Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival @ Madison Square Garden, Night Two Highlights 4/13/13

Some interesting things happened on the second night of the Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, with Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones coming to jam with Eric, and also, the Allman Brothers not doing a full set, but rather, having Derek Trucks sit in with some of the other bands, and an acoustic set featuring Derek, Gregg Allman, and Warren Haynes.  There were some other really cool jams, too.  Check out all the highlights, here.

http://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-news/303-crossroads-guitar-festival-night-2

Also, here is a list of the top 20 moments of the festival throughout the weekend, from Premier Guitar magazine.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2013/May/20_Best_Moments_of_Crossroads_2013.aspx

Can't wait for this show to come out on DVD.

Shiny side up, Dirty side down

The second half of this review's title makes reference to the most recent studio album put out by Georgia jam band giants, Widespread Panic.  Road toughened warriors of the jam rock circuit for 25 or so years, who played the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis on Sunday night.

I was anticipating this show to be an epic.  A real humdinger.  An experimentation fit for a musical science lab as it were.  Well, unfortunately, it seemed that the one mad scientist, has a lab staff of 100 level greenhorns coming into the class without any inclination of how to formulate high levels of musical chemistry to achieve these improvisational fireworks, and instead, he must do so, as a solitary figurehead, even though he is purely considered a humble sideman in the group, dressed casually, standing in one place, eyes squarely focused upon the neck of his guitar.

The "mad scientist" in question is Widespread Panic's guitar wizard, Jimmy Herring.  During Sunday night's show at the Orpheum, Herring stood a mountain above his fellow band mates, as Widespread Panic seemed to veer through unrecognizable jams that left yours truly asking, "What just hit me?" on more than one occasion.  Herring, was the master, wrenching passionate howling cries from his guitar that were as intricate as they were melodious and left this rock and roller grinning like a stuck possum for the whole of the concert.  He was the compass, but it seemed his band mates, were not as nearly up to the task of following the course he'd pointed them in.

Keyboardist Jojo Herman tried to stick with the plan, adding some spirited sprinkles and spritzes of Clavinet to songs, on occasion.  His other keyboard of choice, the mighty Hammond B3 organ, seemed to be MIA, however.  Bassist Dave Schools, seemed to not be up to his usual prowess in the show, like he is on many of their studio records, where he contributes some credible and listenable slap bass fills.  The same could go for the percussion section.  Todd Nance on drums, and Sonny Ortiz on percussion, try to emulate the thunderous drumming powerhouse of their fellow Georgia blues rock uber jam brethren, the Allman Brothers.  But, Nance and Ortiz do not seem to wield such strength, sticking to basic rock 4/4 patterns as opposed to the jazzy, shifting time signatures employed by the Allmans, or any well known '70s fusion group.

Widespread Panic is very strong when it comes to their studio records.  But, sadly, though they've got years on the road behind them, musically, their live show leaves a possible fan, wanting much more than what they might receive when getting their ticket stub scanned, walking into the venue.    

Skip's Spotify Sunday 4-14-13

Larry Coryell & Michael Urbaniak "A Quiet Day In Spring"

1. Rue Gregoire du Tour
2. Waltz No. 6
3. Polish Reggae
4. A Quiet Day In Spring
5. Waltz No. 12
6. Stuff's Stuff
7. Miss Julie

Larry Coryell & The Eleventh House at Montreux

Band:

Alphonse Mouzon: drums
Michael Lawrence: trumpet & flugelhorn
Danny Triphan: bass
Mike Mandel: keyboards
Larry Coryell: guitar

1. Introduction
2. Improvisation on Villa Lobos (Prelude #4 in E Minor)
3. Tamari
4. Joyride
5. Rasputin
6. Song For A New York Rainmaker
7. The Eleventh House Blues

Larry Coryell "Coryells"

1. Sentenza del Cuore: Allegro
2. Sentenza del Cuore: Interlude
3. Sentenza del Cuoure: Adagio
4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Charlie Mingus cover, written for saxophone legend, Lester Young)
5. Sink Or Swim
6. Zimbabwe
7. Low-Lee-Tah
8. Love And Happiness (Al Green cover)
9. Something Pretty
10. Trouble No More (Muddy Waters cover)
11. Funky Waltz
12. Transparence
13. Somebody's Got To Win (Somebody's Got To Lose)
14. Song For Emily

Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, & John Abercrombie "Three Guitars"

1. Seu Jorge E Dona Ica
2. New Lute Prelude
3. New Lute Interlude
4. Soundtrack
5. After The Rain
6. Descending Grace
7. Metamorphosis
8. No Flight Tonight
9. Ralph's Piano Waltz
10. Suspended Circles
11. Exercise In Fourths
12. Autumn Breeze
13. Timeless

Larry Coryell "Moonlight Whispers"

1. Ganjes
2. Kawloon Jag
3. Song Of The Swan
4. Trem Brazil-India
5. Sunrise
6. Stoppin' Short
7. Brothers
8. One-O-Eight
9. Moonlight Whispers

Larry Coryell "The Essential Larry Coryell"

1. Yin
2. Elementary Guitar Solo #5
3. Scotland I
4. The Jam With Albert
5. Stiff Neck
6. Foreplay
7. Lady Coryell
8. Spaces (Infinite)
9. Are You Too Clever
10. After Later

Larry Coryell "Spaces"

1. Spaces (Infinite)
2. Rene's Theme
3. Gloria's Step
4. Wrong Is Right
5. Chris
6. New Year's Day In Los Angeles-1968

Larry Coryell "Planet End"

1. Cover Girl
2. Tyrone
3. Rocks
4. The Eyes of Love
5. Planet End

Larry Coryell "Lady Coryell"

1. Herman Wright
2. Sunday Telephone
3. Two Minute Classical
4. Love Child Is Coming Home
5. Lady Coryell
6. The Dream Thing
7. Treats Style
8. You Don't Know What Love Is
9. Stiff Neck
10. Cleo's Mood

Larry Coryell "Eleventh House with Larry Coryell"

1. Birdfingers
2. The Funky Waltz
3. Low-Lee-Tah
4. Adam Smasher
5. Joy Ride
6. Yin
7. Theme For A Dream
8. Gratitude - ""A So Low""
9. Ism-Ejerecicio
10. Right On Y'all

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival @ Madison Square Garden, Night one highlights 4/12/13

Check out some of the highlights from Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in this show summary from last night's performance.  There is another night of music tonight.  That will be blogged, tomorrow.  Really looking forward to seeing this one come out on DVD in the not too distant future.

http://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-news/303-crossroads-guitar-festival-night-1

Tame Impala Part 4

Tame Impala "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind"

Tame Impala "Be Above It"

Tame Impala "Music To Walk Home By"

Still discovering more music by this band.  There will be a few more posts about them, coming soon.

Gregg Allman Music Biopic in the Works From 'CBGB' Filmmakers

This is pretty cool.  I wonder if it will come to fruition.  A real biopic about the Allman Brothers.  It's been done for the likes of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash before.  Only time will tell whether a movie will be made.  It seems that it would be based off of Gregg Allman's recently published autobiography which came out last year.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gregg-allman-music-biopic-works-435699

Tame Impala Part 3

There's more Tame Impala music to discover.  Check it out.

Tame Impala "Apocalypse Dreams"

Tame Impala "Half Full Glass of Wine"

Tame Impala "Expectation"

Still more to come.  These guys have a prolific catalog for being a fairly new band.