blog: This Is What God Thinks
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Garret Woodward
January 7, 2010
Top 5 Albums:
1. Assembly of Dust - Some Assembly Required
2. Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
3. The Black Crowes - Before the Frost… Until the Freeze
4. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
5. Phish - Joy
As 2009 began‚ I honestly didn't think I could top my experiences from the previous year. For one thing‚ I started January broke due to the usual summer/fall musical shenanigans. But‚ as we all have found in being a slave to the groove‚ there are always unknown surprises around every corner we turn‚ every show we wander into.
The end of the decade began with a cold Pabst held high as I truly connected with The Presidents of the United States of American at the House of Blues in Boston- a forgotten piece of 90's music still chugging along at an enjoyable pace.
Getting cozy in the dark corners of Club Metronome while Akron/Family left my ears ringing and my inspiration tank refilled.
Sitting in the mystical woods at Strange Creek Campout‚ listening to the melodies of the New Riders of the Purple Sage "Ripple" throughout the ancient Berkshire Mountains.
The sounds of Les Claypool echoing down the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas as I swam in a hidden waterfall behind the main stage.
My eyes watering during The Dead's set at Rothbury -- "U.S. Blues" with fireworks exploding over the stage (not to mention the String Cheese Incident reunion).
Seeing the latest additions to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals take the group into the next phase‚ rocking socks off at the Burlington Waterfront.
Slipping down muddy hills at the Festivus for the Restivus‚ the sounds of African singing sensation Oumou Sangare provoked a sing-a-long to the fierce forces above.
Soaked to the bone under dark skies while Crosby‚ Stills and Nash electrified a joyous crowd at the Gathering of the Vibes (who could forget the take on "The Weight" by the Levon Helm Band w/Bob Weir?).
Standing sidestage at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival (in Wyoming) during footstomping‚ ankle breaking sets by Yonder Mountain String Band‚ Railroad Earth and the David Grisman Quintet.
Wandering the Black Rock Desert (in Nevada) for two weeks as Burning Man once again encompassed my soul and opened up the unknown possiblities of the Universe.
Sweating bullets as my body gyrated and my arms flailed at the moe. Halloween extravaganza in The Capital City‚ ultimately running around the town only to catch the late-night U-Melt performance inside Red Square (which lasted until sunrise).
2009 was a poignant end to a haphazard decade in not only music‚ but within any factor affecting humanity‚ for good or ill.
I say‚ bring on 2010!
In the words of the film Dazed and Confused:
"The Fifties were boring‚ the Sixties rocked‚ the Seventies -- oh my God -- they obviously suck‚ right? Maybe the Eighties will be radical‚ y'know. I figure we'll be in our twenties and‚ hey‚ it can't get any worse."
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Josh Potter
January 5, 2010
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2. Dan Deacon - Bromst
3. Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery
4. Tortoise - Beacons of Anscestorship
5. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild‚ Set 'Em Free
I've never much identified with the title "music critic"--opting‚ I suppose‚ for something in the way of "cheerleader‚" a role that stresses the proliferation of excitement and enjoyment before the yea/nay adjudication of an artist's work--but‚ this year‚ I pulled the most pretentious rock critic move in the book and attempted to coin a genre. Sometime around this time last year I saw the documentary Kill Your Idols about the No Wave movement of the late '70s. In a way‚ No Wave bands like DNA‚ Static‚ Swans‚ and Lydia Lunch marked a terminal point in rock and roll. A totally reactionary brand of punk‚ it was experimental to the point of being a type of anti-art‚ defined more by what it was resisting than what it was offering. The movie follows No Wave's influence to the early part of this decade with New York bands like Sonic Youth‚ Black Dice and (to an extent) the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Near the end‚ Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz describes No Wave as a type of nihilism and that the only place to go from there is toward a kind of "yes" wave--highly experimental‚ challenging music that reflects the contemporary world in all its contradictions but rides an element of belief and positivity.
