Monday, September 29, 2014

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood - Juice Debuts At No. 1 on Billboard Jazz Album Chart

"The jazz guitarist John Scofield has never met a groove he couldn't finesse, and in his on-and-off alliance with Medeski Martin & Wood he has pliable partners as fully in the moment as he is." - New York Times

"Mixing originals with covers of '60s classics, this group just kicks ass." - Magnet

"…an overall ‘60s Brit-jazz feel that, happily, could not sound fresher or brighter in 2014…compelling stuff." - Yahoo Music

"This is genre-bending, improvisational, funky freak jazz for people who want to step beyond the hook-laden pop nonsense that permeates the airwaves." - Esquire

"MSMW sound so loose and relaxed, we should consider ourselves lucky they even remembered to hit “record” and preserve this extended in-studio throw-down." - Relix

"...the simplicity of the approach at the heart of Juice camouflages its intricate balance. But like all truly great albums, successive listenings reveal the wealth of nuance within and, in turn, compel repeated playings." - Glide Magazine

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood released their latest album Juice via their label imprint Indirecto Records on September 16. The recording has subsequently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Album Chart this week.

Additionally, the band premiered its video for the song "Juicy Lucy" with Esquire.com: 
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/medeski-scofield-martin-wood-juicy-lucy. Directed by MSMW drummer Billy Martin, it features his 81-year old mother, a former Radio City Rockette, dancing to the Cuban boogaloo-inspired tune. Watch and share the video for "Juicy Lucy" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUpdvDF36vQ&

Juice—a ten-track effort and the fourth recording between the four musicians in seventeen years of performing together—showcases what Paste Magazine recently described as "the group's penchant for tight grooves and purposeful rambling." In addition to six original compositions, MSMW offer a romp through legendary jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris' "Sham Time," a dubbed-out deconstruction of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love," a playful post-bop reading of The Doors' "Light My Fire" and the gorgeous hymn-like album closer, Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'."

"We love the unexplainable magic that comes from our collaboration with John Scofield on every level, from the hang to the playing," says John Medeski. "This is a band with a personality and dynamics all its own that we feel we've captured like never before on this latest album. And it will only continue to evolve over these shows this winter."

"Reacting to each other is really what it's about," continues John Scofield. "That's what makes this music work. We've gotten to the point where we can come together and make something that is identifiable and organic, yet it's growing and changing all the time."

In December, MSMW will launch a 10-date U.S. tour, while they'll perform 15-shows throughout Europe in November.

TOUR DATES
December 4 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
December 5 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
December 6 - Westhampton Beach, NY - Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
December 7 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
December 8 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre
December 9 - Atlanta, GA - Symphony Hall
December 11 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
December 12 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
December 13 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
December 14 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

Dopapod To Release Fourth Studio Album



Dopapod is thrilled to announce the independent release of their next full-length record Never Odd Or Even, dropping November 11.  So that all can hear the latest effort, the band is now offering signups to access free digital downloads of the disc upon its release.  To get a copy, fans can visit the band’s official website at www.dopapod.com and sign up on the email list to be sent a link to download a free digital version of the album the day of its release on 11/11.  While at the site, fans can stream the debut track, ‘Picture in Picture’, and pre-order special merchandise bundles including lossless digital versions, physical copies of the CD, and more. 

The band’s fourth album is the quartet’s most fully realized work to date as the new songs embody the energy and cohesion the members of Dopapod have developed from playing live as well as an increasing comfort and familiarity while in the studio.  

Coming a long way from their college basement roots, Dopapod is earning high praise from Huffington Post, Jambase and Relix, while staying true to their ever-expanding fanbase. The past four years have individually held the weight of about 150 shows, including numerous festival appearances like Wakarusa, Summer Camp, Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, Peach Fest, and Gathering Of the Vibes. All of this time on stage together gives the band the opportunity to explore the wide variety of influences that has impacted them to be the players they are today. 

