Nick Gravenites and John Cipollina - Live In Athens At The Rodon 1987-88 (1991)

The name Nick Gravenites is probably familiar mainly to aficionados of '60s Chicago blues and San Francisco blues-rock and psychedelia of the same era, but not to a wider audience, because although Gravenites was an important contributor to the music during its heyday, he has unfortunately been sparsely recorded and often worked behind the scenes over the years. More people are likely to know him for the dozens of great songs he wrote: "Born in Chicago" (Paul Butterfield), "Buried Alive in the Blues" (Janis Joplin), "East-West," "Work Me Lord," "Groovin' Is Easy," "Bad Talkin' Bluesman," and literally hundreds of others. Gravenites' compositions have been recorded by Paul Butterfield, Janis Joplin, the Electric Flag, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Brother & the Holding Company, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Jimmy Witherspoon, David Crosby, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Tracy Nelson, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Buchanan, Pure Prairie League, and others. He also made quite a name for himself as a producer, working on albums by Otis Rush, James Cotton, Michael Bloomfield, Janis Joplin, and others. Gravenites' sessionography is extensive; he's contributed to more than 50 albums as a singer, guitarist, bandleader, and/or producer.

The son of first-generation Greek immigrants, Gravenites grew up on Chicago's South Side and entered the University of Chicago in 1956. He began to play guitar in college, was immediately drawn to the university's large folk music club, and shortly thereafter began hanging out in the blues clubs. He met Paul Butterfield, who was still in high school, through the university's folk music club, though Butterfield never attended the University of Chicago. They began playing acoustic blues and folk songs together at campus-area coffeehouses. Also in the late '50s, he became friends with both black and white blues players then hanging out in the Chicago blues clubs, musicians like Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf, Mike Bloomfield, and Charlie Musselwhite.

A mid-'90s album with his group Animal Mind, titled Don't Feed the Animals, was released by Taxon Records, andGravenites joined Bob Margolin and others in a Kennedy Center tribute concert to bluesman Muddy Waters, taped in the fall of 1997 for airing on PBS. During the 2000s Gravenites could be found along with a host of other blues and blues-rock luminaries -- including Harvey Mandel(Canned Heat, John Mayall), Barry Goldberg (Electric Flag), Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), Corky Siegel (Siegel-Schwall Band), and Sam Lay (Butterfield Blues Band) -- inChicago Blues Reunion, an aggregation featured on the CD/DVD set Buried Alive in the Blues (recorded at an October 2004 concert in Berwyn, IL), released in 2005 by Out the Box RecordsIn the late '50s he began making periodic trips to San Francisco, and spent nearly ten years commuting between Chicago and San Francisco before finally settling in Northern California in the mid-'60s. Gravenites was a key player and impresario on both the Chicago blues scene and the emerging blues-rock and psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco. In 1967, he formed a short-lived but legendary band, the Electric Flag, with guitarist Bloomfield, organist Barry Goldberg, bassist Harvey Brooks, and drummer Buddy Miles. the Electric Flag made their first performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and their first album, A Long Time Comin', made the Top 40; the group continued to record into the mid-'70s. Gravenitescontinued to perform through the 1970s and '80s around San Francisco and Northern California, filling his live shows with raw, burning, very economical guitar playing and soulful singing. His solo and collaborative albums during this period include My Labors (CBS, 1969), the Steelyard Bluessoundtrack (Liberty, 1973), Junkyard In Malibu (Line, 1980), and Blue Star (Line, 1980). As a founding member and lead guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Cipollina helped shape the psychedelic sound of San Francisco in the 1960s. Most musicians on the scene were folkies who eventually turned acid rock, but Cipollina and fellow guitarist Gary Duncan were hard rockers when they formed Quicksilver Messenger Service in the mid-'60s. The band's self-titled 1968 debut brought them some attention, but it was the live, louder, and looser follow-up that made Cipollina a guitar legend. Guitarists would study 1969's Happy Trails for years to come. Cipollina also became famous for the strange amp stack he toured with, which included six Wurlitzer horns on top. Unfortunately, lineup changes would keep Quicksilver from finding firm footing until years later andCipollina would be gone by then, having quit the band in 1970.

