This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen Magazine #97 (December 2001/January 2002). The magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

CONCERT REVIEWS

Janus Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival
Snowmass Village, CO
August 31 – September 3, 2001

For over a decade, the nonprofit Jazz Aspen Snowmass organization has not only presented stellar jazz and world beat music at its festivals and summer concert series but has been a leader in year-round education of budding young jazz lions. Though the extensive scope of this organization is a story for another day, the "giving back" aspect only underpins how multi-dimensional this organization is, far exceeding just being another concert promoter.

Set in the Shrangri-La backdrop of the spectacular Rocky Mountains, Jazz Aspen Snowmass' sixth annual Labor Day Festival could be termed "Grooves from Around the World" since that was the theme mined throughout the weekend. Though there were a few mainstreamers like Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and the Monsters, LDF offered substantial diversity.

The surprises were the best part of the festival, like Deep Banana Blackout (DBB), who opened day two of the festival. With swaying horn lines, slippery keyboards, and earth-rumbling backbeats, the Bananas were an ap-pealing bunch that incited the crowd with their myriad influences that ranged from bossa nova boogies to African guitar riffs. Though some would dismiss its extended improvisations as jam band, from an ethnic music lover's perspective, DBB's music was rich with ideas and influences.

Similarly on the edge was G. Love and Special Sauce, who, despite their longevity, are still one of America's most original bands. Adorned in a baby blue Phillies jersey and baggy pants, the sedentary Love played sparse guitar licks and stinging Jimmy Reed-like harmonica solos while knocking his knees back and forth ever so wildly. Though his comical lyrics maintained a rapper's cadence and novel phraseology, there were times when a roots sensibility showed through. On the "Baby's Got Sauce," Love opted for a northern Mississippi hill country trance intro before segueing into a breezy jazzy tempo. "Cold Beverage" was a favorite, as was the set's closer, "Give Me Power" (from reggae's Lee Perry).

San Francisco's Vinyl kicked off day three with a cornucopia of global vibes that spanned reggae, Brazilian, Afro-Caribbean montuno piano riffs, jazz, Gershwin, funk, and touches of psychedelia. Bottom line? A totally electrifying sound that invited celebration.

Speaking of babes that got sauce, Africa's dynamic diva Angelique Kidjo commanded the stage personality of a Mick Jagger-meets-Michael Jackson. Kidjo's "Tumba" was an example of how funk rhythms originated in West Africa while "Ominira" interestingly soaked in a Brazilian flavor. Her social commentary was incisive as she related how Africa's poverty-stricken children often submit to drugs and prostitution for survival.

Imagine all the blaring jam boxes and car stereos while stuck in an L.A. traffic jam; that's an apt description of Ozomatli's diverse sounds. Playing a montage of Latin jazz, hip-hop, cumbias, traditional Mexican melodies, low rider rhythms, and even a touch of klemzer, these new breeds challenged the crowd to be equally as energetic. With a peppery horn section, a turntablist, scads of percussionists, and a smiling rapper named Kinetic Source, the frenetic-paced Ozo usually won, blowing the doors off in the process.

Not to be outdone were the Gipsy Kings, who were simply stunning with their arsenal of seven flamenco-fueled guitarists who blazed away faster than the posted speed limit.

Between set changes, a "house" band performed at a novel art deco tent stage across the way. Day three featured SamabaDá, a Santa Cruz Brazilian troupe who caused temperatures to rise each time up with its forró/samba reggae/samba funk and batucada drumming style. The voluptuous, scantily clad dancers who accompanied them didn't hurt their crowd appeal, either.

Mali's Habib Koité and Bamada ranked among the most intriguing of the fest, exhibiting subtler, gentler grooves that washed the soul like calm ocean waves. Singing in his native Kassonkhe and Sonrai tongues, the soft-voiced Koité played beautiful intricate finger-picking patterns while Kélétigui Diabate alternated between tapping delicate notes on the balafon (marimba) and slicing out sweet, haunting violin lines.

Though not necessarily fodder for these pages, Soulive played inspired if not brilliant jazz, boasting warm guitar runs, mind-bending Hammond B-3 riffs, and ripping sax solos, all supported by up-and-away tempos. With each subsequent composition, the young lions of Soulive soared to exhilarating new heights while staying connected with their audience.

As reggae-meisters Steel Pulse and Alpha Blondy closed out the festival, the last hurrah of the summer was winding down for the party-loving people of the mountains. No worry, it was time to get those skis tuned up anyway.

