Nels Cline With Medeski Martin And Wood

In 2014, Wilco’s Nels cline partnered with Medeski Martin and Wood to record and release Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2. Allmusic says of the release:

“Medeski, Martin & Wood have always played well with others. They did a string of great records in collaboration with John Scofield, and many of their albums have had invited guests; DJ Logic was practically an adjunct member for a while, and they even play on an Iggy Pop album (not exactly Iggy's finest moment, but that's another matter). Nels Cline also plays very well with others. Collaboration and improvisation were his stock in trade since long before he picked up the Wilco gig, and he continues to actively guest and collaborate while leading his own Nels Cline Singers. As good as the albums with Scofield were, Nels Cline is a very different type of player, and his affinity for effects really opens up the possibilities as far as pure sound. Cline can move from spacey ambience to raging leads to swirls of electronic-sounding madness and beyond. Pairing them seems like a great match on paper but it's even better recorded live in a studio with a small invited audience. Perhaps the most amazing thing is just how well Cline fits in with MMW's M.O.”

In honor of Wilco Week here at Holiday at the Sea, here is an excellent video of a full 2016 set featuring Nels Cline with Medeski Martin and Wood live at the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI Lugano in Switzerland as part of the Cully Jazz Festival.

Enjoy!

• Visit Wilco’s official website.

• Follow Wilco on Facebook.

• Follow Wilco on Twitter.

• Purchase Wilco’s music at Amazon.

• Visit Nels Cline’s official website.

• Follow Nels Cline at Facebook.

• Follow Nels Cline at Twitter.

• Purchase Nels Cline’s music at Amazon.

• Visit Medeski Martin and Wood’s official website.

• Follow Medeski Martin and Wood at Facebook.

• Follow Medeski Martin and Wood at Twitter.

• Purchase Medeski Martin and Wood’s music at Amazon.

Wilco Live at Grant Park (07.04.01)

As we celebrate Wilco Week here at Holiday at the Sea, here is a live show I’ve held on to for years. This one features Wilco live at Chicago’s Grant Park as part of the “Taste of Chicago” festival.

The band was in fine form for the home town crowd and his was originally broadcast on WXRT FM and the sound is good, but the real reason I’ve held on to this one is that it was Jay Bennett’s last show with the band.

Enjoy.

Setlist:

01. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
02. War on War
03. A Shot in the Arm
04. She's a Jar
05. I'm Always in Love
06. Airline to Heaven
07. Feed of Man
08. Remember the Mountain Bed
09. California Stars
10. Kamera
11. Ashes of American Flags
12. Red-Eyed and Blue
13. I Got You (At the End of the Century)
Encore:
14. I'm the Man Who Loves You
15. Sunken Treasure
16. Outta Mind (Outta Site)

• Visit Wilco’s official website.

• Follow Wilco on Facebook.

• Follow Wilco on Twitter.

• Purchase Wilco’s music at Amazon.

• Download the show as an RAR file.

David Eugene Edwards: The Preacher

In 2000, filmmaker Sarah Vos made a short documentary about 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand frontman David Eugene Edwards. The IMDB synopsis says:

“About David Eugene Edwards upbringing, culture, poetry and music. DEE created Sixteen Horsepower - an alternative music group producing religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through DEE's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian instrumentation cross-bred with rock.”

• Visit Wovenhand’s official website.

• Visit Wovenhand on Facebook.

• Support Wovenhand at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Wovenhand’s music at Amazon.

Garcia Peoples, “One Step Behind” (Live)

To celebrate getting my copy of the new Garcia Peoples album (the second this year behind the fantastic Natural Facts), One Step Behind, here is a 48-minute live performance of the title track at the band’s album release show at Nublu in New York.

The band’s label (the reliably groovy) Beyond Beyond is Beyond says on Facebook: “Um, our dude Bryon snagged the whole 48 minutes of Garcia Peoples “One Step Behind” last night at Nublu. Have a gander! The amazing Bob Malach rippin it on sax!”

Byron Whitley says at the video’s YouTube page: “48 glorious minutes of Garcia Peoples’ “One Step Behind” record release show at Nublu in NYC with Tom’s dad, Bob Malach, sitting in on sax.”

Garcia Peoples present us with something we don’t get to see that often any longer; a band creating itself as it goes. In the throes of pre-packaged pop and when everyone has to have an “image” and a “sound,” it’s exciting to hear a band that sounds excited. Garcia Peoples have allowed themselves to musically mature in public.