Yes Wave. It's kind of goofy‚ but it's also kind of beautiful. More importantly‚ to me‚ it seemed to tie a pretty little ribbon around the kind of music that excited me in 2008 and 2009. Less a description of sound‚ it seemed like a philosophical credo that could effectively lump artists like Animal Collective‚ Dan Deacon‚ Akron/Family‚ the Boredoms‚ Black Dice‚ Man Man‚ Ponytail‚ and countless other freak folk‚ noise rock‚ free jazz‚ collagist electronic acts into one sympathetic movement. The risk‚ of course‚ is that a title--any title--can reduce the nuances and vagaries of an artist down to a bumper-sticker slogan‚ compartmentalize their work and so offer a listener grounds for categorical dismissal. However‚ like jazz‚ Yes Wave seems to defy this risk with a built-in ethos of change‚ experimentation‚ and authentic‚ in-the-moment connection with audience‚ these elements offering a perfect antidote to the fleeting fads and flash-in-the-pan heroics of indie rock in the internet age.
All this said‚ Yes Wave has existed mostly as my own little in-joke‚ but if it sounds useful‚ try it on for size. Ultimately‚ it's not what you call music or how you classify it that matters‚ it's what it does to you in a very real vibration-on-body way that becomes meaningful. The abundance of these kinds of artists is proof that listeners are beginning to understand this again. Which might be why‚ as a friend said this summer in joyful disbelief‚ "2009 is the year Phish was cool again." This‚ of course‚ is the subject of another whole essay‚ but I'd be remiss if I didn't somewhat forcibly insert Phish into this ecstatic company. Positivity and an adventurous spirit always prevail‚ it seems‚ and‚ maybe Hell just froze over‚ but I think I just watched an interview on Pitchfork with Vampire Weekend celebrating Phish's return.
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Ryan Lowell
January 3, 2010
1. Futures of the Left - Travels With Myself And Another
2. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
3. Handsome Furs - Face Control
4. Doom - Born Like This (See review)
5. Brown Bird - The Devil Dancing (See review)
2009 marked the end of a decade‚ but one look at my top 5 speaks to my inability to let go. Sure there are plenty of albums more groundbreaking than the ones I chose‚ but it's no coincidence that my top 4 albums were crafted by my musical heroes from years past. Embracing the closure of the era‚ 2009 was a year when I spent less time looking forward with emerging acts‚ and more time reflecting on the artists I was raised on‚ filling in catalogue gaps with b-sides and side projects to better understand the music I have come to love so much. These albums aren't the best of the year‚ but my bands made them so they sound the best to me. I can't hear Futures Of The Left's entropic outbursts without fondly recalling the sarcastic brilliance of their former group Mclusky‚ just as I can't listen to Doom without reliving a legendary blizzard‚ trudging through the snow in my hesitant Subaru late at night with only a few yards of visibility and the other worldly beats of MM Food to guide me.
Part of me feels guilty for missing out on many of 2009's finest up and comers‚ but then again‚ at the start of the 00s I did own two Limp Bizkit CDs and was a 2pac conspiracy theory believer‚ so it's not as though my musical IQ hasn't improved enough this decade. I made a few less discoveries this year than average‚ but the ones I did make (e.g. Fool's Gold‚ Brown Bird) were very promising. As for gigs‚ the year was similar‚ I went to a few less‚ but I made them count. Maybe it's just because it's January and the weather's shitty again‚ but ignoring the parking bans to go see Fucked Up defy the stormy night was one of‚ if not the most‚ memorable show(s) of the year. Pink Eyes‚ the fat‚ hairy and shirtless lead yeller jumped onto the miniature crowd and I definitely caught some of his back sweat on my shoulder. Somehow that was one of my favorite nights of the year.
Osheaga introduced me to the wealth of local talent Montreal is storing‚ and I also got to see Dino Jr. and Built To Spill rock out again‚ but this time it was Doug Martsch and Co. that blew me away. Got paid minimum wage to hang out with Nels Cline (gotta love record store signings) and saw him tear it up by the Portland waterfront later that night. And there was that time the Thermals showed me that female bass players can still be attractive even if they have more armpit hair than I do. But what would a new decade be without looking toward the future? I'm looking forward skipping work/quitting whatever job I may have for a slew of Pavement reunion dates in NYC‚ and a new Maine venue Port City Music Hall has me optimistic that Maine's live scene will continue to improve. 2010 is full of potential and hope- who knows‚ maybe a young scientist can redeem Limp Bizkit by melting all of their CDs down into some form of renewable energy. Some farmers have been converting piles of crap to generate electricity for several years now‚ so it shouldn't be much of a stretch.
