Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Sunday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Sunday Highlights

Twiddle - Positive Legacy Celebration with Everyone Orchestra - Roosevelt Collier’s Super Jam - Keller Williams - Fearless by Electron:  A Pink Floyd Tribute

    Well here it was.  Sunday.  We all made it.  The Final Countdown.  And the manifold and delicious music offerings were still ripe for the picking!  Got a chance to catch a couple of Twiddle’s selections before we headed to an interview.  Great guitar work as expected from this band with plenty of happy energy which they freely shared with the crowd.  Their last number was a mellower, soulful ballad they dedicated to The Werks.  I’d wager there were a lot of new Twiddle fans in the audience after that set.  And who couldn’t love great guitar-band music under the fresh air of the open sea, the sun raining golden light down upon your grinning face?  Wish we could have caught the whole thing…next Jam Cruise, right?  

    After sitting down with Keller Williams for a lovely time of an interview (INTERVIEW HERE) we made our way down to the Pantheon Theater for the always-special time with Matt Butler’s bouncing and bodacious baby, the Everyone Orchestra.  Entering a bit late (gee, thanks, Keller…heh heh) we snagged some balcony seats and began to let the wave of assembled sound wash over us from the stage.  With a lineup of the usual suspects of world-class musicians for this Positive Legacy Celebration, Matt was easily able to pull incredible number after number from the eager fingers and voices of the gathered minstrels.  In song after song, Matt worked his magic with each musician truly forming an orchestral construct out of a group of rockers, jammers, funkers, and grassers.  In truth, I’d love to have his job if/when he retires.  Who wouldn’t?  We came in about halfway into a Ron Holloway-led piece that was, in a word, terrific.  Reed Mathis on bass?  Terrific.  Jans Ingber on vocals?  Terrific.  Pappy Biondo on banjo?  Terrific.  Marco Benevento on keys?  Terrific.  Sensing a theme here?  Let me share a bit of magic from the Pantheon that day with you if I may…a bit of video for your viewing enjoyment, perhaps? 

Sunday Funday aboard the MSC Divina with the always amazing Everyone Orchestra - Jam Cruise 14 - 10 Jan 2016. Matt Butler's baby was in full swing on the Boat with one helluva membership this time around for the Positive Legacy Celebration. Here is an Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass) led number for your happy entertainment.

See what I mean?  See how Matt helps create something so special out of perceptibly disparate parts?  And see how the musicians react to the direction?  Really powerful stuff. Vernon Reid led a nice and funky little jam on guitar after that last number.  It’s always so interesting to see what evolves from the first line laid down by the lead musician each and every time.  You know, how the others in the band run with that line and morph it and take it someplace new, all under Mr. Bulter’s watchful care.  Marco Benevento was up later to start another creation putting down an organ track that really inspired some wonderful collaborative work from his fellow musicians.  About a minute-and-a-half into it the whole band opened up and let loose with a solid, solid jam for many more minutes to come.  A fun time with Everyone Orchestra?  You had best believe it…and then some!  Certainly one of my favorite musical entities out there at the moment to be sure — I love the concept and I love the reality.  Matt Butler, sir, my hat is off to you in thanks for a wonderful time on Jam Cruise 14!!

Matt Butler's Everyone Orchestra

    We scored another awesome interview on board the Boat this year:  Pappy Biondo of Cabinet.  We sat with him in his stateroom and had an extremely interesting time together discussing several differing topics.  Please, take a read, won’t you?  (INTERVIEW HERE)  Just another incredible aspect of being on the Boat.  So thankful for these Sunday interviews.  But we were a tad late for Roosevelt Collier’s Super Jam up on the pool deck — time to fly!  We got there in time to see Dumpstaphunk and Cris Jacobs up in support of the good Dr. Collier.  And it was furious fast funk flying from the stage.  Pretty damn face-melty stuff.  Hard to get that much talent on stage and have it sounds terrible, right?  And this was the furthest thing from terrible.  Roosevelt was tearing it up on slide as usual, almost drawing in some other-worldly ability making rocking out as hard as he does look so damn easy.  Snarky Puppy were some more friends to come and join Collier on the stage, this selection being expectedly more horn-heavy.  Beautiful trumpet soloing in this one.  Roosevelt certainly seemed to be enjoying being backed by a big horn section.  Andy Hall (The Infamous Stringdusters) even came out at one point to throw down some slide duet action with Roosevelt.  All-in-all it was as named:  a Super Jam.  I have nothing but respect for these pinnacle musicians, like Roosevelt Collier, who attract so much other talent and skill to their banner for special sets like this.  Collaboration is such a rewarding part of fests like Jam Cruise where so many of the chosen musical community are gathered together in such numbers.  And the end result is nothing short of divine.  Divinity like Roosevelt Collier’s Super Jam.

Roosevelt Collier and Dumpstaphunk

    Keller.  Williams.  Atrium…GO!  So it was time for Mr. Williams’ “solo” set and we were all pretty jazzed to see what he’d get up to.  “A Day at the Office” on piano was our first tidbit of the set — definitely need to pay attention to the lyrics on this one.  Because they’re pretty funny.  Keller?  Funny?  Never!  Plus it’s always a treat to see this man show off his instrumental versatility.  So much to respect about this musician and his craft.  And how can he sound album perfect at the drop of a hat?  Like with this song?  My hat was off already and we were only one song in!  A little later in the set he gave us all a nice sing-a-long with “That’s Just How She Rolls” and the crowd took up the challenge.  Three floors of balconies packed with smiling faces singing down to the crowded Atrium floor and stage.  Anders Beck and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass joined him on stage for a little “Phish Grass” run…the same one he had threatened in his interview with us but said he was doubtful that it would happen.  Well, happen it did beginning with “My Sweet One”.  Pretty freaking sweet.  And the fun continued into a hell of an acoustic “Birds of a Feather”.  Funky funky.  As you might expect from these three gents.  And so many thanks to Anders for the dobro excellence in this crowd pleaser.  Felt good to singalong to that one.  Nicki Bluhm came out later on to lend her voice to a little Dead with Keller.  And, boy, did she sound amazing on the vocals for “Deal”.  Nice Grateful Grass feeling all over the Atrium that night.  A personal fave, “Doobie in my Pocket”, was a nice solo acoustic offering from Mr. Williams — a cautionary tale that should be take to heart.  Especially by those on the Boat, eh?  Now, I’m not accusing anyone of anything…I just want people to be smart.  Nothing wrong with that, right?  And if you listen to Keller you won’t end up with a doobie in your pocket.  Embarrassing!!  Am I right?  Staying in a similar theme, Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels” was next up with Zach Deputy guesting in.  Another one that got that eager crowd going.  Reed Mathis joined him for “Women Are Smarter” giving us a bit more of that Grateful Grass feeling.  And all of it so very good so far.  Keller:  another one of those pinnacle musicians with the ability to draw so much talent to a set like this.  Mike Dillon was up on xylophone at one point even during “Women”.  Incredible!  All of the Stringdusters minus Andy Hall were his next talented guests for “Thirsty in the Rain”.  Jeremy Garrett’s fiddle was a clarion call emanating up from the floor.  Seriously great sound on this one and that should come as no surprise given the musicians involved.  Lovely banjo solo from Chris Pandolfi, too.  Just lovely.  The Dusters stuck around for some Keller/McCoury’s action with “Broken Convertible”, another favorite song of this reviewer.  And it sounded marvelous.  Harmonies and everything!  It was hard to believe it wasn’t the McCoury’s down there with him it sounded so album perfect.  Bravi to you, boys!  What fun.  Keller closed things down with More Than a Little doing “My Sisters and Brothers (Promised Land)” some great justice for us all.  So much soul and soulful singing and great keys to boot.  Suffice it to say that Keller really brought the house down with his “solo” set from Sunday night.  One of my favorite sets from the Boat to be sure.  Which led me to my absolute favorite set of Jam Cruise 14…

Keller Williams

    …Fearless by Electron:  A Pink Floyd Tribute.  Alas and alack we arrived just a bit late to this wonderful party, but we made up for lost time, believe-you-me.  Entering the fantastic fray on “Fearless” my heart was soaring already.  I feel it only right to admit my very, very deep bias for Pink Floyd and their music, however.  My love for Floyd goes back to early childhood so my standards for when others play them are, naturally, pretty high.  Well, I had no reservations after hearing Electron (with Marco Benevento) just nail this favorite song of mine from Meddle.  If this was any indication of the justice that would be done to Pink Floyd this evening, then I was in for a purely incredible treat.  And I was, my friends.  They took this directly into another favorite (What am I saying?  Floyd is comprised of all favorites to me…) of mine from the Animals album, “Dogs”.  Gritty and intense, just like on the album, this one was freaking amazing as well.  Plenty of “true-to-form” adherence to the original work with just enough Electron-brand attitude to make it their own — a really successful interface with some rather serious music.  And why not a little Pink Floyd sing-a-long while we’re at it?  “Wish You Were Here” had us all belting out the chorus in full voice, happy as clams to be so doing.  “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.”  So true sometimes, no?  I was more than contented to be swimming in this fish bowl of very fine Floyd coverage.  Then it was time for some Wall action as they took “In the Flesh” directly into “Run Like Hell” both of which evoked the feeling of the album and echoes of the stage show.  I mean, just hearing live Pink Floyd done well — what a mitzvah!!  It’s hard for me not to just start completely gushing over this show.  “Mother” proved the intense, introspective exploration of modern relationship that it always has been.  Hits a little close to home in a few areas.  Weighty.  Very weighty.  Afterwards came a tidy little Dark Side of the Moon collection starting with a near album-perfect “Breathe”.  I must’ve sung every word to every song they played.  Unabashedly so.  It was just all so very good.  Ron Holloway joined them with his mighty saxophone so that he could come and spank the solos for “Money” and “Us & Them”.  Holy schneikies was that incredible!!  Mesmerizing in every sense of the word.  Such a musical journey with this band tonight!  “Any Colour You Like” into “Brain Damage” into “Eclipse” came cascading down through the crowd next, at moments so hard to distinguish whether or not it was Floyd or Electron on stage.  More singing from us in the crowd helped herald the end of this phenomenal Dark Side run.  Bravi!  Damn!  Wow…  And then it was back to The Wall to shut the whole thing down with “Another Brick in the Wall” and “Comfortably Numb”.  Holy goodness, boys!!  No notes!!  Not a single critique nor criticism nor anything of the sort.  High praise and heaps of it.  Again, I state my lofty standards when it comes to the music of Pink Floyd.  And Electron most certainly met those standards and exceeded them at points.  Just marvelous…what a gift.  Thanks so much for the fabulously fun fling with Floyd!!

Electron

    And that’s the last of it, really, from my time on Jam Cruise 14.  We did some obligatory late night creeping that night, however, that was mostly for fun and personal enjoyment.  It was a mighty, mighty good time this year, Jam Cruise.  The Boat was rockin’ and we all took turns knockin’ back and forth all over that ship in search of the myriad great times to be had.  From noon until sunup for five straight days, the hundreds upon hundreds of us had partied, communed, laughed, danced, and truly lived in the finest of fashions.  So many new memories…so many stories to share.  Pictures to go through and bags to unpack.  Bleary eyes but radiant smiles.  All the trimmings and trappings of this mad, mad voyage known as Jam Cruise.  A huge thanks to all the musicians; Jam Cruise, Cloud 9 and Positive Legacy staff; MSC Divina personnel; and everyone else who helped make this cruise possible!!  Your efforts are so appreciated.  And a big thanks to all of you for reading my coverage of Jam Cruise 14.  Looks like it’s time for the next big adventure…see you soon, friends!!

Everyone Orchestra

Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Saturday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Saturday Highlights

Pickin’ the 80s Pickin’ Party - The New Mastersounds - Keller Williams with More Than a Little - Lotus

    Another day in port, another day spent recuperating with daiquiris and sunshine on the aft pool deck.  Everyone has to do what they have to do to make Jam Cruise work for them…whether it be our strategy of leisure or heading off the Boat to some inland excursion or just to a nearby beach, there are few wrong ways of doing it and those are pretty obvious.  It is always nice to be able to catch one’s breath for a few hours before the madness begins anew.  And, daiquiris, am I right?  But, as always, we have music to discuss so, let’s to it, shall we?

    What better way to start the musical day than a Pickin’ Party in the Atrium care of Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass?  And it was to be Pickin’ the 80s to boot!!  Totally rad, dude!!  Travis Book and Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters and Cris Jacobs were all out in support of the Greensky lads and it made for quite an ensemble sound.  Nothing beats double dobros.  Nothing.  A little Dire Straits was first up in the form of “Money for Nothing” a favorite cover from the GSBG world.  Helluva start to this string set — this one sounded fantastic from Paul’s vocals and mad mando skills to those double dobros I referenced earlier.  You just have to love when a good song is made all the better through excellent musicianship and the right kind of energy.  The rep was to vary from 80s hit to 80s hit showcasing the various talents on stage.  This was very apparent in the next selection, Prince’s “Nothing Compares to You” (as made famous by Sinead O’Connor) when Cris Jacobs stepped up to the mic and just spanked the lead vocals for this one.  Amy Helm joined the gentlemen on stage to sing back up vocals — just lovely.  So glad she guested in with so many acts on the Boat this year.  The great thing is, we have a nice little video of this one so you can check it out yourself: 

Paul and Anders from Greensky Bluegrass hosted a Pickin' the 80s Party in the Atrium of the MSC Divina on Saturday of the voyage. Joined by Cris Jacobs, Amy Helm, and Travis Book and Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters, the group pulled out a surprise for us with a Jacobs-led version of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares to You".

There’s a reason that video is gaining popularity online.  Just superb.  Tom Petty’s “American Girl” was next on the docket and they rocked this one out pretty summarily.  Had the whole crowd singing along, the choruses especially loud throughout the multiple levels of the Atrium.  After some Peter Gabriel care of Cris Jacobs on the lead, it was time for a personal favorite song of mine:  Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al”.  Yet one more sing-a-long and a supremely fun one to be sure, the ad hoc band on the stage just nailed it with Andy and Anders really showing us all what having two dobros can really do.  An extremely enjoyable set from start to finish there wasn’t a face in the place not cracked into a huge grin once they’d finished.  A great idea for the Pickin’ Party and very well-executed.  So much fun…a big thanks to Anders and Paul and all their friends for hosting such a sweet shindig.

Pickin' the 80s Pickin' Party

    Then it was time to head to the pool deck to catch those mighty English dance stylings of The New Mastersounds.  Although a fan of their music, this was my first time catching The Mastersounds live.  Hot horns, truly electric guitar, bright energy…all of this coming at you from the stage in one danceable number after another.  Their first tune epitomized all of that — so much happy music in your face all at once.  Their second selection was a funkier kind of mellow bouncing tune that featured some spot-on keyboard work thanks to Bob Birch.  Later we were treated to some tantalizing guitar from Eddie Roberts.  A really fun band to see, great music to hear…great if you love dancing your feet off, that is.  And there is something uniquely different, singular to the sound of this band — as if their English roots and background bring something new and different and awesome to the table.  Just funky, funky fusion dance music all around, all set long.  A little on down the set they covered the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces” and it was well-nigh incredible.  They really did this tune some serious justice.  Surely familiar to almost every ear in the crowd it was interesting to watch as recognition dawned on people.  And as it did, appreciation ensued.  But, as usual, why would you take my word for it when you can see for yourself? 

