A mark of continued captivating artistry is evolution. Multi string-slinger, vocalist and songwriter Jackson Emmer truthfully represents his musical identity on his upcoming solo album Last Known Photograph of Jackson Emmer. Many are familiar with Emmer through his phenomenal old-time fast grass outlet, The Howling Kettles. But his upcoming solo breakthrough grows all possibilities. In the vein of iconic artists like Wilco, The Band, and Randy Newman, Emmer offers his style, his way, in a celebration of life.

Jamgrass titans Cornmeal have gone through quite a bit of transition in the last few years. Banjoist Wavy Dave Burlingame and Bassist Chris Gangi bid an amicable farewell to longtime band mates Allie Kral, J.P Nowak and Kris Nowak. It was a sad parting for loyal followers of the band who built an impressive tour following with their explosive energy and authentic chemistry.

As the years accumulate since the passing of American music icon Jerry Garcia, performance recordings long lost have continued to reemerge. The guitarist, singer and songwriter’s roots were deeper than his rock ‘n’ roll project Grateful Dead. He was known and respected in Palo Alto, California as a folk guru who played regularly with the best of the local scene.

For a band that excels in the live music setting, Umphrey’s McGee have not really released a whole lot of live material in the past, at least not when compared to a lot of their jamband counterparts.  Outside of Live at the Murat and a few Hall of Fame releases, most of their official projects have come out of the studio lately.  Now with the band working to spotlight their standalone streaming platform on the UMLive App released less than a year ago, the demand for live performances has become greater than ever before.

For over 20 years, the genre defying sounds of Slightly Stoopid have satisfied the West Coast and the world’s need for psychedelic, bluesy, soulful, rock with a heavy hint of island reggae. The bands newest album, Meanwhile… Back at the Lab finds its way to eclectic listeners at the end of June just days in advance of their summer tour, Everything is Awesome. Slightly Stoopid will take on the road and more than 40 cities with The Dirty Heads, The Expendables (select dates), and Stick Figure (select dates).

On a Friday night at 6 pm you won’t usually find folks in Fayetteville, AR packed into the back room of a bar. But there are special occasions for such shows; one of which happened June 12 at George’s Majestic Lounge. Punctual as ever, the older-than-usual but rambunctious audience stood waiting for Samantha Fish to grace the stage. The crowd was buzzing with the anticipation of the fantastic blues rock show at hand.

With another summer tour looming the “Phab Phour” from Vermont have whet the appetites of their fan base by unleashing another monstrous concert box-set.  The band continues their string of excellent archival releases with the newest addition to their ever-expanding live catalogue; an 8-disc collection presenting three incendiary shows performed at the Paradiso in the Netherlands during their heralded 1997 European tours, which for all intents and purposes will be called Amsterdam ’97.

In less than ten years, Pennsylvania alt-grass group Mason Porter has built an honest following. Genuine musical expression and staying true to one’s roots can be challenging when critics marginalize through categorizing and genre labeling. It seems as if the quintet isn’t really bothered by anybody else’s opinion on what type of music they play, or could be playing. Their authenticity has won over a loyal family of fans.

Never one to shy away from giving fans something unexpected, prog-rockers Umphrey’s McGee have surprised their followers by releasing their second studio in album in less than a year.  Just ten months after the fantastic Similar Skin was produced, the band took advantage of an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to record music in the famed Abbey Road Studios in London; the same room that iconic artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Fela Kuti, and Radiohead all recorded some of their best work.

Last summer, Analog Son released one of the strongest debut albums I’ve heard in quite some time. Guitarist Jordan Linit and bassist Josh Fairman composed the tracks and enlisted 18 musicians – ranging from nationally recognized to locally cherished – to imbue the songs with a euphonious blend of fusion and funk.