Every once in a while something catches our fancy that really doesn’t fit with the rest of what we look for or listen too. Examples might be Bernadette Seacrest‘s jazz or Charlie Louvin‘s country. To borrow from Emerson (or was it the Green Goblin?), consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. In that spirit, we’re going to add Umprey’s McGee to that list of outliers, in the category of “jam band.”
In truth, these guys are strong musicians who have built a loyal following that will make up most of the crowd at the Tabernacle because never put on the same show twice. Such prolificacy allows them to constantly give away music. They publish their set lists and encourage show taping. They publish their own music podcast on a regular basis. They even drop off free samplers at local record stores to promote their tours, like the one we recently picked up at Full Moon Records.
When we first heard Umphrey’s McGee a couple of years ago, somebody else had put it on, and we didn’t know who they were, but the hooks in the jams drew us in. Their live performances outstrip most anything they have done in the studio, so if you’re a fan of the jam band sound and haven’t come across these guys then head downtown on Saturday night. You’ll be pleased.
Here are a couple of tracks from that Spring 2010 sampler:
Listen: Umphrey’s McGee – Made to Measure
Listen: Umphrey’s McGee – The Floor
Listen: Umphrey’s McGee – In The Kitchen
And here they are passing the music along…
by Gunter Grass. All are welcome.