The New Mastersounds tore up the main stage on the pool deck on Sat, 09 Jan 2016 of Jam Cruise 14. They chose this great cover from the Average White Band and nailed it to the floor. Quite the crowd favorite and why not? It was groovetastic and rather excellent!!

A personal fave from all of Jam Cruise for me.  Thanks for that one, boys!  Roosevelt Collier joined in on the fun for a quick song with the Mastersounds — I mean, that man always adds so very much to any music he’s involved with.  And he tore it up out there.  “We’ve got to keep movin’ on, gotta keep travelin’ on!”  Such apropos lyrics as we all attempted to make it through our fourth day of Jam Cruise.  A delightful, delectable set from The New Mastersounds, there can be no doubts.  Another band I’d have to put on my “go and see them immediately” list.  I know will be.

The New Mastersounds and Roosevelt Collier

    Yet another first was on the schedule for me next with Keller Williams and More Than a Little.  I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Keller many times before with several projects, however, I’d not yet seen More Than a Little and, given all the hype from my friends, I was more than a little excited to finally see them do their thing.  And why not kick things off with a little Donna Summer?  Hot damn!  “I Feel Love” has rarely sounded so deliciously funky in my experience.  Beautiful harmonies and vocals thanks to Keller and his right and left-hand ladies, Tonya Lazenby Jackson and Sugah Davis.  So much soulful dedication to making great music.  Keeping that funk rolling down pipeline, “Funk da Funk” was up next which we have for you here: 

Keller Williams brought the funk to the Boat this year with his groovy soulful funk band, More Than A Little. And they brought the place DOWN!!! What a fun, energetic time...and so funky!! This is from their pool deck show on Sat, Jan 9th. Please enjoy!!

Funky enough for you?  Well, they didn’t stop there.  It was really lovely to be exposed to so much of More Than a Little’s original material, too.  So much to say but all really summed up by the vocals of steep funk stature supported by the perfect backing band to create a vortex of seriously fun and groovy music.  “Mary Jane” came after featuring some beautiful duet work between Sugah and Tonya.  And more original More Than a Little for me to savor.  Some super fine guitar work from Keller here, too.  A completely reinvented and re-approached Talking Heads cover was a nice surprise and unexpected.  I’ve never heard “Once in a Lifetime” played quite like that before.  Really cool approach giving new and different life to an old favorite of so many in the audience.  So I guess it’s a funk song now.  And why not?  And why not some funky Dead while we’re at it?  Some “Samson and Delilah” mayhap?  “If I had my way…” I think I’d jam out to More Than a Little all night long.  Out of “Samson” directly into a nasty good number mashed up with the Dead.  Just pure excellence.  Turns out this one is called “Samson’s Wine” and it was a fun one I must say.  Lots of crowd participation, too.  Keeping in that theme we got another Grateful treat in the form of “Eyes of the World” — amazing version for a dancing sing-a-long.  The audience ate it up.  As well they should have.  And then it was time for some classic Keller:  “Freeker by the Speaker” but re-envisioned for the funk.  Crazy harmony work up there on stage.  Just blown away by the vocals of this band.  “I Eat the Funk” was the final number of the night with Keller and More Than a Little and it was pure funk right up to the very end.  Really wonderful keyboards coming from Gerard Johnson.  Excellent sound.  All told, my first time with this band told me this won’t be my last time with this band, that is for sure.  Another one added to my “go see them now” list.  And you should.  Go see them.  Now.  

More Than a Little

    Later on the pool deck stage we had a date with Lotus for some late night shenanigannery.  And, I must honestly admit to you, I kind of took this set for myself.  In summary, Lotus was the perfect sound for that stage in the evening throwing out an extremely fitting vibe and inciting a multitude of smiles along the way.  Here is a video we got for you of them covering Vulfpeck’s“It Gets Funkier” — please enjoy!! 

Lotus closed the pool deck stage down on Sat, Jan 9th - Jam Cruise 14. Here's a little Vulfpeck cover they did called "It Gets Funkier" for your viewing enjoyment. Nice and funky tune -- thanks for all the great jams, fellas!!

    And then, as you know by now, it was time for the real late night creep to begin.  Day Four was almost done, but it was a good one.  A great one.  Hard to believe there was still another day to go?  What a gift.  What a challenge.  And one we were all more than ready to rise to that occasion.  And with delight.

Sunday Funday on its way soon!!

Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Thursday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Thursday Highlights

Cabinet - Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck, & Friends - Snarky Puppy - Lettuce - Con Brio

    Not too much worse for the wear just yet, we arose, caffeinated ourselves, pulled our gear together, and got our slap-happy selves up to the pool deck to start the day with a little Cabinet action.  This Pennsylvania-based string band was a mighty fine addition to this year’s lineup and we were very grateful to have them aboard.  Their unique sound and energy was most certainly appreciated by the audiences they drew, from both bluegrass fan and non-fan alike.  I do know that they killed it, however…twice in fact.  But we’ll just focus on that first Thursday noon set, shall we?  J.P. Biondo took to the mic for their first number, “A Smile”, which had a light and mellow reggae feel to it especially on top of the grooving bass line Dylan Skursky was putting down for us.  Nice way to get things going underneath that warm Caribbean sun.  Next up they gave us a personal favorite of mine:  “The Dove” (or “Dub Dove” in this case) — also with J.P. on lead vocals.  But, why not take a quick listen and enjoy? 

