Reviews
When someone uses the term “fusion” regarding jazz, a spring-loaded thought process proceeds. Maybe it leads to thoughts of French violin composer Jean Luc Ponty’s experiments in the late 60s. Perhaps someone would think of the Miles Davis family of music, most directly In A Silent Way or Bitches Brew. Maybe another person would think of the “rock” fusion outlets of the 70s. Jeff Beck, Steely Dan, Yes, or Pat Metheney.
The show began with opening act The Radical Dads, a trio that rocked Webster Hall with a big sound despite their lack of a bassist. With two guitarists and drummer, Robbie Guertin, who also played the keyboards in headlining act, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Radical Dads achieved a sophisticated sound that drew on garage band rock and roll without being overwhelming or muddled.
A Rastafarian and a Hasidic Jew walk into a bar… It’s not the setup for a punch line, it’s just another night at a Matisyahu show. Where else can we go to see Yamakas and Dreadlocks in the same place? The fusion of the two cultures is everywhere at a Matisyahu show, and a huge following of fans have evolved from the musical blend of traditional Jewish themes, reggae, and hip-hop that he has created.
One of the most apparent struggles for the “core four” surviving members of the late Grateful Dead is how to follow up a musical career without going about continuing the music of their previous band. And as we all know, calling Grateful Dead a “band” is simply a misstatement. It was a way of life.
Going to a Trace Bundy show is like going to a family dinner that you actually want to be at. The first time I listened to Trace Bundy’s music was in college. A friend had a copy of his “Adapt” CD and I used to play it when I needed to relax. This was the 3rd time I have seen Trace perform.
Every Phish fan has their favorite year of the band's long and storied career, and will argue to the death why they feel that specific year stands as the group's greatest. For some it's the feisty year of 1993, or the energetic and explosive 1994 tour, and some will even argue that the tight yet loosely woven shows of 2011 rank as their all time high. But for many, it was without a doubt the body of work heard during 1997.
It had been way to long since I last saw Leftover Salmon play together as a band. I recall the last time, way back in 2004, driving to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York, destined to see the band play as a festival headliner in one of their final gigs before ‘hiatus’.
In a recent interview, Billy Nershi, guitar player, lyricist, and vocalist for Colorado’s String Cheese Incident said this of his band’s musical style:
