Devil In The Yard, the third album from Northern California psychedelic rock ‘n’ roots band Achilles Wheel, finds the quintet developing their honest musicianship and stellar songwriting. Guitarist, singer & songwriter Paul Kamm’s folksier tendencies have morphed and developed securely alongside Johnny Mojo Flores blistering leads and soulful storytelling.

Recently, Dylan Muhlberg of Grateful Web chatted with virtuosic flatpicker, singer/songwriter and bandleader Larry Keel. Two years after the heralded revival of The Larry Keel Experience, Keel and some esteemed collaborators are at it again with his new release Experienced. In a humbling conversation, Dylan and Larry dug deep into Larry’s musical past including his roots as a champion Telluride Bluegrass Award Winning Picker with his foundational band Magraw Gap, and of course all the beautiful music since.  

While the San Francisco Bay Area might have some mighty fine music venues in the present, there are fewer that remain from the city’s bright musical past.  One of the few that’s stood the test of time is The Warfield. Right off of Market Street, adjacent to downtown’s Tenderloin neighborhood, it’s hard to tell the insides majesty from the somewhat seedy exterior.

For nearly four decades the guitar playing of Steve Kimock has captivated listeners of all different musical palettes. The master improviser and bandleader is busy as ever, nearing an exciting nationwide tour with his new band K I M O C K featuring his son John Morgan Kimock on drums, familiar cohort Bobby Vega on bass, and Leslie Mendelson on vocals and piano. I’m here today with Steve to talk about this surge of new activity.

This is Dylan Muhlberg of Grateful Web here with Organ maestro, vocalist, and bandleader Melvin Seals. Since 1981 Seals sat behind organ, piano, and synthesizer for Jerry Garcia Band. His gospel, soul and blues influences were pivotal to the evolution of Garcia Band’s sound.  All the more remarkable, since the untimely passing of Garcia in 1995, Seals assembled a talented lineup of musicians to continue Jerry Garcia Band’s music.

Steve Kimock’s imaginative guitar and improvisational prowess continues to evolve. For over forty years he’s crafted boundless music that captivates and expands consciousness. His compositions are distinct in melody and temperament, while his approach will undoubtedly modify as every tune develops, as its own singular organism at any given performance. He began his professional career in the early 1980s as co-founder of the cherished Bay Area band Zero.

In a time where any musician can self-produce and release their own independent album, up-and-coming talents need to set the bar extra high, or at least posses image marketability. The story behind music industry insider Matt Reynolds’ debut release is far from this trend. The longtime road manager for Grateful Dead tribute favorite Dark Star Orchestra has released his impressively diverse Been Long Gone after years behind the scenes.

Few jazz guitarists have led a career of both diversity and longevity as Mike Stern. Though he earned his professional chops as part of the mid 1970s lineup of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, he really came to shine alongside some of the true jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, and Jaco Pastorius. His ease in blending a range of styles through powerfully chorused interactive pedal effects has gained him worldwide recognition.

The gargantuan summer Fare Thee Well concerts represented a few milestones for the Grateful Dead. To celebrate the band’s fifty year anniversary the four living members, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart collectively decided two concerts at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California and three more at Chicago’s Solider Field would be the last time all of them got together to perform as The Dead.

There is unquestionably an art to the super jam. It can’t just be a bunch of talented musicians thrown onto one stage with a few hours of rehearsal, then go! There has to be context if not history, empathy between the players, and of course chemistry. Often times musicians of the same craft will have such different approaches that the live performance result is far from copacetic. One city that harbors an authentic understanding of musical collaboration is New Orleans.