Cabinet rounded out our bluegrass compliment on board the Boat this year for Jam Cruise 14. This is "The Dove" from their noon pool deck set aboard the MSC Divina on Thursday, Jan 7th. Please enjoy...I know I sure did!!

They took this one directly into the funky instrumental “Mysterio” followed by another favorite, “Heavy Rain”.  Love the amazing vocal harmonies in this Pappy Biondo-led one and definitely love them live best.  Also dig on Todd Kopec’s fiddle style — it really comes out in this one and adds this fantastic dimension to the song.  Later down the set came the track that made me a Cabient fan at DelFest a few years back:  “Mr. Spaceman”.  Filled with the electric guitar licks of Mickey Coviello, this rock’n’roll number is filled with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and super fun musical textures and lines all buoyed up by Jami Novak’s excellent drumming.  “Hey, Mr. Spaceman, won’t you please take me along for a ride?”  And what a ride this song takes you on!  Fiddle, guitar, banjo care of Pappy…mando thanks to J.P. and all these things wrapped up in the central jam.  Oh, and did I mention that they had Ron Holloway join them on saxophone for this one, too?  Ron’s incredible sax stylings against Cabinet’s edgy string-band background?  Pretty freakin’ unreal to say the least, everyone.  The Cabinet boys finally brought their energetic set to a close with a superb “Susquehanna Breakdown” every foot in the crowd tapping or dancing right until the last note.  If this was any indication of how Thursday was to go, then we were all of us in for a true treat.  Many thanks to Cabinet for getting things started out just right!

Cabinet and Ron Holloway

    Next up on the Lagunitas Stage on the pool deck was a special surprise, indeed.  We all knew that Anders Beck and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass were hired stringslingers for the duration of the cruise but when we saw five gents on stage vice the two we were expecting, we knew that we were in for something unique and wonderful.  Joining Phoffman and Anders were Travis Book (The Infamous Stringdusters) on bass, Cris Jacobs on guitar, and Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition) on guitar — not a bad supergroup, eh?  Someone in the crowd shouted their name should be ‘The Heartthrobs’ and I think it kind of stuck.  At least Phoff was heard to like it, however I am getting ahead of myself.  They kicked things off with a lively “Frederico” (GSBG rep being the majority of the selections they played) and it was a perfect chance to see how this ad hoc ensemble of acoustic greats gelled together musically.  Not that any of us had any reservations, that is.  To the contrary…all this group did was live completely up to any and all expectations, exceeding many more.  After “Frederico” they played “Fixin’ to Ruin” — we got up nice and close and personal for this one so we could share the magic with you: 

Anders Beck and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass were on the Boat this year as roving artists at large. The guested in with many, many bands and also threw down with a makeshift ensemble comprised of Cris Jacobs, Jay Cobb Anderson, and Travis Book. Here they cover GSBG's "Fixin' to Ruin" on the Lagunitas Stage.

These fellows sounds pretty durn amazing, huh?  And they just kept laying down the heat, song after song.  Then it was time for the soulful and beseeching “Windshield”, a current crowd favorite in the Greensky universe.  It was fascinating to hear another ensemble besides GSBG playing this one…this sort of incredible but bizzaro alternate timeline Greensky backing Paul’s heartfelt solo replete with that oh-so iconic dobro line from Anders.  Really glad that Anders and Paul decided to put together The Heartthrobs.  (See?  It’s sticking.)  “Demons” was next in line for our musical delight featuring some really exquisite guitar stylings from Mr. Cris Jacobs — another place where it was of interest to see the difference between GSBG and The Heartthrobs especially when counterpointed by the familiar mandolin of Phoffman.  And who doesn’t love a little reggae?  And a little Bob Marley to boot?  “Could You Be Loved” was an apropos cover for the tropical and cheery atmosphere all around the stage underneath that bright seascape sun.  Cris and Jay decided to trade guitars on this one, thus furthering the differing sounds of this ensemble.  Paul just nailed the solo here, too.  Not to mention Jay on the back-up vocals…killing it.  Really the whole thing sounded just marvelous.  Thanks for that little gift, fellas!   Later on down the set we got some more GSBG in the form of “Don’t Lie” which sounded pretty damn great.  Again, I have to point out the funny play on the ears that this set threw down for us — Greensky songs played by some of the band with extremely talented friends sitting in.  Surreal and supremely fantastic.  One of my favorite sets on the entirety of Jam Cruise this year to be sure.  Cheers to all five you skilled gentlemen and thanks for sharing!

