by happycat! >^.^<m~ | Jun 21, 2012 | Reviews, set lists
Editors note: I’ve come across a few reviews and articles that got lost in the shuffle. Better late than never! my apologies to the bands and the writers involved.
Hot Buttered Rum & the Brothers Comatose 
Harlow’s Restaurant & Night Club
Sacramento, CA
January 14, 2012
by Monte Gullo
Ben Morrison-guitar, vocals
Alex Morrison-banjo, vocals
Ryan Avellone-mandolin
Gio Benedetti-bass,vocals
Philip Brezina-fiddle
Well you can tell by the date this was a while ago. No idea why I lagged. Birthday week? I think I published another show then? I don’t know, but I do remember a good time from both bands. It was the first time I ever saw the Brothers Comatose or even heard of them so I had no idea what to expect. Still didn’t stop me from being totally shocked and surprised when they did Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie”. I really liked it and they said they just learned it backstage from a band that played before them. I must confess when she passed away, I went on youtube and checked her out. This was the first song I heard and she did it acoustic for a radio interview. I think it’s a great song and you can hear the BC version here http://youtu.be/-UO2bkpbvDE Maybe happycat will edit out that I dig Amy, so I can still wear tie-dyes around my friends. These guys write some great songs played and sounding like traditional Bluegrass with excellent harmonies. The rest of the set was high energy and pretty fast paced with a good deal of jamming. I didn’t get access to their set list this time around. On June 5ththey opened for Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers at San Francisco’s Rickshaw stop and she also appears to duet on the track “Morning Time” from 2012’s Respect the Van Release. A great album but like the lyrics say in “Strings” ‘You know you wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t on the Road!”
Tour dates on the west through Sept here
http://thebrotherscomatose.com/tour
https://www.facebook.com/thebrotherscomatose
Hot Buttered Rum
Erik Yates – Banjo, Dobro, Flute, Vocals
Nat Keefe – Guitar, Vocals
Bryan Horne – Bass, Vocals
Aaron Redner – Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals
Lucas Carlton – Drums, Percussion, Washboard
Set 1
Cody>Ramblin’ Girl, Way Back When>Every Side of the Coin,The Love You Gave>Right between Your Eyes
Working Man, Another City>Waiting for a Squall>Irish Medley
Set 2
Sweetest Thing>Be Kind Boys,Doctor’s Daughter,From Missoula to Miami>Blackberry Pie,Let the Love Come Through, Rockin’ in the Free World,
Desert Rat> Angeline>Cindy,
Less Guns More Butter, Beneath the Blossoms
Encore
The Genie is Loose
The Crest
Thanks to tapers everywhere and archive.org that I used to find 
complete song titles! And thanks to the crew that let me stand at the sound board and shoot some photos and lots of video. Harlow’s is one of the best places to see live music in Sactown.
Hot Buttered Rum is a band that is very hard to put into any one
category of music and I would imagine that’s the way they would
like it. Although they usually play traditional bluegrass instruments,
they also have a drummer in the band. Really I would just call them
a song writing band that happens to like acoustic instruments and
has a heavy folk influence. A bunch of folks! Folks from America, lots
from Africa, some from India, and a large smattering of Europe show up
in their playing. This all somehow equals out to some fun, danceable
music that fits well in bar and festival settings. Here is
“Beneath The Blossums” from 2011’s “Limbs Akimbo”.
http://youtu.be/31SK9Z5yygE Find them here for some of their
dates coming up http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/tour-dates
by happycat! >^.^<m~ | Jun 11, 2012 | set lists
Snap Jackson & the Knock on Wood Players
GPAC Theater
Sacramento, CA
6/9/2012
Snap Jackson-Vocals, Banjo, Ukulele
Shane Kalbach-Vocals, Fiddle, Mandolin
Eric Antrim- Vocals, Guitar
Brian Clark- Vocals, Bass
Set list (loosely followed)
Set 1
Banjo Line
Georgia Buck
Lonesome Without You
AeroPlane
Squeaky Wheel
Minglewood Blues
Summertime
A Thousand Words
Just My Imagination
Graveyard
Long Neck Bottle
Tuleburg
Set 2
Old Dangerfield
Knock On Wood
I’m Comin’ Back
Minor Setback
Annabelle
Ballad of John Henry
Mountain Girls
Senate House
Rollin’ in my Sweet Baby’s Arms
Think of What You’ve Done
Back Up & Push
Big Country
Some songs omitted, others played.