The guitarist would go on to spend time in Copperhead, Raven, Terry & the Pirates, Zero, and the Frank Novato Band. He was still a guitarist's guitarist and could be found on stage more often than not, but none of these projects were to be as successful as Quicksilver. In the mid-'80s his health began to decline and he often needed a cane or a wheelchair. He fought respiratory problems hard for the next few years and still kept a busy schedule. On May 29, 1989, Cipollina was preparing for a show at San Francisco's Chi Chi Club when he died at the age of 45 from emphysema. The show ended up being a tribute to the guitarist with Cipollina's brother Mario -- bassist for Huey Lewis & the News -- leading an all-star lineup of Bay Area musicians. His famous amp stack and Gibson SG guitar are on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH.

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Keller Williams - Laugh 2002

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keller Williams isn't a performer whose music is easy to fit into a cookie-cutter category. He has a style all his own and doesn't seem to mind if others have trouble placing a label on it. That strategy must be working for him, since he has completed half a dozen full-length offerings for his fans. If one tries to categorize Williams' music they might call it a mixture of styles: a little bluegrass, a little reggae, a little jazz, a little funk, and more than a few dashes of jam band, all stirred into something he loves to share. Maybe a taste for the latter comes from working on recordings with the jam band String Cheese Incident. Williams does have a band of his own that features drummer and percussionist Dave Watts and bassist Tye North. The songs on this album,Laugh, have some interesting titles that might prepare listeners ahead of time for Williams' often tongue-in-cheek type of lyrics. A few of the tracks on this album are "God Is My Palm Pilot," "Freeker by the Speaker," "Kidney in a Cooler," "Alligator Alley," and "Bob Rules." The last offering on this album is "Freeker Reprise," a 16-minute jam session. AMG.

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Fistful of Mercy - As I Call You Down 2010

Fistful of Mercy is entirely too aggressive a name for the ramshackle trio of Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur, and Dhani Harrison, a group of neo-hippies whose respective circles conjoined so they decided to strum some acoustic guitars together and see what happened. What happened was a collection of nine pleasant folk-rock tunes tinged with a little blues and a lot of softly psychedelic twists reminiscent of Dhani’s dad, George. The melodies may recall the elder Harrison but the overall feel is uncannily CSN at their softest, the harmonies always gentle and the tempos never moving any faster than a lazy stroll. The mellow vibes are appealing in their own lackadaisical way, but as the short LP approaches its conclusion it’s hard not to wish there was just a little more discipline, perhaps enough to sculpt these pleasant sounds into full songs. AMG.

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Beat Farmers - Live at The Spring Valley Inn 1983

The Beat Farmers enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1980s and early '90s until the untimely passing of lead singer/drummer/guitarist Country Dick Montana in November 1995. He was just 40, and he collapsed after a massive heart attack at the Long Horn, a bar in Whistler, British Columbia, in western Canada.

Montana, a former record store owner, and past president of the Kinks Preservation Society fan club, formed The Beat Farmers in San Diego in 1983, influenced on the one hand by country and blues music, but on the other by the first wave of punk rock bands to come out of Los Angeles. The group began to attract a following at San Diego and Los Angeles-area clubs, satisfying a need for roots-based rock & roll before most people even knew the need existed. Over the years, Montanacollaborated with a wide range of Los Angeles-based musicians and singers, including Mojo Nixon,John Doe from the group X, Rosie Flores, the Bangles, Los Lobos, Katy Moffatt, blues singer/pianistCandye Kane, and ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin.

