By: David Schultz

David Fricke once described the obligations responsible listeners owe to music as the following: “Respect the elders; embrace the new; encourage the impractical and improbable without bias.” For almost a decade, jambands.com has embraced the new and encouraged those doing something unique with their New Groove of the Month; an award it bestows on up-and-coming bands worthy of increased exposure. This past Friday night, Licorice, BuzzUniverse and Bugg Juice converged on New York City’s Ace of Clubs for a triple bill full featuring three past recipients of the New Groove honor. The varying styles of the three different bands demonstrated the variety and breadth of music that falls into the jamband umbrella. Bugg Juice’s set focused on funk and Grateful Dead style guitar-based jams, BuzzUniverse offered an eclectic mix of Latin and world rhythm tinged tunes and Licorice closed the night with a mighty set that showcased the wonderful musicianship that is the band’s signature.

The night’s de facto headliner, Licorice, played a tight set heavy on material from their upcoming EP, A Million Grains Of Sand.” The set list may not look drastically different from their recent shows. However, set lists, like sad songs, can only say so much. Songs that have been staples in their set for quite some time have evolved from free-ranging jams into tightly packed, expertly worked tunes. Getting an assist from Stefanie Seskin and Brian Ciufo, BuzzUniverse’s remarkable horn section, “What’s Your Status In London” and “Freeze” gained depth and breadth. “All Kings Fall” gets a jolt from Matt Epstein’s complex bass riffs and Josh Bloom’s jazzy drumming while the finale of “A Million Grains Of Sand” ranks up there with “Free Bird” as lengthy codas that you wouldn’t mind going on longer. The finesse spreads to newer songs like “Stranger In A Familiar Land” and “Bunnies,” the latter featuring Chad Dinzes reaching Chris Martin levels of layered keyboards. In addition to interpreting The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, they also reinvented “La Isla Bonita.” With Bloom pounding the drums with his bare hands and guitarist Dave Lott sliding in his customary Santana solo, Licorice freed the inner rocker the Madonna pop classic. On a night of new grooves, they closed the night with a relatively basic one. “Say It (You’re Mom’s A Vegetarian)” may build off a Blink 182 riff, but in Licorice’s hands it becomes a timeless rock anthem.

BuzzUniverse, the most recent of the three New Grooves, showed the many permutations that can arise when you take the basic formula of a power trio with horns and work in elements of funk, country and Latin rhythms. They rolled through the raucous country hootenanny of “Up The Mountain” and rocked a hip swaying version of “Caballo Viejo,” with bilingual lead singer/guitarist Alex Garay’s lyrics giving the song a dose of authenticity. Drummer Dave Migliore and percussionist Bob Ramos, who won the silliest hat of the night award without contest, allowed BuzzU to create their many and varied moods, kicking out blues based bursts with the same frequency as worldbeat rhythms. The spirit of cooperation endemic in the jamband scene manifested itself at the close of their set with Marc Pincus from Bugg Juice and folk-rapper Ross Sandler joining in on a superextended version of “In The Sun,” a marvelous song that goes in many directions, working off Greg McLoughlin’s wickedly funky bass line.

Bugg Juice opened the night with an extended opening set centered round guitarist Marc Pincus, who once spent time in Head Monkey with U-Melt’s Zac Lasher and George Miller. A band of the people, Bugg Juice earned their New Groove status by winning it during one of the months opened to fan voting. A lot of their songs have a bright bouncy feel to them and echo the timeless grooves of the Grateful Dead. Dave Cohen is able to get the same type of bluesy funk out of his keyboards that marked some of the Dead’s more danceable songs. They also worked the double percussion, with Katie Pearlman joining Chaim Tolwin on the drums.

Licorice, BuzzUniverse and Bugg Juice have more in common besides joining bands like Tea Leaf Green, The Slip, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals in the pantheon of New Grooves of the Month. For all the differences between the three bands, one thing remained constant, with these New Grooves, things move quick and they never get old.

Labels: Bugg Juice, BuzzUniverse, Licorice

[Ed. Note: Earvolution's artist development and production side of the business has a few tricks up its sleeve for 2008 as well; new Pawnshop Roses coming soon and expect a major announcement involving the marrying of new media technology with one of the most revered brands in American music history.]