Friend of the Devil was in there…
~
The Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy opened up their GPAC Theater for a night of bluegrass.
The band is launching its second album “Kaleidoscope” soon and getting ready for some of the Bluegrass Festivals this summer.
The band played mostly originals from their first album “A Breath of Fresh Air” plus “Kaleidoscope” for the intimate theater crowd, with just a few covers of some of the masters to show their roots.
Snap & Shane have known each other since high school so they have their jokes and teasing down well and easily get the crowd into their jokes and fun. I saw plenty of smiles onstage and off to add to some serious playing and song writing and changing material. 
The set list changes around with the lyrics and in “Friend of the Devil” He steals Brian’s underwear with that $20. “Just My Imagination” started out with jokes from the stage and crowd before turning into a nice vocal and instrumental tribute to the Temptations.
I heard them cover “Squeaky Wheel” by Tim Bluhm a few years ago, before I knew who he or the Mother Hips were.“Senate House” is a fast new tune about the assassination of Julius Caesar by Shane Kalbach.
Brian Clark plays aggressive standup bass to give the percussive slap that adds that drum back beat to some of their songs. Yeah, bluegrass is different nowadays. It’s both traditional and new. Snap and the boys add their spin too!
Snap Jackson and the Knock On Wood Players on Facebook
www.knockonwoodplayers.com .
Get their first record:
A Breath of Fresh Air
Catch them live:
Grass Valley 6/14-17
Susanville 6/22-24
Romp 6/28-30 (Kentucky)
Thomas Point Beach 9/1-2 (Maine)
Some of our ticket money went to support the young students at the Sac Prep Music Academy so they can become awesome young musicians for the next generation!
by happycat! >^.^<m~ | Jun 6, 2011 | Grateful Dead, Interviews
Deep in the mountains of southwest Virginia still stands the white aging farmhouse Jim & Jesse first called home. Raised in the small community of Carfax, located near Coeburn, VA, the boys grew up in a family steeped in traditional mountain music. This background made it natural for them to follow in the footsteps of their grandfather Charlie McReynolds, who was one of the first to record for RCA in Bristol, VA in 1927.
Jesse McReynolds and his brother Jim debuted on Capitol records in 1952, though they recorded for many labels since. “Cotton Mill Man”, “Diesel On My Tail”, “Are You Missing Me”, and “Paradise” are a few songs regarded as Jim & Jesse classics.
Magical vocal harmonies, Jim’s guitar playing, and Jesse on mandolin, backed by their band The Virginia Boys, always a crew of top notch musicians. They toured the world, had Radio and TV shows, and in 1964, they joined the Grand Ole Opry.
Jesse had his first exposure to Rock fans playing on The Doors Soft Parade album, on the track “Runnin’ Blue”.
In the 70’s they did a bluegrass take on Chuck Berry’s music, that was a big hit for them.
They continued to play through the 80’s and 90’s, and get awards and honors, even getting a National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jane Alexander at the The White House, September 23, 1997.
In 2002, both brothers were diagnosed with cancer. Jesse was able to beat his, and sadly, Jim did not. He passed away on December 31, 2002, ending the longest active professional brother duet in country music history – 55 years.
Jim carried on, and has played around the world with new incarnations of The Virginia Boys.
A few years ago…. Jesse learned from Sandy Rothman that Jerry Garcia had been a fan of Jim and Jesse, and used to tape them off the TV! Jerry and Sandy went to see them play even, but Jerry was too shy to do much more than ask for an autograph. At Sandy’s urging, and as a gift to his wife Joy, a longtime Deadhead, Jesse started this project…
Joined by some of Deadheadland’s favorite people, including David Nelson (David Nelson Band, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Wildwood Boys) and Stu Allen (guitarist from Melvin Seals and JGB, The Schwag, Front Street) – Jesse McReynolds & Friends Songs of The Grateful Dead is a gorgeous album that belongs in the collection of every Deadhead. The lusciousness of Jesse’s vocals and mandolin are enhanced by Stu and David’s guitar work.
Plus – one of the biggest treats on the album is a new song – by Robert Hunter and Jesse McReynolds! “Day by Day” – this alone makes the album a must have!
