Marco Benevento: Bene Live April ’11
For the past month, The Marco Benevento Trio has been making waves throughout the Northeast. Yesterday, Marco shared a free download called Bene Live: April ’11, which captures nine tracks from this recent mini-tour. The recordings feature the all-star trio of Marco, Dave Dreiwitz (Ween) and Andrew Barr (The Slip/Surprise Me Mr. Davis) and include a guest appearance from Apollo Sunshine/Yellowbirds guitarist Sam Cohen. The alternate trio (feat. Reed Mathis and Billy Martin) is now in the Big Easy, where they will perform a number of sets at the New Orleans Jazzfest. Head to Marco’s website for the schedule and a full list of dates. Stream two tracks from Bene Live below or click the link to download all 9.
“Coffee Cold” (feat. Sam Cohen)
“Greenpoint“
Here’s the ‘Bene Live’ track listing:
1. fields of green
2. coffee cold *w/ sam cohen of yellowbirds
3. atari
4. golden
5. bus ride
6. twin killers
7. greenpoint
8. mashed #5 *w/ sam cohen of yellowbirds
9. fearless>bene & the jets
Flowing Back to Hartford ’99
Hartford Civic Center
It’s easy to understand why some might overlook Phish’s performance from December 12, 1999 at the Hartford Civic Center. For one, it’s tucked into the end of the lengthy and highlight filled Fall ’99 tour. The setlist doesn’t look like anything special on paper. And it also happens to fall victim to a common curse—taking place one night after what is arguably the show of the tour in Philly. But some of this magic carried over into Hartford the next night, resulting in a colossal version of The Who’s “Drowned.”
Following a month long break, Phish returned to the road visiting many familiar Northeastern haunts before heading south. As the band prepared for the legendary New Year’s set at Big Cypress, songs continued to stretch out with a new spacey sound that only ’99 could bring.
12/10-11 Poster
Most are familiar with the show from 12.11 in Philly featuring the magnificient combination of “Sneakin’ Sally” -> “Ghost” -> “2001″ > “Down with Disease.” But if you turn the clock forward 24 hours, you’ll find the band delivering one of the lengthiest and most exploratory versions of “Drowned” to date.
This version kicks off the second set, appearing for only the second time of the year. What ensues, following the song proper, is a half hour long journey into all corners of Phish’s psychedelic spectrum—ambient, charging rock, space grooves etc. While the recording is not the best (a common case with ’99), I still urge you to give this jam your time. It even boats a segue in a killer version of “Caspian.”
“Drowned” > “Caspian” (12.12.99)
9.16.99
Ambient Alarm Clock: Acoustic Monday
This week, Ambient Alarm Clock returns to the radio show format with a short playlist to get your week started. In this edition, the focus is ‘Acoustic Music.’ I hope you enjoy and have a great week.
1. Doc Watson – Matty Groves
2. Bert Jansch – Black Waterside (written by Anne Briggs)
3. The Barr Brothers – Old Mythologies
4. The Allman Brothers – Little Martha
5. Tony Rice – Freeborn Man
6. Neil Young – Goin’ Back
7. Oysterhead – Birthday Boys
8. Django Reinhardt – Crazy Rhythm
9. Andres Segovia – Rondo
10. Big Bill Broonzy – Somebody’s Got to Go
11. Jerry Garcia (solo) – Gomorrah
Five Magical Nights in ’92
92 Horde (Eichner/Wireimage)
19 years ago today, Phish could be found closing out a legendary run of shows up the California coast. Beginning on April 16 in Santa Cruz and onto the 21st in Eureka, the band continually raised the bar, leaving behind one of the finest multi-night runs in its history. Some shows are more well-known than others, but each and every one contains something worth revisiting.
In today’s post, we’ll look back on memorable highlights from each of these five nights. Also included are torrent downloads for high-quality recordings of each show (courtesy of the good people at SHN Family). For those who unfamiliar with this run, consider it an essential piece of Phish listening.
“Split Open and Melt“ (4.16.92 Anaconda Theater, Isla Vista, CA)
It all begins with the “Split” from the Anaconda Theater on 4.16.92. Immortalized on the bootleg “Follow Me to Gamehenge,” this show has been discussed multiple times in previous posts and is one of the more famous from the run.
