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JAM ‘TIL DAWN*
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JAM ‘TIL DAWN* A Column by Toni Brown FESTIVALS!
Spring is here—and with the
promise of better weather comes the anticipation of the Festival Season. It
has been an annually daunting task to list all of the events that are being
scheduled. But with the Internet playing such an active part in unifying the
musical experience, it is no longer critical for one person to pass on the
news of great musical places to be! So get your mouse firmly in hand (a cup of
strong coffee in the other), and set your cursor on search! Now that was easy,
wasn’t it? Seriously, a great place to start
would be a visit to www.jambase.com.
They have an extensive listing of national and local festivals, as well as
tour listings for most bands you’re likely going to want to see. Other sites
to check out can be found below. JAMBANDS An Historic Overview From An
Interested Participant In an era when the state of the
music world is in flux, it is comforting to know that there is one market that
continues to evolve. With inspiration rooted in the psychedelic
improvisational music of the Grateful Dead, the jamband scene maintains solid
footing. In fact, it continues to emerge. Having never relied on commercial
trappings such as radio airplay, CD sales or publicity blitzes, jambands
continue to tour during a time when everything else in the music industry has
fallen flat. The organic growth of this once underground music and its
burgeoning scene has a direct link to the successful use of the Internet.
Cyber capabilities provide limitless scope for artists to pass along
information, upping the word-of-mouth ante a thousand-fold. In addition to the huge pass-along
potential of the Internet, jambands are joining forces to create unique
concert situations in their efforts to reach larger audiences. In Orlando,
Dave Mann of the band funkUs has organized the local scene, calling it
Jambando (http://www.jambando.com/). The concept is not unique as
bands begin to share their audiences, putting aside age-old artistic envy. A
successful local jamband will invite bands from other regions to perform in
front of their local fans. The guest performers will in turn invite the host
band to their town. A musical bridge. Tours are being built around this
camaraderie, and the jamband scene continues to do more than flourish, it is
gaining mainstream acceptance as a growing and respected musical community. Part of the jamband success is due
to the fluidity of individual musicians to interact on extreme musical planes.
Improvising in intricate situations outside of the standard jazz timings of
previous decades, pushing the basic structure of rock ‘n’ roll itself, the
music being played by these musical enlightenists has limitless potential.
Fans are treated to new approaches by the same bands night after night.
Jambands are insuring that they’ll maintain interested participants by
continuously throwing musical surprises at their audiences. Jamband is a term used begrudgingly
by many of the artists falling into the “category.” No one “enjoys”
being stigmatized, but in such a vast musical world, it’s important to use
labels to help sort through the diversity. Otherwise we’d all be wandering
endlessly in circles, searching for the musical fuel that best feeds our
souls. The jamband family has grown
dramatically since the earliest years of improvisational music. Footed firmly
in jazz, then filtered through the Beats and then the psychedelic era, the
music being delivered now is its own hybrid of sound. From the moment bands
like Phish, The Spin Doctors, Dave Matthews, Widespread Panic, moe., String
Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon hundreds of other amazing bands stepped
beyond the fringe, a new generation took on a life of its own. Ultimately
founded on imitation, the music is now steeped in inspiration, and from that
point, continues to inspire. I, for one, look forward to the continuing
evolution! During my 20-plus years with Relix
Magazine, I was able to provide thousands of bands with the exposure that
helped them continue the journey. The Jamband scene is a direct descendant of
the Deadhead scene, and the evolution continues to amaze me. –Toni Brown May 29: Fringe Fest, Orlando,
FL, hosts Jambando featuring Toni Brown, Kynda, funkUs, and more bands to be
announced. http://www.jambando.com/ BILL WALTON’S DEADHEAD DRIBBLE…
Football Hall of Famer and admitted
Dead Head, Bill Walton, is being criticized for his continuous commentary on
the Grateful Dead with whom he’s had a long-time friendship. A confidential
ESPN memo reads, “If we could all make an effort to help Bill reduce the
number of references to Grateful Dead lyrics, concerts he’s attended, and
past and present band members throughout an average broadcast, it would go a
long way toward bringing more viewers to Fridays [ESPN’s Friday Night NBA
coverage].” The memo continued by spouting
demographics, and tossing in lines like, “This guy’s, what, fifty-one? Hey
Bill, the summer of Love ended thirty-three years ago. Time to move on,
pal.” The final straw seemed to be during
the recent Bulls-Wizards matchup that featured Michael Jordan’s last
appearance in Chicago. Toward the end of the game, Walton managed to shoehorn
approximately 168 Grateful Dead mentions into a seemingly endless monologue.
Go to the site and read this entire newsreport at The Sports Rag’s site: http://www.thesportsrag.com/008_Bill_Walton.html.
BAND SPOTLIGHT Kynda Central Florida has been gaining
attention as a hotbed of jamband activity. No band better exemplifies
improvisational exploration than Kynda. Originally known by the moniker
4:20, Kynda changed its name in 2002 as their popularity took hold.
Significant changes in lineup brought the solid quartet together, and the
organic element of cohesion seems to have taken root. Kynda is deeply influenced by a
variety of jamband traditions, most notably Phish and the Grateful Dead. But
they shouldn't be pigeonholed by using comparisons. This band has its own
sound and its own notable material. Play Through, Kynda's
first official live CD, is a good representation of their performance ability,
but since its release, there has been a remarkable growth in the band's
evolution. The band is moving through its paces with rapid fluidity, proof of
solid commitment and hard work. Guitarist Tony Hume is the band’s
spokesman, taking the role of talking to the audience with confident humor.