Jesse will be playing this weekend at the Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa California. In addition to playing a Jesse and Friends set on both Friday and Saturday (sure to be full of Grateful Dead songs and bluegrass standards, and a few of Jesse’ own songs too!) – Jesse will also participate in the special tribute performance to Jerry Garcia and Bear (Owsley Stanley) – along with David Nelson, Steve Kimock, the members of Moonalice and many others, they will be performing the classic album History of the Grateful Dead Volume 1 (Bear’s Choice). NOT TO BE MISSED!!!
~
I recently had a chance to talk with Jesse on the phone, about the record and the upcoming show. He was a great guy to talk with, and I look foreword to meeting him in person this weekend at the Harmony Festival! Here is the interview:
DEADHEADLAND: Hello, Is this Jesse McReynolds?
JESSE MCREYNOLDS: Yes it is,
DEADHEADLAND: Well this is Brian from Deadheadland, good morning!
Jesse: Hi Brian how you doing?
DHL: great! I guess it is afternoon for you in Nashville?
Jesse: Well, yes it is, though we have a little sunshine for a change
DHL: good, we had the sun break through a bit today in the SF Bay Area
Jesse: good! I look forward to being back there soon
DHL: I look forward to seeing you at the Harmony Festival.
Jesse: Last time I was there was for the Rex Foundation show… good times there!
DHL: Were you familiar with the music of JG and RH before you started preparing for your CD?
Jesse: Oh yes, and I had heard quite a bit of it, really, and I almost had the opportunity to work with them on time in Texas, they had a big festival near Austin Texas, I got to play over their sound system, that’s really the closest I ever got to meeting them that one time… back in the 60’s or 70’s some time, I don’t really remember what dates… we were playing in a quite a few different venues at that time with a bluegrass band, of course we had done the Chuck Berry tunes back then, and it had done pretty good for us, so it got us booked on a few different types of shows than just bluegrass festivals
DHL: Jerry sure exposed lots of Rock and Roll fans to bluegrass as well!
Jesse: yeah I was honored when I found out from Sandy Rothman, he (jerry) was a fan of ours and he and Sandy used to come to our shows a lot, before he had started the Grateful Dead band. And Jerry was into bluegrass as much, or wanted to be, back then.
DHL: Since you’ve made this recording you have been performing for a lot of Grateful Dead audiences, performing with Dark Star Orchestra and others…
Jesse: Yes, I played with them in Nashville, then I uh, I did the Philadelphia folk festival, of course they had a variety of people on that and then I did the Rex Foundation, I did that with David Nelson. David played with me on the album, gave a big boost to the whole thing.
DHL: I look forward to hearing you play with David Nelson!
Jesse: Yeah, David’s got a great band, and I really enjoyed playing with them at the Rex benefit, so I look forward to being with them again.
DHL: How do Deadheads compare to the Opry fans?
Jesse: Well I think the Deadheads are more dedicated to the music. The people in Nashville, they haven’t went to over-enthused about the project, I can’t get them to play it on the radio here, they say the songs are too long. Of course we have a variety of artists come in, tourism, for the Opry, so um, we have a lot of Grateful Dead fans come into Nashville, and they know about the project. And I do a few songs from the project. But otherwise they don’t really go over great. Opry fans come from all over, they come from every state, and every type of music, and they come on tours, and the Opry is part of the tour.
DHL: Do you like to jam or improvise?
Jesse: Oh yes, I do that with David – when we did the Rex Foundation show, I did “Standing on the Moon” and they said let’s really jam it out at the end and I really enjoyed doing that. In fact I always listen to a lot of Grateful Dead, I like the channel on the TV there, the Grateful Dead Channel (Sirius XM), and I’ve heard so many styles of music that they have done, and when they do some of the jams, it is really amazing how well they do it and how well it is arranged. So, yeah, I do that quite a bit!
DHL: the variety is one of the reasons deadheads love them so much!
Jesse: Yeah, I think heard it said on the XM channel, when they did songs like “Deep Elem Blues”, and songs we consider bluegrass standards, like “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad”, yep, that one, I sorta grew up listening to those songs. Probably some of the reason is those songs aren’t very complicated to do. Though some of their songs, they get pretty deep into it, the chord progression on everything. Of course when I grew up, the music I played, bluegrass, is pretty straight you know. So it’s a little different, when I get into some of their music. But I try and work it out in a way where um, it will be accepted. That’s why I enjoy working with David, because he knows those songs, and how they’re supposed to go, and he gets the band to really do it right.