— Dan Willging (Denver, CO)

29th RockyGrass Festival
Lyons, CO
July 27-29, 2001

Over a warm, sunny weekend in late July, Planet Bluegrass hosted the 29th annual RockyGrass festival in Lyons, Colorado, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Rockies next to the South St. Vrain River. People listened to music all day long and then retired to the campground to play music until sunrise.

Local boys Single Malt Band kicked off the festival with a set that blended Celtic and bluegrass music effectively on songs like "Dooley." Mark Schatz and friends, who included Missy Raines, Jim Hurst. and Casey Driessen, played a great set of reels on their encore, including "Sally in the Garden" and "Soldier's Joy," and Schatz clogged a bit to "Old Joe Clark."

The Lynn Morris Band helped warm the crowd up for the evening, ending with an excellent "Lee Highway Blues." The Del McCoury Band with David Grisman tore things up on a more bluegrass-oriented set. Jason Carter's fiddling on "Katie Hill," played by audience request, was one highlight, while Grisman and Ronnie McCoury dueled on mandolin on several songs, including a passionate "Body and Soul," sung by McCoury.

That set was just the beginning. Peter Rowan and the Panama Red Riders, with guest Tony Rice, picked one stellar tune after another. Rice stepped to the fore with a breathtaking solo on "Shenandoah." Bryn Bright's jazzy bass solo on "Cold Rain and Snow" elicited a roar, while the "Free Mexican Air Force" encore brought the crowd to its feet. The Sam Bush Bluegrass Band (Bush, bassist Byron House, guitarist Jon Randall-Stewart, and banjo player Gary Davis) closed the evening with an excellent set, including a beautiful "Eight More Miles to Louisville." For his encore, Bush dragged everyone he could onstage, including the Del McCoury and Peter Rowan bands, Tony Rice, Nickel Creek, Pete Wernick, Missy Raines, Jim Hurst, and Sally Van Meter. The ensuing "cluster pluck" on "Old Kentucky" and "Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms" was a monster.

Day two kicked off with the instrumental contest finals. Missy Raines and Jim Hurst got things going early with excellent bass work from Raines on "Silverlake." "Just Some Mandolin Pickers" included Bush, Grisman, Chris Thile, Ronnie McCoury, and Mike Marshall. There was a lovely duet between Marshall and Thile on "The Fisher's Hornpipe" and supercharged jamming on "Dawg's Bull."

Tim O'Brien and Darryl Scott's set included an excellent "Great Day to Be Alive," a solo fiddle/vocal performance from O'Brien of "The Tide Flows into Milltown," and a beautiful "Gentle on My Mind" encore, dedicated to John Hartford. The Seldom Scene's set mixed traditional material with classic rock covers, including Clapton's "Lay Down Sally," on which guitarist Dudley Connell sang a spot-on Dylan imitation on one verse.

The David Grisman Quintet's set was the most experimental of the weekend, including several long instrumentals like "EMD" and "Grateful Dawg." The Del McCoury Band closed the day with several songs from its new record Del and the Boys, including "Bluegrass Country." On the final encore, McCoury brought out Sara Watkins, Wernick, and Grisman for "Swing Low Sweet Chariot."

On Sunday, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver played their second, mostly gospel, set of the weekend, while Chris Thile and Mike Marshall sat down for a set of casual, but brilliant, mandolin picking on songs like "Over the Waterfall."

Bluegrass Etc.'s instrumentation was well received, especially on "Black Mountain Rag," while Lonesome River Band punctuated its understated set with gems like "Bootleg John." Youngsters Nickel Creek brought the house to its feet with their instrumental prowess. Sara Watkins' fiddle work on "St. Anne's Reel" was magic, while Chris Thile's riff on Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" in the middle of "The Fox" worked perfectly.

Tony Rice displayed his guitar virtuosity on tunes like "Red Haired Boy," while guest Dan Tyminski sang a powerhouse "Freeborn Man." A tribute to Old and In the Way, with original members Grisman, Rowan, and Vassar Clements, as well as banjo player Herb Pedersen and bassist Bright, brought the house down. The first encore, "Good Old Boys," was dedicated to John Hartford (who wrote it), while the "Midnight Moonlight" proved you can jam in bluegrass, with Clements taking an outstanding extended fiddle solo to bring RockyGrass to a close.

— Candace Horgan (Aurora, CO)