Their 2018 debut ‘Cosmic Cash” came out of the gate strong and garnered a lot of well-deserved attention. Their name and vibe definitely caught the ears of many heads. But could they jam? And the live tapes showed a band working out and through its sound. Earlier this year, the band released Natural Facts which proved that they were maturing and finding their voice. But could they jam?

The band’s third album in a year-and-a-half, ‘One Step Behind’ has the feel of a band with something to prove. The album sticker says as much: “Whether or not you thought you knew Garcia Peoples’ music, One Step Behind is something new and beautiful, for new heads and old.” Jesse Jarnow’s liner notes echo the sentiment: “Welcome to the sound of Garcia Peoples at full speed. Without losing a ray of sunshine or a drop of dew, One Step Behind is the first major statement by the malleable Brooklyn sextet.”

Yes, they can jam and Garcia Peoples should not feel like they have anything left to prove. I can’t wait to see where the music takes us. One Step Behind is a terrific step forward.

• Visit my post “Garcia Peoples: October 3, 2019 Nublu.”

• Follow Garcia Peoples at Facebook.

• Visit the show’s page at NYC Taper.

• Visit the page’s show at the Live Music Archive.

• Support Garcia Peoples at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Garcia Peoples’ music at Bandcamp.

Ravi Shankar, Alla Rakha and Yehudi Menuhin Trio

Pandit Ravi Shankar (Sitar), Yehudi Menuhin (Violin), and Ustad Allarakha (Tabla).

• Purchase West Meets East: The Historic Shankar / Menuhin Sessions at Amazon.

Fruit Child, Large, 1991

From Howe Gelb on Facebook:

“didn't know there was any evidence of this fun run in ninety one. the band "fruit child, large" featuring #evandando on guitar, #julianahatfield on bass, #johnconvertino on drums & #howegelb on guitar”

The Youtube post for the video of this show says:

“Once upon a time, Juliana Hatfield and Evan Dando went on tour with Howe Gelb and John Convertino of Giant Sand. They named the band Fruit Child Large and played songs from all of their catalogs.”

Juliana Hatfield talked about the tour in a 2010 interview with Magnet:

MAGNET: Howe Gelb once told me about an ad hoc band you, Evan Dando, John Convertino (Calexico) and he had back in the early ’90s called Fruit Child Large. I don’t think I ever saw you play, though.
Hatfield: Yeah, that was hilarious, this weird thing we threw together and somehow we pulled it off. It was Howe’s genius idea to incorporate something from the Lemonheads, which was the “Fruit,” something from my band, the Blake Babies, which was the “Child,” and then Giant Sand was “Large.”

Howe sent me some great photos from a European tour.
Yeah, that’s all we did. I’m glad he kept a record of it, because I sure didn’t. I think it was my first time in a lot of those places in Europe. I remember this dark tiny town in Bavaria, and we just had the best time. The club was packed with people, and it had this low ceiling. People were buying us tequila shots. It was just a really, really fun night.

Did you play songs by all three of you?
Yeah. Then we did a bunch of covers also, and we kind of improvised. We did some jamming. I remember we did a really slow version of a Blondie song. I think it was “Shayla” from Eat To The Beat. She was a great singer.

• Visit Juliana Hatfield’s official website

• Purchase Juliana Hatfield’s music on Amazon

• Visit The Lemonheads official website

• Purchase The Lemonheads music on Amazon

• Visit Howe Gelb’s official website

• Purchase Giant Sand’s music at Amazon

Daily Driver Summer 2019 (Trailer)

Back in August as Summer was closing out, I posted a personal music mix that I had been listening to during the heat of the sunbaked Phoenix Summer. I called it “Daily Driver Summer 2019”. I know, not the most creative title, but, as I said at the time, I hadn’t really planned on posting it. It was just something I made for myself to listen to on my daily commute. What I neglected to tell you at the time, my dear readers is that there are actually two volumes. So I figured why not share the sequel as well. Please don’t hold it against me. I really didn’t mean to keep anything from you. Please enjoy now.

Download the jewel case art as a PDF file.

Tracklisting:

1. “Suzie Q” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

2. “Suena” by Ondatrópica

3. “Mustt Mustt (Extended)” by Kiran Ahluwalia

4. “Kukuchi” by Letta Mbulu

5. “Kogarashi” by Kikagaku Moyo

6. “On the Road Again” by Canned Heat

7. “Turn On Your Love Light” by the Grateful Dead

8. “I Like It (I Like It Like That)” by Pete Rodriguez

9. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

10. “Golden Clouds” by The Orb Featuring Lee "Scratch" Perry

11. “Hey Ya!” by OutKast

12. “Boogie On” by Rob (Funky Rob Way)

13. “Hymn of the Big Wheel” by Massive Attack

• Listen to/download the previous mix for yourself.