"The Never Odd or Even sessions cultivated a serious growth in the band's creativity,” explains guitarist Rob Compa. “Each person stepped up to the plate and put out great creativity and passionate playing, while inspiring everybody else involved in the project to do the same. We really feel that the material this time around represented a big leap forward, not just in the way we’ve been interacting as a band, but in the way our focus has become sharper in paying attention to things like melody, theme, lyrical imagery, and structure - all the elements that make a great song.” 

Determined to have that maturity translate in the studio, the band enlisted friend and producer Jason “Jocko” Randall to both engineer and produce the record.  

“We lived at his studio for about a month for these sessions and it just clicked right away,” says keyboardist Eli Winderman. “With Jocko’s attitude and approach to the recording process, we were able to really dial in the sounds we wanted, get those perfect takes we were aiming for, and have a blast the whole way through.” 

This considered production value compliments the dynamically adventurous album, giving the band the chance to take advantage of every available resource in a studio setting, while capturing the energy of the live experience.

Dropping on November 11 in the midst of an extensive Fall Tour, Never Odd Or Even is the spark that the band plans to ignite while in full stride of capping off an exciting year and launching them into the next. 

Dopapod is Eli Winderman (keyboards), Rob Compa (guitar), Chuck Jones (bass) and Scotty Zwang (drums).


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Upcoming Ragin' Randy Schedule

Good afternoon fellow music lovers! I have had a wonderful month off from shows to spend time with my wife, but I am ready to get back out their and catch some live music. I've got some big ones coming up in October and early November! Here's what I've got so far:

Oct 01     Greensky Bluegrass - 1884 Lounge, Memphis, TN
Oct 02     Dead Winter Carpenters - Lafayette's Music Room (Grand Re-Opening), Memphis, TN
Oct 17     Lettuce - Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
Oct 18     Widespread Panic - Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN
Oct 19     Widespread Panic - Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN
Nov 02    STS9 - The Lyric Theatre, Oxford, MS

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Remembering Jaco Pastorius (Dec 1, 1951 - Sep 21, 1987)

Today, we remember Jaco Pastorius. Any modern bass guitarist owes their talents and opportunities to this gentlemen. Originally a drummer, Mr. Pastorius injured his wrist at age 13, rendering him unable to play the drums anymore. That is when he picked up a bass to fill an open slot in his band at the time. 
Mr. Pastorius would go on to teach bass guitar at the University of Miami, where he met and recorded with Pat Metheny. Mr. Pastorius' debut self-titled album featured Herbie Hancock, David Sanborn (Official), Lenny White and other jazz heavyweights and was highly acclaimed as one of the finest bass albums ever recorded. 
Mr. Pastorius joined Weather Report that same year, becoming an integral part of the band during his five years as a member. 
After leaving Weather Report in 1981, Mr. Pastorius would go on to have an extremely successful solo career until his death on September 21, 1987 due to a massive brain hemorrhagic, which resulted from a violent confrontation with a club bouncer. 
Mr. Pastorius' discography consists of 14 solo albums, 8 albums with Weather Report and 15 collaborative albums, and he appears on numerous other acclaimed records. Rest in peace Jaco!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Remembering Jimi Hendrix (Nov 27, 1942 - Sep 18, 1970)

Born November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, Jimi Hendrix accomplished more in 27 years than most people could in 100. On top of that, his musical career lasted just 4 years before his untimely death. Hendrix began playing guitar at age 15. He enlisted in the U.S. Army a few years later, choosing service over jail time for being caught twice riding in stolen cars, but was granted an honorable discharge after just one year on the basis of unsuitability. While in the Army, he met Billy Cox, who would later play bass in Hendrix's Band of Gypsys. Cox overheard Hendrix practicing and described it as a combination of "John Lee Hooker and Beethoven."

