FIRST RELEASE SINCE 2007′S RAISING SAND WITH ROBERT PLANT
Alison Krauss and Union Station
On April 12, 2011 Rounder Records will release the eagerly anticipated Alison Krauss and Union Station
album, Paper Airplane. A truly breathtaking collection of 11 exquisite songs, Paper
Airplane is Krauss’ 14th album and the band’s follow-up to 2004′s triple Grammy® winning Lonely Runs
Both Ways. It is Krauss’ first release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum collaboration
with Robert Plant, Raising
Sand, which won six Grammys including “Record Of The Year” and “Album Of The Year.”
Alison Krauss and Union Station features the talents of Krauss (fiddle and lead vocals), Dan Tyminski
(guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo,
guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals). Paper Airplane was
produced by the band and recorded in Nashville with engineer Mike Shipley (Maroon 5, The Cars, Def Leppard, Joni
Mitchell).
Paper Airplane Track List:
1. Paper Airplane
2. Dustbowl Children
3. Lie Awake
4. Lay My Burden Down
5. My Love Follows You Where You Go
6. Dimming Of The Day
7. On The Outside Looking In
8. Miles To Go
9. Sinking Stone
There isn’t a Dobro player alive who doesn’t owe Tut Taylor. Taylor is a towering figure in the world of acoustic music, championed for his flat-picking mastery by generations of fellow musicians and connoisseurs of rural American music.
One of Taylor’s lifelong devotees is Jerry
Douglas, perhaps the most celebrated Dobro player in the world for more than 30 years. Douglas honors his inspiration with Southern Filibuster: A Tribute to Tut
Taylor (released July 13 on E1 Music).
For this labor of love, Douglas assembled 14 of the world’s greatest Dobro players to interpret compositions penned
by Taylor. He also enlisted Nashville’s finest backing musicians for the recording including Ronnie
McCoury (mandolin), Jason Carter (fiddle), Tim O’Brien (mandolin), Russ
Barenberg (guitar), Barry Bales (bass), Fred Carpenter (fiddle), Stuart Duncan
(fiddle), Chris Jones (guitar), Mike Compton (mandolin), Dennis Crouch (bass), Bryan Sutton (guitar), and Mike Bub (bass).
All of the proceeds from Southern Filibuster
go directly to Taylor. And even best of all, they didn’t tell Taylor about the project until it was a wrap, giving him
one of the nicest surprises of his 86 years.
Track Listing
1. “Southern Filibuster” – Jerry Douglas
2. “Swampwater” – Billy Cardine
3. “Dobro Country” – Michael Witcher
4. “Ghost Picker” – Orville Johnson
5. “Black Ridge Ramble” – Curtis Burch
6. “Oasis” – Rob Ickes
7. “Little Green Pill” – Cindy Cashdollar
8. “This Ain’t Grass” – Mike Auldridge
9. “Me and My Dobro” – Ferrell Stowe
10. “Dozin’ the Blues” – Randy Kohrs
11. “Acoustic Toothpick” – Phil Leadbetter
12. “Resophonic Guitar” – Andy Hall
13. “Reso Fandango” – Megan Lovell
14. “Stevens Steel” – Ivan Rosenberg
The inaugural Hangout Beach & Music Festival was an eclectic crossroads of Southern culture and the progressive festival scene. The promoters put incredible thought into the lineup to appeal to just about everyone. The wide range of fans and artists combined with the recent events of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, made for an interesting dynamic – ripe seeds of the green movement. Swimming in the 8-foot waves was unforgettable, but on the last day a gas station attendant showed me a tar ball that had washed up on the shore as the spill finally started to make its way to land.
Town-visitor relations could not have been better and the Southern hospitality was warm. Things ran smoothly and peacefully with the community on the white sandy beaches. The promoters pledged to donate their proceeds to the oil cleanup, a generous promise, and the political organization HeadCount was on-site leading a letter writing campaign on the issue.
As the festival went on, the crowd changed from those nearby who just came to check out the scene to more veteran live music lovers. The fans waited out an epic storm and tornado warning on Sunday and prayed for better weather. The grounds closed for a few hours and some performances were canceled, including Matisyahu, who played later that night at a free after party to the first 500 lucky fans. The sky cleared and with some schedule changes, the organizers managed to fit in some of the bigger acts on the bill in the limited time allowed. In the same pithy fashion, here are some of the highlights of the weekend.
Best Song Tease:
The first day of the festival featured a high percentage of the local population, with a generous 5000 tickets given out to the local community. Many were unfamiliar with the majority of acts, however, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas appealed to a variety of different people. After a few songs, Krauss stepped off stage leaving Douglas, arguably the world’s best dobro player, to go at it solo. He coasted through a tease of the Duane Allman penned “Little Martha,” while across the beach, Girl Talk played a mash-up of the Grateful Dead’ s “Casey Jones,” creating an unplanned homage to two pioneers of the modern music experience, one from the Deep South and one from freaky San Francisco.
Best collaboration:
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band played a funky New Orleans inspired set that included the sensual charisma of Grace Potter and the superb guitar playing of Warren Haynes. They played an amazing cover of the 1929 Albert E. Brumley bluegrass standard “I’ll Fly Away” and threw Dixie Cup ice cream into the crowd. The band marched off stage through the audience, then back onstage with some enthusiastic dancers from the crowd. They then led a procession up the boardwalk and into the VIP area, where the fun for many had to halt.
Best Dose of Southern Comfort:
The Grammy Award winning Zac Brown Band brought out a sea of meaty, clean cut, good ol’ boys in golf shirts. Brown looks similar to the guitarist Zach Deputy and shares his lightning fast picking style. His lyrics are a cross section of marijuana laced party rock and patriotic southern pride – a seemingly incongruent mix that somehow works. One song even went into a long instrumental jam. Brown played a solemn version of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Cost of Freedom,” followed by Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The presence of the armed forces is ubiquitous in the Deep South, and Brown was cheered on as he spoke about the importance of the military and their role in preserving our way of life.