“David Bowie” > “Catapult” > “David Bowie”(4.17.92 Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA)
The next night the band made their way to San Francisco for their first visit to the storied Warfield Theater. This first set ending “Bowie” features a strong jam section and also includes the debut of “Catapult.” Thanks to the crisp SBD recording, you can clearly hear each member communicating with the others as the jam develops.
“Harry Hood” (4.18.92 Wilbur Field, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA)
This next selection comes from the free outdoor show on April 18 in Palo Alto, CA—the birthplace of the Dead. The entire show is wild, but this “Harry” that Kevin Shapiro chose to play on Great Went Radio is quite special. The band teases the classic jazz number “Linus and Lucy” before launching into a divine modal excursion.
“Mike’s Song” > “I am Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove“ (4.19.92 The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA)
The lone non-SBD recordings from this run was captured in the form of an FOB taken just 20 ft. from the stage. So while the other recordings offer a chance to hear the band in pristine form, this one offers a chance to hear what it may have been like to attend one of these shows. This dark second set “Mike’s Groove” is highlighted by one of the best versions of “Weekapaug” to date, including a vocal jam over the song’s groove.
“Possum“ (4.21.92 Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, Eureka, CA)
After a night off, the band continued to ride this soaring west coast wave into Eureka. To display the playfulness at the time, I chose this “Possum” which is loaded with secret language signals ( Simpsons, Get Back, Oom Pa Pa, All Fall Down, Aw Fuck!, and Me and My Arrow) as well as strong Dave’s Energy Guide teases. Trey can be heard at his absolute best in this version of the song. According to Phish.com,
“Due to geography and lack of ventilation, this was possibly the smokiest Phish show in history. It is affectionately known as “The Carl Yastrzemski” show.” It goes onto explain “Trey introduced both Weigh and I Am Hydrogen as having been written by (retired Boston Red Socks Baseball Hall-of-famer) Carl Yastrzemski.”
5 Guitarists Who Could Tango with Trey
When it comes to guest sit-ins, Phish fans are often divided into two camps: those who enjoy them and those who deplore them. Both have legitimate arguments to make—some claim that the unique experiences override musical expectations and vise versa. But, part of the problem is that the guest-spots have rarely featured musicians who can keep up with Phish (and few can).
8.14.09 (A. Hill)
Few would argue that the MMW “YEM” sit-in from 10.14.95, or the Neil Young sit-in on “Down by the River” from 10.3.98 are anything but stellar moments. But then turn to B.B. King’s sit in from 2.24.03 or Tony Markellis’ appearance in SPAC last summer and the entire debate changes (not to take anything away from B.B. or Tony). Phish jams demand a specific type of player to keep up, and there isn’t a very long list of artists out there who can fill the gap in a way that would actually take the music to a higher level.
So for today, I’ve compiled a list of five artists who could actually keep up with Phish and take the music higher. And I don’t mean just “shred.” That’s why you won’t find Eddie V. on this list. I was trying to think of players who would actually improvise with the band and be able to take the jams somewhere. To narrow the list, I’ve limited my choices to five guitarist who I feel could get up and tango alongside Trey. I also left out guitarists who have previously shared the stage with Phish. There are plenty more, so leave a comment let us know which guitarist you’d most like to see play with Phish. Here are my picks:
1. Eric Clapton
I think this name has to be on the top of most people’s lists. One of the original “jam” guitarists, there just aren’t many players out there today with a better combination of skill and taste. And at 66, Slowhand hasn’t slowed in the slightest. In recent years, Clapton has continued to hone his skills and just this weekend performed a jazz-heavy set with Wynton Marsalis in New York City. Trey has indicated his love for Clapton in the past (the “FEFY” solo is admittedly lifted from “Let it Grow”) and in a 2000 interview in Japan, said the following in response to a question as to who’d he’d like to play with:
“Eric Clapton! That’s who I want to play with…If you talk with Eric Clapton tell him that he has to play with Phish.”
Clapton is one of few rock players out there with the taste and the ability to jam alongside Trey. Having pioneered much of the extended psychedelic jamming routine, there are few guitarists more suitable than the legendary Slowhand.
