MUSICMARAUDERS

Words By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Connecticut's funk fusion powerhouse Kung Fu has been on an absolute tear as of late! The supergroup that features some of the scene’s finest musicians drew rave reviews all summer long during their continuing quest to once again make “fusion music” cool. And make no mistake… they are doing exactly that and then some! It’s been quite some time since a band exploded onto the jam scene like these guys have, but when you consider the talent shared among the band members and their previous musical endeavors, it’s almost a no-brainer why these guys have seen such success since their inception in late 2009. Comprised of The Breakfast’s Tim Palmieri (guitar) and Adrian Tramantono (drums), Raq’s Todd Stoops (keys), Jazz is Dead’s Dave Livolsi (bass), and Deep Banana Blackout’s Rob Somerville (sax), Kung Fu brilliantly blends the worlds of rock, jazz, and funk with all the chops you can handle… Chakrabarty Overdrive from Kung Fu on Vimeo . Kun...

Bell’s Eccentric Café Kalamazoo, MI Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Michigan’s surely enjoyed quite the summer of roots music in 2011. From the inaugural Electric Forest to the countless smaller, family oriented festivals, there have been an incredibly diverse slew of opportunities for the concert savvy. Even current kings of the improv rock world Phish graced the state with a rare appearance. Many unforgettable experiences were had by the handful, but like the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Summer’s last hurrah arrived with the dawn of September 22nd, and for those who journeyed to Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo later that evening, one final chance to cap the passing season remained. On the ticket was Fareed Haque’s MathGames, a collective that proved to be perfectly willing and able to groove our asses into the future, full speed ahead… Excitement towards the evening grew as Adam and I made our way from Lansing to Kalamazoo. Adam’s a ...

Words & Photos By J-man Members of The Motet, Joey Porter and Garrett Sayers were joined by Dan Schwindt and Daren Hahn for a night of Jazz/Funk at Quixote's in Denver, CO. We turned out to find the band warming up and running through a couple of the songs in preparation for the show. After dialing in the levels, they stepped off stage and out to the courtyard we went to talk jazz. We talked about some of our favorites, we talked about some of the classics and we talked about some influential obscurities. I appreciate Joey and Garrett's musical knowledge and passion for tasteful material. As our conversation wrapped up, they headed back in and took the stage. The turnout was dismal. I wasn't sure weather to blame it on lack of promotion or lack of interest, but from the first song I knew I was experiencing something special. The depth of the music was extensive as the band went solo to solo with each being as impressive as the one prior. Joey's Organ work was funky,...

Words By J-man Perpetual Groove Live at Brooklyn Bowl on March 25, 2011. The famed Brooklyn Bowl, New York's premier bowling alley/concert venue, has been putting up an impressive line-up since it's opening just a couple of years ago. March 25th, 2011 was no different when the venue welcomed Perpetual Groove and their growing fan base. The sold out show featured some extensive jams, impressive grooves and special guest Steve Molitz. The high energy was captured in the above recording and translates into pure musical ecstasy... www.pgroove.com www.brooklynbowl.com

Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( www.phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Over the next few weeks, we’re going to hop off the mainstream jam band path and transition towards coverage of some lesser-known acts floating through the ether. There are tons of great regional and local bands out there that deserve our attention and work very had to get it. If you know of any, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments section below. The first band I would like to discuss is one that is near and dear to my heart... Euforquestra. The band formed in April 2003, and only a few months later, I first caught them at the now defunct Iowa City Festival known as Exodus. They are and always have been about creating a dance party. By blending elements of afrobeat, reggae, dub, funk, rock, soca that are combined with the traditional sounds of Cuba, Brazil, West Africa, and other locations around the globe, they have truly created something unique. The self-titled sound of Afro Caribbean Barnyard F...

