Gospel Service 8/29/10 Unitarian House New Haven

Friend of Maureen invited us to a service at the Unitarian House that included some gospel singers from Dixwell Avenues Church On The Rock. Forget Ipod mashups of Britney Spears and The Residents, this was a real life mashup. With staunch lefty Unitarian backup band, lead singer Lavern belted out God Did It , Hold On, and a New Hallelujah. It was impossible not to sing.

Barrence Whitfield and The Monkey Hips 8/28/10 Cafe Nine

Veteran Boston R&B wailer Whitfield makes a Friday night showing at the Nine. He has the pipes and the attitude to keep the show going. His trademark WAHH noise acts as percussion. The band had drums, guitar, bass, and crazy sax. These guys were tailor-made to cover Screamin' Jay Hawkins I Put A Spell On You. In fact, Whitfield reminds me of Hawkins. Excellent encore was Elvis Costello's What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love , and Understanding. Whitfield's recording with Tom Russell Hillbilly Voodoo is one of my most played recordings. No, he didn't do The Cuban Sandwich song, but I asked him anyway. Barrence is still wailing..... saw him many times with the Savages at Toad's back in the day.

Joe Morris, Matthew Shipp, Joe Hobbs, Gerald Cleaver 08/21/10 NH Jazz Festival

The four pm slot was taken by these veteran improvisors. Leader Morris on bass, Hobbs on sax, Shipp piano, and Cleaver drums. I saw two extended free jazz improv blasts. Hobbs was particularly impressive on Coltrane sheets of sound. Always a treat to see Shipp, whether with William Parker or anywhere else. His keys work is fluid without sounding abrasive. Growing up in the Morris Cove area, Morris also teaches at the Boston Conservatory.

Little Feat, Lubriphonic, Jimmy Cliff 8/01/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Hard to say goodbye to a great weather camping experience. Sunday at the Vibes started with Little Feat. Spanish Moon, Dixie Chicken>Tennessee Jed>Dixie Chicken, then ended with Don't Bogart That Joint. Second stage had up and coming jammers Lubriphonic. Yellow-clad Jimmy Cliff gave us the reggae fix with I Can See Clearly Now, Pressure Drop, and The Harder They Come.

Max Creek, Galactic, Rhythm Devils featuring Bill Kreutzman, Mickey Hart, and Keller Williams, Primus, Deep Banana Blackout 7/31/10 GOTV Seaside Park

Hippie mainstays Max Creek start off Saturday at the Vibes. They do a memorable cover of Donovan's Sunshine Superman. Next up is Galactic, fronted by a trombone playing rapper which added necessary sauce to this mostly instrumental troupe. Always good to see Galactic's Stanton Moore (drums) and Ben Elliman (sax). Listened to Umphrey's McGee on radio vibes. Rhythm Devils set with Keller was hot. Cold Rain and Snow, Uncle John's Band, Fire on The Mountain, Bo Diddley, and Voodoo Zombies were all good. Unsure of the choice of Primus to end the Saturday mainstage set. After a weekend of kind vibes, Claypool and company definitely have a sinister vibe. With a trippy lightshow and Les' nasally whine, it seemed to pull songs from Sailing the Seas of Cheese recording Sgt Baker, Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, Here Come the Bastards, and a great American Life. Primus also did a nice cover of Pink Floyd's The Wall. Late night again with Vibes house band Deep Banana Blackout. DBB did a P-Funk tribute with Cosmic Slop highlight. Late late night with Turbine playing on the sea wall, all they needed was gas for their generator and agreed to keep groovers away from emergency vehicle lane and they jammed till dawn

Jackie Greene, Steve Kimock's Crazy Engine, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Further, Mix Master Mike 7/30/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Highly anticipated day at the Vibes. Start off with Dylanesque cool of Jackie Greene. Greene who played with Phil Lesh in 2008 is very capable on guitar. Jackie commanded Beatles medley of Tomorrow Never Knows>Taxman>TNK . Rounded out his set with with Scarlet Begonias. Haven't had the pleasure of seeing Steve Kimock as a leader in years. Complete with his minty green guitar and son on drums, Kimock has a way of weaving the great guitar solo. Bernie Worrell on organ helped with a kick-ass version of P-Funk's Red Hot Momma (sorry, no hottie on rollerskates as done by George Clinton at 2009 Vibes). We dined during Sharon Jones set, but able to listen on 89.5's radio vibes. Sharon is like a female James Brown and scorched it. Sacred Pedal Steel virtuoso Robert Randolph has grown up since playing for the church as a kid. After being mismanaged by Sony, Randolph is back in a big way. He scanned the audience for wannabe guitar slingers. After pulling a dud on stage, Randolph located a capable axe-man from Greenwich who had a Vibes moment for the ages. Randolph played the pedal steel standard Ted's Jam then launched into an awesome Papa Was a Rolling Stone>Pokerface>Papa Was a Rolling Stone. Randolph ended his set with a great If I Had My Way. Stayed on the concert field for festival highlight Further featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. Set one featured: Jack Straw, Ramble on Rose, Friend of the Devil, Estimated Prophet, Eyes of the World, and Not Fade Away. Set two: Althea, Wharf Rat, He's Gone, Scarlet Begonias, The Wheel, Help On the Way, Slipknot, Franklin's Tower, and closed with a complete Terrapin Suite..... nice. Couldn't pass up late night second stage set with honorary Beastie Boy Mixmaster Mike. Frenetic turntabling with blinding lights was certainly a sight but could have benefitted from some collaboration.

Turbine, New Riders of the Purple Sage, DSO, Big Sam's Funky Nation 7/29/10 GOTV Seaside Park Bridgeport CT

Setup camp in the Boardie preferred area thanks to Sneaky Jack and Bobby Z, complete with water view. Brooklyn groovesters Turbine jack the second stage with a jazzy set that culminated in a harmonica synth cover of Herbie Hancock's Rockit. Veteran Bay area hippies NRPS blow through a standard set, always good to hear Panama Red live. Dark Star Orchestra has morphed into this generation's Grateful Dead. DSO is able to mimic GD highlights so well it's frightening. Culling shows from the 70s, they play exact set replicas. Tonight's show was from Santa Fe 1971, I think. Still bobbing after two sets, we make it to late night action with Big Sam, former trombonist for The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Big Sam's horn tone was so full it hurt. Barrels through a rousing version of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. Almost peed my pants when Big Sam singled out Big Man with "Steelers Man....Get Low!"