The Beat Farmers formed in August, 1983 when they played a series of shows at the Spring Valley Inn in San Diego, and later played a local bar, Bodies. By March of 1984, they were signed to Rhino Records for a one-off deal, and with a $4,000.00 budget, recorded Tales of the New West, their debut, which was released in January, 1985. They began their first U.S. tour and signed a seven-record deal with Curb Records. In December, 1985, Buddy Blue left the band and was replaced by guitarist/mandolinist Joey Harris, who had worked earlier with Montana in a precursor to The Beat Farmers, Country Dick & the Snuggle Bunnies. Around the time of their first U.S. tour, the band also begins to tour in Europe, where the passion for blues-rock, roots rock, and country rock runs higher than in parts of the U.S. The group's album, Pursuit of Happiness spurred the single "Make It Last''" which got airplay on more than 40 country & western stations. But once country radio programmers had a chance to hear the rest of the album, they quickly dropped the single, since many of them felt the rest of the album was too rock & roll oriented.The Beat Farmers discography is more extensive than most people would think, because a number of recordings are hard to find or out of print. The original group consisted ofMontana on drums, guitar and vocals, Jerry Raney on guitar and vocals, Buddy Blue on guitar and vocals and Rolle Dexter on bass. The group's albums include Tales of the New West (1985, Rhino), Glad 'n' Greasy (1985, Rhino),Van Go (1986, Curb Records), The Pursuit of Happiness(1987, Curb Records), Poor and Famous (1989, Curb Records), Loud and Plowed and...Live!! (1990, Curb Records), Viking Lullabys (1994, Sector 2 Records),Greatest Hits (1995, Curb Records), and Manifold (1995, Sector 2 Records).

In 1989, Montana and Harris joined Mojo Nixon and Dave Alvin from the Blasters to form the Pleasure Barons, a group that specialized in "lounge" music. A year later, Montana went into the hospital for thyroid surgery and continued to visit the doctor's office for cancer treatments. In the midst of all of this, the group grew dissatisfied with its relationship with Curb Records, and they attempted to get out of their seven-album contract around the same time they discovered a live album, Loud and Plowed and...Live!! has been released without their knowledge. In between national tours, Montana occupied himself with other projects in the Los Angeles area, including the Incredible Hayseeds, Country Dick's Petting Zoo, Country Dick's Garage, and the Pleasure Barons.

In 1993, The Beat Farmers recorded their first album for Sector 2 Records (an Austin, TX label), in Vancouver, Canada, Viking Lullabys. The record was released in August, 1994 and the band toured in earnest once again to support the release. While working on a second album for Sector 2, Curb Records released a Greatest Hits album, again without the band's consent. The Beat Farmers' last album, Manifold, was released on September 19, 1995, but was released two weeks earlier in San Diego to coincide with the Street Scene, an outdoor festival there. The group toured the U.S. in September and October, playing venues in Texas, the midwest, and New York City.

On November 8, 1995, Montana suffered a massive heart attack three songs into the band's set at the Long Horn in Whistler, B.C. The remaining Beat Farmers decide to dissolve the band on November 11, 1995.

Despite his risqué stage antics and bantering with his audiences, whom he often sprayed with beer,Country Dick Montana was a gentle soul who, after shows, would make his way around a club, shaking hands, signing autographs, and chatting for a few minutes with all who took the time to say hello. Since Montana's death in 1995, guitarists Joey Harris and Jerry Raney have gone on to form their own bands, continuing to some extent the roots rock tradition of The Beat Farmers. At their live shows, the group was unique for the way Montana would get out from behind his drum set to step out front and center and play guitar as well.

In 1996, Bar None Records of Hoboken, N.J. posthumously released The Devil Lied to Me, a long-awaited Country Dick Montana solo album. A star-studded affair with regionally and nationally famous musicians from the Los Angeles area,Montana is joined on this excellent release by roots chanteuses Katy Moffatt and Rosie Flores, as well as talented live performers like Mojo Nixon and ex-Blastersguitarist Alvin. Highlights include Alvin's "Rich Man's Town,"Paul Kamanski's "Indigo Rider," a cover of Tom Petty's "Listen to Her Heart,''" and the originals "King of the Hobos,''" as well as a tribute to amateur rappers -- and there are many of both in San Diego -- "Bum Rap." A new studio project, the Sven-Erik Seaholm-producedFulmination, appeared in 2009 from Furrow of Love Recordings. AMG.
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Maria McKee - Life Is Sweet 1996

