This Labor Day weekend was extremely busy, but also satisfying in several ways: Labor Day tradition (grilling) and familiar outcomes (Phish, music, ramen) spoke the loudest.
As happens every school year, my wife was deep in preparing both our family and her classroom for the first week of school. Quite typically this involves several days in the classroom at the end of the summer even before she officially reports for those no-children, in-service days her contract requires. There's a lot that goes on in that classroom before she's been blessed with around 20 children she'll be required to raise until June of 2019.
Before I get on with my own thoughts, my wife, and her colleagues across the United States will be your child's teacher, therapist, nutritionist, physical trainer, mentor, and, in worst-case scenarios, the first line of defense/first responder whenever something may go wrong for the next 9+ months. And, while her benefits package rivals the more generous ones in corporate America, her salary for someone who has their masters degree, several certifications, and 30 additional credits, is less than half of the take-home of those private industry execs who also have 20 exemplary years at their profession, not to mention that she's working for the same employer. So, add the characteristics of "undying dedication" and "loyalty" to her resume, traits that are deteriorating from work-forces around the country. Hell, they pay the garbage men more than what they pay the person who has volunteered to become a metaphorical and literal human shield for your child. On behalf of her and all of the teachers returning to work this week, you're welcome.
But I digress.
This past Saturday I had arranged for one of my oldest friends, G, to stop by and catch some of the simulcast Phish concert. He came bearing gifts. Firstly, he had mentioned a while ago that he had the opportunity to pick up Dark Star by the David Murray Octet for me. Would I be interested in a Dead-inspired jazz album? Yes please. Murray had played with the band in 1993 introducing a rabid fanbase to his jazz-inspired flourishes on Grateful Dead staples such as Bird Song and Dark Star playing his alto sax. This sits firmly in my wheelhouse of pre-approved music genres: the aforementioned album (Dark Star) is a creative and sometimes cheeky take on your typical Dead set with the eponymous track being the longest, again, strongly emulating what the Dead themselves would do. Speaking of which, the album opens with Shakedown Street, and then Bobby Weir, the rhythm freight train of the Grateful Dead plays on the last track of the album. The circle is complete.
Then, G says, "hey, whatchu know about String Cheese Incident." Told him that, my impression was that it was a jam band, similar to Umphrey's McGee in scope, but with more strings as the name would suggest. Maybe cheese? Told him I wasn't super aware of either. We resorted to the YouTube where we found this gem of a jam from Umphrey's. While it was playing in the background to our old-man-card-game, we continued our conversation, but every once in a while, this band got our attention, especially at 0:17:32 into the video. Holy cow. Unbridled rock. I think I need to do more homework.
Finally, G asks about my experience with Joe Russo's Almost Dead (JRAD). This is a band that's been on my radar for quite some time. The make-up of the band starts with drummer Joe Russo, and includes Ween's bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento, Scott Metzger on guitar and vocals, and American Babies' Tom Hamilton on guitar and vocals. The Wife and I had seen Benevento and Russo play together as a duo, with Mike Gordon as a trio, and then with Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio from Phish (G.R.A.B.?). By themselves, the Benevento/Russo Duo talent pool was deep already. Adding Hamilton, Metzger and Dreiwitz made for an almost certain slam dunk. But, what, you ask, do they play?
The goddam Grateful Dead...primarily.
Shortly after G's visit, he shot me a text with a link to Archive.Org, the end-all-be-all FREE music repository for legally recorded live music. The JRAD show G shared was a recent one from their appearance at the Jam-infused Lockn' Festival and was recorded live on 8/24/2018. Good god they're awesome. Jams are more serious than the proto-typical noodling of Jerry and Co. from the days of old. And, they don't just play the Dead, but, in this set they were able to mix in tracks from The Band and The Bard, and they infused the set with hints of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Earth Wind and Fire, and Radiohead. There's some serious talent going on. This iteration of this group has been playing since 2013 and are quickly becoming one of the shows I must see...especially if they cap their shows with Feel Like A Stranger into Shakedown Street and back into Feel Like A Stranger. Full show here.
Certainly I can't blame you with thinking that this post may have had something to do with either the President's crony's legal troubles, or the pending release of Bob Woodward's latest book "Fear." However, in times of insanity, of which there are many in this administration, I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be. In times of great turmoil, find comfort in familiar tradition. For me, that's getting my Shakedown on. Proof that I'm doing it right: when the song comes on in any of its many forms (jazz, cover, live recording or studio), both of my kids sing from the back seat. While teachers are the linchpin of our future, some lessons you gotta learn on your own...or from your dad. Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
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