Best Southern Picking: Jeff Austin & Friends, including Larry Keel, wowed the crowd with a power trio bluegrass combination. The band played complicated bluegrass with fast picking and complex modulation. The Honey Island Swamp Band gets a honorable mention for some solid electric slide guitar.
Best Opportunity to Hook Up with a Southern Belle: John Legend played soulful tunes until curfew, evoking a young Marvin Gaye. Each song was steamier than the next, set amidst the backdrop of crashing waves and a starry sky. He ended with a soulful, yet somber version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”
Best New Jam:
Nashville natives Moon Taxi played the JamBase Stage before it closed on Sunday due to weather. The high energy and virtuosity of this band is not to be missed.
Best Dose of Culture Shock: Kathleen Kennedy was brought on to introduce the Zach Brown Band. Dressed in the height of hipster fashion, she began talking about preserving the environment, an issue difficult to oppose. Somehow Kennedy managed to ruin a very clear, beautiful message with the pompous attitude of an MTV VJ crossed with a royal bloodline. As she got booed and subsequently escorted off the stage, there were actually two sides of the coin that became apparent. It was appalling and shocking to see Americans so ignorant and uncaring about an issue as vital as clean beaches, yet here was this famous, twenty-something jetting down to Flora-Bama and lecturing folks with not a bit of humility in her voice.
Best Dose of Psychedelia: Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB opened with a solid version of “Gotta Jibboo” and the set hit its climax early with “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The Phish tune “Alaska” was subdued but featured the horn section creatively. The set was mostly slow and steady carried by bass player Tony Markellis‘ groove. Trey announced that when he and Tom Marshall found out about the festival, they wrote a song just for the occasion. The fruit of this was a reggae tune called “Sailboat Man.” The song was written in the most common rock arrangement of 1-4-5 (think “Stir It Up” or “Chalk Dust Torture”) and it sounded like it was written in five minutes, but nevertheless, was a thrill.
The set closed with slightly higher energy, including a beautiful version of “Drifting” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” The choice of “First Tube” for an encore was exciting, but nothing for the record books. Fireworks were set off behind the stage, with bombs bursting in air giving those who traveled just for this show an over the top Southern send off.
For more pics of the Hangout Music Festival go here.
NEW FESTIVAL PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON RECENT ENVIROMENTAL DISASTER DONATES ALL PROFITS TO REGIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival has officially announced that environmental activists Erin Brockovich, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy and Sierra Club Board President Allison Chin will participate in public panel discussion and press conferences at the festival on Saturday, May 15 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, May 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Venerable New Orleans performers the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will appear at the Hangout. Huka Entertainment, producer of the Hangout, and Rehage Entertainment, producer of Gulf Aid and Voodoo Experience, have tapped New York City-based television network Fuse TV to film the band’s experiences traveling across Louisiana and Alabama for the “Concerts for the Coast” documentary project. On the tour, the band will visit establishments along the Gulf Coast interviewing residents affected by the oil spill. The tour will arrive at the Hangout on Friday, May 14, where The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will join Hangout headliners Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas and The Black Crowes.
In light of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affecting the Gulf Coast, the Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival will be donating all profits to regional coastal cleanup and preservation. In an effort to expand awareness and increase donations, The Hangout, along with New Orleans producer Stephen Rehage, will expand the Concert For The Coast to New Orleans. This two-city concert experience features The Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama and a one-day concert event on Sunday, May 16th in downtown New Orleans. Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be on hand at both events.
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival takes place Friday, May 14 – Sunday, May 16 at 101 East Beach Boulevard, Gulf Shores, Alabama (The Southern End of AL-Hwy 59). Tickets are $159 Three-Day Pass / $79 Day Passes.
Confirmed Artists: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Gov’t Mule, The Roots, Ray LaMontagne, Jakob Dylan and Three Legs feat. Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Funky Meters, Blind Boys of Alabama, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Brett Dennen, Keller Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker, Papa Mali & Friends, North Mississippi Allstars Duo, ALO, The Whigs, Ozomatli, OK Go, Orianthi, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, Pnuma Trio, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Toubab Krewe, Needtobreathe, Jeff Austin & Friends feat. Larry Keel, Matt Hires, A.A. Bondy, Rachel Goodrich, Moon Taxi, El Cantador, Kristy Lee, Roman Street, Kirsten Price, Honey Island Swamp Band, Wild Sweet Orange, Rustlanders, Ben Arthur, Hightide Blues, Jon Black, The Cary Laine Band, and Rollin’ in the Hay.
THE ROOTS REPLACE THE FLAMING LIPS IN HANGOUT BEACH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL LINEUP; ALEX
B, GIFT OF GAB, AND BIG GIGANTIC ANNOUNCED FOR FRIDAY LATE NIGHT PARTY
The Roots
Genre-crossing hip-hop band The
Roots join the 2010 Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival lineup. The Roots, the house band
for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, are often hailed as one of the best live bands in hip-hop. When the festival
learned that The Flaming
Lips had
cancelled a string of shows due to the hospitalization of guitarist Steven Drozd, The Roots stepped in to
co-headline Alabama’s three-day beach party.
And for festival attendees who aren’t ready to call it a night after a full day of music, a late night show featuring Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic has been added for
Friday, May 14. Festival revelers looking to keep the party going will move from the white sands of Gulf Shores and
into The Hangout Restaurant. Tickets are $20 in advance/ $25 day of show, and are available through the festival
website.