His playing has been compared to Frank Zappa, but he takes his sound from
whimsical realms to serious places, and weaves new places everywhere in
between. A serious songwriter, he has brought some of the band’s best
material to the table. Bassist Dan Goore feels the groove
and adds more than an underlying bottom to the band’s sound; he gives it
soul. Drummer Jason Herold supplies a
dependable rhythm so the music can cut through ordinary tempos and reach new
places. His smile is infectious, and he glows with affection for what he’s
doing. Kynda's organist,
Pete Orenstein, said sincerely, "Every show has to be better than the
last, doesn't it?" This is definitely a theory the band seems to take
seriously. And no one moreso than Orenstein, whose songs are particularly
catchy and wonderful. His B-3 is the breath of the band, and the shy gaze
peeking out from under his fedora hat cannot hide the strength of his
performance or his depthful vocal style.
*May 23: Kynda will be making a special trip to New Hope, PA to appear at
the legendary John & Peter's, Main Street, New Hope, PA with the Toni
Brown Band CONCERTS AND OTHER NEWS REX FOUNDATION
BENEFIT CONCERT The Grateful Dead’s charity arm,
Rex Foundation, celebrated 20 years of community service and grant making this
past March 6. Grateful Dead tribute band, Dark Star Orchestra, was joined by
Donna Jean Godchaux Mackay for this special event. DONNA JEAN RETURNS Former singer with the Grateful Dead circa 1973-1978-ish, Donna Jean has a new album out and has reunited the Heart Of Gold Band. For more info on the band and CD, go to www.heartofgoldband.com. DARK
STAR ORCHESTRA ROLLED INTO TOWN…. Dark Star Orchestra brought
Deadheads together during their winter tour, and none were happier than the
Orlando, Florida locals. The House of Blues set the stage, and the room was
filled with transplanted Dead Heads, touring DSO Heads, jamband fans and older
folks who just missed the era. For those unfamiliar with DSO, they select a
show from the Grateful Dead’s extensive repertoire, and deliver it almost
verbatim. The set on this February night was from 2/22/73, and featured some
wonderful moments in a solid setlist. Greatest Story Ever Told, TLEO, El Paso,
Bird Song, Mexicali Blues, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, Box of Rain,
Playing In The Band and set two’s U.S. blues, Me & My Uncle, Dark Star,
Eyes of the World, China Doll, Around & Around, GDTRFB, One More Saturday
Night and an encore of Casey Jones. They came back out and added China
Cat>Rider to close the night. Ahhhhhhhh……………….. TOMORROW’S SECRETS August 14-15: TOMORROW’S SECRETS
Presents the Seventh Annual Spiritual & Holistic Health Summer Festival,
Praalsville Mill, Rte. 29, Stockton, New Jersey http://www.tomorowssecrets.com/ SIMPLE
LIVING INSTITUTE This Orlando, Florida-based organization recently held a benefit at
Will’s Pub in Orlando. Featuring many local musicians and guest speakers,
these kind folks are doing their part to keep things green. Simple Living
Institute is dedicated to demonstrating, teaching and researching organic
farming methods, wellness and sustainable living. http://www.simplelivinginstitute.org/ DEADHEAD GATHERING IN ORLANDO-HARD
ROCK VAULT September 9:
The Hard Rock Vault, International Drive, Orlando, Florida, will host a
special Dead Head gathering presented by Toni Brown and Les Kippel. Special
musical performances and an extensive Art Show will make this a memorable
reunion of family and friends. Watch for more details. http://www.tonibrownband.com/ JERRY JAMS, JERRY CARES, A
Charitable Tribute To Jerry Garcia The series of concerts are augmented by CD Tributes to Jerry Garcia in
which time and talent is donated. Their first release features Railroad Earth,
Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors, Robert Randolph & the Family Band,
Swampadelica, the VooDudes, Lo Faber Band, and many others. Their next
project, slated for 2005 release, is planned as a three-CD package featuring a
wide range of performers doing tribute songs to Garcia. For more information, check out www.JerseyJamsFund.org. May 23: Kynda will appearing at
the legendary John & Peter's, Main Street, New Hope, PA with the Toni
Brown Band 9:00PM. http://www.tonibrownband.com/ May 29: Fringe Fest, Orlando,
FL, hosts Jambando featuring Toni Brown, Kynda, funkUs, and more bands to be
announced. http://www.jambando.com/ BOOK REVIEW HOME BEFORE DAYLIGHT My Life On The Road With The
Grateful Dead By Steve Parish with Joe Layden (St. Martin’s Press) This journey into the life of, in
my opinion, the scariest guy in the Grateful Dead’s extended family, is a
personal account told simply and honestly. Steve Parish starts with his early
life lessons in New York, and goes into how he became part of the Dead’s
road crew and Jerry Garcia’s confidant. This refreshing glimpse into the
Dead’s world is only part of the story. Parish sheds light on himself, and
anyone who has ever been in his line of fire will walk away with a better
understanding of him as a person. Many of his tales have not been in
print before, and coming from such an imbedded member of the Grateful Dead
crew, the skeletons are laid bare. Rich with history, I recommend this book to
those close to the Dead family and to anyone who would like a personal glimpse
into the life of the band beyond description!
If you have any news you’d like to
share, write me at JamTilDawn1@aol.com.
If you have projects you’d like considered for review, please send them to:
Toni Brown, P.O. Box 275, New Hope, PA 18938. Toni Brown was the publisher of
Relix Magazine from 1980-2000. She is currently touring, writing and
recording, and has released her third project, Rabbit Hole Soul.
http://www.tonibrownband.com/ *Jam ‘Til Dawn Music is a
trademark of Brown Communications ©2003. Check out the Toni Brown website
at: www.ToniBrownBand.com.
Toni
Brown
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