Kalahari Encounters

This post originally appeared on the now disappeared Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow website on June 13, 2018 and is re-posted here for posterity. And because I still really dig this album.

Shishani & Namibian Tales (one of the artists on our very own Episode 01) are an international group based out of Amsterdam. The group's award-winning debut Itaala focused on vocalist Shishani Vranckx singing in Oshiwambo and beginning to wrestle with what her heritage means for her as an artist today. This desire to connect with an incorporate her heritage led to the band's latest release Kalahari Encounters. 

She tells Universiteit Leiden (where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology and completed a Master’s degree in Musicology):

"‘My mother is Ndonga, part of the Namibian ethnic “Aawambo” group, she explains. ‘Ever since childhood, I’ve had the desire to return to Namibia and immerse myself in my mother’s culture, especially through music.’"

The group traveled to the Kalahari desert in present day Namibia to learn from and sing with the people of the San – often referred to as Bushmen. The trip resulted in a collaboration with four singing grandmothers from the area. The group performed the songs for a live performance recorded live performance at the Warehouse Theatre in Namibia’s capital city in June 2017.

Reflecting on the process of making this music, Shishani tells her former university: "It opens your eyes to the world.’

More of that, please.

Watch the video for “Kalahari Encounters:"

Watch the video for "Aga Who:"

• Visit the group's official website.

• Read our profile of the Kalahari Encounters project

• Visit the group's Facebook page.

• Purchase the group's music at Amazon.

• Listen to "Aga Who" by Shishani & The Namibian Tales. From the 2017 album Kalahari Encounters featured on Episode 01 of the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.

Pacific Range Live At The Chapel, San Franscico, 09.06.19

Los Angeles’ Pacific Range has been one band that’s really piqued my musical interest of late. If you’re curious as to why, the band’s website introduces them by saying:

“Pacific Range is rooted in the beautiful, sunshiny-coast of California. The band's style takes from many influences ranging from The Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead, to The Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers.”

Now, if you were to guess from that little blurb that this band is right up my alley, you’d be displaying "great and unmatched wisdom,” but, like, for real, man.

Anyway, the fine folks of Howlin Rain (another band you should know) posted this show via Twitter the other day, and, well, color me smitten.

I’m sorry but I don’t know the setlist to this show. If you happen to know it, would you be so kind as to assist?

• Visit Pacific Range’s official website.

• Follow Pacific Range at Facebook.

• Follow Pacific Range on Twitter.

Garcia Peoples: October 3, 2019 Nublu

As I mentioned the other day, I am very grateful that the Live Music Archive exists. If you’re not familiar with the Live Music Archive, you should really rectify that situation.

I’ve also extolled the virtues of NYC Taper and asked you support what they do, but I’m going to do so again. Please support them so they can continue making shows like this possible (browse posts at this site tagged with “NYC Taper” to see what I’m talking about.

It occurred to me the other day that I haven’t posted about New Jersey’s Garcia Peoples and I couldn’t believe that was possible, so I looked and it was not only possible, it was the sad, sad reality. I couldn’t think of a better way to break that trend than with this VERY recent (10/03/19) show at New York’s Nublu. NYC Taper says:

“Let’s get real here: You already know we love Garcia Peoples. I’m getting this recording to you less than 24 hours after it occurred. So if you want to know our opinions on GP and their shows, read any number of other reviews on this site. I’m here to tell you the basics:

1. This is part of a month-long residency at Nublu . Buy tix to the other shows here.

2. These shows celebrate the release of their latest LP on Beyond Beyond is Beyond, One Step Behind. Buy it here.

3. Garcia Peoples are good peoples, and they rule. See items #1 and #2.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4Vs on the right side toward the front. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!”

• Follow Garcia Peoples at Facebook.

• Visit the show’s page at NYC Taper.

• Visit the page’s show at the Live Music Archive.

• Support Garcia Peoples at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Garcia Peoples’ music at Bandcamp.

Tortoise Live At The Dead Pigeon

I’ve been continuing to go through some of the live concert recordings I’ve kept over the years. I got rid of a ton during one of our moves, but I also kept a ton. This 1995 Tortoise show from The Dead Pigeon in Muncie, IN.

It’s been amazing to me how many of these lives shows I get excited about sharing, thinking that it might be a nice addition to the internets, only to discover that it already exists thanks to the Live Music Archive. I am severely thankful that the Live Music Archive exists and it certainly saves time in posting some of these shows.

Enjoy this 1995 gem.

• Visit Tortoises’s official website.

• Follow Tortoise on Facebook.

