From pop stars to politicians, here is a list of celebrities whose creative talents include a knack for inventing something new. And frequently useless.
Posts Tagged ‘Van Halen’
Umphrey’s McGee | Halloween | Pics
November 4th, 2010 |
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Images by: Brian Spady
Umphrey’s McGee :: 10.31.10 :: The Pageant :: St. Louis, MO
Setlist
Set I: Ocean Billy* > Conduit, Nothing Too Fancy* > Hangover^, November Walk$, Women Wine and Song > Ocean Billy, 1348 > The Way You Rule the World$$ > 1348
Set II: The Triple Wide^ > Bitter Sweet Haji*, Bridgeless > Walletsworth, “Top Ten” list^^, Prowler > Bridgeless, Sociable Jimmy > Nothing Too Fancy, 1901 Jump**, Bright Lights Big City%
E: JaJunk > Don’t Stop the Spirit of the Radio%% > JaJunk
Notes
* unfinished
^ with a “mini me” Ryan on bass
$ November Rain (Guns N’ Roses) + Cemetery Walk mash-up
$$ Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears) + The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson) mash-up
* Hajimemashite + Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve) mash-up
^^ Kris does a “Top Ten” list of Halloween costumes
** 1901 (Phoenix) + Jump (Van Halen) + Fuck You (Cee Lo) mash-up
% with Superstition teases
%% Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) + Spirit of the Radio (Rush) mash-up
Costumes
Andy: G.I. Joakim Noah, Brendan: Yoko Bono, Jake: Paul Stanley Cup, Joel: Pope John Paul Shaffer, Kris: Larry David Letterman, Ryan: Dr. Evel Knievel
var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”26″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=163″);}); 10/31/10 – Umphrey’s McGee @ The Pageant (St. Louis, MO) View Photos
Umphrey’s McGee Tour Dates :: Umphrey’s McGee News :: Umphrey’s McGee Concert Reviews
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Evening Crunch Crumbs
August 17th, 2010 |
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-Usually you have to wait until Thanksgiving to stuff your face with food this unhealthy. Well, what do you know? Heartburn and indigestion are coming early this year, thanks to Denny’s new Fried Cheese Melt. The $4 sandwich, debuting later this month as part of a value menu, features four fried mozzarella sticks and melted [...]
Santana: Guitar Heaven Out 9/21
July 15th, 2010 |
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GUITAR HEAVEN: THE GREATEST GUITAR CLASSICS OF ALL TIME FIRST ALBUM SINCE 2005′S
ALL THAT I AM
 Carlos Santana |
The longest-running, most successful partnership in the history of rock takes flight anew, as legendary Rock And
Roll Hall of Fame inductees Carlos
Santana and Clive Davis, Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, collaborate on the
brand new concept album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, arriving in
stores September 21 on Arista Records. The album was co-produced by Carlos Santana and Clive Davis with tracks
produced by Matt Serletic and Howard Benson.
Working from their collective encyclopedic knowledge of rock, Carlos Santana and Clive Davis devised a list of guitar-
centric titles – and then invited a Who’s Who of guest vocalists to perform on every track. Singers range from Chris Cornell (on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole
Lotta Love”), Pat Monahan (on Van
Halen’s “Dance the Night Away”), Chester
Bennington and Ray Manzarek
(on The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm”), Rob
Thomas (on Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love), Scott Weiland (on the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’”), Chris Daughtry (on Def Leppard’s
“Photograph”), Gavin Rossdale (on T.
Rex’s “Bang A Gong”) to rapper Nas
(on AC/DC’s “Back In Black”), veteran Joe
Cocker (on Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”), and more.
A very special dedication to George Harrison comes together on Guitar Heaven…, with “While My Guitar
Gently Weeps,” featuring singer india.arie and master cellist Yo Yo Ma. “Listening to the song,” Olivia Harrison told Carlos, “it made me jump for joy and
cry at the same time.” (Please see below for a working track listing.)
Along with these stars, Carlos offers “supreme validation and compliment” to his full-time band for their work on
Guitar HeavenÂ…, their first entire full-length studio album recording together. Band members who join him
on the album include Dennis Chambers (drums), Benny Rietveld (bass), Karl Perrazo
(timbales), Tommy Anthony (rhythm guitar), Freddie Ravel (keyboards), Andy Vargas
(background vocals), and Raul Rekow (Congas). Bill Ortiz (trumpet) and Jeff Cressman
(trombone) also appear on the record.
