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ENLARGE
Jam band Widespread Panic, with guitarist Jimmy Herring, earned widespread applause for their two shows.
SNOWMASS VILLAGE — It would have been so easy for an extremely good Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival to enter the realm of near-perfection.
All it would have required is for John Fogerty’s band to arrive a day early, slip backstage, incapacitate the members of Bob Dylan’s band for just a few hours (chloroform? ropes and gags?) and take their place onstage. Dylan, who seemed both cheerful and out of it, probably wouldn’t have noticed — especially since he’s played before with at least two members of Fogerty’s group, drummer Kenny Aronoff and guitarist Billy Burnette.
In his Saturday night set, Dylan’s voice was as good as could be expected — that is, a croak with zero range, but with most of the words delivered, and his phrasing as random and idiosyncratic as can be imagined. His mood was reassuring, as he sort of danced, definitely smiled, and did some strange movements that were indecipherable, but came out of an emotional looseness.
The set list had plenty for the casual fan (an opener of “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” which said casual fan would know better as “Everybody must get stoned”; and an encore of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower”); something for those who prefer the obscure (“Under the Red Sky”), and at least one of the gems that makes Dylan who he is (“Visions of Johanna”).
What was inexcusable was that Dylan’s band was lame. Neither in personality nor musicianship did the group distinguish itself, turning virtually every song into nearly the same serving of middle-of-the-road country-rock. In the end, I call it a wash — a pleasure to see Dylan in high spirits; a disappointment that his band doesn’t (or isn’t permitted to?) join in the fun.
No such problem whatsoever with John Fogerty. The former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader is fully recovered from the battle with his old record label, which had Fogerty abandoning his Creedence material, and earned him a reputation for sourness. For the second time in four years, Fogerty took the Labor Day Festival stage like a kid with a slew of new toys — namely, hits like “Looking Out My Back Door,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Bad Moon Rising” and “Born on the Bayou.”
Fogerty ran the stage from end to end, ripped wonderful, signature country-rock licks, and engaged the crowd. His band was with him all the way, never more so on the new tune “Gunslinger,” in which all six string players lined up at the front of the stage to show solidarity in the Bush-bashing anthem.
Shining even brighter, at least for a certain segment of the listening public, was Widespread Panic. The Southern jam-band, which headlined both Thursday and Friday nights, has added lead guitarist Jimmy Herring since their last appearance here, in 2005. The roster change has taken the group from solid to exceptional, as Herring’s air-tight, super-fast leads help bring the jams to one climax after another. The faithful — known as Spreadheads, of course — seemed unanimous in their praise of the shows. The set lists, both heavy on older material, and spiced with covers like Van Morrison’s “Stoned Me” and Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul,” also earned thumbs-up. One higher-up in Jazz Aspen said he would love to see Panic close every summer in Snowmass.
Weak links were difficult to find among the opening acts. New York quintet Olabelle put its Band-like stamp — five vocalists, ultra-rootsy — on several Grateful Dead tunes. Global Noize played solid, Headhunters-derived jazz-funk, but updated it with turntablist DJ Logic and Indian-born singer Falu. The New Mastersounds turned in a monster set, with guitarist Eddie Roberts leading the way.
Country music was well represented by Dwight Yoakam and the Jerry Douglas Band. Yoakam’s take on country is old school grit; dobroist Douglas and his band wander into rock and jazz, but never leave country far behind — except when local singer John Oates sat in for a pair of well-executed soul-pop numbers.
Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band closed the five-day run with a high-spirited take on bluegrass that added rock ‘n’ roll drive and personality to the mix.
The weather cooperated, the sound was nearly faultless, the crowds were reported to have behaved themselves, and Jazz Aspen reaches another plateau in festival-throwing.
Now let’s get Dylan a new band.
stewart@aspentimes.com
All it would have required is for John Fogerty’s band to arrive a day early, slip backstage, incapacitate the members of Bob Dylan’s band for just a few hours (chloroform? ropes and gags?) and take their place onstage. Dylan, who seemed both cheerful and out of it, probably wouldn’t have noticed — especially since he’s played before with at least two members of Fogerty’s group, drummer Kenny Aronoff and guitarist Billy Burnette.
In his Saturday night set, Dylan’s voice was as good as could be expected — that is, a croak with zero range, but with most of the words delivered, and his phrasing as random and idiosyncratic as can be imagined. His mood was reassuring, as he sort of danced, definitely smiled, and did some strange movements that were indecipherable, but came out of an emotional looseness.
The set list had plenty for the casual fan (an opener of “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” which said casual fan would know better as “Everybody must get stoned”; and an encore of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower”); something for those who prefer the obscure (“Under the Red Sky”), and at least one of the gems that makes Dylan who he is (“Visions of Johanna”).
What was inexcusable was that Dylan’s band was lame. Neither in personality nor musicianship did the group distinguish itself, turning virtually every song into nearly the same serving of middle-of-the-road country-rock. In the end, I call it a wash — a pleasure to see Dylan in high spirits; a disappointment that his band doesn’t (or isn’t permitted to?) join in the fun.
No such problem whatsoever with John Fogerty. The former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader is fully recovered from the battle with his old record label, which had Fogerty abandoning his Creedence material, and earned him a reputation for sourness. For the second time in four years, Fogerty took the Labor Day Festival stage like a kid with a slew of new toys — namely, hits like “Looking Out My Back Door,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Bad Moon Rising” and “Born on the Bayou.”
Fogerty ran the stage from end to end, ripped wonderful, signature country-rock licks, and engaged the crowd. His band was with him all the way, never more so on the new tune “Gunslinger,” in which all six string players lined up at the front of the stage to show solidarity in the Bush-bashing anthem.
Shining even brighter, at least for a certain segment of the listening public, was Widespread Panic. The Southern jam-band, which headlined both Thursday and Friday nights, has added lead guitarist Jimmy Herring since their last appearance here, in 2005. The roster change has taken the group from solid to exceptional, as Herring’s air-tight, super-fast leads help bring the jams to one climax after another. The faithful — known as Spreadheads, of course — seemed unanimous in their praise of the shows. The set lists, both heavy on older material, and spiced with covers like Van Morrison’s “Stoned Me” and Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul,” also earned thumbs-up. One higher-up in Jazz Aspen said he would love to see Panic close every summer in Snowmass.
Weak links were difficult to find among the opening acts. New York quintet Olabelle put its Band-like stamp — five vocalists, ultra-rootsy — on several Grateful Dead tunes. Global Noize played solid, Headhunters-derived jazz-funk, but updated it with turntablist DJ Logic and Indian-born singer Falu. The New Mastersounds turned in a monster set, with guitarist Eddie Roberts leading the way.
Country music was well represented by Dwight Yoakam and the Jerry Douglas Band. Yoakam’s take on country is old school grit; dobroist Douglas and his band wander into rock and jazz, but never leave country far behind — except when local singer John Oates sat in for a pair of well-executed soul-pop numbers.
Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band closed the five-day run with a high-spirited take on bluegrass that added rock ‘n’ roll drive and personality to the mix.
The weather cooperated, the sound was nearly faultless, the crowds were reported to have behaved themselves, and Jazz Aspen reaches another plateau in festival-throwing.
Now let’s get Dylan a new band.
stewart@aspentimes.com