Tickets to The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival are available online at www.hangoutmusicfest.com as well as at The Hangout and Surf Style
stores located along the central Gulf Coast. Ticket prices are $159 for a three-day pass. Limited day tickets are
available for $79. VIP ticket packages and travel packages are still available starting at $500 and are available online
or by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW. A wide assortment of lodging options is available surrounding the festival
including traditional hotels and beachfront condos to camping at the local state park.
CONFIRMED ARTISTS: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black
Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Gov’t Mule, The Roots, Ray LaMontagne, Jakob
Dylan and Three Legs feat. Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Michael Franti and
Spearhead, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Funky Meters, Blind Boys of Alabama,
Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Brett Dennen, Keller Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker, Papa Mali & Friends, North Mississippi
Allstars Duo, ALO, The Whigs, Ozomatli, OK Go, Orianthi, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, Pnuma Trio, Black Joe
Lewis and the Honeybears, Toubab Krewe, Needtobreathe, Jeff Austin & Friends feat. Larry Keel, Matt Hires, A.A.
Bondy, Rachel Goodrich, Moon Taxi, El Cantador, Kristy Lee, Roman Street, Kirsten Price, Honey Island Swamp Band,
Wild Sweet Orange, Rustlanders, Ben Arthur, Hightide Blues, Jon Black, The Cary Laine Band, and Rollin’ in the Hay.
The opening day of Jazz Fest‘s second weekend brought with it clear skies, temperatures in the mid 70s and a slight breeze – ideal weather for an outdoor music festival. After severe rain and mud stained the first weekend, the sunshine was a welcome respite for festival faithful.
The day’s aural, gustatory and otherwise indescribable cultural delights provided a banquet of sensory inputs for the incessantly insatiable. The following is a brief but faithful recounting of some of the highlights.
Tom’s Top Three Aural
#1 Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes (Gentilly Stage)
Every day of Jazz Fest is marked by that intangible Jazz Fest magic – a single set or experience that makes the spine tingle. Sometimes it comes as planned, but usually it comes unexpectedly. Thursday it came in the form of Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, his top-flight acoustic band that includes Jerry Douglas on dobro and Jim Lauderdale on guitar, along with mandolin, fiddle and bass instrumentation.
The group worked their way through a stellar set of roots rock renditions from Costello’s catalog and some choice cover selections. They nimbly navigated their way through the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of The Devil” and the Stones’ “Happy.” They breathed new life into Costello stalwarts like “Allison,” “Peace, Love and Understanding,” and a down-tempo reboot of “Every Day I Write The Book.” Costello brought out New Orleans legend and collaborator Allen Toussaint for a rousing “encore” that consisted of five songs and left the crowd in bliss. Magic.
With a double bass assault, Dumpstaphunk harnesses the runaway power of decades of incessant, ferocious chugging. They serve as the torchbearers of that delightful slice of American music known as New Orleans funk. In a city and festival full of contenders to the throne, they are the kings of the hill. By the time they launched into the now-anthemic thrust of “Put It In The Dumpster” their harnessed momentum had exploded into a full-blown frenzy.
#1 Crawfish Pie
From the people that bring you the Natchitoches meat pie, this particular crawfish pie was fluffy on the outside, creamy on the inside and possessed just the right amount of spice to become a new favorite.
#2 The Ruby Slipper
Though it’s often inadvisable to eat before entering the Fairgrounds racetrack, an early breakfast at this local mid-city joint provided a much needed and well-spiced Bloody Mary, not to mention a delicious take on Eggs Benedict that incorporated a grilled tomato. It was the perfect prelude to a great day at the fest.
#3 Coors
Because the banquet beer will do in a pinch.
Tom’s Top Three Lagniappe
#1 Field Trips
The sight of numerous middle school groups roaming the festival grounds on field trips gave reason to believe in an oft-maligned local school system that was imparting an undeniably unique life lesson on regional heritage and a serious steeping in the arts.
#2 Funny Hats
Big, small, wide, pointy, colorful, floppy, majestic, droopy. You gotta love a hat party, and Jazz Fest is among the biggest and best in the world.
#3 Chance Encounters
You know those people that you only kinda know, and if you’re bad with names (raise your hands!) you know them only by face and not necessarily by name, but it doesn’t matter. They’re at Jazz Fest, and it’s great to see them.
var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”0″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=44″);}); New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Thursday Weekend 2 | New Orleans Fairgrounds | New Orleans, LA Second weekend of Jazz Fest kicks off with Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Elvis Costello, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Steve Martin, Blues Traveler, Kirk Joseph, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sunpie Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots, Dr. Klaw, Soul Rebels Brass Band, 101 Runners, Martin Sexton, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more… View Photos
THE 2010 HANGOUT BEACH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES TRANSPORTATION PLAN
WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SAFETY, SUSTAINABILITY / ALEX B, GIFT OF GAB, BIG GIGANTIC ADDED TO LATE NIGHT
Gift of Gab
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival has added a late night show on Friday, May 14. Alex B, Gift of Gab
(Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic will take the stage on
Friday night, pleasing the insatiable ears of those who wish to
go big, instead of going home. After 11 p.m., the party will move away from the beach and into The Hangout. Tickets
are $20 in advance, and $25 day of show and are available through the festival website.
In the interest of public safety, traffic flow, and environmental conservation, The Hangout Beach Music and Arts
Festival is announcing its public transportation plan. A shuttle system is now in place, and ample bicycle
rentals and parking will also be available. For non-local festival attendees, zimride.com is hosting a Ride Share application for the event.
Public Transportation: There will be three shuttle routes running north, west, and east from 10am-12am on Friday May 14 – Sunday May 16. Each shuttle ride will cost patrons $3.00, which may be payable in cash upon
boarding. Weekend all-you-can-ride passes are also available at $10.00 per rider. These wristbands may be
ordered online through the festival website, and they may also be purchased at the festival box office and on each
shuttle bus.