Tracklisting:
“Whole Lotta Love” featuring Chris Cornell (Led Zeppelin)
“Sunshine Of Your Love” featuring Rob Thomas (Cream)
“Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” featuring Scott Weiland (The Rolling Stones)
“Dance the Night Away” featuring Pat Monahan (Van Halen)
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (The Beatles)
“Bang A Gong” featuring Gavin Rossdale (T. Rex)
“Smoke On the Water” featuring Jacoby Shaddix (Deep Purple)
“Photograph” featuring Chris Daughtry (Def Leppard)
“Back In Black” featuring Nas (AC/DC)
“Little Wing” featuring Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix)
“Riders On the Storm” featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
“I Ain’t Superstitious” featuring Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Beck Group)
“Fortunate Son” featuring Scott Stapp (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Carlos Santana
Tour Dates
::
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Free Energy: “Bang Pop” Video
May 30th, 2010 |
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CAN WE CARRY YOUR BOOKS TO CLASS, GOOD LOOKIN’?
Since American pop culture seems intent on staying in high school forever – it’s not just youngsters obsessing over Twilight and Glee – it’s refreshing to see a young band have some real fun with our collective teen obsession. Free Energy plies a crazy endearing pop sound redolent of vintage Cheap Trick, Sweet, Badfinger and other gooey hard candy goodness. With nods to Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher,” Rock ‘n’ Roll High School and the like, Free Energy’s new video for “Bang Pop” is, like most aspects of these charming up-and-comers, just plain fun.
Check out the JamBase rave for their 2010 debut album.
Free Energy Tour Dates :: Free Energy News :: Free Energy Concert Reviews
Jazz Fest 4.23 Day 1 | Photo Gallery & Best Of
April 24th, 2010 |
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Words by: Kayceman | Images by: Dino Perrucci
Jazz Fest Day 1 :: 04.23.10 :: Friday :: New Orleans, LA
Fans at the 41st annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival were greeted with buckets of rain on the first day. Though the numbers were a bit thin and most of them damp, those who did weather the storm were rewarded with spirited performances, no lines for food and plenty of Fest atmosphere. Between noon and 3 p.m. roughly two inches of rain covered the Fairgrounds, but the only set that got canceled was Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band. Everyone else played right on through.
Kayceman’s Top 3
#1 – Lionel Richie
Watching Lionel Richie go from “Dancing On The Ceiling” into an instrumental Van Halen “Jump” tease and back into “Dancing On The Ceiling” was a standout moment of Richie’s Friday Festival closing set. Playing lots of Commodores, talking ’bout Afros and making the cougars purrrrr, this was nothing but fun fun fun.
#2 – Rotary Downs
As the rain finally broke, local rock band Rotary Downs began to play the Lagniappe Stage. Bandleader James Marler commented that drummer Zack Smith “paid the devil $20 to stop the rain” as they tore through a set of propulsive indie rock with pop hooks and psychedelic burns. The rain started to pick up again and Marler asked Smith to put another twenty in the meter before the band dismantled The Beatles’ “Get Back” in glorious fashion.
Dashing into the Fairgrounds as the sky opened up, many ducked into the Jazz Tent, where trumpet virtuoso Maurice Brown was holding court. Offering shelter from the storm, Brown’s banging five-piece band (trumpet/sax/drum/piano/upright bass) floated from traditional jazz phrasing into wild excursions full of noise-jazz and trumpets laced with wah-wah effects. At this point, the rain hardly seemed to matter.
var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”6″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=35″);}); New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Day 1 | New Orleans Fairgrounds | New Orleans, LA Day 1 of our New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival photo galleries includes The Black Crowes, Trombone Shorty, Glen David Andrews, John Fohl, Johnny Sansone, Anders Osborne, Amanda Shaw, Little Freddie King, Wanda Rouzan, Dr. John, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, New Orleans NightCrawlers and more… View Photos
Check our Jazz Fest Survival Guide for Must See Bands, food suggestions and more…
Check back tomorrow for coverage of Saturday at Jazz Fest…
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Steve Miller Band: First New Studio LP in 15 Years
April 2nd, 2010 |
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THE GANGSTER OF LOVE – OR MAURICE TO HIS FRIENDS – RETURNS!
 Steve Miller |
Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records has announced a new deal with the Steve Miller Band and Miller’s new imprint Space Cowboy Records. Recorded at film producer George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, Bingo! (arriving June 15) is the band’s first studio album in 17 years. A true return to Miller’s roots, Bingo! echoes his early years in the Chicago music scene and features carefully chosen and crafted tracks performed in distinctive Steve Miller Band fashion.