Labels: Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Drive By Truckers, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Licorice, North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes, The Hold Steady, U-Melt

If you're in NYC this weekend, the Green Apple Festival is kicking off. Earvolution friends Licorice will be performing at The Knitting Factory, Tap Bar at 11PM as part of the Green Apple Music and Arts Festival, NYC with Mike Dillon's Go Go Jungle and The Bomb Squad.

And, if you're itching to get started earlier in the day you can get an afternoon treat at 4:30 from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals followed up by a just announced set from Ozomatli at 5:45. Both of these great acts are throwing down as part of the Earth Fair at Grand Central Terminal (on Vanderbilt Ave.).

Saturday afternoon should be just as great with sets by Zero, State Radio and Assembly of Dust. Details of these sets and the rest of the festival are available here.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Green Apple Music and Arts Festival, Licorice

Guns 'N Roses may or may not be putting out Chinese Democracy any time soon, but Axl Rose's former band mate Gilby Clarke is doing double duty on the new release front. Clarke is, of course, part of the Rock Star Supernova train wreck. But, he's also got a new self-title solo release. As someone else said, any man who has "dealt with Axl Rose's ego, Michael Jackson's eccentricities and now the proliferations of Tommy Lee" deserves at least a listen.
Streams: "Black" & "Cure Me...Or Kill Me"

Despite the indie rock dominance, "metal" will be represented at this year's SXSW festival. Louisville rockers Devil Child (you can't get much more metal than that name!) whose EP is out today will be playing at the Cold Sweat/Buddyhead showcase on Thursday, March 15 at The Blender Balcony.
Mp3: "Never Bet the Devil Your Head"

To go to the near opposite end of the music spectrum, for those who like their music a little more laid back you can check out Licorice at the Blue Note in NYC as part of the club's Late Night Groove Series. Licorice takes the stage at 12:30am.

Speaking of going from one extreme to another, punk ground breaker Tommy Ramone is now pickin' bluegrass. Yes, the Ramones original drummer (and manager) is now part of a blue grass duo called Uncle Monk with Claudia Tienan. "We are doing what feels natural to us," says Ramone. "We are making use of string-band instrumentation along with alternative rock flavorings. We're drawn to the classic simplicity of string-band music, but at the same time we are deeply involved with the aesthetics of indie music. There is a similarity between punk and old-time music — both are home-brewed as opposed to schooled. Both have earthy energy. And there is a certain cool in old-time music that is found in the best alternative artists."

Child Bite was recently featured on NPR's Open Mike. The Michigan indie experimentalists position themselves as a "combination of punk vigor and avant-garde ideals." Judge for yourself...
Mp3s: Bone Sleep and Broach for Two.

Labels: Licorice, Mp3s, Ramones, SXSW

By: David Schultz

The jamband scene has delightfully become quite varied and splintered since the whole genre could be encapsulated by the Grateful Dead or Phish. Where the jamband term once brought to mind a neo-hippie style derived from jazz improvisations that featured lengthy solos, it now can't be so narrowly defined.

In recent years, jambands have simply become a difficult animal to categorize: Railroad Earth and the Yonder Mountain String Band have a bluegrass tinge; Particle and the Disco Biscuits opt for a rave-like electronic vibe, Tea Leaf Green derive their sound from their California roots and Umphrey's McGee brings the lofty goals of the progressive rock era into the 21st Century - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In this wide ranging "post-jam" universe, improvisation still rules but the term now best signifies a band that thrives in a live environment and has found a way to build a meaningful relationship with their audience.

As it's usually impossible to get a sense of a jamband from just one song, the "genre" doesn't lend itself to compilation form in the same manner as pop music is wedded to the Now That's What I Call Music series. With their Stages compilations, Apogee Records has found a clever way to introduce new jambands to their prospective new fans. Rather than selecting just one song to represent the band, they treat each artist like fine wine, giving them room to breathe by allotting them significant time to get their sound across. On Stages, Apogee featured emerging bands like Umphrey's McGee, Particle and the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey; on Stages 2, Apogee once again picks up their crystal ball compiling more than 2 hours of music from 7 up-and-coming post-jam bands.

