A Phantasy Tour user named Mod_Ov3rkill recently started a thread on PT to share rare tracks from the Trey.com A/V room. These tracks were posted for a short period of
Ex-Vida Blue keyboardist Page McConnell sat in on keys for Spanish Moon > Skin It Back last night during Little Feat’s show at Higher Ground. McConnell shared Billy Payne’s keyboard
As we wait for the on-again, off-again, on-again Arrested Development movie to hit the big screens, one of the Bluth clan’s youngest members, Michael Cera, has been keeping busy recently
British pop duo The Ting Tings, who are working on a new album, make their Saturday Night Live debut tomorrow night on NBC at 11:30PM. Actress Sigourney Weaver returns to
Citizen Cope, aka Clarence Greenwood, is very excited to announce the release of his new record, The Rainwater LP, on March 2, 2010. The record will be released digitally on
Gov't Mule extended their New Year's tradition to eight years December 30 and 31, 2009, returning to the Beacon Theatre in New York after a year's sabbatical at the Angel Orensanz and Hammerstein Ballroom in 2008 while the Broadway venue was being refurbished.
The final studio album by Johnny Cash is set to be released next month. Called ‘American VI: Ain’t No Grave’, the Rick Rubin produced album was recorded in 2002, a
Sporting silly fur hats The Duchess and The Duke took the stage at Mercury Lounge in New York City Friday night with only their whiskey soaked voices and a pair of acoustic guitars. While the large noggin adornments may have been needed in the single digit night air, they certainly weren’t necessary in the full house for the early show which the group headed lined.
A week ago today, I was just waking up on the MSC Poesia about to enjoy the final day of Jam Cruise 8. Over the course of the trip’s five days, I caught one outstanding musical performance after another. For this week’s B List I’ve put together my thoughts on my ten favorite sets of Jam Cruise 8.
Now, as a disclaimer, I didn’t see every set so I can only comment on what I saw. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Sexual Chocolate set and the STS9 theater set, but I wasn’t there. I tried to catch as much music as I could, but I couldn’t see it all. With that said, let’s get down to business…
10. Ryan Montbleau Band – Pool Deck [LiveDownloads]
[Photo by Jeffrey Dupuis]
HT faves the Ryan Montbleau Band got on the boat by the skin of their teeth after an extremely close “Vote to the Boat” competition. The Boston-based band made the most of the opportunity all week long, showing up at various events and in the Jam Room each night. Ryan and the boys kicked off the action on Monday morning with a fantastic set that included old favorites, a new tune and a couple of slamming covers. Watch out for these guys in 2010 as they are ready to take the scene by storm.
9. Dark Star Orchestra – Theater [LiveDownloads]
[Photo by Dave Vann]
Once the show started off with a mixed bag featuring Shakedown Street, Next Time You See Me and Stir It Up, it was pretty clear DSO was playing an original setlist for their theater set on Jam Cruise 8. While this is clearly a band in transition, the connection between former long-time band mates Jeff Mattson and Rob Barraco was clear throughout. There were a number of people I talked to who hadn’t given DSO much of a shot in the past, but enjoyed the hell out of themselves in the theater this night.
READ ON for Scotty’s favorite eight performances of Jam Cruise 8…
Chapel Hill’s Memorial Hall practically quaked with spiritual energy during the recent Down By The Riverside tour stop. Featuring two of America’s musical treasures, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The Blind Boys of Alabama, the tour was a showcase of New Orleans music and also a broader tribute to America’s disappearing roots music legacy. The tour concluded on a busy, chilly night in one of the state’s most appropriate venues, and the reverent audience became part of the show on more than one occasion.
Preservation Hall performed in missing man formation due to the unfortunate health issues of longtime bassist Walter Payton. Always the consummate professionals, the septet delivered an engaging, virtuosic performance with the expected perfection and vibrancy. There’s been a changing of the guard and an injection of new talent into the rugged old jazz machine, though the incestuous NOLA music scene tends to keep a lot of last names in place. Director Ben Jaffe, who took over the position from his father, leads a diverse and seasoned group whose ages range from mid-30’s to somewhere in the realm of 70.
Bonded by a tensile musical education that can only be achieved by coming up in New Orleans, the band surged through over an hour of music, touching on many of the city’s most beloved sounds. The classic, Dixieland-ish New Orleans sound dominated the set, but a few of their selections surprised me. I don’t remember their sets including as many be-bop, blues and boogie excursions when I saw them last, but that was ten years ago. Even institutions as staunch as PHJB evolve over time, and they seem to have found fertile, elusive middle ground between the hundred-year-old jazz traditions and more modern ideas – provided your idea of “modern” includes the 1960’s. READ ON for more from Bryan on this fantastic show…