DHL: at Harmony Festival, you’ll do your own set, and then you are part of the Tribute to Jerry and Bear
Jesse: yeah, I’m gonna be part of the tribute band, they got a bunch of people, it’s gonna be a long jam!
DHL: How are you preparing?
Jesse: I’m here, and when they want me to do something, I’m just here learning the music, and they sent me some of the songs they want me to learn. One of them was “Black Peter” I think, and they sent me a list a few songs 
they want me to do. I think I ordered the CD’s with the songs on it, so I know what is happening pretty much. Though they’ll probably come up with songs I am not too familiar with, I can sit in on a jam pretty good, easily play along pretty well.
DHL: I’m sure you have the chops to jump right in!
Jesse: Yeah, I‘ve played a few different things, I did the soft parade with The Doors back a long time ago, that was when I heard that kind of music, and I just listen to a lot of it, and try to not stay in the box, y’know. I like all sorts of music, so I am really looking forward to jammin’ with these folks out there.
DHL: I didn’t realize that was you on The Doors album. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard it.
Jesse: Yeah, I was on the song “Runnin’ Blues”; I think they re-released it a few years back, I got a lot of calls from people who saw my name on it, they said “I can’t believe you played with The Doors!” Yeah, I never turned down anything I’ve been offered to do!
DHL: What’s next?
Jesse: Well I’ll just wait and see what happens, this is the best project I’ve done in years, and so, I’m not sure what I’ll do next. I’ll play this one as long as it holds up, as long as people enjoy it. And hopefully I’ll get to play a lot of festivals, I did Del Fest, and the Appalachian Uprising in Ohio, and then the Harmony Fest [next weekend] – then back to Maryland to play with Professor Louie & the Crowmatix in July sometime. I got quite a few coming up where I’ll be playing things from the album.
DHL: Are you playing all Jerry/Hunter songs?
Jesse: No no, I’ll be mixing up different things, and I’ll do some things that they’ve done, with the acoustic band like “Sittin’ on Top Of The World” – we did our arrangement on that, and “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” and “Deep Elem Blues” and some of the old standards that Jimmy did.
Jesse: Y’know me and my wife, my wife’s a devoted Grateful Dead fan. I tell people out here my wife’s a Deadhead and they don’t know what I mean, but like I told ya, Nashville is sometimes a little behind! But I’m getting a few more shows here in Nashville, featuring the Grateful Dead music, hopefully I’ll get them to recognize it, be more familiar with the music
DHL: Did your wife being a Deadhead encourage you to do this project?
Jesse: Oh yeah, she helped me pick some of the songs. We used to travel a lot together, and when we were going on the road, we listened to a lot of Grateful Dead music, so I was really exposed to a lot of it then.
DHL: Good road music! I look forward to seeing you out here at Harmony! it’s been real nice talking with you…
Jesse: I appreciate you callin’ – am I gonna see you at the Harmony Festival?
DHL: Yes! I’ll be the guy with long hair in a tie-dye t-shirt
Jesse: (laughs) oh yeah, I think we’ll have some shirts there, from the Rex Foundation; I’m trying to support the organization, y’know. They’re nice people.
DHL: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me Jesse!
Jesse: Thank you, I appreciate it, look forward to seeing you!
