BIG D's extensive HONORABLE MENTIONS for 2008

Too many items of note to make my TOP 10 of 2008 list, so here’s all my HONORABLE MENTIONS for the year:

MOST INTERESTING FOREIGN RE-RELEASE STATESIDE:

> POOR BILLY – Moonlight Stranger

MOST WELCOME JAZZ RELEASE:

> STANTON MOORE TRIO – Emphasis! On Parenthesis

MOST AMAZING GUITAR LICKS THIS SIDE OF SRV:

> WALTER TROUT – The Outsider

MOST BIZARRE EXPERIMENT I’M STILL NOT SURE I LIKE:

> PUNCH BROTHERS – Punch

BEST INDICATOR THAT REGGAE IS NOT A DEAD GENRE:

> JOHN BROWN’S BODY – Amplify

BEST ISSUE OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, STUDIO:

> GOOSE CREEK SYMPHONY – The Same Thing Again

BEST ISSUE OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, LIVE:

> PHISH – At the Roxy (Atlanta, 2/19-21/1993)

BEST “UNOFFICIAL” LIVE RECORDING

> INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – 4/15/08 Fox Theater, Boulder, CO

BEST LIVE SHOW “EVERYBODY” SAW:

> WIDESPREAD PANIC – 6/28/08 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO

BEST LIVE SHOW “NOBODY” SAW:

> GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS – 11/10/08 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM

BEST ALBUMS FROM PERFORMERS I’D NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE:

> ZACH DEPUTY – Out of the Water
> FREEKBASS – Grooveyard, Junkyard Waltz
> ACORN PROJECT – We’ll Be Fine
> RAINMAKER – Long Slow Fade
> THE MACPODZ - Orcastrate
> POOR BILLY – Moonlight Stranger

(TIP - Check out homegrownmusic.net if you can’t find these tasty nugs.)

WORST RELEASE OF MATERIAL TO RADIO:

> MIKE GORDON – The Green Sparrow

(I’ve never been so excited and insulted at the same time. This otherwise fantastic release was received in a plain wrapper with no liner notes and a bold declaration that, if copied, the powers-that-be would find out and make my program director’s life a living hell, due to amazing digital watermarking technology. Screw you guys. We played the hell out of this disc and our reward was a disc which will no longer even cue up in most players. Not as bad as Sony’s infamous “rootkit,” but close.)

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BIG D's favorite singles of 2008

Not necessarily TnJ related, but these 2008 numbers hooked me from the get-go:

1) INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS - Loving You
2) HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD - Hell or High Water
3) FLOBOTS - Handlebars
4) RACONTEURS - Top Yourself
5) MY MORNING JACKET - Evil Urges
6) GNARLS BARKLEY - Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)
7) YOAV - Club Thing
8) DUFFY - Rockferry
9) LIPBONE REDDING - Never Forsake You
10) STEPHEN MALKMUS & the JICKS - Real Emotional Trash

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Worst song of 2008, possibly of all time, is "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by SOULJA BOY TELL'EM. This is what happens when you let YouTube designate hit records.

Favorite video of 2008 - "Run" by GNARLS BARKLEY. Super-psychedelic (at least in its unedited form), and I still have a hard time believing Justin Timberlake is actually cool (go "Southland Tales" and "Give it on up for Homelessville!"). Too bad "The Odd Couple" isn't as great an album as 2006's "St. Elsewhere."

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BIG D’s FAVORITES from 2007 he never heard until 2008

Amazing how not doing a radio show leads to ignoring all kinds of music. Playin' a little catch-up before we lay our BEST OF 2008 lists on ya...

01) WILCO – Sky Blue Sky
(Yet another American classic from possibly the most underrated band on the planet. “Impossible Germany” is my favorite song of 2007.)

02) UMPHREY’S McGEE – Live at the Murat
(Can’t get enough of these guys live, and since they can’t be bothered to come to a venue near me, I’ll put this on, close my eyes and pretend.)

03) JOHN BUTLER TRIO – Grand National
(“Gov Did Nothin’” is my 4th favorite song of the year. Each JBT album is better than the last. I only hope he can resist the temptation to degenerate into throwaway popiness à la Ben Harper. Oooh, diss!)

