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Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd

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Regardless of their object of adoration, tribute albums generally need at least one of two things to work: great songs and a roster of contributing artists with enough artistic tact to find a balance between their own voices and those of the songs they choose. With eleven of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s best, the first criteria is taken care of, and for the most part, Under the Influence – A Jam Band Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd does pretty well with the second as well.

Garaj Mahal - Mondo Garaj

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Garaj Mahal is the merger of four virtuoso musicians, bassist Kai Eckhardt, guitarist Fareed Haque, drummer Alan Hertz, and keyboardist Eric Levy, who successfully blend the styles of jazz, funk, and rock like no other band before them. Perhaps the label of “Jamband Supergroup” suits them most appropriately, as these players each have an impressive musical resume for which they bring to Garaj Mahal. Their unique blend of styles and musical cohesiveness have earned them praise by both fans and musicians alike, and their latest release, “Mondo Garaj,” only further proves that Garaj Mahal is the real deal and are torchbearers to a jamband movement all their own.

Revision - What It Is

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Recently signed with a reputable booking agency and proudly touting their second CD, Ithaca's Revision are giving things a try in the hard-touring climate of cafes and clubs around the northeast and beyond. If more people get to hear their latest album, What It Is, the quartet may find their upward journey a bit more manageable.

Terence Higgins & Swampgrease - In The Bywater

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Terence Higgins, internationally known as drummer for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, is as well versed in the churning New Orleans funk style as any man can be. Born and raised in NOLA, Higgins has performed with everyone from Widespread Panic to Dr. John to Norah Jones, and has even gained his own set of peers in other drummers such as Brian Blade, Russell Batiste Jr., and Stanton Moore. Higgins appears on dozens of albums, but with his first “solo” CD his own ideas have become a force to be reckoned with.

Assembly of Dust - The Honest Hour

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First with Strangefolk and now with the Assembly of Dust, Reid Genauer has made a career of infusing solid songcraft with a dollop of jam. In a scene whose attention span is just negligibly longer than the wider world of music in general, Genauer’s formula has kept him afloat longer than most acts. The Assembly of Dust frontman owes this longevity to two things: his own songwriting talent and his understanding that a good song often needs nothing but the barest musical foundation.

SeepeopleS - The Corn Syrup Conspiracy

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Just a guess here: tens of thousands of independently produced CDs are released into the world every year. NOT a guess: most of them are, well, really bad. Some are OK, some are hilarious, and some are good. And some are the kind that become staples in your CD player, and you can't believe such a great album was produced by a band you've rarely heard of. That's what we have in The Corn Syrup Conspiracy, the second effort from Portland, ME outfit Seepeoples.

Keller Williams - Stage

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Despite his age, on stage and in life, Keller Williams is a child at heart, and his new live release, Stage, is a youthful romp through his playground. For those who have completely outgrown their kindergarten days, the double disc set will be an interesting novelty, sparking enough interest for one or two listens but eventually falling to the forgotten bottom corner of the toybox with all the other outgrown playthings. For the less jaded listener, however, Williams will become the friendly kid next door, always willing to share and never tiring of friendly company.

Phish - Undermind

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Have you heard that Phish is calling it quits? Of course you have. Did you hear the new musical confirmation that this is a good thing? No? Then get Undermind and you'll understand.

Snake Oil Medicine Show - Bluegrasstafari

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The slaphappy mountaineers of Snake Oil Medicine Show return with a new cd full of glimmering, gallivanting world music. The band’s recent travels in Jamaica have infused their old-time melodies with a new-age populism, unleashing a hybrid of bluegrass, reggae and jazz. They call it Bluegrass Tafar I. These Boone, NC natives have traveled the country for years showcasing their wide-ranging sound. Their live shows bounce between musical styles like a wild bull charging through a record store. Their colorful costumes blend perfectly with Phil Cheney’s canvases, which are painted in real time behind the band as they tear along.

T.J. Kirk - Talking Only Makes Things Worse

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Who’s T.J. Kirk? Not a man but a band with a plan, the neo-legendary San Francisco instrumental four-piece existed to reinvent classic jazz and soul through their six-string talismans (and one with eight strings.) They reconvened for a few concerts at the end of 2003, but their new live cd Talking Only Makes it Worse is from a 1997 show in Santa Cruz, CA. Charlie Hunter’s 8-string guitar covers everything from the bass lines to the keyboard comps, all at the same time of course. Will Bernard and John Schott add their own guitars, and Scott Amendola rounds out the quartet on drums. They took their name from the initials of the only three musicians whose music they would play: jazz pianist & composer “T”helonious Monk, funky showman “J”ames Brown, and infamous jazz hornman Rahsaan Roland “Kirk.”

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