Phish is back with a vengeance. Now that Trey is off the junk, the band has been busier - and more focused - than ever. Since reuniting this year (they broke up in 2004) the jam band has released a new album ("Joy" produced by longtime U2 collaborator Steve Lillywhite), headlined this year's Bonnaroo Festival, and made their first Rock Band appearance.
And next weekend, the Phish takes over the Coachella grounds for Festival 8 - three days of Phish-ness kicking off on Halloween and including their first-ever full acoustic set (Sunday morning with coffee and donuts being served).
I'll admit that I have a difficult relationship with jam bands. Improvisational music is a dangerous proposition. For every 3-minutes of musical bliss, there are another 20 of mind-numbing noodling. I went to a Grateful Dead show. Once. After the spinners, the naked dude asking me, "do you know where I am," the 10,000 tie-dyed, patchouli-smelling stoners looking for their miracle, and the interminable "space" drum solo, I had enough and never looked back. Give me a tight, three minute, 20-second pop song - and a shower - any day.
Who's the best jam band of all time? [SodaHead Poll]
Still, I'm man enough to admit it when I see a guitar player who can bend the mind. And most jam bands have some insanely godlike guitarists. Even if the solo goes on too long. Plus, I'm a sucker for the southern twang most jam bands employ. I probably flew a confederate flag in another life. Coming back as a black man is my penance (although it has its perks).
Here's a jam band haters list of jam bands to love. Wait for the solo. Tapers take note.
Cream
The first supergroup (at the least the first that mattered), Cream was comprised of former Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton and Graham Bond Quartet drummer and bassist Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. The ride lasted only a brief two years (with a 1993 and 2005 reuniting) but the jams were sweet and bluesy.
The Jerry Garcia Band
Despite the legendary inconsistencies (by his own admission, he turned in the worst performance at Woodstock), Jerry Garcia could be surprisingly melodic and majestic. The late Garcia's playing was some of the most romantic around…when the drugs were working just right. Garcia's side project, The Jerry Garcia Band was hands down the superior alternative to the Dead. In fact, they played Dead songs better than the Dead. All the jam, less the out-of-tune harmonies.
Allman Brothers Band
For me, the Allman Brothers Band died along with slide guitarist Duane Allman's 1971 fatal motorcycle accident. Their "At Fillmore East" album (released shortly before Duane's death) is the gold standard of live albums - by jam bands or otherwise. Not a wasted note and not a false move.
Widespread Panic
The Athens, Georgia, jam band lost their lead guitarist and co-founder, Michael Houser, to pancreatic cancer in 2002. The band's name was inspired by his frequent panic attacks before shows. Houser's solos (which involved excessive use of a volume pedal) were high art and while two subsequent guitarists - George McConnell (2002-2006) and Jimmy Herring (2006 - current) have real gifts Houser's loss is still real.
String Cheese Incident
The Boulder, Colorado band has a place in my heart because of their love of bluegrass (although the Dead's Jerry Garcia had the same love which turned up in their tunes). SCI's love of twang and groove stays close to the roots. Founding member Bill Nershi left the band in 2007 which has left SCI a part time operation since.
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Jerry Garcia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grateful Dead | Official Site of the Grateful Dead
i remenber when i saw the dead in barcelona i did 1.200km to see them and it was the only time, but they are my company. i saw many groups and guitar players:zappa,beck,clapton,the jazz guys but jerry and bob fantastic,no problem if they are not the best.their sound is my sound.i was in a ship working and on the s.lawrence golf when jerry died i spend one week with tears in my eyes going south to florida.dont now music i go with my heart. i dont you talk about the spanish guitar players.check them,and you find what garcia was talking about,like santana do.
Legend has it Lowell George was kicked out of Zappa's band for writing a great song. He was pushed to form his own. The bassist and persucussionist were also from Zappa's band. Add truly underrated piano and keyboardist Bill Payne (search and see who he has played with over the years), and Paul Barrere on vocals and guitar - this was a great lineup.
Mixed slide guitar of Duane Allman, lyric images of the Band, and with a New Orleans roll and funk. Waiting for Columbus is one of the great live albums of all time.
After listening to a few select albums over many years, I wouldn't be making this case until recently. I just saw them live for the first time - and they are as tight as ever. They have updated and expanded the jams from songs both pre and post Geoge periods, and I didn't see anyone remotely disinterested with the extend versions. Feat don't fail me now!
The ultimate "Jam Bands" I saw in my concert-going years were Miles Davis and George Clinton.
Seen Miles twelve times throughout the 80s. And his shows were primarily jam fests for his players to show their stuff. Miles was a true ringmaster at his shows.
Seen P-Funk at least seven times.
Clinton and his P-Funk army have been nothing but Jam Central. People walking up on stage out of nowhere, doing their thing. The group always plays at least three hours. One P-Funk show I saw at the old Ritz in the early 80s, Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers walked on stage, and played for about an hour. He had Eddie Hazel's name studded down the sides of his bell-bottoms.
Bob Weir's guitar playing is very derivative of McCoy Tyner.
Taking my life in my hands, Jerry Garcia is(was) a bad guitarist; he sucks. Probably the worst lead guitarist of any major-label band. Ever.
Improv being impressive? I can improvise a 5 hour guitar solo at the drop of a hat if you want to hear one. Any halfway decent lead guitarist can do what Jerry--and Bobby--did. It's just that you don't find many mediocre guitarists who think their playing is worth listening to for more than a minute or two, so they don't/didn't have a lot of competition in the "space" jam genre.
Haynes has far, far more in common with Hendrix than with Jerry.
I think Calpton, for all his technical skill, is bland. Generic blues/rock, though the best of it in the bland-type. I lsiten to minutes-long solos of his and walk away with nothign to remember.
As I said, I was taking my life in my hands. One thing I've learned is never criticize the Dead to a Deadhead in person. They are relentlessly loyal. Which is why I did it here rather than live in person with someone. There's no way to debate taste as a vibe.
Those boys knew how to keep the music moving and not meander the way the Dead did.
My favorite jam band would be the Miles Davis groups of the Bitches Brew/Jack Johnson/Live Evil era, with John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, et al. Check out the show Miles played at Fillmore as the opening act for Neil Young. (Miles Davis and Neil Young on the same bill!)
Btw, Neil Young and Crazy Horse aren't a jam band but sure play some mean jams.
And as for Mr. Young, "Cowgirl in the Sand" is the greatest jam this side of the mighty Pink Floyd.
Miles, Neil and those respective units on the same bill...
Simply immense. Wish I was there.
It's cool that his music has found a posthumous resurgence in popularity among jam band fans,
but most of them only seem to like his bluesier stuff which really only makes up about a third of what he did. Put on any of his avant jazz or classical stuff and you'll get blank stares.(believe me, I've tried)
Mountain - check the 16 minute version of NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE on THE ROAD GOES EVER ON. Leslie West takes all the clowns you reference above to school and back
Mike Bloomfield/Butterfield/Blues Project/Electric Flag - "East West", look it up if you have to
Les Claypool/Frog Brigade/Primus/ - In any of his myriad of configurations, Claypool always brings out the best in whoever is playing with him at the time. Fantastic musician that never bores you on an extended tune
Government Mule - Warren Haynes is one of the most versatile guitarists playing today, but when the original Mule (Warren, Woody and Matt Abts) kicked it into gear, they could outplay anyone in their league
seriously?
Is Phish going to do a cover album for Halloween? In the past they have done, the White Album, Quadrophenia, Remain in Light, Loaded, and Dark Side of the Moon.