Cornmeal

New Releases:

Ten Toes Up - Live Vol 2: From the Beaver Bar 12/31/11 CD - The second release in their "Live" series, Vol. 2 was recorded on New Year's Eve 2011 in front of an energetic hometown crowd. The set contains a mix of TTU show staple, and previously unrecorded material. Mixed by Nashville producer/engineer Mark Meeker, the disc captures the band in their element, and gives the listener the feeling of a night out with Ten Toes Up!

Ten Toes Up - Beverage koozie

Easy Star All-Stars - Thrillah CD -Easy Stars All-Stars pioneers of covering entire albums, something that has since caught on in many genres return with their 4th reggae tribute, this time tackling the Greatest Selling Album of All Time, 'Michael Jackson's Thriller'! The CD has two bonus dubs and vocals from Steel Pulse, The Green, Luciano, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Mojo Morgan (Morgan Heritage), Cas Haley, Spragga Benz and more.

The Wood Brothers - Live Vol 2: Nail & Tooth CD - Volume 2 features the track Atlas from Oliver's days with Atlanta band King Johnson, Sister Rosetta Tharp's song 'Up Above My Head', and crowd favorite 'Shoofly Pie'.

Following the release of 'Sky High', The Wood Brothers have received much attention & praise including a performance for Daytrotter Sessions, partnership with American Songwriter, and in-studio performances at numerous NPR stations.

In addition to the two live releases, this popular touring act is in the middle of their biggest year ever. With 100 dates scheduled, sell-outs in multiple cities and festival stops at DeLuna Fest and both Southern Ground Music & Food Festivals, The Wood Brothers continue to gain devoted fans at a rapid pace.

Coming Soon:

Missing Cats - Larry Brown Amen CD - On Missing Cats' confident first album, 'Larry Brown Amen,' John 'Jojo' Hermann and Sherman Ewing flex their songwriting muscles and deliver a dramatic Alt/Blues/Rock collection of original songs. This is a rich CD, conceived by a pair of road warriors & friends who share a decades-long collaborative relationship.

Hermann describes the album as 'New York City meets Mississippi meets Athens, GA meets Nashville', and he's right. An array of artists dropped by the studio to lend their support to various tracks. Visitors included North Mississippi All Stars' Luther and Cody Dickenson, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, Sam Bush, Jon Randall Stewart, Anthony Krizan, Jesse Alexander and more. The renowned musicians joined in as Hermann and Ewing record their album live in Nashville over a four-day period with Grammy nominated producer Jon Randall Stewart (Emmy Lou Harris, Sam Bush, and Lyle Lovett,) capturing the energy and electricity that the songs deserved.

Last Week:

Jimmy Herring - Subject to Change Without Notice CD - Subject To Change Without Notice is the second solo album from American guitar hero Jimmy Herring which features mostly all original tunes as well as highlights such as amazing covers of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's Hope, George Harrison's Within You Without You and Jimmy McGriff's Miss Poopie. Joining Jimmy on lead guitar are such top notch musicians as Neal Fountain and Etienne Mbappe on the bass, Jeff Sipe and Tyler Greenwell on drums, Matt Slocum on piano and keyboards. Making special guest appearances on the album are Bela Fleck on banjo, Bill Evans on saxophones, and Nicky Sanders on the violin and Carter Herring on the cello.

Les Racquet - Be Water My Friend CD - Inspired by an interview with Kung Fu legend Bruce Li, the release Be Water My Friend indulges the listener at every turn with anecdote and metaphor, about the philosophy behind `being water" and the gentle reminder that life is beautiful. The CD was recorded at Drift Design Studios in Boston, MA in the winter of 2011, as the band was coming through during the first leg of their tour. Booked for only a weekend the trio made the most of their time, recording their favorite songs and a subsequent promotional video which were both released in early 2012. This recording is the first time that all three voices are a prominent melody. Also, the recording is a representation of a time when the band was learning how to live together on the road, how to share responsibility and maximize the efficiency it takes to be both musicians and promoters. The trio shows ultimate trust in one another as they spin intricate harmonies and solos amidst beautiful melodies and deep groves.