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Doug Collette
January 2, 2010
Doug Collette
New Releases - (in order of recollection‚ which may be most telling of all criteria)
Son Volt - American Central Dust
The Church - untitled #23
Tommy Keene - In the Late Bright
Derek Trucks Band - Already Free (Already Live) (Read our interview with Derek)
Phish - Joy
Gov't Mule - By A Thread
Monsters of Folk - MOF
Ian Hunter - Man Overboard
Hill Country Revue - Make A Move
Yim Yames - Tribute To...
John Mayall - Tough
Chris Potter - Ultrahang
The Black Crowes - Before the Frost/Until the Freeze
Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood - Live at MSG
Archive Releases
The Bill Evans Trio - Turn Out the Lights: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings June 1980
The Beatles - Remastered CD's
Grateful Dead - Winterland 1977: The Complete Recordings
2009 in music was like a great round of fireworks.....the quiet of anticipation early in the year gave way to an explosion of color and action by way of Allman Brothers Band at The Beacon in late March‚ sandwiched between two parties at the Highline Ballroom: Will Bernard's band (with Hess‚ Moore and Medeski) and Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk... comfortably walking the streets of NYC (past the Dakota apartments) in street clothes was a harbinger of spring and summer‚ not to mention string of hometown shows in the immediate future including NMA‚ Charlie Hunter‚ DTB and Soulive: what it must be like to tour?! Plenty of time to rest and refresh before the beginning of Discover Jazz where shows were stolen right and left: Anat Cohen on opening night at the Flynn and Branford Marsalis' own precocious drummer a few nights later on the same stage...as if to prove the premise "holidays are a state of mind‚" The English Beat anointed Memorial Day early at Higher Ground and The Church consecrated the 4th of July coming all the way from their native Australia to do so... in the heart of the summer. Bob Dylan and his band played the blues while "buckets of rain" fell at Champlain Valley Expo. Gov't Mule rose to the occasion of a visit to one of their favorite cities by pulling out all the stops on the waterfront in Boston while‚ less than a month later‚ the Allman Brothers effectively enacted a "Tribute to a Brother" (Gregg as much as Duane) in the sylvan environs of New Hampshire... right in between Phish closed their summer tour in Saratoga Springs‚ performing as authoritatively as they did tentatively at the beginning at Fenway Park: seeing the sun break through the clouds as Trey took his first solo May 31st wasn't so much cosmic as purely symbolic... likewise seeing Jay Farrar set his feeding-back electric guitar center stage near the end of the woefully under-attended September show at Higher Ground seemed like nothing so much as an act of defiance to a culture that can't seem to dumb itself down enough--or perhaps not‚ given the sold-out attention given The Black Crowes' reaffirmation of their status as one of the best bands on the planet just days before! The best was the Derek Trucks Band on November 6 at Paramount Theatre in Rutland, VT. Heartening too was to watch The Wood Brothers win over Bruce Hornsby's audience at FlynnCenter in the autumn and Hot Tuna‚ in much more than a metaphorical testament to the eternal power of the blues‚ demonstrated how great musicianship‚ like great music itself‚ has a timeless quality. This was a week after MMW enjoyed themselves no end on the same South Burlington stage and three weeks before The Mule return to the Beacon for their NYE run: the Big Apple Venue may have kicked out The Brothers after twenty-years of spring runs‚ but cannot keep Haynes & Co. from ushering in 2010 with a resounding flourish: multiple sets over two nights are like that round of fireworks that seems like it will never end... and it won't in a sense‚ any more than the music ever stops: Dr. Dog is just around the corner in Higher Ground Showcase Lounge come January‚ Phil and Bobby brave winter in New England and travel furthur to NH in February just before Beck and Clapton take over MSG... meanwhile Stefon Harris‚ Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman are set to light up The Flynn early in the New Year.... how sweet is all that? The Bard put it best (again): "It frightens me the awful truth of how sweet life can be."