Road Closures: Portions of Hwy 59 will be closed midnight on Thursday May 13 through 6am on Monday
May 17. Highway 59 will be closed for public access for all points south of 1st Street. Beach Blvd will be closed
from East 1st Street to West 2nd Street. West 1st Street will also be closed south of West 1st Avenue.
Bicycles: For the festival attendees who prefer to feel the wind in their hair, Orange Beach Bicycles is the
official bicycle provider for The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival. To rent a bicycle, contact 251-974-2025 or
visit their website at www.obbicycles.com. It is recommended that bikers bring and use their own locks.
Carpooling: Non-local festival travelers are encouraged to carpool in the interest of conservation, and a
Ride Share application is being hosted by Zimride. Travelers may find a ride or someone to pitch in for gas by
clicking HERE.
Parking: For festival patrons that wish to drive, parking will be available in the surrounding
neighborhoods, similar to the organic parking system used during the Shrimp Festival.
No Boating Zone. In the interest of public safety, there will be a no boating zone extending 500 feet south from the
festival site.
CONFIRMED ARTISTS: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ben Harper and Relentless7,
The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Gov’t Mule, The Flaming Lips, Ray
LaMontagne, Jakob Dylan and Three Legs feat. Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Michael
Franti and Spearhead, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Funky Meters, Blind Boys of
Alabama, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Brett Dennen, Keller Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker, Papa Mali & Friends, North
Mississippi Allstars Duo, ALO, The Whigs, Ozomatli, OK Go, Orianthi, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, Pnuma Trio,
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Toubab Krewe, Needtobreathe, Jeff Austin & Friends feat. Larry Keel, Matt Hires,
A.A. Bondy, Rachel Goodrich, Moon Taxi, El Cantador, Kristy Lee, Roman Street, Kirsten Price, Honey Island Swamp
Band, Wild Sweet Orange, Rustlanders, Ben Arthur, Hightide Blues, Jon Black, The Cary Laine Band, and Rollin’ in the
Hay.
WHEN: May 14, 2010, 11 p.m.
WHERE: The Hangout, 101 East Beach Blvd at AL-Hwy 59, Gulf Shores, AL
FURTHER LIVE EXPLORATIONS INTO AMERICAN FOLK AND COUNTRY BY BRITISH ICON
Elvis Costello is in the midst of a brief but exciting tour with his new band, The Sugarcanes, which is comprised of heavy hitters Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Dennis Crouch, Mike Compton, Jeff Taylor, and Jim Lauderdale.
This is the same group that joined him on his Grammy-nominated 2009 album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (Hear Music). The tour began on Tuesday and continues tonight at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Elvis Costello Spring Tour Dates
Apr 22 – Warner Theatre – Washington, DC (with the Sugarcanes)
Apr 23 – United Palace – New York, NY (with the Sugarcanes)
Apr 24 – The National Club – Richmond, VA (with the Sugarcanes)
Apr 26 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA (with the Sugarcanes)
Apr 27 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL (with the Sugarcanes)
Apr 29 – Jazz Festival – New Orleans, LA (with the Sugarcanes)
May 1 – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC (with the Sugarcanes)
May 15 – Peppermill Casino – Reno, NV (with the Imposters)
May 28-29 – Meyerson Symphony Center – Dallas, TX (Solo with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra)
Check out the JamBase review and photo gallery for one of the Costello solo shows that kicked off this tour here.
Steve Martin :: Hardly Strictly ’09 :: by Dave Vann
Following his successful tour last year in support of his Grammy award-winning album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, Steve Martin, once again joined by the award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers, will embark on a 2010 music tour beginning on April 19th in Detroit, which includes stops at Jazz Fest and Bonnaroo, and is expected to continue into October.
“I am very excited to begin my banjo tour with the Steep Canyon Rangers,” commented Martin. “It has been a long time dream of mine to travel around the country with a bunch of guys.”
Full Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers’ tour dates can be found here.
The Crow spent 30 weeks atop the Billboard Bluegrass Album charts which made it the #1 Bluegrass Album for 2009 and it’s currently still #2 after 52 weeks on the chart. The Crow won the “Best Bluegrass Album” GrammyAward at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in January, bringing Martin’s total Grammy wins to four. An album 45 years in the making, Martin wrote or arranged and performed all of the songs on The Crow, which features vocal appearances by Mary Black, Vince Gill, Tim O’Brien, Dolly Parton and instrumental guest spots by Earl Scruggs, John McEuen (CD producer), Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka.
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival has announced the daily schedule for its inaugural festival taking place May 14-16 in Gulf Shores, AL, on the beach, next to the Hangout Restaurant.
Daily Schedules
FRIDAY, MAY 14: Zac Brown Band, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, The Black Crowes, North Mississippi Allstars Duo, Girl Talk, Pnuma Trio, Orianthi, Brett Dennen, Jeff Austin and Friends featuring Larry Keel, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Rachel Goodrich, Kirsten Price, El Cantador, Ben Arthur, and Hightide Blues
SATURDAY, MAY 15: John Legend, The Flaming Lips, Jakob Dylan and Three Legs featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Gov’t Mule, Funky Meters, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Jerry Jeff Walker, Ozomatli, The Whigs, Toubab Krewe, Moon Taxi, A.A. Bondy, Wild Sweet Orange, Jon Black, and Rustlanders
SUNDAY, MAY 16: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Ray LaMontagne, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Guster, NeedToBreathe, Matisyahu, Keller Williams, OK Go, Blind Boys of Alabama, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, ALO, Matt Hires, Kristy Lee, Roman Street, Rollin’ in the Hay, and The Cary Laine Band.
