This rendition of the Peter Tosh 12-minute gem, Rastafari Is, is best known for its inclusion on the live disc portion of the 3-disc retrospective, Honorary Citizen. The fiery live
To be honest, I’m surprised it took me five or so columns of Postcards From Page Side to write about not only one of my personal favorite musicians, but a man whose dedication to his craft is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. A true “musician’s musician,” as he’s been called, “an unknown legend” as a CNN interview dubbed him, and a master of his plethora of axes and student of music itself, it’s no wonder why even Jerry Garcia once dubbed him one of his favorite unknown guitar players, opening the eyes and ears of a different audience to the world that is STEVE KIMOCK.
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Kimock a few times over the years, and in different settings such as Jam Cruise, or over a glass of red wine backstage – which much like his playing, makes you appreciate patience and maturity to gain the full effect. I’ve also worked for him for HeadCount as his Artist Rep, and having done other small work for his camp and led street team efforts. If there’s one thing I’ve learned is the man loves to talk not only music, but about his gear and the nuiances and intricacies of improvisation – something that he is clearly a pioneer of (he’s been playing for 40+ years, maybe more), and makes sound so effortless.
Besides technical efficiency, which is almost anti-rock star in methodology, Kimock takes pride in tone and draws and blends together on all sorts of genres from jazz, to middle eastern, to rock and everything in between. He has played with some “main” bands over the years, most notably Zero, KVHW, was part of the legendary Phil & Friends lineup in ’99 (and beyond for a spell), a few incarnations of The Steve Kimock Band and most recently Praang and Crazy Engine.
READ ON for more of this week’s Postcards From Page Side…
Sir Elton John performing at the Asheville Civic Center, Asheville NC 11.16.10.
Former Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon are working on a new biopic based on the recording of their classic 1979 album ‘London Calling’. The pair are working as
GDRADIO.NET has announced the launch of its app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. In addition to offering a 24/7 stream of live Grateful Dead and more, the application
Southern California’s soul-punk quartet, Cold War Kids will kick off their 2011 tour on March 3rd at Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR) and will travel across the country from New York,
If Live at Roseland proves to be Phil Collins' swan song (as the bonus feature interview seems to suggest), then it's a fitting, heartfelt close to a misunderstood, undervalued career.
A new six-song iTunes Session by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is available exclusively through the popular online music store beginning today. Recorded at EastWest Studio in Los Angeles,
For Mike Gordon, having just finished an exhaustive two month swing of projects that included a 13-date Phish tour, another musical costume for Halloween, the release of a new album, and a 17-date tour behind it, it comes as no surprise that the opening track on his latest album is titled Can’t Stand Still.
For Mike Gordon, having just finished an exhaustive two month swing of projects that included a 13-date Phish tour, the donning of another musical costume for Halloween as Little Feat’s Waiting for Columbus, the release of the new Mike Gordon Band album, Moss, and a 17-date tour behind it (that at one point included ten shows in just 11 days), it comes as no surprise that the opening track on his latest album is titled Can’t Stand Still.
[Photo by Brad Worsham]
Gordon has always been known for his tireless output — be it his bass playing with Phish, his collaborations, his solo career, writing, filmmaking or any number of other outlets — but at this point, the creative synapses are firing on overdrive.
Unlike many musicians who take the approach of churning out a record and touring behind it before taking an extended break, Mike takes a more calculated path. He aims to strike natural balances between his work with the two main bands (Phish and MGB), his professional time and his down time, his bass playing and other instrumental endeavors, and even his music and other creative outlets. It’s all a balancing act. And in the words of Albert Einstein, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
On Being a Bandleader
Given that Mike Gordon’s solo career exists in its relative infancy, as does his role as a bandleader, this era brings about many exciting changes and challenges. For example, he’s had to learn how to put together setlists; increase his sensitivity to people’s reactions to songs; internalize what’s going on in the room; and “let the music become what it wants to become.”
“It’s about discovering what is already there, and figuring out certain balances,” Mike explains. “For example, I really like playing music that people can dance to. So, if the people are dancing, do we try to keep them dancing? Or do we give them something more contemplative, or a slow song, to change moods? And if people seem to be sweaty and revved up and want to dance, is it OK to be counter-intuitive and say, ‘Maybe it’s time to change it up and explore something that’s more soul and less about body?’ You only learn to make these decisions by trial and error.”
READ ON for more of Ryan’s feature on Mike Gordon…