After his discharge, Hendrix moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and began to play with a band called the King Kasuals, where Hendrix learned to play with his teeth. Hendrix eventually began performing up and down the Chittlin' Circuit, a community of venues at which it was safe for African Americans to perform. During this time, he performed in backing bands for Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke and more. Hendrix would then move up to Harlem, where playing around the local circuit would earn him a place in the Isley Brothers' backing band. After touring with the Isley Brothers for most of 1964, Hendrix grew tired of playing the same set every night, so he left the band and soon joined Little Richard's backing band.
Hendrix's big break came when Keith Richards' girlfriend, Linda Keith, noticed his playing at a club and became friends with him. After Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham rejected him, Keith referred him to Chas Chandler, who was leaving The Animals to concentrate on managing and producing. Chandler recognized the guitarist's talent, brought him to live in London and began putting together a band for him, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which would lead to Noel Redding on bass guitar and Mitch Mitchell on drums. The trio immediately hit it off, and the rest is history. 
While playing the club circuit in London, Hendrix earned the respect of the biggest stars of the day: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, etc. This would lead to his #1 biggest break in his entire musical career. The Beatles were asked to play at a music festival in California called the Monterey Pop Festival. While the band declined, they recommended the Jimi Hendrix Experience. While Hendrix was not well known in America yet, the festival accepted this recommendation, which led to one of the most iconic rock & roll gigs in history. With their debut album Are You Experienced? released, the band took that stage by storm, followed by the rest of America and the world. The Jimi Hendrix Experience would go on to release 2 more studio albums, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland, before Redding left the band in June 1969 due to tensions between him and Hendrix. Hendrix added his friend Billy Cox on bass, a rhythm guitarist, Larry Lee, and two conga players, Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez, for his historic Woodstock performance less than 2 months later.
As the result of a legal dispute, Hendrix still owed an album of original material. To resolve the matter, Hendrix put together an all-black power trio, with Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums, and recorded Band Of Gypsys live at the Fillmore East, taking material from 4 shows to assemble the official live album. This lineup played one more performance together, which failed miserably when Hendrix left the stage after just one song. Cox and Miles stated later that he had been given LSD by his manager before the show. Miles commented that he believed it was an attempt to sabotage the current lineup and bring back the original Jimi Hendrix Experience and was fired immediately for his comments. The aftermath of the failed Band of Gypsys experiment saw the return of Mitch Mitchell on drums, but Billy Cox remained on bass instead of the original bassist Noel Redding. The trio spent the first half of 1970 touring and recording material for a fourth studio album.

On September 18, 1970, Hendrix's girlfriend woke up to find him unconscious and unresponsive. After an ambulance took him to the hospital, Hendrix was pronounced dead at 12:45 pm. A post-mortem examination provided evidence that he had breathed in his own vomit and died of asphyxia, but the verdict was left open dude to insufficient evidence. Hendrix's girlfriend later revealed that he had taken 9 of her prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets, 18 times the recommended dose.

During his lifetime, Hendrix spent countless hours recording and mixing material that was not released. Since his death, 12 posthumous studio albums of previously unreleased material have been released, along with numerous live albums and bootleg recordings. Hendrix remains to this day one of the most influential and innovative guitarists (and musicians for that matter) in history. Even with all of the movements, genres, instruments, technology and innovation that have exponentially improved over the past few decades, Hendrix remains more than relevant. He is essential listening for anyone who wants to be a musician, and musicians and listeners alike celebrate his life and achievements to this day and will continue to do so for many years to come. Rest in peace Jimi!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Interview: Cabinet - Southern Brewers Festival, Chattanooga, TN (Aug 22, 2014)

In the bluegrass scene, there is one name that has been creating a stir, or buzz, lately: Cabinet. The six-piece group has honed in their sound through their love of music and, especially, playing music together. With a captivating repertoire of tunes spanning the fast-picking, foot-stomping tracks to melodic, harmonic tunes that will leave your head spinning, this talented group of musicians is continuously working their way up the totem pole, landing gigs at esteemed festivals such as Peach Music Festival, Lockn’ Festival and Catskill Chill Music Festival. On August 22, 2014, the band made their way down south to help Chattanooga’s Southern Brewers Festival celebrate its 20th Anniversary. After a great set, despite the sweltering hot southern sun, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Mickey Coviello (guitar), Patrick “Pappy” Biondo (banjo) and Todd Kopec (fiddle) for a quick interview.