Included in the schedule are the recent winners of the Hangout band search hosted by Sonic Bids and includes Hightide Blues, Ben Arthur, Jon Black, The Cary Laine Band, and Rollin’ in the Hay.
RAY LAMONTAGNE, STEVE EARLE AND JACKIE GREENE AMONG THE INITIAL SPECIAL GUESTS
CONFIRMED FOR LEVON HELM & FRIENDS 70TH BIRTHDAY JUBILEE SINGLE DAY TICKETS ON SALE
NOW
Legendary drummer for The Band and longtime local Woodstock resident Levon Helm will celebrate his 70th
Birthday by closing Mountain Jam on Sunday, June 6 with a little help from a few well-known friends. Billed as
“Levon Helm & Friends,” the performance will feature a number of world class guests, many of whom will make the
trip to Hunter, NY solely to pay homage to one of the most important musicians in rock history.
Having recently
collaborated onstage at the world famous Apollo Theater, the ever soulful Ray LaMontagne will join Levon
Helm’s set. Hardcore troubadour Steve
Earle, having appeared already at Levon’s Midnight Ramble, will travel to Mountain Jam for the first time
as part of the drummer’s birthday bash, while noted singer-songwriter Jackie Greene, a two-time
Mountain Jam veteran, will also join in the celebration.
“We are going to make this a night to remember forever, as some of the greatest musicians in the world come
together to be a part of the celebration of a true rock & roll legend who has meant so much to so many for so long.
We expect to announce more guests in the coming weeks,” says Mountain Jam founder and promoter Gary
Chetkof.
Levon Helm will also welcome many of Mountain Jam’s previously confirmed performers, including Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule frontman and festival co-
presenter Warren Haynes,
as well as Patterson Hood
of Drive-By Truckers.
Patterson will appear alongside his father, David Hood, who has toured and recorded with classic artists such as
Traffic, Simon & Garfunkel,
The Staple Singers, Aretha
Franklin and many more. Allison Moorer, who will perform on The Awareness Village Acoustic Stage earlier in the
afternoon, will join her husband, Steve
Earle, on stage with Levon. Others are expected to confirm their participation in the next few weeks.
The Mountain Jam Festival will return to Hunter, NY from Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6, 2010. Single day
tickets are now on sale at www.mountainjam.com
for Saturday and Sunday at a price of $79.00 and $89.00, respectively, and a limited number of single day VIP tickets
are also available at a price of $186.00 for Saturday and $199.00 for Sunday. Festival tickets for the 3 days are
currently on sale for $166.50 including camping, and $141.50 without camping. All ticket pricing is tiered, so that
prices will be raised after allotments are met.
The 2010 Mountain Jam Daily Lineup
Friday June 4
Gov’t Mule
The Avett Brothers
Les Claypool (late night)
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Dr. Dog
The New Mastersounds (late night)
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The London Souls
Gandalf Murphy & the SCD
Natural Breakdown
Elmwood
Tamarama
Alabaster Brown
Dean Batstone
Kari Spieler
Join the Jam Contest Winner
Saturday June 5
Gov’t Mule
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
The Drive-By Truckers
Toots and the Maytals
Dark Star Orchestra (late night)
Dave Mason
Lettuce (late night)
The Whigs
Company of Thieves
The Duke & The King
Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram
Sonya Kitchell
Zach Deputy
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band
The Brew
Simone Felice
Van Ghost
Bret Mosley
Sons of Bill
IS
Sunday (6/6)
Levon Helm & Friends
70th B-Day Jubilee with very special guests:
Warren Haynes, Ray LaMontagne, Steve Earle, Jackie Greene, and others tba
Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Matisyahu
Jay Farrar (of Son Volt)
ALO
One eskimO
Justin Townes Earle
Allison Moorer
The Bridge
Mojo Myles Mancuso
These United States
The McLovins
Jamie McLean Band
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros By Jake Krolick
The 37th Telluride Bluegrass Festival has announced the single-day lineups for this year’s festivities.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tim O’Brien Band | Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas | Del McCoury Band | Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band | Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile | Keller & the Keels | Sarah Jarosz
Friday, June 18, 2010
Leftover Salmon | Lyle Lovett | Court Yard Hounds | Hot Rize | Peter Rowan | Cadillac Sky | John Cowan Band | Ben Sollee
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros | Sam Bush Band | Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer | Telluride Troubadour | Yonder Mountain String Band | Imelda May | Jerry Douglas, Omar Hakim & Viktor Krauss | The Hillbenders
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Bela, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart | Dave Rawlings Machine | Mumford & Sons | Brandi Carlile | Carolina Chocolate Drops | Väsen | The Drepung Monks
Four-day passes, single-day tickets, and camping are available now at shop.bluegrass.com
or 800-624-2422.
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival will host a live radio broadcast throughout the weekend featuring backstage interviews and performances, live video streaming, and festival updates and info. The festival is also planning a shuttle system to improve safety, parking, and traffic flow for residents and festival patrons. More details will be announced soon.
With performances taking place on four stages including two main stages on the beach, the festival hopes to bring the Gulf Coast into the national music scene. In addition, festival organizers have other activities still to be announced. Attendance will be limited to 35,000 people per day.
Festival tickets are available online at hangoutmusicfest.com as well as at The Hangout and Surf Style stores along the central Gulf Coast. Ticket prices are $159 for a three-day pass and limited $82 day passes will be available. VIP ticket packages and travel packages start at $500 and are available online or by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW. A wide assortment of lodging options is available surrounding the festival including traditional hotels and beachfront condos to camping at the local state park.
The Hangout Festival is currently seeking volunteers and street team members. Can’t afford the festival ticket??? Not to worry, you can work in exchange for your full weekend pass. Sign up for both at http://www.shimonpresents.com/email/thehangout.htm.