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - J Hunter
December 27, 2009
J Hunter's Top 5 (+1)
1. Chris Potter Underground - UltraHang (See review)
2. Jeff "Tain" Watts - Watts
3. Matt Wilson Quartet - That's Gonna Leave a Mark (Palmetto) (see review)
4. James Carter et al. - Heaven on Earth: Live at the Blue Note
5. Marcus Strickland Trio - Idiosyncrasies
Honorable Mention:
Ben Goldberg/Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola/Ron Miles - Go Home (see review)
A few words about the healing power of music:
My best friend Harold Schlicht died suddenly this past August. He was only 48‚ but like Indiana Jones said‚ "It's not the years‚ sweetheart. It's the miles." A month later‚ I covered the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival for another Web site. (Mike‚ I'm sorry I cheated! Now‚ put down that golf club!) Joe Lovano's Us Five scorched the place with rampant free-jazz; Lizz Wright made her case for being the next Cassandra Wilson; Dirty Dozen Brass Band did NOLA the way it should be done; Brooklyn's Dan Loomis Quartet mesmerized us with their amazing Downtown sound; and local jazz icon Lee Shaw debuted her trio's latest (and greatest) CD Blossom.
Aside from being the best show I've seen all year (in the face of terrific dates by SFJAZZ Collective‚ Béla Fleck's Africa Project‚ Dr. John and the Julian Lage Group)‚ Riverfront marked the first "good day" I'd had since Harold died -- a day where I couldn't stop smiling and the world seemed unceasingly bright‚ even when it looked like rain was going to wash the whole thing out. I was still grieving; I still am‚ and probably always will. But that day on the Hudson was the first time where the weight on my soul seemed a little bit lighter.
One more thing: I hope Harold was looking in on me that day‚ because he would have really dug Dirty Dozen.
Peace!
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Garret WoodwardJanuary 7, 2010
1. Assembly of Dust - Some Assembly Required
2. Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
3. The Black Crowes - Before the Frost… Until the Freeze
4. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
5. Phish - Joy
As 2009 began‚ I honestly didn't think I could top my experiences from the previous year. For one thing‚ I started January broke due to the usual summer/fall musical shenanigans. But‚ as we all have found in being a slave to the groove‚ there are always unknown surprises around every corner we turn‚ every show we wander into.
The end of the decade began with a cold Pabst held high as I truly connected with The Presidents of the United States of American at the House of Blues in Boston- a forgotten piece of 90's music still chugging along at an enjoyable pace.
Getting cozy in the dark corners of Club Metronome while Akron/Family left my ears ringing and my inspiration tank refilled.
Sitting in the mystical woods at Strange Creek Campout‚ listening to the melodies of the New Riders of the Purple Sage "Ripple" throughout the ancient Berkshire Mountains.
The sounds of Les Claypool echoing down the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas as I swam in a hidden waterfall behind the main stage.
My eyes watering during The Dead's set at Rothbury -- "U.S. Blues" with fireworks exploding over the stage (not to mention the String Cheese Incident reunion).
Seeing the latest additions to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals take the group into the next phase‚ rocking socks off at the Burlington Waterfront.
Slipping down muddy hills at the Festivus for the Restivus‚ the sounds of African singing sensation Oumou Sangare provoked a sing-a-long to the fierce forces above.
Soaked to the bone under dark skies while Crosby‚ Stills and Nash electrified a joyous crowd at the Gathering of the Vibes (who could forget the take on "The Weight" by the Levon Helm Band w/Bob Weir?).
Standing sidestage at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival (in Wyoming) during footstomping‚ ankle breaking sets by Yonder Mountain String Band‚ Railroad Earth and the David Grisman Quintet.
Wandering the Black Rock Desert (in Nevada) for two weeks as Burning Man once again encompassed my soul and opened up the unknown possiblities of the Universe.
Sweating bullets as my body gyrated and my arms flailed at the moe. Halloween extravaganza in The Capital City‚ ultimately running around the town only to catch the late-night U-Melt performance inside Red Square (which lasted until sunrise).
2009 was a poignant end to a haphazard decade in not only music‚ but within any factor affecting humanity‚ for good or ill.
I say‚ bring on 2010!
In the words of the film Dazed and Confused:
"The Fifties were boring‚ the Sixties rocked‚ the Seventies -- oh my God -- they obviously suck‚ right? Maybe the Eighties will be radical‚ y'know. I figure we'll be in our twenties and‚ hey‚ it can't get any worse."