2. Bill Frisell
For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Frisell is one of the most original and inventive jazz guitarists ever. Having touched on nearly every style in his long “jazz” career, Frisell has earned a place right alongside the great guitar visionaries our time such as Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin. Through a complex use of pedals, stereo amplification and effects Frisell has become a mastermind and even a pioneer of ambient, melodic music. This particular style of his would lend itself well to the Phish stage, and could propel a jam to great heights. And this isn’t such a stretch, Frisell sat in with String Cheese last year at Horning’s Hideout.
3. Robert Fripp
While he may have a problem with all of the tapers, there is no question Fripp would bring something unique to a Phish jam. Combining his various “Frippertronics” techniques and his signature alternate picking, Fripp could potentially bring something completely new to a jam. Few recognize the extent of the infleunce King Crimson had on the band, especially during the summer ’95 tour. This sit-in would also present the opportunity to come full circle with the combination of “DEG” > “Discipline” > “DEG.”
4. Brad Barr
In a lot of ways, I think this would be the best potential sit-in. But likely one that will never happen. As the guitarist for Boston-based jamband The Slip (and also Surprise Me Mr. Davis and The Barr Brothers), Brad forged a name for himself as one of the best guitarists on the jam and jazz scenes alike. With noticeable Berklee schooling under his belt, Brad’s approach to guitar is entirely unique and constantly evolving. His use of pedals and various guitar techniques is unlike any other and lends itself particularly well to extended psychedelic jams. This would be a match made in heaven.
5. Steve Kimock
To be honest, I rotated probably 10 artists in and out of this 5 spot. As much as I wanted to include some of my favorites, I also wanted to stick to my criteria—guitarists who can take a jam somewhere. I thought about it, and I think one of the most obvious answers is Steve Kimock. There’s no question Kimock is extremely underrated—Jerry Garcia called Kimock, “his favorite unknown guitar player” in the mid-90′s. But to many, Kimock is one of the premiere guitar players around today, especially in the jam scene. Kimock has performed with half of Phish at the Phil and Friends shows in ’99 at the Warfield, and throughout the entire run he and Trey riffed off each other as though they’d been playing together for years.
I’ve always loved Kimock’s playing, and just two weeks ago I had the chance to witness him perform a live improvisation as a tribute to the people of Japan (check out the video here). I was blown away. A week later, I saw him again, this time performing alongside Marc Friedman (The Slip), Marco Benevento and Adam Deitch. Once again, I was blown away. In terms of the criteria, I think Kimock would present one of the most promising sit-ins.
Phish Announces Second Leg Dates!
Phish has announced the second leg of its summer tour. Kicking off at The Gorge, the tour will take the quartet down the coast for a first visit to the Hollywood Bowl, two nights at the highly anticipated Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s along with a headlining spot at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park and three nights at UIC in Chicago. Wow! Harvey's, Lake Tahoe
A limited number of tickets are available NOW through Phish Tickets’ online ticketing system at http://phish.portals.musictoday.com for the recent additions. The ticket request period is currently underway and will end Monday, April 25th at Noon Eastern. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, April 29. For complete ticketing info, please visit http://www.phish.com.
Here is the full list of second leg dates:
8/05 – The Gorge Amphithetare, George, WA
8/06 – The Gorge Amphithetare, George, WA
8/08 – Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA
8/09 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, CA
8/10 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, CA
8/12 – Outside Lands Festival, San Franscico, CA
8/15 – UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
8/16 – UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
8/17 – UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
Ambient Alarm Clock: Afternoon Edition
Welcome back to an afternoon edition of Ambient Alarm Clock. After a week off we return with a great selection of jams to go with this nice weather we’ve been having. With Phish now set to headline the Outside Lands Festival in August, and a dream-like West Coast run, this summer is looking to be one of the best in years . Enjoy these jams to start off this already stellar week!
8.14.00 (A. Hill)
The first selection today comes from the first night at the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford, CT on Phish’s 2000 Summer Tour. This show from June 30, took on a unique feel from the start, with “Ha Ha Ha” opening the first set and liquid segues laced throughout. The highlight we’ll be revisiting from this standout performance is the second set opening combination of “Halley’s” > “Mango Song” > “Twist”—an interesting trio to get things started.