“With the continuing evolution of the music industry and all the new exciting opportunities that are available, I feel this is a perfect time to start a new record company and establish new innovative partnerships. I am looking forward to a long relationship with Roadrunner / Loud & Proud” says Miller of the new endeavor.
Early reaction from fans and industry insiders are comparing the album to Miller’s 1968 masterpiece Sailor. Bingo!, will be the first of two albums that were recorded together as a complete body of work, the second of which will be offered next year via the new label partnership.
Bingo! was co-produced by Andy Johns (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen), with artwork designed by the legendary Storm Thorgerson. These recordings feature longtime Steve Miller Band member Norton Buffalo, who sadly passed away in 2009.
Steve Miller Band Tour Dates :: Steve Miller Band News :: Steve Miller Band Concert Reviews
Umphrey’s McGee | 01.22 & 01.23 | Colorado
February 2nd, 2010 |
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Words by: Adam Cremeans | Images by: Spady Photography & Jason Woodside
Umphrey’s McGee :: 01.22.10 :: Belly Up :: Aspen, CO
 Jake Cinninger :: 01.22 :: Aspen by Spady |
Umphrey’s McGee barreled into Colorado, steaming from a short run through the west with stops in Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah. These shows were met with high-praise as the band showcased a degree of improvisation and exploration that many Umphreaks felt defined this tour. The band’s sound has always been rooted in creative inventiveness, though something about these most-recent shows seemed to lift their energy to a new level.
Expectations were high as night fell on the small town of Aspen. The Belly Up has long been considered one of the more intimate venues in Colorado and with a capacity of just 450, the room feels more like a small jazz club than a rock venue. In addition, the sound system is often regarded as one of the best in the country as the club’s smaller dimensions result in supurb acoustics. With a sold out crowd descending into the club, a murmur of excitement flowed through the air as we staked out our respective places and settled in for a night of fun.
The band took the stage and opened with “In the Kitchen,” jumping right in with the same free-forming style from previous nights, segued beautifully into “Padgett’s Profile.” A loud “Rocker (Pt. II)” quickly mellowed out as the opening chords of “Dear Lord” quickly drew smiles from some of the older fans in the audience. If you are unfamiliar with this song please seek it out immediately; it is one of the first UM compositions and it beautifully reflects a side of the band rarely seen.
 Ryan Stasik :: 01.22 :: Aspen by Spady |
The rest of the set belonged to Joel Cummins (keys) and Brendan Bayliss (guitar/vocals) as both led the band through an exceptional “Uncle Wally” > “Great American” jam. “Syncopated Strangers” was played sharp and fast, striking a metal tone that stayed present throughout the whole show. A short return back in to “Kitchen” closed out the first set. During the break, the crowd milled around as few seemed willing to give up their space in the oversold venue.
A pretty standard start to the second set included a cover of Van Halen’s “Runnin’ With The Devil” and an aptly placed “Thin Air” to acknowledge the elevation. Things then quickly got interesting in the middle of “Phil’s Farm” as the band introduced a new jam technique which has been coined “The Linear” for now. Yet to be fully explained, this is apparently something comparable to the concept of the “Jimmy Stewart”, though, according to the band, it will “change each time it’s played.” Whatever it is, or becomes, remains to be seen but on this night the process was explosive.
A very upbeat version of “The Haunt” kicked the crowd directly in the teeth before Bayliss briefly switched to a mini-synthesizer, dropping the opening notes to the instant dance party of “Cemetery Walk II.” This has quickly emerged as one of the more popular Mantis tracks and the effect it has on a high-energy crowd is just plain fun.
For the encore, the band served up a concise version of “Sociable Jimmy,” which then gave way to a rocking version of “Hollywood Nights” that had the crowd soaring as Jake Cinninger (guitar/vocals) belted out his best Bob Seger impression. The show ended and the crowd spilled out into the gorgeous Aspen night as talk quickly shifted to Denver and anticipation began to grow for Saturday’s doubleheader.