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Josh PotterJanuary 5, 2010
2. Dan Deacon - Bromst
3. Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery
4. Tortoise - Beacons of Anscestorship
5. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild‚ Set 'Em Free
I've never much identified with the title "music critic"--opting‚ I suppose‚ for something in the way of "cheerleader‚" a role that stresses the proliferation of excitement and enjoyment before the yea/nay adjudication of an artist's work--but‚ this year‚ I pulled the most pretentious rock critic move in the book and attempted to coin a genre. Sometime around this time last year I saw the documentary Kill Your Idols about the No Wave movement of the late '70s. In a way‚ No Wave bands like DNA‚ Static‚ Swans‚ and Lydia Lunch marked a terminal point in rock and roll. A totally reactionary brand of punk‚ it was experimental to the point of being a type of anti-art‚ defined more by what it was resisting than what it was offering. The movie follows No Wave's influence to the early part of this decade with New York bands like Sonic Youth‚ Black Dice and (to an extent) the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Near the end‚ Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz describes No Wave as a type of nihilism and that the only place to go from there is toward a kind of "yes" wave--highly experimental‚ challenging music that reflects the contemporary world in all its contradictions but rides an element of belief and positivity.
Yes Wave. It's kind of goofy‚ but it's also kind of beautiful. More importantly‚ to me‚ it seemed to tie a pretty little ribbon around the kind of music that excited me in 2008 and 2009. Less a description of sound‚ it seemed like a philosophical credo that could effectively lump artists like Animal Collective‚ Dan Deacon‚ Akron/Family‚ the Boredoms‚ Black Dice‚ Man Man‚ Ponytail‚ and countless other freak folk‚ noise rock‚ free jazz‚ collagist electronic acts into one sympathetic movement. The risk‚ of course‚ is that a title--any title--can reduce the nuances and vagaries of an artist down to a bumper-sticker slogan‚ compartmentalize their work and so offer a listener grounds for categorical dismissal. However‚ like jazz‚ Yes Wave seems to defy this risk with a built-in ethos of change‚ experimentation‚ and authentic‚ in-the-moment connection with audience‚ these elements offering a perfect antidote to the fleeting fads and flash-in-the-pan heroics of indie rock in the internet age.
All this said‚ Yes Wave has existed mostly as my own little in-joke‚ but if it sounds useful‚ try it on for size. Ultimately‚ it's not what you call music or how you classify it that matters‚ it's what it does to you in a very real vibration-on-body way that becomes meaningful. The abundance of these kinds of artists is proof that listeners are beginning to understand this again. Which might be why‚ as a friend said this summer in joyful disbelief‚ "2009 is the year Phish was cool again." This‚ of course‚ is the subject of another whole essay‚ but I'd be remiss if I didn't somewhat forcibly insert Phish into this ecstatic company. Positivity and an adventurous spirit always prevail‚ it seems‚ and‚ maybe Hell just froze over‚ but I think I just watched an interview on Pitchfork with Vampire Weekend celebrating Phish's return.
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Ryan LowellJanuary 3, 2010
2. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
3. Handsome Furs - Face Control
4. Doom - Born Like This (See review)
5. Brown Bird - The Devil Dancing (See review)
2009 marked the end of a decade‚ but one look at my top 5 speaks to my inability to let go. Sure there are plenty of albums more groundbreaking than the ones I chose‚ but it's no coincidence that my top 4 albums were crafted by my musical heroes from years past. Embracing the closure of the era‚ 2009 was a year when I spent less time looking forward with emerging acts‚ and more time reflecting on the artists I was raised on‚ filling in catalogue gaps with b-sides and side projects to better understand the music I have come to love so much. These albums aren't the best of the year‚ but my bands made them so they sound the best to me. I can't hear Futures Of The Left's entropic outbursts without fondly recalling the sarcastic brilliance of their former group Mclusky‚ just as I can't listen to Doom without reliving a legendary blizzard‚ trudging through the snow in my hesitant Subaru late at night with only a few yards of visibility and the other worldly beats of MM Food to guide me.