04) THE BRIDGE – The Bridge
(Best band I never heard of before – amazing songwriting – faves include “Bad Locomotive,” “Country Mile,” “14 Days”)

05) MAMA’S COOKIN’ – Mama’s Cookin’
(Second-best band I never heard of before – some of my favorite songs of the year are here: “Aquarius Skies,” “Black Reign,” “Tough Times”)

06) MOSES GUEST – Best Laid Plans
(Best band no one else seems to have heard of - yet. JAMericana from TX. Personal faves: “Colorado,” “Shine,” “Wheel”)

07) JJ GREY & MOFRO – Country Ghetto
(Another great American band in the making. Southern-fried soul music. “War” is my 2nd favorite song of the year.)

08) HOT BUTTERED RUM – Live in the Northeast
(Ear-pleasing newgrass with some nice jams. Great “Cumberland Blues,” but check out the originals “Busted in Utah,” “Desert Rat,” and “Spider.” Super-nice guys, too.)

09) RYAN MONTBLEAU BAND – Patience on Friday
(Definitely hope to hear more form these guys. Easy, catchy, R&B. Nice songwriting, interesting arrangements.)

10) SLIGHTLY STOOPID – Chronchitis
(I can’t believe everybody everywhere isn’t cranking this one up to eleven.)

HONORABLE MENTION:

3rd favorite song of 2007: “Ah Mary” from GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS. From an album called “This Is Somewhere.” Sure hope I get to hear it someday.

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TnJ 046 (11/26/08)

With special guest programmers Matt & Andrew Fricek!

BOOT-y-licious (^_^)

They opened with a birthday tribute to Hendrix, and just kept WOWing everybody, all night.

"ROAST-n-HAM"

-HOUR ONE-

BAND of GYPSYS – Foxey Lady (01/01/70 Fillmore East)
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – Killing Floor (01/29/68 the Black Pearl, Paris)
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (1998 BBC Sessions, c. 1967)
COUNTRY GENTLEMEN – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (7/1/71)
WHITE BROTHERS – Alabama Jubilee (Live in Sweden ‘73)
ALMOST ACOUSTIC BAND – One Lift > I Am > One Lift
(2/14/04 Jensen Beach, FL)
BECK BOGERT & APPICE – Superstition (live c. 1973)
CHUCHO VALDÉZ, PAQUITO D’RIVERA, ARTURO SANDOVAL – Irakere (live c. 1979)
PUCHO & HIS LATIN SOUL BROTHERS – Got Myself a Good Man
(unknown source, though allmusic.com lists one on 1970’s Jungle Fire!)

-HOUR TWO-

FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS – Devil in Disguise (11/7/70 Fillmore East)
FLEETWOOD MAC – Oh Well (1970 Boston Tea Party)
BLIND FAITH – Under My Thumb (6/7/69 Live @ Hyde Park)
STEPHEN STILLS – Treetop Flyer (Live in New Orleans – thought one of the boys mentioned it was "from late 70s")
DOC & MERLE WATSON – Doc’s Guitar (1971 Doc Watson on Stage [featuring Merle Watson])
WHITE BROTHERS – Soldier’s Joy (Live in Sweden ’73)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Black Rock (6/12/08 Asheville, NC)
KENTUCKY COLONELS – All the Good Times (Are Past and Gone)
(Possibly from 2003 Live in Stereo, c. 1965)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Viola Lee Blues (6/18/67 Monterey Fairgrounds)

Hokey smoke, Bullwinkle, that was awesome!!! Thanks you guys (^_^)

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CAT-SHAPED RACCOON

Don't ask. Inside joke from the Tea Leaf Green show.

Anyway, be sure to have the tape machines rolling this Wednesday, as Toast-n-Jam proudly turns over the reigns to Matt & Andrew Fricek, or (as we will now refer to them) the Amazing Bootleg Bros.! These guys are serious explorers on the live trading scene and are bound to scare up some unbelievable goodness for us all (^_^)

Wednesday, 11/26/08, 8-10 p.m., KBAC-FM 98.1 Radio Free Santa Fe

If we're lucky, maybe we'll get the whole podcasting thing figured out on the KBAC end and you can download the show if you miss it. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!!

TnJ 045 (11/19/08)

Special Thanks to David Waldrop for stopping in to talk up the New Orleans Fall Funk Throwdown, and for spinning some fine tunage!