Umphrey’s McGee :: 01.22.10 :: Belly Up :: Aspen, CO
Set I: In The Kitchen > Padgett’s Profile, Rocker (part II) > Dear Lord > Uncle Wally > Great American, Syncopated Strangers > In The Kitchen
Set II: Professor Wormbog, Runnin’ With The Devil, Thin Air, Phil’s Farm > The Linear* > Phil’s Farm, #5, Mail Package**, The Haunt > Cemetery Walk II
E: Sociable Jimmy > Hollywood Nights
* first time played, original
** with Entrance of the Gladiators teases
Continue reading for the review of Umphrey’s McGee at the Fillmore in Denver…
Umphrey’s McGee :: 01.23.10 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO
 UM S2 Series :: 01.23 :: Denver by Spady |
For the hardcores that managed to get from Aspen to Denver by the 4 p.m. showtime, Umphrey’s McGee unleashed their fifth installment of their increasingly popular Stew Art Series (S2). For those unfamiliar, the band plays an all-improv set based on the suggestions of the 50 fans in attendance who text their requests. The most original texts are displayed through a projection screen and the band takes their cues from that. The concept is amazingly intimate and highly original. A meet-and-greet with the band and crew follows the show, where food and drinks are served. Some would think the $100 per ticket price tag would turn many away, but for the extreme Umphrey’s fan the experience is priceless.
What follows in the setlist below are the texts that appeared on the screen for the band to “play.”
Improv I (15:46)
Techno Bluegrass, Rastafarian Snoop Dogg, Sound Engineer’s Worst Nightmare, How Ryan Felt About the Steelers Losing, Sweaty Bunk Love, Mile High, Shirt Too Tight, Even For Joel, Wafuled, Myers Farag Duel, Save the Princess Part II, All Guns Blazin’
Improv II (15:12)
Wappy Dingleberry, Conan vs. Leno, Cemetery Walk Part III, Marc Brownstein vs. Jen Hartswick, Coming In the Back Door, Umphrey’s 1st Tour Bus, Iron Maiden Does Devo Song For Your Moms, Reaction to Aron Magner Sitting In the Front Row Holidaze Moos, Kris 7 Years With The Band
Improv III (21:17)
Panty Droppin’ Pop, Good Poker, Try to Confuse Jaco, NYE All Over Again, Umphrey’s McGeeLand Theme Song, Funky Neil Diamond, 1st Song You’ll Play When You Headline Red Rocks, Brendan Imitating Jake’s Style of Playing, Song For the 11 Chicks Here!, Joelless in Flagstaff Reprise, Twiser Reprise, How You Feel After Eating At Waffle House, Riders On the Snow Storm, Acapella, Summercamp Preview
01.23.10 | Fillmore Auditorium | Main Show
Walking up to the Fillmore on Saturday night it was surprising to see such a large crowd gathered outside, especially considering that Aspen’s Belly Up was so intimate. Overnight, Umphrey’s McGee had gone from playing the smallest venue of the tour to the largest. The Fillmore’s archaic will call area needs improvement and the large, slow line caused many to miss Cornmeal, if not some of the beginning of Umphrey’s McGee’s opener “Turn and Dub.” This song debuted on New Year’s Eve and is a reworking of the Mantis tune “Turn and Run” that the band collaborated on with Easy Star All-Stars‘ Michael G. The new rendition has a fresh, dub-like perspective and it really showcases how much more comfortable the band has gotten with the Mantis material.
 Umphrey’s McGee :: 01.23 :: Denver by Woodside |
The band then followed with a free-for-all “1348″ that had bassist Ryan Stasik going deeper, darker and harder through a “Jimmy Stewart” that bounced back and forth between dance beat and metal rock. Transitioning into “Bridgeless” and then back to “1348″ set an improv-heavy tone that saw the band going in and out of songs all night long. Cornmeal’s Allie Kral came out for the second time this tour, closing the set as she joined the band for an energetic take on The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” a song the band has had a lot of fun with over the last few years.
The band returned for a second set that opened with two of the most high-energy songs in the Umphrey’s catalogue, “Wizard Burial Ground” > “Wappy Sprayberry.” The former took on a sludge rock feel with duel-shredding guitars and frantic double-bass rolls by drummer Kris Meyers, while “Wappy” had Stasik again thumping bass-heavy dance beats. “Tinkles” and “Got Your Milk” kept things rocking and the band again revisited “Nemo’s Fat Bottomed Good Times,” the Queen/Led Zeppelin mash-up that debuted at this year’s Halloween show at Las Tortugas.
As the band returned for the encore, they thanked the audience, citing this was the largest Colorado crowd they had ever played to. The fun loving “Partyin’ Peeps” then started up and was followed by a version of Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun” that saw the usually shy Andy Farag (percussion) with a mic in one hand and a liter of Grey Goose in the other. As the crowd sang along with the raunchy lyrics, former lighting director Adam Budney took the stage as DJ Pumpernickel to chime in on the song’s final verse.