Part of me feels guilty for missing out on many of 2009's finest up and comers‚ but then again‚ at the start of the 00s I did own two Limp Bizkit CDs and was a 2pac conspiracy theory believer‚ so it's not as though my musical IQ hasn't improved enough this decade. I made a few less discoveries this year than average‚ but the ones I did make (e.g. Fool's Gold‚ Brown Bird) were very promising. As for gigs‚ the year was similar‚ I went to a few less‚ but I made them count. Maybe it's just because it's January and the weather's shitty again‚ but ignoring the parking bans to go see Fucked Up defy the stormy night was one of‚ if not the most‚ memorable show(s) of the year. Pink Eyes‚ the fat‚ hairy and shirtless lead yeller jumped onto the miniature crowd and I definitely caught some of his back sweat on my shoulder. Somehow that was one of my favorite nights of the year.
Osheaga introduced me to the wealth of local talent Montreal is storing‚ and I also got to see Dino Jr. and Built To Spill rock out again‚ but this time it was Doug Martsch and Co. that blew me away. Got paid minimum wage to hang out with Nels Cline (gotta love record store signings) and saw him tear it up by the Portland waterfront later that night. And there was that time the Thermals showed me that female bass players can still be attractive even if they have more armpit hair than I do. But what would a new decade be without looking toward the future? I'm looking forward skipping work/quitting whatever job I may have for a slew of Pavement reunion dates in NYC‚ and a new Maine venue Port City Music Hall has me optimistic that Maine's live scene will continue to improve. 2010 is full of potential and hope- who knows‚ maybe a young scientist can redeem Limp Bizkit by melting all of their CDs down into some form of renewable energy. Some farmers have been converting piles of crap to generate electricity for several years now‚ so it shouldn't be much of a stretch.
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - Doug ColletteJanuary 2, 2010
New Releases - (in order of recollection‚ which may be most telling of all criteria)
Son Volt - American Central Dust
The Church - untitled #23
Tommy Keene - In the Late Bright
Derek Trucks Band - Already Free (Already Live) (Read our interview with Derek)
Phish - Joy
Gov't Mule - By A Thread
Monsters of Folk - MOF
Ian Hunter - Man Overboard
Hill Country Revue - Make A Move
Yim Yames - Tribute To...
John Mayall - Tough
Chris Potter - Ultrahang
The Black Crowes - Before the Frost/Until the Freeze
Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood - Live at MSG
Archive Releases
The Bill Evans Trio - Turn Out the Lights: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings June 1980
The Beatles - Remastered CD's
Grateful Dead - Winterland 1977: The Complete Recordings
2009 in music was like a great round of fireworks.....the quiet of anticipation early in the year gave way to an explosion of color and action by way of Allman Brothers Band at The Beacon in late March‚ sandwiched between two parties at the Highline Ballroom: Will Bernard's band (with Hess‚ Moore and Medeski) and Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk... comfortably walking the streets of NYC (past the Dakota apartments) in street clothes was a harbinger of spring and summer‚ not to mention string of hometown shows in the immediate future including NMA‚ Charlie Hunter‚ DTB and Soulive: what it must be like to tour?! Plenty of time to rest and refresh before the beginning of Discover Jazz where shows were stolen right and left: Anat Cohen on opening night at the Flynn and Branford Marsalis' own precocious drummer a few nights later on the same stage...as if to prove the premise "holidays are a state of mind‚" The English Beat anointed Memorial Day early at Higher Ground and The Church consecrated the 4th of July coming all the way from their native Australia to do so... in the heart of the summer. Bob Dylan and his band played the blues while "buckets of rain" fell at Champlain Valley Expo. Gov't Mule rose to the occasion of a visit to one of their favorite cities by pulling out all the stops on the waterfront in Boston while‚ less than a month later‚ the Allman Brothers effectively enacted a "Tribute to a Brother" (Gregg as much as Duane) in the sylvan environs of New Hampshire... right in between Phish closed their summer tour in Saratoga Springs‚ performing as authoritatively as they did tentatively at the beginning at Fenway Park: seeing the sun break through the clouds as Trey took his first solo May 31st wasn't so much cosmic as purely symbolic... likewise seeing Jay Farrar set his feeding-back electric guitar center stage near the end of the woefully under-attended September show at Higher Ground seemed like nothing so much as an act of defiance to a culture that can't seem to dumb itself down enough--or perhaps not‚ given the sold-out attention given The Black Crowes' reaffirmation of their status as one of the best bands on the planet just days before! The best was the Derek Trucks Band on November 6 at Paramount Theatre in Rutland, VT. Heartening too was to watch The Wood Brothers win over Bruce Hornsby's audience at FlynnCenter in the autumn and Hot Tuna‚ in much more than a metaphorical testament to the eternal power of the blues‚ demonstrated how great musicianship‚ like great music itself‚ has a timeless quality. This was a week after MMW enjoyed themselves no end on the same South Burlington stage and three weeks before The Mule return to the Beacon for their NYE run: the Big Apple Venue may have kicked out The Brothers after twenty-years of spring runs‚ but cannot keep Haynes & Co. from ushering in 2010 with a resounding flourish: multiple sets over two nights are like that round of fireworks that seems like it will never end... and it won't in a sense‚ any more than the music ever stops: Dr. Dog is just around the corner in Higher Ground Showcase Lounge come January‚ Phil and Bobby brave winter in New England and travel furthur to NH in February just before Beck and Clapton take over MSG... meanwhile Stefon Harris‚ Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman are set to light up The Flynn early in the New Year.... how sweet is all that? The Bard put it best (again): "It frightens me the awful truth of how sweet life can be."