“Halley’s” > “Mango Song” > “Twist” (2000.6.30)
Next, we’ll go back in time to the show from Holmdel, NJ that took place one night prior, on June 29. Again, we’ll be checking out the second set opener, but this time in the form of “Birds of a Feather” -> Catapult.” In “Birds” the band can be heard teasing John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” one of my all-time favorite tunes.
“Birds of a Feather” -> “Catapult.” (2000.6.29)
For the final selection today, we turn to something from the Dead’s live catalog. The very first show from 1973 was held at Roscoe Maples Pavilion at Stanford University on February 9. This show, while not even close to one of the best from this historical year, is special as it boats the debut of several Wake of the Flood tunes that would go on to become staples in later years. The first show of the year sees the band debut “Here Comes Sunshine,” “Row Jimmy,” “They Love Each Other,” and perhaps most notably “Eyes of the World.” One of my favorite songs of all-time, and the first Dead song I ever heard, I felt it would be appropriate to revisit this gem. The song’s first journey clocks in at 18 minutes and is somewhat atypical as it lacks the expected Dm section. The sound setup at this show was also the first incarnation of the Wall of Sound. Lotsa firsts.
“Eyes of the World.” (1973.2.9)
Looking Back: Miles and the Dead at the Fillmore West 1970
Today marks the 41 year anniversary Miles Davis’ run of shows alongside the Dead at the Fillmore West. The series of performances, curated by Bill Graham, began on April 9, 1970 and continued for the next three nights. April 1970 also coincided with the release of ‘Bitches Brew,” an album that would go on to change music for all time to come. These shows offer a glimpse of Miles’ Quintet during this revolutionary period, and also the influence the music would have on the Grateful Dead in the following years.
It’s my pleasure to be able to share with you a pristine SBD recording of The Miles Davis Quintet’s set from April 9, 1970. This set, capturing groundbreaking early versions of songs such as “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down,” “Spanish Key,” and “Bitches Brew,” is a must-hear for any Miles fan. If I’m not mistaken, we likely owe thanks to Bear Owsley for this recording. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
DOWNLOAD: Miles Davis Quintet 1970-04-09 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA
The Dead’s performance from the same night is average. The acoustic set is solid, but there is nothing especially noteworthy about the electric set. You can check out the recording via Archive.org here.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Live Phish Limited Releases Out April 12
As previously announced, Live Phish will put out two more remastered shows on Tuesday April 12. The newest release will feature the shows from October 26 in Manchester, NH and October 30 in Atlantic City, NJ and be made available for download on iTunes, with a limited number of CDs available at record stores and via pre-order at the Phish Dry Goods site. As with the previous releases, the esteemed Fred Kevorkian has remastered these recordings from the original mixes. Below, you will find Kevin Shapiro’s notes on the shows as well as sound clips from both nights.
Phish 10/26/10 Verizon Wireless Arena – Manchester, NH
“Makisupa Policeman” > “Night Nurse” > “Makisupa Policeman“
DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?kjc43u0ucarsocu
On Tuesday October 26, 2010, Phish played their first Granite State show in sixteen years at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The VZW Arena is a multi-purpose arena built in 2001 with a capacity of about 10,000. A drive through the foliage was but one of the peak attractions of this out-of-the-way gig. It was the last show before the Halloween run and the band played a loose, relaxed show chock full of surprises for the New England faithful.
Set one of Mansfield began with Phish’s first “After Midnight” since the epic Big Cypress Millennium events nearly eleven years earlier. “The Sloth” came next followed by “Alumni Blues” > “Letter To Jimmy Page” > “Alumni Blues”, during which Trey added lyrics about his Alma matter Goddard College. An especially Rasta, New Hampshire reggae extravaganza began to take shape with Bob Marley’s “Mellow Mood”. “Access Me” was played for the third time ever, continuing the string of bust-outs and setting the stage for Leo to shine on “Llama”. Next came “All Of These Dreams” – a poignant Trey, Tom Marshall, Scott Herman ballad that was played for just the second time since the band’s 2009 reunion. “The Curtain With” > “Scent Of A Mule” brought the first improvisational heights of the evening, followed by “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing”. Set one came to a close with the ambitious combination of “It’s Ice” > “Walls Of The Cave”. After this parade of rarities, set break was abuzz with speculation about the rest of the show.