Travis Book, Anders Beck, Paul Hoffman, Cris Jacobs, & Jay Cobb Anderson

    Later in the day we found ourselves back up on the pool deck at the main stage for some funk love with Snarky Puppy.  This was only my second time seeing them so I was pretty psyched to catch some more of their sound and style.  So it was to be horns and funk and straight jamming out and I was more than ready for it.  This was the perfect way to ramp up an evening scheduled for tons of funk.  Their first song was full of nasty good rock mashed up with funk and it was an optimal way to get us all dancing where we stood on the packed, packed pool deck.  In listening back through my notes, I was struck over and over by the interplay of horns and guitars and how incredible that sounds, all bolstered by some seriously tight drum work.  And then there’s the keyboard skills of distinctive mention.  All told it makes for one incredible ensemble sound with layered textures and lines that weave together one ear-opening tapestry of sound and energy.  Looking forward to familiarizing myself with Snarky all the more in the future and very grateful that they found their way onto the Boat to be a part of this funk-laden voyage.

Snarky Puppy

    Lettuce was another band I was happy to see again as I’ve only seen them a couple of times before.  Keeping the funk going loud and proud and adding a healthy dose of soul to the mix, Boston’s Lettuce always makes for a really great time, no matter your musical tastes.  And who didn’t love the fact that there were so very many horns on Jam Cruise this year?  Horns everywhere you looked.  So much funk and New Orleans groove busting out at the seams.  It was a brassy smorgasbord of sweet sonorous sound.  And Lettuce were certainly no exception providing their own unique spin on the genre.  They most certainly had everyone dancing and moving and kicking it to their funky bad selves bringing out guests like Nigel Hall to get down with them.  And get down they did…like the bosses they are.  Of mention is their penchant for trippy, space-jammy interludes that really grab the ear musically and aesthetically especially in the keyboard lines.  Pretty wild stuff at times — gotta love it.  Sadly, however, we cut our time with Lettuce a little short this evening in order to grab some much needed food.  But that’s not Lettuce’s fault.  Jam Cruise is a marathon of sprints, remember?  As much as you hate to, sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to sustain yourself.  Then again, the best thing about Jam Cruise is that you usually have a second chance to get your dance on with a band you missed or partially missed.  But we’re not done yet!

Lettuce

    Con Brio was the big unexpected break out band on Jam Cruise for me this year.  Based in San Francisco, this group specializes in “dance-heavy funk” and boy, do they ever.  Frontman Ziek McCarter is a tour-de-force with a dynamite voice and some serious showmanship to be reckoned with.  I’d place his sound squarely somewhere between Jamiroquai, D’Angelo, Michael Jackson, and Pharrell…but with a sound all his own.  And the group?  Incredible!!  So much energy and what a great ensemble sound!  Here is a bit of info taken from their website: 

    “In 2013, the longstanding rhythm section of keyboardist Micah Dubreuil, bassist Jonathan Kirchner and drummer Andrew Laubacher joined forces with incomparable guitar slinger Benjamin Andrews and McCarter: a Texas transplant who as a 19-year-old had already begun drawing crowds in his new hometown. Add in the fireworks of the Marcus Stephens on tenor saxophone and Brendan Liu on trumpet and you have the skill and confidence that comes from years of stage time and deeply-established musical partnerships with the thirst and energy of a rising star – a bright light who’s just getting started.”

I couldn’t agree more.  Several people I spoke with stated that Con Brio was their favorite or a stand out band for them for all of Jam Cruise.  I had no idea who they were before setting sail but I will certainly be seeking them out from here on.  I would highly recommend these guys to you, my friend.  If you love dancing to some funky great groove music, that is.  Dirty, dirty good rock’n’roll funk dance music.  You know, if you like that sort of thing.  The band opened things up with a, surprise, funky one called “Paradise” and that is where we were all first introduced to Ziek’s powerful and beautiful voice.  Not only a strong full-voice singer, he is also possessed of a fine falsetto which he uses with great aplomb.  They followed this with “Sundown” and later down the set with a song called “Never”.  My favorite song of their set had to be “Kiss the Sun” featuring some groovy keyboard work from Micah and some pure funk guitar from Benjamin.  All of this providing the foundation for Ziek’s angelic crooning.  Moral of this story?  Go so this band.  Seriously.  Follow them and find them and go see this band.  Trust me, you’ll be rather glad you did.

Con Brio

    We finished out the evening with some more of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, catching the tail end of the set in the Pantheon Theater.  A completely epic “Truckin’” dominated the few songs we saw, all members of the band firing on all cylinders.  There is nothing like watching that band play that music in that way.  That remarkable, one-of-a-kind way.  And a great band to lead us into our late night offerings around the Boat, those small moments of magic and mayhem that can only be found in the wee hours of the morn aboard Jam Cruise.  Another day was closing down but one more was yet on the horizon.  Friday was anon but sleep called in it’s annoyingly insistent way.  What a Thursday.  What a Thursday, indeed!  How couldn’t I look forward to Friday and all that Friday promised?  And what a way to fall asleep…filled with gratitude and the fondest of fresh memories…

Friday inbound soon, my friends!!

