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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
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