MUSICMARAUDERS

Words By Karen Dugan (Tiny Rager) With outstanding talent, worth ethic and enthusiasm, Karl Denson is one of the most respected men in the Funk music community. Amazing us with his saxophone and flute skills, among other instruments, Karl Denson fronts bands such as Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Greyboy Allstars! But have you ever heard of his involvement with Sexual Chocolate? If you haven’t already watched it, go rent Coming to America! Eddie Murphy plays many rolls throughout the movie but the best role was as the band leader of Sexual Chocolate. And who’s playing saxophone for this gnarly band? None other than our beloved Karl Denson. For many years Sexual Chocolate was out of commission but lucky for us, Karl Denson decided to breathe life into this fictional band by performing a funky Sexual Chocolate set on Jam Cruise 8 in January of this year. Backing Karl on stage was an allstar cast consisting of the members of KDTU, Debrissa McKinney (Josh Phillips Folk Festival), Jeff...

Words By Zach Zeidner Esperanza Esperanza Spalding, arguably one of the most exceptional contemporaries to have recently bombarded the Jazz scene, is a perfect mix of beauty, brains, and sheer unadulterated talent. As a virtuosic upright bass player with an equally talented voice and innovative mind, Spalding embodies the perfect modern jazz musician. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Spalding can be best described as if Ornette Coleman and Madonna had a child and she was raised by Billie Holiday and Stevie Wonder. This woman screams talent, exploring new and interesting avenues of Jazz, R’n’B, and popular music. Astoundingly, the public has even acknowledged it. Spalding was recently nominated for an Emmy for best new artist, which is extremely rare for a Jazz musician and exemplifies Spalding’s ability to enrapture and infiltrate the collective mind of the public. Spalding became the most searched person and item on Google as a result of her televised performance at the Austin City Limi...

Words By J-man New Years runs often offer some of the most exciting shows on our scene and the transition from 2010 to 2011 appears on paper to be no different. Our focus falls on Denver, CO. With it being our first year in Colorado, we thought it would be best to hit it hard, and cover everything within' our means. Wednesday December 29th, 2010 Railroad Earth w/ Elephant Revival Ogden Theatre Denver, CO Details Thursday December 30th, 2010 Railroad Earth w/ Whitewater Ramble Ogden Theatre Denver, CO Details Friday December 31st, 2010 King Pigeon (Molitz, Kang, Wall, Basso, Teels) 5:00pm-8:00pm Quixote's Denver, CO Details Main Event: Greensky Bluegrass w/ Danny Barnes Cervantes Denver, CO Details Surprise After Party* Saturday January 1st, 2011 Great American Taxi Bloody Mary Breakfast 6:00am Quixote's Denver, CO Details Everyone Orchestra (featuring Steve Molitz) Quixote's Denver, CO Details Full coverage including: Reviews, Photos, Video, Interviews, Links and more. ...

Words By J-man When someone says "Sexfist", bluegrass may be that last thing that comes to mind. If you're not familiar, it's time to check out one of Chicago's best kept secrets. Sexfist has been doing Tuesday night residencies in Chicago bars for sometime now, and has been breaking onto the festival scene, Phish lot by Phish lot... Enjoy some of the best bluegrass on the scene from some folks who truly respect the music, but don't take themselves as seriously as some... Check them out! Sexfist Live at Red Line Tap on October 13, 2009. www.sexfist.net

Words By Andy Zimmer For my holiday-inspired pick, this week I chose to give you some vintage primal-Dead. The first show, from the Shrine Exhibition Hall on December 21 of 1968 was the last show that the Dead played before taking a few days off for Christmas. The sound quality is, perhaps, not the best. But, hey, it’s a 68' show... What do you expect!?! Fans of both the lysergic-influenced sound of the late-60’s, and strong Pigpen vocals will want to check out this short but sweet set. The second pick is the Dead’s first recorded show after their Christmas break (there is evidence of a show from the day before, but I’ve never been able to find any recordings). This show, from the Gulfstream Park Racetrack on December 29th, was part of the larger Miami Pop Festival. With an excellent artist lineup including Country Joe, Chuck Berry, John Mayall, Booker T. and the MG’s, and Paul Butterfield; I’m sure that this was a helluva good time. The Dead’s set is short, but intense. Jerry’s pl...