A nearly seamless second set began with the high energy of “Possum” > “Light” > “Mike’s Song” > “Simple”. “Light” exploded into some of the show’s most exploratory playing. Energy remained high and consciousness higher as the utterance of “Makisupa Policeman” gave way to Phish’s first and only performance of “Night Nurse” – a tribute to Gregory Isaacs who passed away the previous day. Makisupa picked back up where it left off, creating a bridge to “The Wedge” after which the band paused for the only time during set two. “Ghost” came next and lit up the room before segueing into “The Mango Song”, which reached its own heights fueled by Page’s soaring piano work. Trey started to close Mike’s Groove by transposing the “Weekapaug Groove” rhythm over Mango’s ending. Some cool jamming ensued as Fish switched to sixteenth notes on the high hat and “Weekapaug Groove” developed into a Uticular jam that found lyrics from “Ghost” and “Night Nurse” intertwined with a “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” ending. This crazy Weekapaug boiled over into a return to “Llama” that ended the body of set two. The “Show Of Life” provided a fitting encore to this special gig.
Phish 10/30/10 Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ
“Wolfman’s Brother” > “Undermind“
DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?a16ylu3t5n69irc
On Saturday, October 30, 2010, Phish played the second show of a sold out three-night Halloween celebration at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boardwalk Hall is a historic indoor venue built in 1927 with a prime spot on the Boardwalk with sweeping views of the beach and ocean. Having prepared to unveil their sixth “musical costume” (Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus) the following night, the band used this middle show to tease the audience about a heavily rumored Led Zeppelin cover.
Night two at Boardwalk Hall opened with “Kill Devil Falls” followed by “Cavern”, “Foam” and “Guelah Papyrus”. It was apparent that the band had begun their Halloween transformation as they sounded throughout this show like Little Feat playing Phish music – a sonic treat for all in attendance even though the musical costume was still a well-guarded secret. Set one continued with a blistering “Chalk Dust Torture” that tore naturally into Phish’s first true performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” > “Chalk Dust Torture”. The band had soundchecked “Whole Lotta Love” earlier to fuel the gag (fans leaked the check on the internet) so playing it live confirmed that Zeppelin was just a rumor. Laughing aloud at their prank, the next song was the obvious yet rare “Ha Ha Ha”. The James Gang’s “Walk Away” came next followed by a crushingly funky, Feat-inflected sequence of “Wolfman’s Brother” > “Undermind” > “Bathtub Gin”. This intense three-song combo set up the chance to end Gin with one of many “Whole Lotta Love” teases that dotted the evening. “The Squirming Coil” gave Trey the clever opportunity to sing about seeing Satan on the beach, and Page an invitation to layer Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You” into his gorgeous piano outré.
Set two began with “Tube” > “Possum”, the latter weaving through more “Whole Lotta Love” teases before setting up the centerpiece of the set – a “Tweezer”-based journey through Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits by Phish- turned-Feat. This supercharged, historic “Tweezer” rolled in and out of partial performances of “Heartbreaker”, “Ramble On”, “Thank You” and last but not least “Stairway To Heaven”. Three of the four Zeppelin songs were Phish debuts and, after the Stairway ending, the band proudly took their first pause of the set while the audience went haywire. “Halley’s Comet” > “2001” provided a nice passageway to “David Bowie”, which introduction Trey customized by spiking it with Robert Plant’s live “25, 25, 25” exhortations from “Dazed And Confused”. “Show Of Life” was next, followed by “Backwards Down The Number Line” > Good Times, Bad Times”. The encore was “Sleeping Monkey”, which gave Trey a chance to sing more about the shore before ripping the roof off with “Tweezer Reprise”. The Reprise included more “Whole Lotta Love” and “Dazed And Confused” tricks and treats, putting the final touches on a spectacular Halloween Eve.