CONFIRMED ARTISTS: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Gov’t Mule, The Flaming Lips, Ray LaMontagne, Jakob Dylan and Three Legs feat. Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Funky Meters, Blind Boys of Alabama, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Brett Dennen, Keller Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker, North Mississippi All-stars, ALO, The Whigs, Ozomatli, OK GO, Orianthi, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, Pnuma Trio, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Toubab Krewe, Needtobreathe, Jeff Austin & Friends feat. Larry Keel, Matt Hires, A.A. Bondy, Rachel Goodrich, Moon Taxi, El Cantador, Kristy Lee, Roman Street, Kirsten Price, Timmy Curran, Wild Sweet Orange, Rustlanders.
THE HANGOUT BEACH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEIR 2010 LINEUP FEATURING:
TREY ANASTASIO AND TAB, ZAC BROWN BAND, JOHN LEGEND, ALISON KRAUSS AND UNION STATION
THE BLACK CROWES, THE FLAMING LIPS, BEN HARPER, GOV’T MULE, MICHAEL FRANTI AND MORE
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival has announced an incredible lineup for its inaugural year including performances from Trey Anastasio and TAB, Grammy Award winners Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Harper, The Flaming Lips, and Alison Krauss. The three-day music and arts festival is scheduled for May 14-16 and is sure to be an experience like no other. Located directly on the sandy white beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, The Hangout is the first major music festival of the summer festival season. A full confirmed lineup is listed below with more bands to be announced in the coming weeks.
“Watching this caliber of performers directly on the beach will truly be a unique experience. There’s just nothing like it,” said A.J. Niland, of HUKA Entertainment. “This will be one of the biggest beach parties this area has ever seen.”
With performances taking place on four stages, and two main stages on the beach, the festival hopes to bring the Gulf Coast into the national music scene. In addition, festival organizers have other activities still to be announced. Attendance will be limited to 35,000 people per day.
Festival tickets are available online at hangoutmusicfest.com as well as at The Hangout and Surf Style stores along the central Gulf Coast. Ticket prices are $159 for a three-day pass and limited $82 day passes will be available after the schedule is announced in the weeks to come. VIP ticket packages and travel packages start at $500 and are available online or by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW.
There is a wide assortment of lodging options surrounding the festival including traditional hotels and beach-front condos to camping at the local state park. Visit www.hangoutmusicfest.com for more information.
CONFIRMED ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio and TAB
Zac Brown Band
John Legend
Ben Harper and Relentless7
Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
ALISON KRAUSS AND UNION STATION TO PLAY TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Planet Bluegrass has announced the addition of Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas to the lineup for the 37th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival, June 17-20 in Telluride, CO. This festival performance will be one of a very select number of 2010 shows for the band and among their first full-length sets since 2007.
Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas has been credited with raising the profile of bluegrass music around the world, bringing modern sophistication to the genre while respecting its traditions.
This 2010 performance marks the group’s 12th appearance at Telluride Bluegrass, beginning with their festival debut in 1989, and Douglas will be celebrating his 26th year on the Telluride stage.
Says Grammy-winning Union Station vocalist Dan Tyminski, “I have spent a lifetime going to festivals and can easily say that no other has the splendor of Telluride.”
Union station bassist Barry Bales agrees, reflecting on the significance of Telluride Bluegrass: “As an aspiring young musician growing up in East Tennessee, it was an almost unattainable goal to even attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. So it was truly a monumental moment in my life to experience the festival for the first time not from the audience, but on stage for one of my very first shows upon joining Alison almost 20 years ago.”
37th Telluride Bluegrass Festival Initial Lineup
June 17-20, 2010
Town Park, Telluride, CO
-Alison Krauss & Union Station
- Sam Bush Band
- Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer
- Yonder Mountain String Band
- Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Bela, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart
ROUNDER TO RELEASE ROUNDER RECORDS’ 40th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT ALBUM MARCH 2
Alison Krauss & Union Station
On March 2, Rounder will release Rounder Records’ 40th Anniversary Concert, an album of the concert that celebrated the label’s 40 years in the music industry. Recorded in October 2009 at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the concert will also be presented as a PBS television special that will begin airing on the network in March, 2010 and released on DVD in May.
The event is a superb exhibition of Rounder’s diverse roster, and features Grammy winning Rounder artists Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bela Fleck, and Irma Thomas along with musical host Minnie Driver, and special guests Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas and jazz/R&B pianist, Henry Butler.
The CD will include performances by these artists as well as select performances from Steve Martin‘s show at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Krauss and Robert Plant‘s 2008 CMT Crossroads special, and Madeleine Peyroux‘s 2009 concert in Los Angeles.
The event was filmed by High Five Entertainment, and a portion of the ticket proceeds were donated to NARAS’ Grammy in the Schools Programs to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Grammy Foundation influences the lives of young people by opening the windows of opportunity that music can provide for their futures.
Though certainly excited at the prospect of a new disc from Assembly of Dust (AoD), I was both dubious and curious upon learning the recording, Some Assembly Required (released July 21 on Rock Ridge Music) (JamBase review here), has at least one guest musician on each of the album’s 13 tracks. Other bands, including Galactic and Keller Williams have done similar projects with From the Corner to the Block and Dream, respectively, and were met with mild skepticism by critics and fans alike.
A flurry of thoughts: This is only AoD’s second studio album; is it too soon to take on a project like this? The band’s last release was 2007′s Recollection (JamBase review here), and prior to that, a live recording called The Honest Hour in 2004. Would the new album be focused enough to sound like the band, or will each guest’s bold signature sound overwhelm the quartet? Also, if a band’s sound and songs are their brand, does hosting a guest per track detract from their image, their message? And if I’m honest, in my cold, dark heart I wondered, “Is this a marketing ploy to sell more units?” To gain insight into the band’s writing, recording and thinking processes, AoD’s main songwriter and vocalist Reid Genauer and drummer Andy Herrick were each good enough to drop me a line and share their impressions with me.