The Brakes and Licorice, co-headliners of the Stages 2 release party, get the most time and offer a nice contrast in styles. The Brakes' selections focus on their songs as opposed to their jamming. They they end "After The Storm" at a point where some other bands would springboard into a long instrumental. In contrast, Licorice, features their skillful musicianship, showing their impressive range, going from neo-avant-garde in "What's Your Status In London" to jazz on "Swisher." When combined with U-Melt's relatively short (for them) version of their eminently danceable "Schizophrenia," the first disc offers a treasure trove of good tunes.

The second disc is a bit spottier, containing some well-played but clichéd jams. Signal Path's selections spotlight their electronic-style songs and contain the disc's brightest moments. Green Lemon's reggae-infused "Desire Is A Gun" plods but their lengthier "Flight Of Manwe" does soar. On "Oblique," Bump gives a glimpse of what would have happened if an eighties Breakfast Club-era band decided to jam. Focusing on their horn section, (and adding the Addison Groove Project's horn section on "Free Time"), Akashic Record offers a good smattering of seventies-style funk. It's well done but too similar to what many other funk-based bands are doing.

If you're not already predisposed to the whole "jamband scene," Stages 2 won't make you a convert. However, if hearing musicians doing their thing in a live setting already appeals to you, Stages 2 provides a nice introduction to some new grooves for the New Year.

Labels: Akashic Record, Apogee Records, Bump, Green Lemon, Licorice, Signal Path, The Brakes, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

For anyone with the desire to seek it out, this past weekend in New York City yielded a bounty of exceptional live music. Saturday night's option was easy to locate: the scalding hot Tea Leaf Green made their return to New York City for a show at Irving Plaza, their largest Manhattan venue to date. On Friday night, the intrepid and the mobile had plenty of time to catch the funky Afroskull ensemble at the Lower East Side's Parkside Lounge before Licorice's late-night set at The Knitting Factory.

A Band On Fire:

On the same weekend that Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein played CBGB's last notes, Tea Leaf Green made a triumphant return to Manhattan for the first time since headlining the beloved punk club during last April's Green Apple Music & Arts Festival. Without question, Tea Leaf Green is simply a band on fire right now. Portended by the increasing size of each ensuing venue, Tea Leaf is attracting a great number of new listeners to go along with their growing legions of converts. While newcomers may be daunted by Tea Leaf's sizable repertoire of concert staples, they can bring themselves up to speed with their new CD/DVD release, Rock 'N' Roll Band, which will be released on October 31st.

Ridiculously punctual, Tea Leaf took the Irving Plaza stage promptly at 10:00 p.m., opening with a rollicking "Jezebel" before segueing into a harmonica laced "Incandescent Devil." Their short first set featured a good dose of their laid-back jamming centered on Trevor Garrod's flowing pseudo-folksy keyboard riffs and featured spirited versions of "The Garden, Part II" and "Panspermic De-evolution;" the latter anchored by Ben Chambers' nifty bass work. A heavier second set really showed off Tea Leaf's burgeoning confidence, especially during the uber-cool "Franz Hanzerbeak." Fresh off of sharing the stage with Trey Anastasio in Charlottesville, VA, Josh Clark ripped through a number of crisp solos, closing the set with "Death Cake," one of their heaviest songs. Given the charismatic personalities playing in front of him, it's easy to overlook the drumming of Scott Rager, but his versatility gives Garrod, Clark and Chambers the freedom to explore musical possibilities without wandering far astray. Moving beyond the music, Tea Leaf's stage show received a boost from their lighting director, Alan Sezak. In step with the band the entire evening, Sezak used Irving Plaza's lighting system to a degree rarely seen at the venue, accentuating the music and adding an arena-like dimension to intimate venue.

Right about now, Tea Leaf Green are a high precision machine splendidly working on all cylinders. If for some reason you've missed this band: by any means necessary find one of their CDs, check out their MySpace page or even better, go see them when they come to your town. If for some reason you don't get it upon your first listen: play it again, because you did something wrong the first time.

1:00 a.m. Is The New 10:00 p.m.