• Follow Tortoise on Twitter.

• Support Tortoise at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Tortoise’s music at Amazon.

Dirty Three's Lyrical Instrumentals

An Australian instrumental trio that’s not Silver Ray. You didn’t think I’d be able to post about Silver Ray without posting about Dirty Three today, did you? And this doesn’t even mention The Necks.

Dirty Three is one of my all-time favorite bands and consists of Jim White (drums), Mick Turner (guitar), and Warren Ellis (violin). Don’t let this sparse lineup fool you, the group plays huge instrumental pieces drowning lyricism.

Here’s the group’s 2012 Tiny Desk Concert.

Here’s the group performing “Distant Shore” in 1998.

• Follow the group on Facebook.

• Visit the group’s profile at Bella Union Records.

• Support Dirty Three at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Dirty Three’s music at Amazon.

• Listen to "I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me" by Dirty Three. From the 1996 album Horse Stories on Episode 03 of The Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.

Silver Ray: Swirling Cinematic Instrumentals

An Australian instrumental trio that’s not Dirty Three (or the Necks), Silver Ray play sweeping, swirling, urgent pieces with piano, guitar and drums. The group consists of Cam Butler (guitar), Julitha Ryan (piano/keyboards), and Brett Poliness (drums). They put out four albums on Pharmacy Records, the last of which being (I think) 2008’s “Homes For Everyone.”

I don’t believe the group is active any longer but those four albums are all really solid and worth your time hunting down.

Here’s “Trail of Deception” from “Homes For Everyone”

Here’s “True Believer” live in 2004.

• Visit the group’s page at Pharmacy Records.

Remembering Ginger Baker

Legendary drummer Ginger Baker died recently in hospital at age 80.

There are legions far more skilled than I opining his life, death, and what his cantankerous persona meant or didn’t mean and we will leave all of that up to them. Just the way I think Ginger would have wanted. In the mean time, let’s remember Ginger with a couple of (what I think are) overlooked gems.

My personal favorite Baker recording is the live album with Fela, but I don’t think that’s one’s really “overlooked,'“ so instead, let’s highlight his 1990 album “Middle Passage.” The album also features Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, and Jah Wobble who recently posted on Twitter:

Played on this Ginger Baker album, middle passage . It’s a very classy album prod by Bill Laswell . It’s got bernie worrell nicky skopelitis and others on it. I overdubbed . Bill thought it unwise that I meet Ginger. Could have been trouble.

The other selection may be a bit of a stretch since Baker doesn’t technically play on the whole album, but Public Image Limited’s 1986 album Album is another favorite.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, watch the trailer for the “Beware Mr. Baker” documentary.

• Purchase Ginger Baker’s music at Amazon.

Harsh Narayan: Grand Canyon Sarangi

Phoenician and tabla player (“tablist?”)Shreyas Iyer operates the Dhaa School of Music. Their website says:

“Dhaa School of Music strives to teach this complex musical instrument, Tabla, in a fun and supportive environment. The goal is to cultivate the seed of love for this instrument so that it becomes a lifelong journey for each and every student.”

On Sunday October 20, the Dhaa School of Music, together with Authentic Yoga Teacher Training are hosting and evening of live music with Harsh Narayan and Shreyas Iyer “Only 60 seats available and these are filling up fast. Get your tickets soon.”

Here is “A beautiful short clip of Harsh Narayan bonding with the elements at Grand Canyon. Thanks to Camillo Scherer for some great camera work.”

• Visit Harsh Narayan’s official website.

• Purchase tickets for the event.

The Burnlackers: "Laughter" EP

I don’t know if you remember it, but there used to be a coffeehouse in Scottsdale, AZ called The Congo and they used to host fantastic all-ages shows. Friends and I would go there and drink coffee and play chess and listen to live music. We fancied ourselves poets, but that’s another story for another day.

I’m sure there was one, but we never checked the schedule of who was playing, it was just something that you could count on, that there would most likely be great live music.

And it was always a special treat when a band called the Burnlackers would play. Sort of alt. country even before I knew there was such a thing, sort of moody alternative rock, it felt like music conceived in the sunbaked desert, which I most definitely dig.

At one of the shows, I bought a cassette of their 1994 EP called “Laughter.” I lived in the on-campus apartments at Grand Canyon University and we had a huge boombox in the front room. In the Fall, we would open the sliding glass door and put on this tape at full volume. So much so that I went through several copies. Having the sliding glass door open also made it easier for our friend living outside in his station wagon to come in and use the shower or the stove, but that’s also probably another story.

The band has recently started playing around town again and I couldn’t be more pleased. They are working on recording new material and graciously gave permission to post the EP here at Holiday At The Sea.

