvisations on a theme, with the soloists rotating at some random order that was dictated by the music itself. Real jazz, pure and simple.

I got what I was looking for at the Goodfoot Lounge on the last night of the Portland Jazz Festival in the form of Seattle’s Das Vibenbass and The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

READ ON for more of AJ’s review of JFJO in Portland…

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