Jam Cruise 14 - MSC Divina - Wednesday

Jam Cruise 14

Festival Experience Archive

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Wednesday Highlights

Sail Away - Dumpstaphunk - The Infamous Stringdusters - Joe Russo’s Almost Dead - Soulive

    So, there we were in Miami, lined up, waiting for that special moment.  The moment we get to set foot on “The Boat” once again and sail away into the briny blue on a musical adventure like no other.  Embarkation always takes longer than you’d like, but, believe-you-me, all the seeming hassles are worth the end game:  Jam Cruise.  Once aboard we made our way to our staterooms ready to decorate doors, settle our stuff, grab some costumery, and prepare for this infamous “marathon of sprints” to begin in earnest and soon.  One thing Jam Cruise doesn’t waste a lot of once it gets going is time.  And that can be both a blessing and a curse.  Time management flies right out the porthole and FOMO sets in almost immediately.  But that is all part of the frenetic, chaotic, lovely, wonderful craziness that is Jam Cruise.  Needless to say with such an ambitious schedule every cruise it is well-nigh impossible to see every act, or even a part of every one.  However, always boasting a very eclectic mix of musical genres from the jam universe and with most bands performing twice, one can assemble quite the hearty and hefty musical buffet during the course of the five night run.  And this is precisely what we did…beginning with Dumpstaphunk throwing down at the traditional Sail Away Party on the pool deck of the MSC Divina, our proud mistress of the seas and loving home for the better part of a week.  After the customary toast thanks to our intrepid leader Annabel Stelling it was time for the music to begin!!  So let’s do this, shall we?

Dumpstaphunk - Sail Away Party

    What more perfect a way to begin a cruise based solely on music than with some funky grooves care of New Orleans’ own Dumpstaphunk?  It was straight funk out of the gate with a wailing instrumental piece from the boys in this awesome band.  Soulful and just down right nasty, horns a-blazin’ away and with massive amounts of energy to kick things off.  The hot and humorous “Gassman Chronicles” was their next offering, played at a fast clip after a dirty good opening on keys from Ivan Neville.  “Do you smell that?” was his questioning intro to the song.  Well…“they [do] call him ‘funk-alot’” after all.  And there was so much funk in this one — better than album greatness going on.  And then how about a tasty cover from the boys and some featured guests?  How about The Band’s “Don’t Do It” with Amy Helm and Cris Jacobs?  How about this video of how it all went down for your viewing pleasure? 

Dumpstaphunk played this year's Sail Away Party on Jam Cruise, grooving us from Miami all the way out to sea. They invited friends Cris Jacobs and Amy Helm out to join them for The Band's "Don't Do It" -- and it simply funked all of us up in a fine fashion!!

Not bad at all, am I right?  Some seriously amazing music going on already.  And we were just getting started.  Having the Steeltown Horns sitting in all set was pretty amazing in its own right as well.  Funk plus horns is always a great idea in my opinion.  “Dancin’ to the Truth”, a favorite of mine, was also a big crowd favorite amongst the gathered throng of happy Jam Cruisers.  Nothing like singing along to some of your favorite funky jams.  But then, as if we’d barely had time to get our groove on, it was time for some bluegrass pickin’ with The Infamous Stringdusters down in the Pantheon Theater.  Thus began our first “music rush” of the week…the belief that if we hurry fast enough we can always catch the last note of music with one band and the first of another in a different venue.  Well, all I can say is:  the struggle is real.  

Dumpstaphunk

    Changing gears completely it was time to trade up keys and horns for strings with the Stringdusters.  It also makes for an interesting transition moving indoors for the secondary stage.  Kinda gives you the feelings of an outdoor and an indoor festival all-in-one and on a boat to boot.  Variety is the spice of life after all, right my friends?  And nothing like an opening cover of the Dead from the Dusters — “Big River” was a big hit and started things off in a big way.  Not only was there some great harmony in the vocals but we got quite a nice banjo solo from Chris Pandolfi and a mighty fine one on dobro from Andy Hall as well.  Helluva good way to kick things off.  The Dusters lads took things right into a tasty instrumental next with “Cluck Old Hen” giving the growing crowd exactly the fast pickin’ they wanted.  But why take my word for it when you can see for yourself, right?  

The Infamous Stringdusters broke in the Pantheon Theater Stage for the rest of Jam Cruise 14 on Wednesday night, Jan 6th. Here is the instrumental "Cluck Old Hen", their second song of the evening, for your listening pleasure.

Just fantastic.  Every time I see this band play they are just that much edgier, that much more intense and focused and it always reflects in their sound and their playing.  This Jam Cruise set was no exception.  Later on down the set Travis Book stepped up to the mic for a gritty “Get It While You Can” crooning his soulful advice out to the audience.  Mr. Jeremy Garrett threw down an exquisite fiddle solo for us during this one.  Much appreciated for that, good sir!  Friends and guests Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass joined in for a sizzling “Small Axe”.  Paul took lead vocals on this one and the sound of double dobros was one to be relished and savored.  Holy goodness how much amazing music on one stage!!  And that is the very magic of Jam Cruise…all the guesting in and collaborations.  Andy Hall and Anders just killed it together.  Damn, was that good!!  The biggest climactic moment of the set came later on during the “Sugarfoot Jam” — my stars, my friends.  You’ve rarely heard such an electric buildup of bluegrass energy and explosiveness.  And it melted scores of faces in that theater.  Such incredible musicianship.  So fast.  So much.  Wowsers.  Next up, Nicki Bluhm joined the Dusters on stage for some more Grateful Dead love.  This time “Not Fade Away” was on the docket.  Really lovely version of this song.  Nicki’s voice alongside the strings of the ISD made for a really moving rendition.  And one which the crowd certainly enjoyed, singing and clapping along.  Later still down this fabulous set the boys took “Heady Festy” directly into “Jack-a-Roe” with Travis on vocals.  I’m sensing a theme to this set maybe?  Great guitar work from Andy Falco on this one for us.  Always love watching that man work…he makes fast pickin’ look so easy.  Finally, they brought this steam engine of a set to a close with “LLD” taken directly into “Gettin’ Down the Road (Hillbillies)”.  My goodness…I believe I was gettin’ the vapors.  What a set!  So freakin’ happy the Stringdusters were on the Boat this year!  It is so important to have the bluegrass vibe on board and these fine gentlemen most certainly helped to fulfill that need.  Thanks for an incredible first set and such fun, my good men!!  Bravi!