For most of her career, Maria McKee has never deviated from country-rock, but Life Is Sweet is a bold departure from her trademark sound, taking her into new sonic territories. Although the loud, distorted guitars are the first noticeable change, it soon becomes apparent that the thing that makes the album sound so different is its latent progressive rock influences. Throughout the album, McKee weaves complex, layered arrangements that interweave strings, guitars, and keyboards. Appropriately, her melodies are more convoluted than ever before, yet they never become too obtuse. Lyrically, she has become more cryptic and angry, but that is all part of the plan -- Life Is Sweet is McKee's bid to be taken seriously as an artist. For some reason, that means she has constructed a hybrid of the prog rock arrangements that dominate the first half of the album and the confessional songwriting that is prominent on the second. Fortunately, the results sound better than they read, primarily because beneath all of the bombastic arrangements, McKee has retained her keen sense of songcraft. Still, with its art rock tendencies and naked ambition, Life Is Sweet may not appeal to fans who have become attached to McKee's country-rock. For those willing to accept her pretensions, it is a frustrating but rewarding album. AMG.

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Lettuce - Outta Here 2002

Lettuce is the group that began the careers of several noted "jam band" musicians: Eric Krasno ofSoulive, Adam Deitch of the John Scofield Band, Adam Smirnoff of the Squad, Jeff Bhayshk of Kudu,Ryan Zoidis of Rustic Overtones, and Eric Coomes, now a Los Angeles-based producer. Outta Hereis essentially a reunion project featuring these players and several special guests, including trombonistFred Wesley, Soulive organist Neal Evans, and John Scofield himself. Toni Smith also contributes an alluring R&B vocal on "Twisted." Although the album is overly reliant on funk clichés, there are some captivating moments, mostly toward the end of the disc. The groove on "Nyack" is something else -- so good that a bonus live version closes out the disc, giving the listener a good sense of what the band does on stage (hint: it cooks). Keep the disc playing and you'll hear a 45-second snippet of horns and drums getting down as well. AMG.

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Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo 2011

Philly-based singer/songwriter Kurt Vile lit up the indie rock radar in 2009 with his cynical, lo-fi, classic rock-meets-N.Y.C. proto-punk Matador debut. Fans of the visceral, D.I.Y. fuzz-folk that dominatedChildish Prodigy may be taken aback by the production upgrade on Smoke Ring for My Halo, but the cleaner sound doesn’t mean that the floors aren’t still filthy. Channeling everyone from the Dead toMellow Gold-era Beck to Lou Reed, Vile comes off as malcontent, but there’s an oddball warmth behind his laconic sneer that echoes the late slacker comedian Mitch Hedberg; for every “I wanna write my whole life down/burn it there to the ground” ("On Tour"), there’s an “If it ain’t workin’, take a whiz on the world” ("Runner Ups"). Sweeter and a little more soulful than Prodigy, Halo leans harder on the urban folk side of Vile's disposition (the album opens with a straight-up love song), but tracks like the churning “Puppet to the Man” and “Society Is My Friend” pick up where Prodigy stompers like “Freak Train” and “Overnight Religion” left off. Vile's guitar work remains predictably strong, especially on the fingerpicked “Peeping Tomboy” and the shimmery title cut, but it’s his efforltess, serpentine melodies and amiable, burnout wisdom that keep the listener so enthralled. In an age where angst is delivered with the subtlety of a laser light show, it’s nice to hear some good, old-fashioned, smokin’-and-drinkin’-cheap-beers-on-the-porch-with-your-friends-style pessimism. [The two-disc, deluxe edition of Smoke Ring for My Halo adds six bonus cuts to the set, including "The Creature", "It's Alright", "Life's a Beach", "Laughing Stock", "Downbound Train" and "(so outta reach)". AMG.

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