The Deluge - Elephant Graveyard CD - Elephant Graveyard is a freewheeling yarn with wildly expressive musical accompaniment. The second release from the Deluge is a departure from their first in so much as ascetic, but the spirit of storytelling is very evident on Graveyard. The record begins with the Otis Redding inspired Honest Man and moves seamlessly into the murder ballad Rosy. Each track differs vastly from the last and the inclusion of the Tom Scott cover, So White, is cleverly translated by the band's new rhythm section in the dynamic duo of Jeremy Merritt (drums) and George Westberry (bass). New guitarist, Daniel Serrif, displays his mastery of motivic development in his work on Let's Make Medicine, which begins with cerebral legato bends before it transforms into a downright raunchy rock and roll guitar solo. Chris Lord offers his melodic voicing throughout the entire record and is on full display on the track, Her Pride. Brandon Knox's voice also displays fluidity from liltingly sweet to shouting and screaming. The addition of Kofi Burbridge (ARU, Tedeschi Trucks Band) adds another eccentric voice to an already elaborate tapestry. All told, Elephant Graveyard is a diverse record that will keep the listener's head on a swivel.

Also available: The Deluge - Cryin' on the Vine CD

Mac & Juice - Step Into the Light CD - Mac & Juice's self-released album, Step into the Light, is not just a collection of songs but rather a personal stamp on their original music that has developed organically over the years. Because of the many genres of music coming to life on this album, it is challenging to put them into any one category. While crafting songs is serious business for Mac & Juice, what follows are bright, tight, beautifully rocking stories that come to life through moonlit vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and their two guitars which seem to channel the stories as well. Among the eleven songs, "Willie Nelson Song" and "One Hundred Dollars" plug songwriting influences such as Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, while "Johnny Gene" and "I'm Going Home" give a nod to authentic bluegrass. "Phoenix" and "She Don't Wanna Be" are straight driving rock songs with moving hooks. "Today," "Remembered as the Best" and "Countryside" will make you want to drive with the top down. "The Most Beautiful Thing" unveils jazz notes that are reminiscent of Stevie Wonder, but with their signature virtuoso brand. "Piece of Mind" ebbs and flows over a groove laden low end that spills into a lick-heavy guitar solo where Mac & Juice unleash their tandem jams.

Upcoming Events:

Aug 31- Sept 2 - Front Porch Festival - Stuart, VA

Aug 31 - Sept 1 - Guardian Angel Jam - Mebane, NC

Aug 31 - Sept 2 - Floyd Yoga Jam - Floyd, VA

Aug 31 - Sept 2 - Dark Star Jubilee - Thornville, OH

Aug 31 - Sept 2 - Green Mountain Eco Fest - Eldridge, MO

Aug 31 - Sept 2 - Upstate Boogie 3 - Lyons, NY

Sept 6-9 - Culturefest - Pipestem, WV

Sept 7-9 - Catskill Chill - Hancock, NY

Sept 7-8 - r.evolution - Carolina Beach, NC

*Sept 14-16 - Jomeokee Music & Arts Festival - Pinnacle, NC

Sept 14-16 - Bristol Rhythm & Roots - Bristol, VA

Sept 14-16 - Wormtown Music Festival - Greenfield, MA

Sept 22-23 - French Broad Fall Fest - Hot Springs, NC

*Look for the HGMN Booth at these events

Video of the Week:

Easy Star All Stars - Billie Jean (from Thrillah)

Thanks for reading! Treat yourself to some good music this week.
- Lee Crumpton

New Releases:

Cornmeal - Live in Chicago Vol 2 CD - "Released in March 2010, Cornmeal's 'Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 1' showcased many of the band's highlights during their 2009 winter run at Martyrs'. The album, dedicated to an ever-growing legion of devoted fans, displayed the efforts of a band in its prime - fully committed and full of fire. 'Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 2' is the continuation of those efforts, and gives us another glimpse of Cornmeal's relentless approach to live performance and the contemporary interpretation of roots music. Featuring more of the smoking hot picking, intricate yet explosive improvised jams, and constantly evolving sound that has come to define this unique group, 'Vol. 2' is not just for Cornmeal fans, but for anyone with an ear for passionate performance and honest musicianship." -Herschel Concepcion

Coming Soon:

Phish - Hampton/Winston Salem '97 (7 CDs) - The Hampton/Winston-Salem 97(11/21-23) shows featured Phish at a peak of execution and flow. Throughout the shows, Phish seized most every opportunity to lift and expand. Paul Languedoc's stereo mix, mastered by Fred Kevorkian, funnels the energy of these special shows nearly 15 years later. Hampton/Winston-Salem 97 contains all the music played over these 3 shows for a total of 45 songs - over 8 hours of music - including never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues. The 7-CD box set, a must-own collection for any Phish fan.