Walking off, Cinninger picked up a handmade sign that had made its way to the stage – a sign that summed up the weekend in two simple words – and he proudly displayed it to the crowd: “Fuck Yeah!”
Umphrey’s McGee :: 01.23.10 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO
Set I: Turn & Dub > 1348 > “Jimmy Stewart”* > Bridgeless > 1348, Anchor Drops, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > FF > Baba O’Riley^
Set II: Wizard Burial Ground > Wappy Sprayberry > Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Got Your Milk (Right Here) > Bridgeless, Hangover > Nemo’s Fat Bottomed Good Times > Wizard Burial Ground
E: Partyin’ Peeps, Ain’t No Fun
* with “All Things Ninja” teases
^ with Allie Kral on violin
Continue reading for more pics of Umphrey’s McGee in Colorado…
01.22.10 :: Belly Up :: Aspen, CO by Spady
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01.23.10 :: Stew Art Series (S2) :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO by Spady
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01.23.10 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO by Woodside
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Umphrey’s McGee is on tour now; dates available here.
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15 Craziest Celebrity Backstage Requests
January 25th, 2010 |
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Celebrities in general have special lists of items to accompany them while out of the spotlight, but some simply go overboard. Here are 15 of the most ridiculous celebrity backstage requests.
Phish: Festival 8 Band To Play Last Record Alive
September 29th, 2009 |
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Phish Festival 8: Band To Play Last Record Alive
Phish‘s Festival 8 site has released a list of 99 albums of which the band will pick one to play on Halloween.
Several albums have already been “killed off” and a note on the site indicates that Phish will “play the last record alive.” See below for a complete list, including those that have already been “killed.”
Special thanks to jamtopia.com for compiling the potential albums list below.
Possible Phish Halloween Cover Albums
 Phish |
1.AC/DC | Back In Black
2.Aerosmith | Toys In The Attic
3.Allman Brothers Band | Eat A Peach
4.Arcade Fire | Funeral
5.Beastie Boys | Hello Nasty
6.BeeGees | Saturday Night Fever
7.Black Sabbath | Paranoid
8.Blind Faith | Blind Faith
9.Bob Dylan | Blood On the Tracks
10.Bob Dylan & the Band | The Basement Tapes
11.Bob Seger | Against The Wind
12.Boston | Boston
13.Brian Eno | Before And After Science
14.Bruce Springsteen | Born To Run
15.Chicago | The Chicago Transit Authority
16.Creedence Clearwater Revival | Green River
17.Curtis Mayfield | Superfly Soundtrack
18.David Bowie | Hunky Dory
19.David Bowie | Ziggy Stardust
20.David Bowie | Scary Monsters
21.Devo | Freedom of Choice
22.Duran Duran | Rio
23.Eagles | Hotel California
24.Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
25.Elvis Costello (nee Declan McManus) | This Year’s Model
26.Eric Clapton | 461 Ocean Blvd
27.Firehose | Flyin’ the Flannel
28.Fleetwood Mac | Rumours
29.Frank Zappa | Apostrophe
30.Frank Zappa | Hot Rats
31.Genesis | The Lambs Lie Down On Broadway
32.Grateful Dead | American Beauty
33.Guns & Roses | Appetite For Destruction
34.Hall & Oates | Private Eyes
35.Huey Lewis And The News | Sports
36.Jane’s Addiction | Ritual de Lo Habitual
37.Jimi Hendrix | Are You Experienced?