Words & Photos By J-man On Saturday, September 17th, the Denver brew pub Vine Street in conjunction with Boulder's Mountain Sun threw a block party featuring Yonder Mountain String Band's Dave Johnston and Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon/Emmitt-Nershi Band. Johnston and Emmitt were joined by guitarist John Ridnell and bassist Jeff Kazmierski for an afternoon of bluegrass music. I arrived at Vine Street to find a sizable crowd gathered for an afternoon of music. Drew and Dave tuned their instruments as they got ready to take the stage which faced down the street and was enclosed by metal barricades. Security was checking identification as folks filed into the enclosed area. There were several tents under which the staff was serving reasonably priced beer. The were also grills on which the staff was grilling hamburgers, etc. Although it was crowded, the setup was great. I made my way to the front of the stage to get a few good shots. As I did, it began to pour and lightning fl...

Words By J-man 1979 was an interesting transitional year for the Dead. They played their first show at Madison Square Garden and shortly to follow Donna and Keith Godchaux performed their final show with the Grateful Dead leaving an open slot on the keys for many Deadhead's favorite keyboardist, Brent Mydland. The show starts with a fairly solid crowd recording that includes great versions of "Don't Ease Me In", "Cassidy", "Tennessee Jed" and "Deal". However, the second set is where things really get interesting. The recording switches over to a soundboard patch and opens with an incredibly funky "Shakedown Street". Also notable is the "Estimated Prophet>Eyes of The World". The "Drums/Space" section is indeed spacey and left me holding on for dear life. All in all, a great show from New Haven, CT! Grateful Dead Live at New Haven Coliseum on October 25, 1979. Set One: Don't Ease Me In, Cassidy, Peggy-...

Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Beginning Sunday, September 25th at the legendary Tipitina’s Uptown, funk powerhouses Lettuce and Soulive move their grooves across the country with their Royal Family Ball Fall Tour! The bands have eleven co-billed shows scheduled throughout the Midwest and East Coast plus six additional solo performances which include stops in New Orleans (Lettuce), Coral Gables, Sedona, Albany, Bond-Fire Arts & Music Festival, and Jam Cruise 10 (Soulive). Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to catch two of the funkiest collectives alive together under one roof… it’s going to be one helluva party! We’ll see you on Family Ball Tour! Lettuce and Soulive Tour Dates: 9/25 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's Uptown (Lettuce) 9/30 - Ripley, OH - The Big Pig Music & Arts Festival (Soulive & Lettuce) 10/1 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre - Royal Family Ball (Soulive & Lettuce) 10/6 - Coral Gables, FL - University of Miami (Soulive) ...

Words By J-man For those of you not familiar with AccuRadio, its worth checking out. It's streaming radio stations provide not only genre-specific listening options, but sub-genre choices as well. If you dig jazz like we do, you know how many different styles there are within the general jazz category. Everything from BeBop, to modern, avant garde, to Latin jazz is just a click away. AccuRadio is a great way to explore genres and sub-genres with ease and the advantage of knowledgeable programming. Check it out and stream some phenomenal/world class jazz. As well, be sure to explore some of the other categories of music available on this free streaming site... www.accuradio.com/jazz/style

September 2nd – 4th Union Park Chicago, IL Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Friday: I woke on September 2nd, my birthday, feeling like seven dollars. Some would say things got out of hand the night before. Wondering how anything could top the previous evening’s excellence, I gathered my mind and gear. The drive to Chicago was a breeze made easy by my traveling companion Kendal as we shared jokes and stories along the 3.5 hour drive from Lansing. Thoughts were filled with curiosity when we hit the Chicago city limits. This was to be the first non-camping music festival I’d attended, and wonder was abound regarding how the events would unfold. We arrived to Union Park around 7:30 PM, received our credentials with no hassle, and headed between the gates for the first night. On our way into the festival grounds, I could hear Wolfgang Gartner cutting up Justice’s “DNVO”. Ahhhhh!!! Now that’s what I’m talking about!!! As tired as I should’ve felt from Thursday’s sh...