With a California based band dominating Saturday night, New York based bands prodigiously plied their craft on Friday. Licorice, closers of our 2006 Summer Jam battled some scheduling uncertainties to pull of a wonderful late-night set at the Knitting Factory's Tap Room befitting of their status as a former New Groove of the Month. In an ode to Friday the 13th, Licorice took the stage with hockey masks that might have led the unaware to think they were seeing a Slipknot homage. Their set consisted of a nice mix of familiar staples, like the melodious "Freeze" and the lively avant-garde-ish "What's Your Status In London," with a couple relatively new tunes and some nicely selected covers.

Despite the late hour, Licorice kept the crowd energized. Even after seeing Licorice on many occasions, their ability to keep a loose jazzy feel while retaining their tightness as a band remains striking. Though impressive, it's not surprising: all four are such talented musicians. Bassist Matt Epstein and drummer Josh Bloom provide fertile soil for guitarist Dave Lott and keyboardist Chad Dinzes to improvise over. If anything, Epstein needs to face the audience more so they can get a better idea of his skillful bass playing. Before closing with their slick adaptation of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita," Licorice ran through a couple of their latest songs. The bouncy "All Kings Fall," which rides on a funky bass line, features some jazzy drumming by Bloom; "A Million Grains Of Sand" begins as a pleasing pop song before sharply shifting gears into a closing jam a la Yes' "Starship Trooper." Lott dove heartily into a cover of Eric Clapton's "Got To Get Better In A Little While" and though Dinzes may not have nailed Thom Yorke's relatively inimitable vocals, he masterfully got Radiohead's "National Anthem" across on his keyboards.

Afroskull's Funky Friday

With their roots in New Orleans, the now New York based Afroskull played an early evening show at the Parkside Lounge, one of their frequent haunts on the lower east side. Led by guitarist Joe Scatassa, Afroskull follows in the footsteps of the bands of the seventies that amassed a troupe of musicians to form their funky sound. Since transplanting from the Crescent City, Afroskull has kicked around New York for a couple years while their current lineup gels acquiring a fine little horn section along the way. Friday night's show appears to be their last for a couple months as they are about to retreat to the studio to record a new album.

With space at a premium, percussionist Seth Moutal and the horn section were relegated to playing on the floor as the stage barely held Scatassa, bassist Dan Asher, keyboardist Matt Iselin and drummer Dan Asher. Perhaps owing to the configuration, there were moments when the musicians seemed to playing over each other, struggling to find their space within the groove. On other occasions, their interaction worked perfectly, mimicking their blend of sweaty seventies soul and New Orleans funk. There were relatively few solos as the band went from one funky jam into another.

Besides the seventies era funk, Afroskull's show bears noting for one of the more astounding individual performances I've ever seen. Before closing with Santana's "Soul Sacrifice," Scatassa invited a couple friends on stage, an especially tall bassist and a slight statured drummer, whose names I unfortunately missed. Iselin remained on keys, Asher dropped to the floor to play bongos and the horns took a break. The scaled down band skillfully ran through a couple bluesy numbers but it the drummer's unique style that drew my attention. It wasn't until the drummer stood up to leave the stage that it became noticeable that the drummer didn't have any hands and had secured the drumsticks to his arms with a relatively inconspicuous contraption. Quite a revelation: but at its core it's all just part of your typical New York concert weekend.

Labels: Afroskull, Licorice, Tea Leaf Green

One of New York's most talented jambands, Licorice, featuring David Lott (guitar), Matt Epstein (bass), Chad Dinzes (keyboards) and Josh Bloom (drums), have found themselves at home at venues as crunchy as the City's Lion's Den and as staid as the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club. Named October 2005's "New Groove of the Month" by Relix Magazine, fans have sought out Licorice to get a taste of this jazzy, improvisational quartet. Highlighting any Licorice show is their ability to jam in unison, with no one taking the opportunity to sit back and let the others carry their weight. Throughout any performance, everyone on stage will be doing something meriting attention: whether it be Dinzes turning his hands into a blur on the keyboards; Lott running through an intricate guitar riff; Epstein relentlessly churning out a funky rhythm or Bloom slipping in some jazzy drumming. In lesser hands, the result could be auditory chaos. In Licorice's hands, the result is an exciting jazz, avant-garde, funk and rock concoction.