Words By Karen Dugan (Tiny Rager) Welcome to Friday Funk!!! In my humble opinion, there is no better way to end the week or start the weekend then with powerful music fueled by funk-filled vibes. It gets the blood pumping and the hips shakin’! Through this column, I look forward to sharing with you all things funk... As my first installment of "Friday Funk" is landing on Christmas, I wanted to perhaps focus on a seasonal release. I was set to suggest George Porter’s newest CD release: Christmas In New Orleans "A Tribute to My Mother". Don’t get me wrong, you should take a lovely listen to this cd as George has truly invited us into his heart with this release, basing it on the fact that he almost lost his mother a few years back and she has always wanted him to do a Christmas CD. However, I have continually been pulled back to a newly released cd that came my way a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to turn off. Brooklyn guitarist/composer/arranger Matt Dickey ...

Words By Zach Zeidner The Joy of Flying Tony Williams may arguably be the greatest jazz drummer ever. His early work with Miles Davis demonstrated his unique technical abilities and earned him a spot as one of the top coveted hard-bop and post-bop drummers. As the times went one and jazz went electric Williams verified his desire to go electric with his project, Tony Williams Lifetime. This project originally was an intensely psychedelic infused power trio including master guitarist the Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young. What developed from this original trio was Emergency! - Originally released as two separate LPs, this album blew people away and as contemporary bassist Christian McBride puts it “that album is pure evil!”. As the project developed, they inducted Jack Bruce of Cream into the band and released the album Turn It Over. The addition of a bassist allowed for more complex, lengthy and goal-driven jams, as Young did not have to account for the bass lines wi...

Words & Photos By J-man Soulive is one of those bands that won't let you down. I have been seeing them for almost ten years, and what I can tell you is this: They bring it every night. Consistently. And they have been doing so for years... I can't recall ever seeing a bad Soulive show. Their aggressive approach to the music creates a high-energy vibe that's almost untouchable on the scene. I was fortunate to catch Soulive at the end of their "Rubber Soulive" tour, for two nights at Cervantes' Masterpiece Theater in Denver, CO. I anticipated a hefty amount of Beatles tunes and Friday night they delivered. Let me first say, that I am not the biggest Beatles fan (Though I do respect their contribution to music). I did however really dig Soulive's album "Rubber Soulive", though I do much prefer the band's original music. With the venue packed, the trio proceeded to absolutely destroy a combination of both Beatles and Soulive tunes. Eric Krasn...

Interview & photography By Amy Panaia, Zingara Photography Keller Williams, most noted for his one-man band looping extravaganza, is remaining true to his roots while pursuing a vast assortment of performance, recording, and extracurricular projects. Keller’s “Kids” album was just named one of the year’s best kid/family albums by The Washington Post. Keller Williams’ musical resume proves that he is one of the most talented and expressive musicians on the scene. Amy: The “Kids” album is an exciting shift in your career, but it also makes a lot of sense for you to do. How long had you pondered the idea of making a family-oriented album? Keller: A long time. My daughter was born in ’04 and I had a summary of songs written on this record before that. It took years to culminate the inspiration for the rest of them. It took actually having kids and then having those kids grow up a little and listen to kids music and it went from there. It’s been a good a long time, I would say proba...

Words By Greg Molitor Neil Young is quite the rare breed. In popular music, it’s difficult these days to find individuals who carry world class talent as both songwriters and as performers. Then again, artists like Neil Young don’t come around very often either. As a man who knows how to write and perform like a true professional, Young has been empowering audiences with his brand of Canadian folk rock for fifty plus years and is still going strong. Like many, his career has seen both success and turbulence, but as the sands of time have told us, Neil Young is already considered one of the most prolific and important artists of his generation. Here are some links to give you a glimpse of Young playing his tunes with a variety of different artists. Whether it’s with CSNY, Crazy Horse, or as a solo artist, he seems to always be at ease when performing. The man is still playing shows to this day...it’s hard to keep Neil Young away from what appears to be his home away from home. www.neil...