Initially formed as a quintet in 2002, but now short one keyboardist and down to four members, AoD got together after Genauer departed from Strangefolk. Fans and critics alike have heralded AoD, who are respected for their consonant, tuneful songwriting bolstered by meaningful, smart lyricism. AoD, I agree, are poised to crossover to the mainstream and recorded over two years, the songs on Some Assembly Required stoke and utterly reaffirm that opinion. Seven of the 13 tracks have been made available on the band’s website since early June. Released each Tuesday leading up to the release date, the band used this approach to reward fans and give an audio teaser to casual or unfamiliar listeners.
Musically, AoD has drawn comparisons to The Beatles and The Band, which no doubt is due in great part to the songwriting duo of Genauer and former keyboardist and current co-producer Nate Wilson‘s shared understanding of songcraft and appreciation for the history of American roots music. Many of the songs had been marinating for years, explains Genauer, most having been written by himself, some with the help of Wilson. The bulk of the material was about three years old, but a 16-year-old Genauer wrote the oldest 20 years ago. “It was written when I still dreamed of being in a band. It was THE first song I wrote that moved out of the first position on a guitar neck.” As far as the song selections on Some Assembly Required go, each track is a perfect snapshot from lives intertwined, varying from the frustratingly mundane to unabashedly proud to achingly devastating, all clever ruminations paired with well arranged, sparsely orchestrated, home-baked, hooky tunes.
Genauer by Susan J. Weiand
The collection of songs on Some Assembly Required were primarily unreleased, and were more therapeutically written than purposefully so. “It wasn’t about writing songs for a specific album,” says Genauer. “We just had some songs recorded, some we played in a live setting, and some were just sitting in a bucket in a dark corner. Generally, those songs are the ones we worked with.” Herrick tells me the album was recorded over four days in late summer of 2008. Genauer notes with a hint of pride that as he wrote the songs he became more comfortable “trying on” different characters, writing from different point of view. “[The songs] are time capsules that reflect a specific process and times in my life, some are autobiographical some are from other perspectives. There are different characters I interact with.”
Having an abundance of material allowed for a new freedom in the studio, according to Genauer, because in addition to the songs themselves, they had greater time to create and tinker with arrangements and production. “This time we had time to write as we [went]. Sometimes we would create while the mics [were] running,” explains Herrick about his time in the studio with Genauer, guitarist Adam Terrell and bassist John Leccese. Where the material on previous AoD albums had been “road tested,” played and recorded in live rotation and allowed to shape-shift over time, this album came into its own in the studio.
Gordon & Leccese (AoD) by Britt Nemeth
Genauer likened the alternate, unhurried approach to grocery shopping. “Sometimes you just buy the same things day in and day out. But some days you crave different flavors, textures, or tastes,” he says. “We went into the studio with that in mind.” Further, because each song and its parts was able to distill better and in using songs that hadn’t been played live, AoD didn’t have to “untangle or un-bake” songs that fans had already become familiar with. Instead, the band was able to infuse the tracks they decided would be on the album with other creative input and different genetics in the form of multiple guests.
The entire list of guests is comprised of musicians Genauer has long respected and with whom he’s hoped to work in some capacity. Even the album’s title is a play not only on the band’s name but a nod that each track is an assembly of musicians. The resulting roster boasts some of the finest players in their generation. Richie Havens, David Grisman, Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Mike Gordon, John Scofield, Martin Sexton and more each add their signature sound in a supporting capacity.
Continue reading for more on AoD…
I tried to select instrumentalists who were complimentary to each song, someone who could change the texture. I had to think about who would make sense, who I aspired to play with and who had similar musical aesthetics. It was possible to imagine but impossible to know what they’d add.
-Reid Genauer
Photo by: C. Taylor Crothers
“It was awesome,” says Herrick of recording with the various guests. “[Each musician made their respective piece] stronger, added more of a flavor than affected the overall taste of the track,” he continued, unaware that Genauer, too, fancied discussing the project in culinary terms.
Assembly of Dust
Most of the songs were written and their structure didn’t deviate radically from the original by the time they were recorded, Genauer says. “The songs are skeletons [when we go into the studio], and the band delivered the flesh and muscle to the songs.” Herrick continues, “Reid and Nate would make rough tapes which demonstrated the direction and feel they wanted songs to take, because they know what they want. I think one that ended up different was ‘Leadbelly’ [with Jerry Douglas and Alison Krauss]. Some songs had several slightly different versions at the end of the day, but we always record [different] versions to support the story Reid tells. We [the rest of the band] use texture and feel to best support his words.”
Both Herrick and Genauer used the word “satisfying” often, almost as much as they used the word “pride,” and this being at peace with the songs and the recording comes across on the album. The resulting disc opens strong with “All That I Am Now,” a wide-open, anthemic stomp with Genauer sharing vocal and guitar duties with ’60s icon and Woodstock opening act Richie Havens. The clarity and power of Genauer’s voice is reflected and complimented by the overall grand, reverby tones and texture of the song. The third track, “Cold Coffee,” featuring David Grisman’s plaintive mandolin, is met by Genauer’s soft articulation of heartache, depression and self-doubt, making this coupling perfect. Similarly, “Second Song” with Keller Williams is AoD’s answer to John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane” or Steve Miller’s “The Joker,” a short story about dreams, realities and a lack of resources stacked against poppy, rolling melodies. Bela Fleck’s rollicking, distinctive plucking on “Edges” make it a standout, with the banjo’s phrasing saying as much as any words.