Ragin’ Randy: I’ve heard a lot about you guys in recent months, but I’m not real familiar with your story. Could one of you tell me a little bit about how you guys all met?

Mickey: Yeah, I grew up with the mandolin player (JP), and so did he [points to Patrick] because they are cousins. They have a big family, and they have family reunions every year, and they sing and dance and have a good time. But I went to school with [JP], and then, I think he graduated a year ahead of me from high school, and then I graduated, and we kind of just started playing music. He was on mandolin, and I was on open E tuning on like a 12-string acoustic guitar. Then, Pappy (Patrick) moved out here from Cleveland, Ohio, and we started doing these open mic nights at the River Street Jazz Café in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and that’s where we met. This guy [points to Todd], who was introduced to us by Dylan, our bass player, who was doing sound at the River Street Café, and he would just sit in and play bass with whoever wanted him to, so we had him sit in and play bass, and one night he was like, “Hey man, my friend Todd is here, and, you know, he plays fiddle…”

Patrick: Basically what it was is like, Mickey was playing guitar, JP was playing mandolin and I was playing banjo. We were thinking of starting a bluegrass band, and Todd was playing fiddle, you know, we need a fiddle player, Dylan played upright bass…

Mickey: Well, yeah, we weren't thinking of forming a bluegrass band, it just kind of just happened.

Patrick: Well, I mean, those kinds of instruments all go together, you know, like if Todd was a keyboard player or something, it might have been different, but it’s, like, fiddle, you know all the instruments kind of work together, so yeah, it just kind of made sense, and then later on, we decided to get a drummer into the group. Jamie was a local drummer for years, and that was about 2006 when the six of us were together as a unit.

Ragin’ Randy: Quite a story! [laughs] I really enjoyed Jamie’s drumming. He was definitely on point.

Patrick: Yeah, he’s a great drummer.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, that’s great. Thank you, that helps me get a much better idea of your background. I love those stories, especially when it just seems to come together so naturally.

Patrick: It was pretty organic, you know.

Ragin’ Randy: Definitely. So, tell me a little bit about your goals and ambitions as a band. All bands and artists want to be successful in their own way, so what does success mean to you?

Mickey: Success for me was getting paid to play music, whatever it was, you know? I never thought when I was in high school I’ll play in a band and make money doing it, you know, and then it just kind of happened. But, to me, we were successful when we first started playing shows for money. That’s me personally, that’s how I feel.

Todd: I would agree. I think making a sustainable living, you know.

Mickey: I mean, not saying that I’m, like, satisfied…

Ragin’ Randy: Right, you obviously always want to try and push it further.

Mickey: Sure, sure, and it kind of has happened, you know, steadily and organically.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, that’s a good way to think of it, you know, if you’re not necessarily satisfied but you feel that you’ve been successful, I would say that’s a good place to be in.

Mickey: Yeah.

Ragin’ Randy: So, you’ve said that everything’s happened so organically up to this point, but would you say that you are where you thought you would be at this point?

Mickey: Wow…

Patrick: I don’t think we ever thought much about how far it would go, you know, we’ve kind of been taking it on a yearly basis, you know? What’s going to happen this year? Where are we going to go this year? And we’ve been fortunate enough that it’s been building, you know, it’s been moving in a positive direction each year, which is why we keep doing it. And as far as your last question with goals and ambitions, I think, you know, to reach as many ears as possible, you know, who are willing and able to listen to our music. That’s a big part of it. As long as we keep playing in front of bigger crowds and trying to bring in more people, you know, the more people you get turned on to it, the easier it is to be successful.