~
Other upcoming dates for Jesse McReynolds:
JUNE
Fri. & Sat. 10 & 11 Sonoma County, CA (Harmony Festival – Jesse to appear with David Nelson!) www.harmonyfestival.com
Sat. 18 Bean Blossom, IN (Bill Monroe’s Music Park: Bluegrass Festival) www.beanblossom.org
Wed. 22 Summersville, WV (Bluegrass Festival) www.aandabluegrass.com
July
Sat. 10 Westminster, MD (Jesse to perform with “Professor Louie & the Crowmatix”)
Th. 14 Mineral, VA (Bluegrass Festival) www.aandabluegrass.com
Sat. 30 Gallatin,TN (3rd annual Pickin’ For Pets! ~ fundraiser for Sumner Humane Society ~ at the Pick Inn) info
August
Sat. 20 Marion, NC ( North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival ) www.aandabluegrass.com
Sat. 27 Galax, VA ( Blue Ridge Music Center) www.blueridgemusiccenter.org
September
Tues. 13 Owensboro, KY (Bill Monroe 100th Birthday Celebration at RiverPark Center) www.bluegrassmuseum.org
Th. 22 Bean Blossom, IN ( Bill Monroe’s Music Park – Festival) www.beanblossom.org
by happycat! >^.^<m~ | Jan 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
Infamous Stringdusters – The Old Town School Of Folk Music – 2009-12-31
The Infamous Stringdusters
2009-12-31(early show)
Old Town School Of Folk Music
Chicago, IL
Eight Channel Matrix Of:
Neumann skm184(DIN/Table W/6′ High) > Sound Devices Mixpre > MOTU Ultralite mk3 > PC(Sonar 7 16/48)
Nak300’s(~NOS/Table W/5.5′ High) > MOTU Ultralite mk3 > PC(Sonar 7 16/48)
Shure ksm137’s?(sm. diaphragm condensers/on-stage/DFC/2′ High) > MOTU Ultralite mk3 > PC(Sonar 7 16/48)
SBD > MOTU Ultralite mk3 > PC(Sonar 7 16/48)
>>> Tracked to 4 stereo tracks and post mixed on PC(Sonar 7 16/48[mix/resample to 44.1]) > CDWave(Tracking) > FLAC(16/44.1)
Recorded By: John Fairbairn
Mixing By: John Fairbairn
Set 1
=====
1. Intro
2. I Am A Stranger
3. Gettin’ Down The Road
4. One More Bridge
5. High On A Mountaintop
6. Blackrock
7. End Of The Line
8. Deep Elem Blues
9. Long & Lonesome Day
10. Wichita Stomp
11. Well, Well
12. Blue Moon Of Kentucky*
13. Walking In My Sleep*
* w/ Uncle Earl
http://www.archive.org/details/is2009-12-31.flac16.8ch
This show, is off the hook (to say the least). The dynamics and sound this band produces is just so crisp, you MUST love them. All of these guys LOVE their job, and their band mates who are all good friends to them. They really do produce the best bluegrass around in my honest opinion. Jeremy Garret on fiddle, has such a soothing voice, and can blow your mind with his fiddle, a Falco can tear your brain with his dobro playing, Andy Hall is one of the best bluegrass guitarists to come out recently, Travis Book is also the best bluegrass bassist in my opinion, Chris Pandolfi; the prince of banjo playing, and to round out the group, Jesse Cobb melting your face with the mandolin.
I decided to review the 2010 NYE instead of the 3 shows I have been to just because the sound that this matrix provides is just beyond comprehension, it just soothes the soul to say the least.
First the Stringdusters pulled out a tune I Am A Stranger, with beautiful harmonies, and picking to match it… Then The Likes Of Me comes up, and it’s time for some funk to be throw down, the instrumental conversations the guys produce are really impressive, and helps the crowd get on the dancefloor and doing just that; dancing. I love the elongated jams that this band produces, showing that they can expand their bluegrass label and jam just as much as anyone can. A very pure bluegrass esqe song One More Bridge comes up next, and is very tight, as all of the pure bluegrass these guys do is.
High On A Mountain Top; a very slow, but jam packed tune is up next, Travis Book (bass and vocals) sings this very hypnotic song, and the other band members come in for the chill-giving harmonies. I love the dobro part on this tune, as well as what the other guys add of course, the conversations between the instruments show that these guys can do what the Allman Brothers do, just accoustic style. One last note I want to make on this tune is that Chris Pandolfi (banjo) throws down with some of the best banjo playing I have ever heard. Blackrock is up next, another catchy jam, I love it. That’s all I can say, but what’s not to love about this band? This is definitely a favorite of my Infamous Stringdusters jams. A short tune called End Of The Line is up next, very pleasant bluegrass.
Next a classic tune that Jerry Garcia used to do, Deep Elem Blues, which is just amazing for the fact that Jerry did it, and the tune allows a lot of great jams. Long & Lonesome Day and Witchita Stomp both follow which were great versions of the tunes.
Following that, is my favorite Stringduster tune, Well Well, it’s a song with everything in it; jamming, harmonies, a story, and just great musicianship. For the final two songs, Uncle Earl comes on, and they have a group jam, wow, what a show, must have been amazing to be at.
Hot Buttered Rum