If a band’s sound and songs are unique, then their sound and their words are as big a part of their brand as, say, their trademarked logo, name or live reputation. It is what makes a band almost instantly identifiable, so I was intrigued about how AoD would maintain their signature sound with so many guests.
Reid Genauer by C. Taylor Crothers
“I tried to select instrumentalists who were complimentary to each song, someone who could change the texture,” Genauer says. “I had to think about who would make sense, who I aspired to play with and who had similar musical aesthetics. It was possible to imagine but impossible to know what they’d add.”
Genauer calls the experiences in the studio “extremely poignant and meaningful” because his heroes became his colleagues. It is an endorsement and affirmation of the personal risks taken by Genauer.
A majority of the songs sound and feel natural with soft, acoustic stringed instruments, but it is the weighted delivery of both “Pedal Down,” a rangy, loose-limbed Southern rocker featuring Cincinnati’s Brothers Gabbard of the Buffalo Killers and the straightforward chugging rock of “Arc of the Sun,” about the birth of Genauer’s son, that add an edge to the album. Though “Arc” has been played live and is not necessarily new to fans, the album version is anchored by Mike Gordon and his swirling, fuzzed-out bass solo. Also featured on “High Brow,” another rockin’ track is moe.‘s Al Schnier who helps inflate the band into something more aggressive and edgy, a sound that completely works.
How this all shakes out live, without the benefit of the guests, is something fans are curious to see and hear. When I asked Genauer if he was concerned about the lack of the guests during a live performance he replied, “Sometimes it’s harder to recreate songs in the studio because the energy and excitement in a live setting can’t be recreated. In this case the guests are that x-factor, and they created the energy usually created by the audience. The audience will do the same without guests, and also, the songs may grow and evolve. I look forward to what they become.”
AoD will be touring throughout the summer and through the end of October, gaining momentum and working to build on their already solid assembly. While I was initially concerned that each guest would overwhelm the band, in retrospect I would have liked AoD to augment their guest’s signature sounds a little more – boost them in the mix, extend a solo – but each guest did exactly what the band hoped they would do and that is what matters. They added a slightly foreign accent on an otherwise unmistakable voice and accomplish this without pretense. The strong writing and subtle arrangements definitely make this masterful Assembly of tunes Required listening.
Assembly of Dust tour dates available here, Reid Genauer solo dates here.
In terms of classic songcraft and upper tier musicianship, it’s tough to beat Assembly of Dust. Ably lead by singer-guitarist-composer Reid Genauer, the group’s third studio effort, Some Assembly Required (released July 21 on Rock Ridge Music) stands the greatest shot yet of busting this jam-adored cult act into the mainstream spotlight. The production is modern radio thick, the contemporary notion of what “rock” sounds like filtering into the band’s more natural old school leanings, and each cut features a guest turn from a gifted fellow traveler or two.
While this latter move can feel like a stunt in lesser hands, it pretty much works from stem to stern here, where the skyward ache of Genauer’s pipes swoops and turns with the ageless, authoritative glide of Richie Havens on typically philosophizing opener “All That I Am Now,” or the irresistible shuffle of “Cold Coffee,” a cool morning twanger where Genauer sings with smoky depth and David Grisman‘s mandolin provides golden sunlight busting through the gray. While guest star packed affairs often feel random, Assembly takes a considered approach to integrating others into their thing, choosing each for their specific talents, like say the oceanic low end oomph Mike Gordon brings to the shimmering flow of “Arc of the sun” or the dobro sparks Jerry Douglas throws out on the country float of “Leadbelly.”
As said, where past releases have pitched their tent closer to the Woodstock days of The Band or the ’70s Cali country rock heyday, Assembly resonates on a wavelength closer to Cracker, Barenaked Ladies and glossy mainstays like Sheryl Crow or even Bon Jovi (“High Brow” has all the earmarks of a Jovi hit), none of which should imply that the songs have anything to do with these folks. Genauer’s pen remains a steady, shining beacon in a frothy sea but he’s managed to encase his tunes in settings that stand a fighting chance of moving beyond the jam clubhouse and onto mainstream airwaves, where they can only do the industry some solid good. It’s not hard to imagine the same millions who shell out bucks for Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz spilling coin for the Keller collaboration “Second Song” or the acoustic-tinged skip of “Light Blue Lover,” where Grace Potter and Tony Rice help AOD create the greatest James Taylor tune not by Sweet Baby James.
In more than one way, Assembly offers cred in a variety of communities, with nods to serious jazz heads with John Scofield, the folk stratosphere with Grisman, Rice, Douglas and Bela Fleck, and the jam world with Potter, Williams, moe’s Al Schnier and David Crosby/Phil Lesh foil Jeff Pevar. But it’s the booklet inscription from Black Flag guitarist and highly copacetic jamband enthusiast Greg Ginn that perhaps adds the most new critical heft: “You may as well just glue this CD into the player for the next year or soÂ…” Assembly of Dust makes music of vastly wide appeal and the lofty, giant size production and dreamy assortment of collaborators on Some Assembly Required places them in their best position yet for wider discovery. Outside of the palpable absence of former keyboardist Nate Wilson, Assembly is a pretty perfect piece of beautifully turned rock ‘n’ roll. The smarter programmers at classic rock stations, CMT, VH1 and late night talk shows would be well advised to jump on this one so they can brag when the dumber followers figure it out down the line. Well done, again, sirs.
Hangout Beach & Music Festival
Alison Krauss :: Hangout
Trey Anastasio Band :: Hangout Beach & Music Festival
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Roots
Dave Schools – WSP :: 04.29.10 :: Jazz Fest
Gift of Gab
Steve Martin :: Hardly Strictly ’09 :: by Dave Vann
Flaming Lips by Steven Walter
Warren
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Trey Anastasio