Warren Haynes Presents The Benefit Concert Vol. 4 (2 CDs) - 'Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Volume 4,' a 2-disc live benefit concert featuring Gov't Mule, Bob Weir & Friends, John Hiatt & The Goners, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, moe and more will be released December 6 via Evil Teen. 'The Benefit Volume 4' was recorded at the 14th annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC on December 21, 2002. Proceeds from the album will Benefit the Ashville Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

'The Benefit Volume 4' features over 2.5 hours of scorching blues, roots and rock including Bob Weir & Friends versions of classic Grateful Dead songs including "Truckin", Gov't Mule favorites "Sco-Mule" and "Worried Down with the Blues" and a mind-bending slide guitar/pedal steel duel between Warren and Robert Randolph set to "Shake Your Hips."

Allman Brothers Band - S.U.N.Y Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71 (2 CDs) - Never officially released before, this electrifying 9/19/71 concert features the searing slide and soul-stirring leads of Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle crash six weeks later. This is the sound of one of America's most exciting rock bands on the rise, fusing rock, jazz, blues and country together and improvising brilliantly on Statesboro Blues; Trouble No More; One Way Out; Blue Sky; Stormy Monday; You Don't Love Me; Dreams , and more!

Last Week:

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Soul Time! CD - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have developed an international reputation as the #1 group on today's soul scene. Soul Time! is an exploration of the full range of their dynamic sound through twelve songs handpicked by the Daptone Records gang, each one a precious exclusive.

The needle drops on Genuine Pts. 1 & 2, a supercharged funk arrangement that evokes the late Godfather not only with the spirited syncopation of the Dap-Kings rhythms, but also with the raw power of Jones' voice. It is performances such as these that have earned her the moniker "the Female James Brown." Though it has long been one of their best-selling singles, it makes it's album debut here. Longer and Stronger, written for her 50th birthday, is a deep mid-tempo soul celebration of the strength and determination with which Sharon Jones has earned her long overdue success. It is heard here for the first time, but will undoubtedly join other Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings songs in the canon of great soul music. The theme of empowerment pushes on through "He Said I Can", an energetic stomper belted over an arrangement reminiscent of the Isley Brothers early-seventies heyday, and "I'm Not Gonna Cry" brings us back to the raw funk intensity of Genuine with a squealing tenor solo and a fiery vocal. Side one wraps with a scorching studio performance of "When I Come Home", long a highlight of the band's live show but rearing its head on album here for the first time as well.

"What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes?" kicks the second side off with a bang. A strong anti-war message pours over a revolutionary mid-tempo groove, accentuated by the conga work of the legendary Johnny Griggs of JB's fame, while Settling In is a greasy rhythm and blues grinder. And who says Christmas can't be soulful? Jones et al. make it so over their sought after holiday exclusive, "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects." Next is an energetic romp into Motown intensity with "New Shoes", a walking-out-the door belter that picks up where These Boots Were Made For Walking left off. Without A Trace shows yet another dimension of the band, stretching a dreamy mid-tempo groove down the road to Memphis and back. The record winds up with a deep laid back cover of Shuggie Otis' psychedelic soul jam "Inspiration Information." From the first note to the last, Soul Time! confirms this band's place at the head of the table as the world's greatest funk and soul showband. Whether you're a lifetime fan, or just getting turned on, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' have yet again made a record that will blow your mind. Get ready world, because It's Soul Time!

Upcoming Events:

* Dec 29 - Jan 2 - Bond-Fire Arts & Music Festival - Groveland, FL

*Look for the Home Grown Music Booth at this event!

Video of the Week:

Bear Creek Festival - Treehouse Afterparty All Star Jam

Thanks for reading! Treat yourself to some good music this week.
Lee Crumpton