38.Jimi Hendrix | Electric Ladyland
39.John Lennon | Plastic Ono Band
40.Modern Lovers | The Modern Lovers
41.Journey | Escape
42.KISS | Alive II
43.King Crimson | Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
44.Led Zeppelin | I
45.Led Zeppelin | IV (Zoso)
46.Leonard Cohen | I’m Your Man
47.Love | Forever Changes
48.Manu Chao | Clandestino
49.Medeski, Martin & Wood | Shack Man
50.Metallica | Master Of Puppets
51.MGMT | Oracle Spectacular
52.Michael Jackson | Thriller
53.Michael McDonald | If That’s What It Takes
54.Miles Davis | A Tribute To Jack Johnson
55.Minutemen | Double Nickels On The Dime
56.Neil Young | Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
57.Neil Young | Tonight’s The Night
58.Nirvana | Nevermind
59.Pavement | Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
60.Pearl Jam | Ten
61.Peter Gabriel | So
62.Pink Floyd | Meddle
63.Pink Floyd | The Wall
64.Pixies | Come On Pilgrim
65.Pork Tornado | Pork Tornado
66.Primus | Sailing The Seas Of Cheese
67.Prince | Purple Rain
68.Queen | A Night At The Opera
69.Radiohead | Kid A
70.Rage Against The Machine | Evil Empire
71.Rolling Stones | Exile on Main Street
72.Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers
73.Rush | Moving Pictures
74.Steely Dan | Pretzel Logic
75.T.Rex | Electric Warrior
76.Talking Heads | Fear Of Music
77.Television | Marquee Moon
78.The Band | The Band (aka Brown Album)
79.The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds
80.The Beatles | Rubber Soul
81.The Clash | London Calling
82.The Doors | The Doors
83.The Police | Ghost In The Machine
84.The Ramones | Ramones
85.The Roots | Phrenology
86.The Who | Who’s Next
87.Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Damn The Torpedoes
88.Tom Waits | Rain Dogs
89.U2 | Joshua Tree
90.Van Halen | Van Halen
91.Van Morrison | Astral Weeks
92.Velvet Underground | Velvet Underground And Nico
93.Violent Femmes | Violent Femmes
94.Ween | White Pepper
95.White Stripes | Elephant
96.Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
97.X | Los Angeles
98.Yes | The Yes Album
99.ZZ Top | Tres Hombres
What album do you want them to play? Tell the world on the JamBase Forums.
Corea, Clarke & White | 09.08 | Minneapolis
September 24th, 2009 |
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By: Joe Lang
Corea, Clarke and White :: 09.08.09 :: Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant :: Minneapolis, MN
 Chick Corea by Susan J. Weiand |
If 2008 was the year of reunions, 2009 has to be the year of spin-offs. While last year saw seminal bands including Van Halen, Return to Forever and The Police reunite, this year’s answer has been fragments of super groups past. Instead of reforming the whole band, Blind Faith leaders Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood reunited and did an arena tour, and perhaps more curiously, Chick Corea dropped shredmeister Al Di Meola and continued on with Return to Forever rhythm section Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. As a nod to years gone by, the group kicked off the tour at the Hollywood Bowl with former Return to Forever guitarist Bill Connors, but for following dates the group has abandoned the electricity and amp stacks for a more subdued acoustic variety of virtuosity.
For their two night stint at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, things were no different. After taking the stage for the last set of their run, Corea sat down at the piano with a series of dark and softly bubbling chordal fragments before Clarke began pedaling behind, further heating the sonic stew as White whipped out the mallets to continue stirring the pot. Clarke eventually broke into a minimal but melodic and funky bass line while Corea weaved in and out of chromaticism and White worked the ride. Corea began ripping through lines on the keyboard and the dynamics came down enough for Clarke to take an acoustic bass solo. Perhaps in a bout of “one-upmanship,” Clarke ripped through his own diatonic linear flurries before passing the ball back to Corea to end the piece. For the second track, Clarke drew his bow and began the intro before White and Corea answered for what was to be the continuous theme throughout the night – swing.
 Lenny White by Susan J. Weiand |
Throughout the 2008 Return to Forever tour there was a point in every concert performance where Di Meola would take a break and his conspicuous absence was answered as the three other band mates swung through some straight jazz breakdowns before the guitarist returned to the stage and the group continued with its classic fusion repertoire. The trio on display this night delved right into some hard swinging jams on an uptempo version of “Stella by Starlight.” The standard initially found Corea dominating the dynamic landscape as White and Clarke laid back, but the rhythm section quickly turned up the heat in a double time romp as Corea continued to hammer out rapid fire lines before deferring back to Clarke. Clarke had obviously warmed up by this point, as his solo was more about continuity and melody than muscle and technique. White muted his hi-hat in a punctuated but nuanced swing rhythm before Corea and Clarke dueled in an improvised call and response culminating with the duo grimacing and humorously shaking their instruments in a mock vibrato move.
Corea rose to address the audience and launched into a humorous little dialogue. “I assume some of you are fans of classical music here? Well in classical music the conductor will often address the audience and says, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen we will now have the world premiere of this composition.’ In jazz we just call it a rehearsal.” Upon audience laughter Corea remarked, “Okay, okay. We will now perform the world premiere rehearsal of Stanley Clarke’s composition ‘Three Wrong Notes.’” After taking his spot at the bench, the three jumped into Clarke’s fast swinger, which featured (three) punctuated and wonderfully humorous chromatic hits in the head and an even tastier solo from Clarke. Along with more laughter and sparring between Corea and Clarke, White took a minimal but well placed solo, one of the more musical of the night. The tune climaxed and Corea and Clarke high-fived before Corea stepped back up the microphone. “We’d like to feature another composition with some melody, maybe some harmony, maybe a little rhythm,” Corea said before beginning Bill Evans’ “Waltz for Debbie.” The tune contained the most variance of all compositions throughout the evening with Clarke and White accenting the one and three beats, Corea quoting “The Romantic Warrior” in his intro and White throwing down on a train beat.