-HOUR ONE-

GUMBO PROJECT – Old Man & the River (mudfootmusic.com)
INTERVIEW> David Waldrop part one
GUMBO PROJECT – Mars (live on the SF Plaza) (mudfootmusic.com)
THE WILD MAGNOLIAS – Meet the Boys (On the Battle Front)
(2007 They Call Us Wild)
INTERVIEW> David Waldrop part two
VINYL – Imperial Dub (1999 Three Sets, recorded 3/98)
THE MACPODZ – Panama Jackelope (2008 Orcastrate)
JEFF COFFIN MU’TET – L’Esperance (2008 Mutopia)
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – Fire (1987 Live at Winterland, c. 1968)
JOHNNY JENKINS – I Walk On Gilded Splinters (1970 Ton-Ton Macoute!)

-HOUR TWO-

GOV’T MULE – Mr. High & Mighty (2006 High & Mighty)
GALACTIC w/LYRICS BORN – What You Need (2007 From the Corner to the Block)
CALEXICO – Man Made Lake (2008 Carried to Dust)
PETER BRUNTNELL – K2 (2005 Ghost in a Spitfire)
MY MORNING JACKET – I’m Amazed (2008 Evil Urges)
RAINMAKER – Waiting and Wondering (2008 Long Slow Fade)
UMPHREY’S McGEE – 40’s Theme > The Triple Wide (2007 Live at the Murat)

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MITCH MITCHELL R.I.P.

Sad news again last week, as the last surviving member of the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience, drummer Mitch Mitchell, died of "natural causes" at age 62 last Wednesday, November 12.

Read more about Mitch's last days here:

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/15792/Hendrix-Drummer-M.-Mitchell-Dies

Bon voyage, Mitch. Hope you enjoyed the trip!

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TEDESCHI TIX SAT 11/15

Just announced:

SUSAN TEDESCHI w/JAMES HUNTER at the Lensic in Santa Fe. Show's in February, but tix go on sale Sat 11/15/08

Sign up for the FanMan mailing list at fanmanproductions.com

TnJ 044 (11/12/08)

-HOUR ONE-

LEGION of MARY – Boogie on Reggae Woman (4/12/75 Scranton, PA, late show)
XAVIER RUDD – Secrets (2008 Dark Shades of Blue)
RUSTED ROOT – Food and Creative Love (2004 Live)
MAMA’s COOKIN’ – Run Up Quick (2007 Mama’s Cookin’)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Can’t Take It With You (7/19/79 Columbia, MD)
MOSES GUEST – Wheel (2007 Best Laid Plans)

-HOUR TWO-

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE – Cowgirl in the Sand
(1970/2006 Live at the Fillmore East)
FREEKBASS – Junkyard Waltz (2008 Junkyard Waltz)
RETURN to FOREVER – Captain Señor Mouse (1973 Hymn of the Galaxy)
LETTUCE – Squadlive (2002 Outta Here)
PORTER BATISTE STOLTZ w/PAGE McCONNELL – Message from PBS
(2008 Moodoo)
PHISH – Maze (7/6/98 Lucerna Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic) *** NOTE: the CD player in the studio konked out halfway through the song – BUMMER!
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Fairies Wear Boots (6/28/08 Red Rocks Amphitheater)

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AMAZING GRACE

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS
11/10/08 Santa Fe Brewing Company
Concert Review by Chris Diestler

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OMG!

I had heard they would be great, but OMFG!

Apologies to those who didn’t hear the word in advance – it was a last-minute addition to the FanMan calendar – but GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS blew the roof off the Santa Fe Brewing Company last Monday.

Crikey! If this show isn’t talked about ten years from now as one of the best Santa Fe’s ever seen, I’ll eat my hat.

With the crowd a scant-yet-robust 150 strong at its wintery peak, the setting was, to say the least, “intimate.” Instruments and stagehands spilled out onto the floor, because the stage just wasn’t big enough to contain all the gear, and this band (who’s accustomed to playing festivals in front of 25K) wasn’t phased at all as they ripped into an incredible set.

The stuffed mascot attached to Grace’s front mike was “Animal,” the crazed drummer from Jim Henson’s beloved “Muppet Show.” Watching her work the crowd, I could see her affinity with this character. Grace was all over the place, switching from acoustic guitar, to a Flying V, to her trademark Hammond B3 organ, and always belting out the strongest, sweetest voice this side of Bonnie Raitt.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHICK ROCK SO HARD!

