Hmmm. I'm starting to enjoy the "jam band" style more nowadays.

Kawai-chang · #1 07-28-2010, 06:43 AM

I'm actually listening to a Phish CD and enjoying it. How odd for an old punk/metal guy.

The style is a nice blend. Got some smoking guitar solos, which I enjoy, to tight musicality beteween bandmates.

Of course, as a disclaimer, I will fast forward through ANY meandering jams. I just lose interest.

That's all. Just bumping the post count, yo.

Day · #2 07-28-2010, 06:53 AM

At the risk of being burned at the stake, I actually enjoy Phish studio work much more than the live stuff. I understand it's quite an experience at a live show, but I like the structured songs done in the studio a lot better. It seems to cut down on those meandering jams you mention... there was a time when I was all about that stuff, but as I've gotten older I seem to enjoy more structure and shorter songs...

But yeah, they are great musicians and have produced a lot of wonderful music.

Bassman316 · #3 07-28-2010, 07:01 AM

The "jam band" genre has been my favorite type of music for a long, long time. There are some monster bass players in the jam world- and if you're getting into Phish, Mike Gordon is an awesome player IMO with an awesome sound. I've also been a huge fan of Phil Lesh and the Grateful Dead for a long time, as well as Dave Schools in Widespread Panic. Seen them all live plenty of times. Even though it's called "jam rock", there are many styles of music that these bands play, and Phish definitely goes there when it comes to playing different kinds of music.

Phish is a great band. Lots of music there to listen to. If you're not a twenty-minute-jam kind of guy, the studio albums are definitely for you then. Most of the extended jamming they do live.

PSPookie · #4 07-28-2010, 07:09 AM

Phish's studio stuff is great but it's a different kind of great than their live stuff. Now, to be into jam music I think you should learn to appreciate the jams. There's some great stuff in there and I think it's interesting how the good jam bands can break a song down into complete (intentional) chaos and then pull it all back together.

I like some of the meandering jams and the segues; the slow pimps from one song into the next. Good stuff.

Along with Phish and the Dead, you should also check out Moe and Govt Mule. Lots of good stuff there too. You have to respect bands that are unafraid to cover absolutely any style of music.

Kawai-chang · #5 07-28-2010, 07:17 AM

Well, to be honest, I'm not unaware of the genre, I'm a big Mule fan, have caught a few jammy bands on ACL and Soundstage, and watched Best of the Jammys on Netflix the other day. I guess I've just been a bystander to the scene instead of an active investigator.

dougjwray · #6 07-28-2010, 08:03 AM

Buy "Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East" immediately.

Mahumadi · #7 07-28-2010, 08:15 AM

I likes me some Dead

markjazzbassist · #8 07-28-2010, 08:23 AM

i love phish and the grateful dead. i've had a hard time getting into other jam acts though. for some reason they can't hold my attention as much.

Bassman8416 · #9 07-28-2010, 08:29 AM

The Miles Davis Quintet(IMHO)....the Greatest Jam Band of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!Check it out :

Cookin at the Plugged Nickel [Live]

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkUULYE-LAA

knigel · #10 07-28-2010, 08:38 AM

You know, I was in the same boat re: jam bands, but my friend plays bass in Surprise Me Mr Davis and they are excellent. You should check them out!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/surprisememrdavis

electracoyote · #11 07-28-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawai-chang

I'm actually listening to a Phish CD and enjoying it. How odd for an old punk/metal guy.

Same here. Yes, 'tis odd indeed.

I just performed 45 minutes worth of ukulele music for a wedding ceremony (I do a lot of wedding business), and the couple asked for "Waste" by Phish.

Great tune. I thoroughly enjoyed playing and singing it. I may have to listen to more of their catalog.

masterfader87 · #12 07-28-2010, 09:29 AM

Umphrey's McGee. That is all.

JimK · #13 07-28-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawai-chang

Of course, as a disclaimer, I will fast forward through ANY meandering jams. I just lose interest.

Jamming does not = noodling ("meandering jams").

JimK · #14 07-28-2010, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassman8416

The Miles Davis Quintet(IMHO)....the Greatest Jam Band of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!Check it out :

Cookin at the Plugged Nickel [Live]

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkUULYE-LAA

Miles' Lost Quintet is also up there (Shorter, Corea, Holland, DeJohnette)...as is the Bitches Brew-era group.

TimK · #15 07-28-2010, 12:36 PM

I'm a big fan of what phish does. MO is to listen to the live stuff. They have web site livephish.com and you can get tons of live shows going back to the late 80's. 93-97 is my favorite era. You can get a whole show for $10!!! that is a lot of music for your $.

They really do a great job of collective improvisation (jamming). If you listen real closely you can really hear how they interact with one another. They even do "silent jamming" which is pretty amazing. They also take music from all styles and make it their own from country, bluegrass, blues, latin, classical, R&B, rock, barber shop quartet etc... it's really very diverse but still uniquely Phish.

Mike Gordon is fantastic too!! not super chops but his note choice and rythmic phrasing always amazes me. He manages to always surprise me with his note choice, but manages to still make it groove very hard. very syncopated.

Trey and Page are also amazing players. Lots of the early stuff is very through composed and well written. They can handle Fuge (sp?) like songs and they come back at you with a 1 chord jam that just kills.

AND..... I listen to them sober!!!

Meddle · #16 07-28-2010, 02:15 PM

OP, I remember when I first started smoking weed too.... ahem....

It depends, I went the other way round. I listened to Jam Bands first, started playing Bass because of Live/Dead then found playing spacey pick stuff did not suit 99% of bands and just experimented out from there.

It must be hard loosening up for Jam stuff no?

bassman1987 · #17 07-28-2010, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Day

At the risk of being burned at the stake, I actually enjoy Phish studio work much more than the live stuff. I understand it's quite an experience at a live show, but I like the structured songs done in the studio a lot better. It seems to cut down on those meandering jams you mention...

You're not alone, I'm exactly the same way. I have three Phish studio albums and absolutely zero live recordings. It's the same way with the other jam bands that I enjoy: Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident. No live tracks from any of them.