 Stanley Clarke by Susan J. Weiand |
The trio closed the stellar set with two crowd pleasers. Interestingly, both tantalized hardcore fans with quotes of melody or changes before launching into the full tune. For the first, “500 Miles High,” Clarke took an understated solo that Corea quickly joined, finding both quoting motifs from the head before taking on a straightforward version of the tune. The virtuosic highlight of the night, however, came as Clarke ripped through a linear polyrhythm in his solo that was some of the most technically inspiring acoustic bass work I’ve ever heard. Clarke was laughing and shaking his hand off by the time his solo finished and he and the boys closed the piece. For the encore, Corea’s signature, “Spain,” the group took on a fantastic, deconstructed version of the chord changes that included minimal if any quotes from the melody. To oblige listeners, Corea finished the piece with an audience sing-along after playing the familiar melody. By the end of both tunes it was obvious to the more casual listeners what songs they were, but it was far more satisfying to hear the deconstructed versions of each.
While the night certainly had what most jazz fans would look forward to – virtuosity, complex harmony and soul – it’s worth noting that there could have been more cohesiveness to the trio. Much of the evening was dominated by Corea, whose soloing stepped on that of his band mates as much or more than supported, which resulted in the relegation of White to a mainly a support role. While there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with that, considering the players’ pedigrees and comparing them to younger trios like The Bad Plus or Fly Trio or Vijay Iyer‘s groups who take collective improvisational excursions verging on telepathy, the standard band leader setup here leaves the listener with a little to be desired. It is wonderful to hear brand new compositions, but hearing the trio take on well-worn standards isn’t necessarily the most scintillating of concert performances. The trio is just barely getting off the ground on their grueling world tour, so the game might change, but if not, from three of the greatest musicians in the world, the operative modifier might be “underwhelming.”
Corea, Clarke and White are on tour now; dates available here.
JamBase | Minneapolis
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Yes/Asia | 07.29 | New Jersey
August 10th, 2009 |
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Yes/Asia :: 07.29.09 :: Wellmont Theatre :: Montclair, NJ
 Yes by Gottlieb Bros. |
“Progressive” is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days. And in the many different contexts it seems to be manifested, it can have vastly different connotations. To some it means a left-leaning political association, to others, an auto-insurance company with a really annoying girl in their commercials desperately trying to sell their product. Does the word “progressive” mean anything to me? In a sense, Yes.
In an effort to break out of the traditional verse-chorus structure found in most popular music of the 1960s, bands of the progressive rock movement sought to combine elements of not just rock but classical, jazz and pretty much anything else they could get their hands on and bundle up into genre-defying, tight-knit compositions. What resulted was some of rock’s most brilliantly conceived pieces. As prog-rock itself progressed over the next few decades, most of the bands from its heyday of the late ’60s and ’70s slowly died out. But one band proved to have the longevity to make it into the 21st century, carrying on the legacy of those glory days.
Yes has aged gracefully. With three fifths of the band now in their sixties, the current manifestation of the band is still capable of reproducing Yes’ immensely complicated work to a T as they demonstrated inside Montclair’s elegant Wellmont Theatre. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical when Steve Howe (guitar, vocals) first took the stage with the opening band Asia and meekly strapped on his guitar. His long balding silver hair capped off a frail, expressionless face in an eerie manner reminiscent of the Crypt Keeper. But from the drop of the first note one thing was clear – this guy could still play.
Asia is a prog-rock super group of sorts. In addition to Howe, the band is comprised of King Crimson alumni John Wetton (bass, vocals), Carl Palmer (drums), the P in ELP, and Geoff Downes, who had a brief stint with Yes in Rick Wakeman’s absence. And like most super groups in rock history, much of Asia’s material seems a bit crudely and forcefully put together. Hackneyed chord progressions and a cheesy pop-synth like the one found in Van Halen‘s “Jump” or so many Journey songs festooned most of the originals they played, such as “An Extraordinary Life” off their latest release, Phoenix. It was that typical 80s-era prog sound from when a plethora of new technologies were available to musicians but before they quite figured out how to use them tastefully. Downes matched the ’80s sound with a stereotypical glam-rock outfit with platinum blonde hair and all-too tight leather pants.