State of Mind's Best of 2009 - J HunterDecember 27, 2009
1. Chris Potter Underground - UltraHang (See review)
2. Jeff "Tain" Watts - Watts
3. Matt Wilson Quartet - That's Gonna Leave a Mark (Palmetto) (see review)
4. James Carter et al. - Heaven on Earth: Live at the Blue Note
5. Marcus Strickland Trio - Idiosyncrasies
Honorable Mention:
Ben Goldberg/Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola/Ron Miles - Go Home (see review)
A few words about the healing power of music:
My best friend Harold Schlicht died suddenly this past August. He was only 48‚ but like Indiana Jones said‚ "It's not the years‚ sweetheart. It's the miles." A month later‚ I covered the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival for another Web site. (Mike‚ I'm sorry I cheated! Now‚ put down that golf club!) Joe Lovano's Us Five scorched the place with rampant free-jazz; Lizz Wright made her case for being the next Cassandra Wilson; Dirty Dozen Brass Band did NOLA the way it should be done; Brooklyn's Dan Loomis Quartet mesmerized us with their amazing Downtown sound; and local jazz icon Lee Shaw debuted her trio's latest (and greatest) CD Blossom.
Aside from being the best show I've seen all year (in the face of terrific dates by SFJAZZ Collective‚ Béla Fleck's Africa Project‚ Dr. John and the Julian Lage Group)‚ Riverfront marked the first "good day" I'd had since Harold died -- a day where I couldn't stop smiling and the world seemed unceasingly bright‚ even when it looked like rain was going to wash the whole thing out. I was still grieving; I still am‚ and probably always will. But that day on the Hudson was the first time where the weight on my soul seemed a little bit lighter.
One more thing: I hope Harold was looking in on me that day‚ because he would have really dug Dirty Dozen.
Peace!
new to state of mind
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
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Blog: Radiohead: Adam King tries to convince me they are aliens…
Blog: New Video/Song From Dr. Dog - "Broken Heart"
Blog: Mountain Oasis welcomes NIN‚ Bassnectar and Pretty Lights
Blog: Mehliana Tour (Brad Mehldau + Mark Guiliana)
Blog: Video: Club d'Elf with Marco Benevento - "Bass Beatbox"
Blog: Reed Mathis and Victor Wooten Talk Bass
Features: Conversation with Kurt Rosenwinkel
Features: Conversation with Tommy Benedetti of John Brown's Body
Features: Conversation with Bill Kreutzmann
Shows: Rothbury 2009
Blog: Radiohead: Adam King tries to convince me they are aliens…
Blog: New Video/Song From Dr. Dog - "Broken Heart"
Blog: Mountain Oasis welcomes NIN‚ Bassnectar and Pretty Lights
Blog: Mehliana Tour (Brad Mehldau + Mark Guiliana)
Blog: Video: Club d'Elf with Marco Benevento - "Bass Beatbox"
Blog: Reed Mathis and Victor Wooten Talk Bass
Features: Conversation with Kurt Rosenwinkel
Features: Conversation with Tommy Benedetti of John Brown's Body
Features: Conversation with Bill Kreutzmann
Shows: Rothbury 2009