Opener was “Joey,” perhaps not surprisingly, but a good opener, followed by the big radio hits “Ain’t No Time” and “Treat Me Right.” All well and good. By the time they busted out “Ah Mary” five songs in, we were collectively eating out of the palms of their hands. Their tunes aren’t exactly jammy, but they do jam, and they certainly rock when called upon, but they also have a bluesy-country flavor. If I had to describe this band to someone who’d never heard them, I’d say “Allman Brothers with a female vocalist, but with twice as much energy and can’t-hold-back dance grooves.” Granted, ABB in their heyday were a formidable beast, but this girl’s got it going on NOW.

It seemed as though the Santa Fe crowd might just have been on the cusp of recognizing more than a few of their tunes, and the Nocturnals are SOLID backup -- however grungy they might’ve looked on the outside, these boys know how to play. Surprise covers included the Stones’ “No Expectations” (ethereal and sublime) and Petty’s “Running Down a Dream” (exuberant, playful, and over too soon). I thought I detected a little Talking Heads’ “I Zimbra” in the middle of the encore – “Nothing but the Water” – but I can’t be sure. It sure was a tasty groove to end the night on, though.

Thanks to Jamie Lenfesty for snagging this outfit at the last minute when he had the chance. I predict, by the time they swing back around to Santa Fe, it will be difficult to get this close to them, but they’ll probably sound just as good. And I bet they’ll come back, because as great as it was for us to see them in this intimate a setting, it looked as though they were really enjoying themselves too.

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TnJ 043 (11/5/08)

-HOUR ONE-

WIDESPREAD PANIC w/COL.BRUCE HAMPTON, LUTHER DICKINSON, and ROBERT RANDOLPH – Fixin’ to Die (6/12/05 Bonnaroo Music Festival)
THE BRIDGE – Heavy Water (2008 Blind Man’s Hill)
TONY FURTADO – Cypress Grove Blues (2005 Bare Bones)
DEREK TRUCKS BAND – Crow Jane (2006 Songlines)
moe. – Queen of Everything (2008 Sticks and Stones)
JIMMY HERRING – One Strut (2008 Lifeboat)
JAMIE McLEAN – Cherry Tree (2008 American Heartache)
BLUES TRAVELER – You, Me and Everything (2008 North Hollywood Shootout)

-HOUR TWO-

RYAN ADAMS – What Sin > Beautiful Sorta (6/10/05 North Charleston, SC)
GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS – Some Kind of Ride (2006 Nothing But the Water)
JERRY GARCIA & MERL SAUNDERS – Keepers (1974/2004 Pure Jerry 04)
JERRY GARCIA & MERL SAUNDERS – Wondering Why (1974/2004 Pure Jerry 04)

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GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS at SF Brewing 10/10

Last-minute addition to the calendar y'all ~

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at SF Brewing Company, this Mon. Nov. 10th! Bound to be good (^_^)

Vic Chesnutt / Elf Power at SF Brewing Nov. 5

Hey y'all ~

If you want to know more about the upcoming Vic Chesnutt / Elf Power show, there's a nice write-up here:

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/15584/Vic-Chesnutt.Elf-Power-Tour

Jambase.com is always a great place to look for upcoming live shows, by the way. Toast-n-Jam use it all the time. Get out there and groove!

~ TOAST (^_^)

Merl Saunders, keyboardist, dies at 74

Toast-n-Jammers: We are sad to report that keyboardist Merl Saunders died last week at age 74. Known to any Jerry Garcia fan as “that funky-ass keyboardist from Legion of Mary,” Saunders typically worked a Hammond B3 organ (oft-favored by R&B/Blues players) and can be heard on many fine recordings with and without Uncle Jer.

Merl seemed to like resurrecting dusty old soul numbers in the same way Jerry seemed to like reviving old bluegrass tunes. Carrying on their legacy by playing them, yes, but giving them a new spin as well. And we were usually happy to spin along with 'em.

My first exposure to Merl’s slinky organ grinding was a 5/21/75 bootleg from the Keystone in Berkeley. Still love that “I Feel like Dynamite.” Other faves over the years include Merl’s versions of the Sun Records classic “Mystery Train,” Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her” and “Creepin’,” Little Milton's "That's What Love Will Make You Do," as well as the Merl originals “Keepers” and ”Wondering Why.”

You KNOW we're gonna have to throw down a Merl tribute on the show this Wednesday – be listening! God bless you, Merl, on your trip back to the source of all things. Thank you for all the tasty grooves.

~ Christoker Diestler

If you plan to be in the bay area, the service is Wednesday as well. Here’s the official link:

http://www.merlsaunders.com/

And for the most up-to-date (though, by it’s nature, possibly specious) information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merl_Saunders

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