Anyone coming by The Baggot Inn in New York City's West Village for Thursday's Happy Hour has come across The Seven Eleven Project. Slowly becoming an early evening fixture, the Project comprised of Licorice guitarist David Lott, 5th of July lead singer Sabriena Stone and longtime collaborator, guitarist Michael "Skitz" Fitzpatrick, offer a delightful mix of acoustic originals, guitar-heavy jams and an occasional eighties chestnut. The trio have known each other for years and their joy of playing together comes through in their music.

Both Licorice & the 7/11 Project will appear this Thursday, August 10th at Sin-E in NYC as part of Earvolution's Summer Jam 2006. Some tickets remain and are available here.

Labels: Licorice, Sabriena Stone, Seven Eleven Project

By: David Schultz

On a weekend where Licorice's keyboardist, Chad Dinzes, became swept up in one of the many late May graduation ceremonies taking place across the country, the remaining three members of Licorice, guitarist David Lott, bassist Matt Epstein and drummer Josh Bloom, amply made do at their Saturday evening show at New York City's Coda. Hearkening back to a time before Dinzes joined the band, Licorice went "Old Skool," taking the stage as a trio, solicited the help of an old and long-time friend and played a show designed to delight their long time fans. While Licorice can always be counted on to provide entertaining improvisational jams, with everyone constantly moving the music forward, this night showed that they can also play within the conventional structure of the power trio. On their opener "Name" and the following instrumental number, Epstein and Bloom provided an additional kick to their always stellar rhythm section, giving the songs a nice weighty pacing. On "What's Your Status In London," a song customarily punctuated by Dinzes' sharp keyboard work, Lott showed extraordinarily dexterous skill in remarkably transforming the song's keyboard intro into a startling guitar solo.

After their opening trio of originals, the band brought on newly engaged, 5th of July singer Sabriena Stone, reforming one of Licorice's original lineups. As the band went through a number of genres, Stone showed off a wonderful range and ability to adapt to styles as diverse as reggae, blues, pop and even some late-era, howling-Sting Police. With only her voice to match the finely-tuned musicians of Licorice, she ably held her own.

Taking advantage of the gifted vocalist Stone, Licorice pretty much abandoned their traditional catalog of instrumental heavy jams, offering instead a number of eclectic covers. Over the course of their set, Licorice and Stone touched on The Police's "Synchronicity II," T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" and a wonderful medley of Eric Clapton's "Get Ready" and The Pointer Sisters' "How Long," Playing straight covers seemed to constrain Licorice, their creativity unable to flourish when offering another's songs. In contrast, when they interpret, rather than cover, they create something memorable. Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" has long been a number covered instrumentally; with Stone adding her powerful voice, Licorice offered a version that was part cover/part hip transformation as Lott incorporated Santana's signature riffs from "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" over Epstein and Bloom's deliciously tribal beat. Lott also offered another attention-grabbing bluesy solo during their cover of "Stormy Monday." While their run through "Mystery Train" was enjoyable, their ventures into reggae fell into the same disappointing realm as most non-reggae bands' foray into the genre.

Near the close of the set, originals moved back to the forefront of the set; a fantastic duet between Stone and Lott on Licorice's "Freeze" being followed by a set-closing rendition of the witty "Say It (Your Mom Is A Vegetarian)," their inventive reworking of Blink 182's "All The Small Things." For the encore, Lott and Stone, who often play together as The Seven Eleven Project, offered a nice rendition of a Lott original while Epstein and Bloom subtly made their way towards the bathroom. The rhythm section did return in time for an evening closing romp through Men At Work's "Down Under."

Licorice and Stone's true effect on the audience came as their set proceeded apace. At the commencement of the show, the majority of the crowd dispersed themselves around Coda's perimeter, which includes some relatively comfortable seats. Drawing everyone into their circle, Licorice and Stone had practically everyone on their feet by the end of their set, decamped at the front of stage and calling for encores.

