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Showing posts from October, 2015

PREVIEW: Monophonics & Polyrhythmics 10.30 & 10.31.15 (Seattle, WA)

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Nectar Lounge Seattle, WA Words By Coleman Schwartz Photo By Scott Shrader ( J. Scott Shrader Photography ) Halloween weekend is almost here and live music fans everywhere rejoice for their annual excuse to command the dancefloor in costume. In the eccentric neighborhood of Fremont, Seattle, Nectar Longue will be throwing the craziest party in town. In an epic clash of prefixes, Seattle afro-beat superheroes the Polyrhythmics are co-headlining a two night run with SF based psychedelic soul sextet Monophonics. Friday (10.30) will feature the Polyrhythmics opening up for Monophonics, while Saturday (10.31) will flip the order to allow for a good old fashioned Halloween hometown throwdown, which is certain to extend late into the evening. Costumes are encouraged on both nights, but fervent dancing will be mandatory for admission. Doors will be at 8:00 PM each night, with music starting at 9:00 PM! Tickets for Friday are $20.00 DOS. Tickets for Saturday are $20.00 in advance, $25.00

The Dean Ween Group 10.16 & 10.17.15 (Photos)

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The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Photos By Jim Mimna ( J. Mimna Photography ) View Jim's Full Friday Photo Album Here! View Jim's Full Saturday Photo Album Here! www.thedeanweengroup.com

Tauk & Consider The Source 10.16.15

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Fox Theater Boulder, CO Words & Photos By Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) I've been hearing about Consider the Source for a couple of years. Saturday night I decided to venture out to Boulder and see what I'd been missing, as the band provided support to Tauk. As we entered the venue, CtS was already on stage, and I was immediately impressed with their chops. Guitarist, Gabriel Marin, was a sight to behold as he dominated a dual-necked fret-less guitar. His style was a barrage of notes that danced skillfully through various cultural influences. The best description I could muster was "world prog." In addition to Marin's inspired licks, Jeff Mann's rhythmic prowess was undeniable. Just maintaining a groove amongst the chaotic flurry of melodic madness was quite the feat, but the glue of the organization was provided by an absolute monster of a bass player... John Ferrara. Ferrara confidently thumped out some of the dirtiest and most impressive lo

Jen Hartswick, Bernie Worrell, Roosevelt Collier, Reed Mathis, Russ Lawton, Gabe Mervine & Matt Pitts 10.10.15 (Photos)

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The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Photos By Jim Mimna ( J. Mimna Photography ) View Jim's Full Photo Album Here! www.jenhartswick.com www.bernieworrell.com www.rooseveltcollier.com

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey 'Battle For Earth'

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Words By J. Picard Alone in a basement on Colfax Avenue in Denver, I read the accompanying comic for Jacob Fred's Battle For Earth. It's easily one of the weirdest things that I have ever read start to finish without actually putting it down. I was fortunate enough to be at the album's recording shows at Dazzle Jazz a mere year prior, so when it came to Battle For Earth's soundtrack, I knew exactly what to expect. The comic book though was an absolute treat of nonsense. For the sake of not spoiling the story line, this review will focus on the music, outside of a mention of an elk putting a crystal to its third eye and the band riding their spirit animals into space. The album starts with the selection "Better Living Through Competitive Spirituality," setting the tone for space through jazz. The trio's output conjures up thoughts of bands like Medeski, Martin & Wood, Snarky Puppy and even Herbie Hancock at times. "Hey Hey NSA" pushes the t

ALBUM REVIEW: Jelly Bread's 'Here, There, and Everywhere'

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Words By Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) I first heard of Jelly Bread when this album review came up. With my adventurous ears ready for some new sounds, I took on the task. The band was described as a “really good funk band from Reno,” and I let my mind imagine what they sounded like. For some reason I was thinking the band would be a young group tackling the neo-funk played by bands like Lettuce. What I got was a surprise. The opening track immediately hauled me into a quasi- blues tune that brought to mind Tedeschi-Trucks. The vocals sounded seasoned, powerful and full of soul. They really were a highlight throughout the album. I had been expecting the shiny, bass-driven, funk… not the soul I was hearing. The second tune was a bit raw in comparison. The chill vibe and relaxed instrumentation gave it a familiar vibe, but I couldn’t place a comparison. I did enjoy the lead line near the end which was somewhere between an envelope filtered guitar and a grindy clavinet. Th

Two Nights of Jason Hann's Rhythmatronix feat. Kang, Haque, Stoops, Manga & Pineda 10.2 & 10.3.15 (Photos)

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The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Photos By J. Mimna Photography View Jim's Full Friday Photo Gallery Here! View Jim's Full Saturday Photo Gallery Here! www.facebook.com/Rhythmatronix

Too Many Zooz & Atomga 10.1.15 (Photos)

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The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Photos By Jim Mimna ( J. Mimna Photography ) View Jim's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.toomanyzooz.bandcamp.com

PREVIEW: Jen Hartswick, Bernie Worrell, Roosevelt Collier, Reed Mathis, Russ Lawton, Gabe Mervine & Matt Pitts 10.10.15

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The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Join us this Saturday at The 1up - Colfax in Denver, CO for a very special super jam with Jen Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic, The Talking Heads), Roosevelt Collier (The Lee Boys, Colorado Get Down), Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Billy & The Kids), Russ Lawton (Trey Anastasio Band), Gabe Mervine (The Motet) and Matt Pitts (The Motet) with special guest Naryan Padmanabha (Family Funktion & The Sitar Jams)! Tickets are available at www.the-1up.com/event

Conor Oberst & The Felice Brothers 9.29.15 (Photos)

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The Moore Theatre Seattle, WA Photos By Scott Shrader ( J. Scott Shrader Photography ) View Scott's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.conoroberst.com www.thefelicebrothers.com

Head For The Hills with Wood & Wire 9.11.15

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Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) “Then you better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone. For the times they are a-changin’.” – Bob Dylan Seems like you can’t blink your eyes these days without major shifts in the scene with far reaching repercussions felt by many. Even going to see hometown heroes Head For The Hills is not without a sense of transformation. Founding member Mike Chappell picked his final mandolin string with H4TH at YarmonyGrass this summer. Mike is settling down in Portland with his new wife after more than ten years with the band. Maybe he and Vince Herman will start an acoustic coffee house project for the people of that fine city. Who knows? I absolutely wish him the best in this new chapter. This particular show was billed as a Grand Reopening celebration as The Aggie Theater finds itself under new management. Co-owner of Cervantes, Scott Morrill, along with a cavalcade of fellow invest