 Howe & Downes – Asia by Mike Inns |
Nevertheless the sheer virtuosity of these guys was more than enough to keep me entertained, and a few choice covers salvaged their set into something noteworthy. “John used to be in King Crimson, and that can only mean one thing,” declared Palmer from behind his eponymous labeled drum kit, “‘In the Court of the Crimson King’!” The King Crimson tune was executed perfectly, with flute and all. Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” a piece regularly covered by ELP, featured a theatrical drum solo from Palmer where he whipped out all kinds of tricks. As vibrant as his youthful days, Palmer stole the show for Asia, while much of Howe’s playing seemed a bit reserved, like he was saving his energy for his upcoming set with Yes. “Heat of the Moment” – Asia’s biggest hit – closed off the set. This song really epitomized the tacky nature of most ’80s prog-rock. I can’t hear this song without thinking of Cartman inciting Congress to sing-along to it complete with the boom-boom-clap.
Triumphant music poured from the loud speakers as Yes took the stage, prompting a standing ovation from the mostly middle-aged crowd. Wearing the same indifferent expression on his face, Howe immediately outdid himself, running through highly intricate melodies flawlessly. It’s no wonder Yes’ music has been dubbed “progressive.” Tightly composed sections were fluidly strung together in a manner that felt like the music was indeed progressing towards some ineffable objective. Each part of a Yes composition is capable of being its own sovereign entity, yet when placed within the context of a greater scheme each section takes on a whole new significance it wouldn’t possess otherwise.
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A floating angelic harmony brought us into “I’ve Seen All Good People.” I didn’t think it was possible but Benoit David (lead vocals) somehow managed to make his voice sound higher pitched than his predecessor, Jon Anderson, who continues to recover from health issues. Overall, David did a supreme job of replacing Anderson’s soaring alto vocals. Howe dawned a medieval sounding mandolin-like instrument during “Your Move” to accompany the mystical lyrics that trickled from David’s mouth before moving back to guitar for the song’s bluesy ending “All Good People,” where he nailed the original guitar part verbatim.
Chris Squire (bass, vocals) took time between songs to introduce the two newest members of the band – David and Oliver Wakeman (keyboards). Wakeman’s swift moving fingers did his father Rick Wakeman‘s keyboard prowess justice, joining up with Howe to occasionally blaze through classical arpeggios in tandem. Only the gray hair and wrinkly skin gave away the age of Yes’ three eldest members, as these three hadn’t lost a step over the years.
“Ever since we’ve lost James Brown, Steve has inherited the title of hardest working man in show business,” quipped Squire to introduce Howe’s acoustic solo exhibition. Alone in the spotlight, Howe picked away “The Clap,” a folksy, blues-flecked tune written in celebration of the birth of Howe’s son.
A menacing swell gave way to crisp harmonics, and one of Howe’s most signature works on guitar, “Roundabout,” was upon us. “In and around the lake/ mountains come out of the sky and they stand there,” shouted a crowd full of baby-boomers, all on their feet, in unison with David. “Heart of the Sunrise,” one of the band’s most impressive compositions, closed the set. A berserk display of odd rhythms gave way to a murky bass line from Squire before exploding once more.
Evidently, Yes had saved the best for last, encoring with “Starship Trooper.” This is a song that sounds like it was written specifically to close off a concert in as epic a way as possible. Originally three separate songs written by three different members of the band, “Starship Trooper” miraculously combined to form one cohesive piece. “Wurm,” the final section, penned by Howe, was a drudging crescendo over brusque trills that erupted gloriously into Wakeman’s most remarkable solo of the evening, only to be outdone by Howe who took the song to a whole other sublime level.
“Yes, oh god, Yes,” a cry of pleasure that, after this show, has taken on a whole new meaning. The glory days of prog-rock may be well behind us, but as long as these guys are still performing at such a high level we will never quite have to let go.
For more on Yes and Asia check our exclusive double-feature here.
Yes tour dates available here.
JamBase | Topographic Oceans
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David Wild: Doctor My Ears: My Top Ten Songs Prescribed To Get You Through The Current Health Care Debate
July 23rd, 2009 |
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The forces of evil now appear to be firmly focused on turning President Obama’s attempt to reform our health care into his personal Waterloo….