It’s well worth your time. Listen here.

Tracklisting:

1. Taken

2. Nowhere

3. Reachin’ For

4. To The Grave

5. Whisper

• Follow the Burnlackers on Facebook.

• Follow the Burnlackers on Youtube.

• Support the Burnlackers on Bandcamp.

• Download the EP as separated song files.

Sampling The Samples

In college, my friend Jeremy introduced me to a band from Boulder, CO called The Samples. Named in honor of being so poor that they ate free samples from the local grocery store, the band combined rock, reggae and folk and were widely considered part of the “jam band” scene, even touring with the HORDE festival, though they were never quite a “jam band.”

The rest, as they say, was history. I was hooked. told everyone about them. I made mix tapes of them for people. I collected live shows. I wore their shirts. I traveled to other cities to see them. They provided the soundtrack to a good chunk of my life. And then, as the lineup changed and the band seemed trapped in a specific sound and the lyrics seemed to lose inspiration, I gradually forgot about them. But then the other day, Relix posted about a free livestream of a Samples show and it brought back a flood of musical memories.

Stream The Samples Live at Fox Theater on 1994-01-16. This set includes Boyd, Leroi, and Carter from the Dave Matthews Band, one of my favorite songs, “Little Silver Ring,” and an absolutely killer version of “Feel Us Shaking.”

I don’t know what year it was, but the band put out a profile/tour documentary on VHS, which of course I owned. Now, thanks to the beauty of the Internet, you can watch “Ten Wheels” right here. It’s just under 30 minutes and gives you a great idea of the band during their heyday, after original member Charles Hambleton had left the group, but otherwise features the core lineup of Sean Kelly (Guitar/Vocals), Andy Sheldon (Bass/Vocals), Jeep MacNichol (Drums/Vocals), and Al Laughlin (Keyboards/Vocals).

The group didn’t do many official music videos, but they did do one for “Every Time,” from the fabulous album The Last Drag, which was featured at the end of the “Ten Wheels” documentary.

The documentary also features snippets from this video: “When It’s Raining.” Sean Kelly says of the making of this video: “We made this video on top of some building in Denver. Five more seconds on that roof and we all would have been struck by lightning. My hair was starting to show static electricity which is usually right before you get hit! Another lucky day.”

• Visit The Samples official website.

• Visit the Samples’ page at the Live Music Archive.

• Support the Samples at Bandcamp.

• Purchase the Samples music at Amazon.

Hiss Golden Messenger: "Happy Birthday, Baby" Live at Adult Swim

Hiss Golden Messenger’s MC Taylor has been making the rounds lately in support of the phenomenal album “Terms of Surrender.” Taylor recently stopped by the Adult Swim studios to perform “Happy Birthday, Baby.” Plus, Phil Cook.

If songs like this don’t push you to reconsider all your stupid notions about “Dad Rock,” then I don’t know what to tell you. I love that Taylor is a family man and weaves that throughout his music.

• Visit Hiss Golden Messenger’s official website.

• Follow Hiss Golden Messenger at Facebook.

• Follow Hiss Golden Messenger at Twitter.

• Support Hiss Golden Messenger at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Hiss Golden Messenger’s music at Amazon.

Sandy Bull

Believe it or not, I was recently looking for video of “American Primitive” guitarists on YouTube and there was one glaring absence. Though maybe not as well known as John Fahey, Leo Kottke or even Robbie Basho, Sandy Bull was no less accomplished or influential.

Bull passed away in 2001 but, for whatever reason, had largely gone unnoticed in the public eye. There’s just not a lot out there. That’s part of what makes this new video so exciting. Thanks to Photo of the 21st century for posting this gem: “Acoustic music and interviews taped live in front of an audience in Marina del Rey (Los Angeles) 10/23/89.”

• Visit Sandy Bull’s page at Drag City.

• Purchase Sandy Bull’s music at Amazon.
  
  

One Eleven Heavy Hot Potato Soup

Thanks for Curtis Lee Voight for capturing, editing, and sharing this recent footage of One Eleven Heavy live and in the wild. As I posted earlier, I dig One Eleven Heavy. The new album, “Desire Path” has helped solidify the band’s sound while allowing the group to open up and explore more space.

One Eleven Heavy. Live in Plymouth, WI on 9.6.19.

• Visit the band’s official website.

• Support One Eleven Heavy at Bandcamp.

• Follow the group at Facebook.

• Follow the band at Twitter.

• Visit One Eleven Heavy’s page at Riot Act Media.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

• View all my posts about One Eleven Heavy.