Ragin’ Randy: You guys have Lockn’ and Catskill Chill coming up in the same weekend. You’ve got to be psyched to be on both of those lineups. How did you guys land those gigs? Is your manager working hard for you?

Mickey: Manager and booking agent, yeah.

Ragin’ Randy: Yeah, I met Billy briefly, and he seems like a good guy and a hard worker.

Mickey: Yes, he is, he works very hard.

Ragin’ Randy: Good, good. My degree is in Music Business, so I understand how hard those guys work. So, I’ve noticed you guys have been sharing stages with lots of different artists, both big and small. Do you approach a live show differently when you’re opening for a bigger act versus when you’re, say, co-headlining with another up-and-coming artist?

Patrick: I don’t think so, you know, a setlist… there’s definitely pre-though to the setlists, given the crowd, but as far as playing in front of bigger crowds, it’s almost easier. You know, we just came off of Peach Fest Thursday night, and there’s 7,000 people or something. That’s a lot of people, but it almost felt easier to get on stage than, you know, in a small bar room where everybody’s kind of tight and listening. So, you know, at that point, it’s just, like, get up and go, you know, hard drive it until the end of the show.

Ragin’ Randy: That’s interesting, because I, personally, don’t think I would feel that way [laughs].

Patrick: Well, there’s always the intention of keeping the set tight and keeping a good connection on stage, regardless what crowd it is.

Ragin’ Randy: Cool. Can you guys give me an idea of how much of your set is improvised and how much is planned?

Patrick: It’s probably 90% improvised.

Mickey: No, no.

Patrick: Well, we don’t rehearse, you know? We rarely rehearse for a show.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, what I mean is do you play the songs exactly how they are on the album?

Patrick: Not really.

Mickey: We leave a lot of room for improvisation.

Patrick: Yeah, or changing parts or trade-offs. We like to play with each other, musically.

Todd: We kind of stick to the form, but we improvise inside of the form, you know.

Ragin’ Randy: Umphrey’s McGee is well known for their signals on-stage while they’re improvising. Do you guys have anything like that or do you just work off of each other?

Mickey: No, just simple communication. Not, like, signals, but maybe a cue or a nod, maybe, or just a facial expression. Sometimes it happens without having to do that.

Todd: I’ve been interested in trying to do something like that for a while, but like Pappy said, we don’t have too many opportunities to rehearse. We’re usually, if we’re not hitting it hard, then we’re having some family time. But I do wonder how the signals would work for us.

Ragin’ Randy: It’s interesting, and UM even has silent mics on certain stages, so they can actually talk to each other, and the audience doesn’t hear.

Todd: That’s interesting!

Mickey: Oh, like an in-ear monitor? Yeah, yeah.

Todd: I like that idea.

Mickey: [leans in to voice recorder] If anyone wants to send us money so we can do that, please do [laughs].

Ragin’ Randy: Alright, one more question. I posted in the Cabinet Fans Facebook Group asking if anyone had any questions for the band, and I got a good one from Cabinet Fan Gina Paret. She asks if you intend to go back into the studio any time soon? She says, “Your studio recordings are on heavy rotation in our house, and we're looking forward to some new material.”

Mickey: We just finished a pretty serious studio session. It’s just, some things need to be rerecorded, and, you know, whatever, then it needs to get mixed and mastered. But there will be a studio recording at some point in the near future.

Ragin’ Randy: Alright, well, I really enjoyed your set, and thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me.

Patrick: Thank you, man.

Mickey: Thanks.

Todd: Thanks.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Ragin' Randy Live At MEMFEST

Hello Rage Crew! I'm so glad to be back in the saddle and posting after an incredible weekend at MEMFEST! Lots of great music and great people! Here are the recordings of BOTH of my sets from this weekend at the Silent Disco. The first one took place at 1 pm on Saturday and consisted of funky house music to set the mood for the rest of the weekend and get people moving. The second one took place on Sunday at 6 pm and consists of some more deep house, followed by some deep, melodic trance. Please share and most importantly, enjoy!