Labels: Licorice, Sabriena Stone

By: David Schultz

In the early seventies, Miles Davis caused controversy within the jazz world: deconstructing traditional jazz by deemphasizing solos in favor of ensemble group play. On albums like Bitches Brew and On The Corner, Davis adventurously took jazz into new territories experimenting with different sounds and techniques. Davis' spirit of adventure and ability to harness the spirit of a band into one unified purpose lives on in the music and spirit of Licorice. This past Saturday night, at New York City's legendary Blue Note jazz club, Licorice, comprised of David Lott (guitar), Matt Epstein (bass), Chad Dinzes (keyboards) and Josh Bloom (drums), expertly embodied Davis' philosophy. Throughout the evening, Licorice jammed in unison, with nary a member of the quartet taking the opportunity to sit back and let the others carry their weight. At all times, everyone on stage was doing something meriting attention. In lesser hands, the result could be auditory chaos. In Licorice's hands, an exciting concoction of jazz, avant-garde, funk and rock evolves.

The core trio of the band formed through friendships with bassist Matt Epstein. While students at the University of Michigan, Lott and Epstein played together in Meropoix, an instrumental funk jamband before forming a trio with Epstein's childhood friend Josh Bloom. In 2003, rehearsals with keyboardist Chad Dinzes bore fruit, or in this case, Licorice. The band, which skillfully fuses different but compatible music, derived their name from one of Jerry Garcia's explanations of the Grateful Dead's fans. When asked about the Dead's fan base, Garcia responded, "Deadheads are kinda like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice, really like licorice." Relix Magazine's honoring the band as the "New Groove of the Month" last October shows that audiences are quickly developing a taste for Licorice.

Licorice's late night set marked a return to the Blue Note where they have participated in the jazz club's weekend Late Night Groove Series since its inception in 2004. The performance marked not only their first show of 2006 but also served as a joint birthday celebration for Epstein and Lott. Coming on stage just after 1:00 a.m., Licorice ran through a tight set which touched on staples like "Scarab" and "Swisher," a couple newer compositions and a seriously powerful instrumental version of the Police classic "Walking On The Moon."

Dinzes gives Licorice a tasty flavor, interjecting a traditional piano sound into the mix. On "What’s Your Status In London?," Dinzes deftly keeps up with the song's tight tempo changes, moving from the stark avant-garde intro into flowing jazzy piano rolls and funky jam-based grooves. A versatile drummer, Bloom pushes the band along through upbeat stretches while also proving capable of working the snare and cymbals for the jazzier excursions. Where Dinzes and Bloom bring the jazz, Epstein and Lott bring the funk. Lott slid comfortably into a couple different roles throughout the night. At times Lott fronted the band, laying down guitar licks as a traditional lead guitarist, during others he mellifluously complemented Dinzes' keys and Epstein’s energetic bass with a solid rhythm guitar.

Despite Licorice's jazz leanings, they have failed to adopt the dour, serious demeanor stereotypical of jazz musicians. Like most jambands, Licorice possesses a sense of humor. In adapting Blink 182's "All The Small Things" into their tongue-in-cheek "Say It (Your Mom's A Vegetarian)," Licorice invented the wonderfully surreal insult, "your mother, she eats tofu." Licorice is also fond of covering "La Isla Bonita," converting Madonna's Caribbean-tinged dance classic into a scorching keyboard odyssey. However, the weighty confines of the Blue Note do not inspire whimsy and Licorice played it relatively straight within its staid surroundings.

In accepting a lifetime Jammy award on behalf of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir spoke eloquently about the improvisational spirit of jazz and its influence, not only on his own music, but on that of the entire jamband ethos. In an acknowledgment to the jazz influence described by Weir, the Blue Note, through their Late Night Groove Series has opened their stage to allow prospering groove-based bands a cozy, intimate and historical venue to showcase a different style of improvisational music. Just in case the connection between the jazz world and the jamband world escaped the Blue Note audience that evening, Licorice dove into "Satin Retreat," the band's adaptation of Davis' On The Corner track "Black Satin." Incorporating Davis' rhythms into their music, just like Davis incorporated rock and funk beats into his music more than three decades ago, the quartet adeptly bridged the gap between genres, offering a generous sample of the wonderful taste of Licorice.

Labels: Licorice