The Stringdusters with Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck

    Then it was back up the elevators to Deck 14 and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on the pool deck stage.  So excited to have these fellows on Jam Cruise this year.  By far, my current favorite in the Dead arena in terms of amazing energy and incredible musicianship.  The extreme amount of special they bring to their approach to the beloved music of The Grateful Dead is really something wonderful to behold.  Provided you love superb music, that is.  Opening up with a long instrumental intro to “Not Fade Away” filled with lots of jamming drums from Joe himself as well as some sweet, sweet shredding on guitar from Scott Metzger and American Babies' Tom Hamilton.  “Not Fade Away” is always a good opener and this was our second offering of the cruise already.  Honestly, it was really interesting to hear the two versions so closely back-to-back, one being strings and soulful diva singing and the other being a jumped-up interpretation of an old favorite.  Made me all the more interested in the remainder of the set.  They followed this lengthy monster of a “Not Fade Away” with a bright and lovely “Rubin and Cherise” with Tom on lead vocals.  A great little dance number to which the audience responded with grooving feet and smiling faces.  Not to mention the ridiculous and huge jam in the middle replete with tons of fantastic keyboards care of Mr. Marco Benevento and lots of sizzling drive to it.  A highlight of the evening’s music thus far to be sure.  “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” was another crowd pleaser in a host of crowd pleasers.  A slamming version of this song, it brought the audience to even further life out under those beautiful stars.  The boat rocking back and forth underneath as if to the music itself.  But why not get a little taste of it yourself? 

What a gift to have JRAD on Jam Cruise this year. Such incredible energy brought to your favorite Dead songs...and this one is no exception. Captured on the pool deck of the MSC Divina. What a rush!!

Not feeling bad after that one, are you?  Nope!  That’s what I thought!  And a little later down the set we kept the party rolling with one incredible “Tennessee Jed”.  It’s almost impossible to write anything but stellar reviews for these adept individuals and their special musical relationship with the music of the Dead.  And they just kept rocking us and rocking us and rocking us all the more!  Like with the myriad solo-laden “Shakedown Street” the band offered up to us, which melted several faces in my immediate vicinity.  Including my own.  Every member of the band took this opportunity to show their stupendous stuff, showcasing their immense talent and skill on their respective instruments.  And Joe always there in the background, the miraculous eight-armed man, keeping those beats of insanity and perfect tempo.  And always seeming so casual about the whole affair.  Astounding.  The band invited the extremely talented Nicole Atkins up to sing back up on “Franklin’s Tower” and she completely nailed it to the wall.  What a great combination, this band and this lady!  Bravi on all fronts to all involved…what a version of this song!  Not to mention the phenomenal instrumental work as well.  Then all this fell right into a huge “Viola Lee Blues” encore complete with a “Chalk Dust Torture” tease at the very beginning.  Amazing.  And they sounded just supremely good right up to the last note.  What a terrific set!  No notes at all, my friends…and thank you so much for the wonderful tunes!!

JRAD

    After floating around the ship for a little while and grabbing some much needed pizza and french fries (two of the major food groups on Jam Cruise) we got back up to the pool deck in time to catch a little of Soulive’s late night set.  The energy was that of funk and groove and guitars and keys and bouncing electricity.  An apropos situation for continued dancing and moving to the music to say the very least.  We walked in on a high-stepping instrumental piece that immediately had us grooving to the beat.  Just excellent.  They slowed things down for a truly soulful “late night” number next, bringing things to a mellower area.  Take a nice, long listen for yourself…you’ll be glad you did: 

Soulive took the late night spot on the pool deck stage last Wed night on Jam Cruise 14. A great way to shut down that stage for the evening. Enjoy!!

The brought the energy back up to the frenzied levels of before with their next tune, horns blasting and keys resonating out into the night air.  Guitar licks left and right funking the whole situation up.  A great way to close out the main stage music for the evening!!  Many thanks to Soulive for their unique brand of awesome.

    Then, as the narrative of most nights on Jam Cruise goes, we began our late night creep all around the Boat, finding music here and there and everywhere.  The Jam Room was thumping late into the night, as to be magically expected.  The Spot hadn’t quite yet developed (more on that later).  Nighttime munchies and elevator conversations.  Wandering and checking out door decorations and the crazy late vibes that permeate the ship from stem to stern.  All-in-all a marvelous first night of Jam Cruise 14 - and just barely scratching the surface, too!  That is the crazy part of it all!!

Thursday inbound soon, friends!!