Words & Photos By J-man We know where bluegrass music originated. We know all about Bill Monroe's contribution, Del McCoury's longevity and Garcia/Grisman's building of a bridge to jam/improvised music. But what about the future of bluegrass? Where will it go from here? With the gaining popularity of bands like Yonder Mountain String Band, Cornmeal and Greensky Bluegrass, what's to become of the traditions of this roots music? Moreover, what's going to be the next musical innovation within' this genre? For answers to my questions, I turned to guys like Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass), Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon/Great American Taxi), Del McCoury, Sam Bush, and Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band). In order to discuss the direction of the music, you have to establish a reference point in which to work from. When asked about the future of Bluegrass music Anders and Vince both responded by referencing Bill Monroe. "Fir...

9.19.1954 Brown County Jamboree Beanblossom, IN 1. Watermelon Hanging on the Vine 2. Band Intros 3. Bile Them Cabbage Down 4. I Ain't Broke, but Brother I'm Badly Bent 5. I Hope You'll Learn 6. Bugle Call Rag 7. Cry, Cry Darling 8. Ya'll Come 9. Changing Partners 10. Blue Moon of Kentucky 11. Get Up John 12. Down Yonder 13. Just a Little Talk with Jesus 14. Boat of Love 15. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling 16. The Girl in the Blue Velvet Band 17. White House Blues 18. Rose of Old Kentucky 19. Uncle Pen 20. Rocky Road Blues 21. Muleskinner Blues 22. The First Whipperwill 23. The Little Girl & the Dreadful Snake 24. I'm Knocking on Your Door 25. He'll Set Your Fields on Fire Download the show here. 7.4.1961 Oak Leaf Park Luray, VA 1. Watermelon On The Vine 2. Intros 3. Panhandle Country 4. I Gotta Travel On 5. Blue Moon Of Kentucky 6. Put My Rubber Doll Away 7. Rawhide 8. Linda Lou 9. Carter Intro 10. Carter Ripping off Flatt and Scruggs 11. Sugar Coated Love (1) ...

Grateful Dead Live at Springer's Inn Portland on January 16, 1970. Casey Jones, Mama Tried, Black Peter, Hard To Handle, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, High Time, Good Lovin'-> Drums-> Good Lovin', Dancin' In The Streets, Alligator-> Drums-> The Eleven Jam-> Death Don't Have No Mercy Cumberland Blues, Me & My Uncle-> Dire Wolf, Uncle John's Band, Easy Wind, Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Cosmic Charlie

Words & Photos By Greg Molitor For the many of us who see shows on a regular basis, concerts provide a chance to escape the daily grind, but every once and a while, we unexpectedly see a show that completely floors us. These moments are what we seek as concertgoers; like a swift roundhouse kick to the heart, an incredible show often reminds us why we became infatuated with live music in the first place. On December 8th, 2010, Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass rolled into Lansing and laid down a performance so thick, so soulful that I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two…ah, what it is to be alive! I arrived to Mac’s Bar on Michigan Avenue a few minutes into Greensky Bluegrass’ first set, and as a casual fan, I selfishly was disappointed to see a gazillion people crammed into the tiny bar. I give kudos to the band for having such a wonderful turnout, but at that time, my thoughts were not on the band’s success, but my own. Come to find out, the world does not revolve around me…not eve...

Words By J-man J-man : Recently it was brought to my attention that you are departing from Garaj Mahal. Can you talk about what prompted your departure and the transition to your new project in Math Games? Fareed: Sure, well… First of all we have been doing Garaj Mahal for almost eleven years… and I have a lot of other musical projects and musical ideas that I wanted to explore… and a couple of opportunities that came my way that I wanted to pursue. For a lot of reasons it just ended up being that we were just going in different directions. Sean Rickman sings quite a bit. Now, I’m not sure about this and you may have to check with them; but it seems that between Kai and Sean, they seem to be doing more vocal tunes… and I am definitely in more of a jazz direction. I just completed a beautiful jazz trio album with a couple of jazz legends… Billy Hart on drums. Billy Hart played with Miles Davis on the album “On The Corner” and he also played with Herbie Hancock, and guys like Pat Martin...