Jam Band Flavor of the Month
Jam bands come in all different flavors and definitions. The discussion, or argument, pending your level of expertise, has been going on for quite some time now. Some argue for the classics: The Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Allmans, Santana…..quite a lot of jam band freaks came out of this scene. Some even want to include Led Zeppelin at this point. Their modern counterparts: Phish, Widespread, MMW, String Cheese et.al. also deserve equal due. But , did they take it to another level?
When you ask a person who follows Jazz, you open up a whole new string. You could start throwing some serious weight around with the likes of Coltrane, Miles and Mingus. If you are an audiophile, these are your Gods. There is nothing more moving then listening to Coltrane turn the saxophone into an instrument that plays chords…..and screams.
Then there is the Fusion route, which contains the likes of Mahavishnu, Hancock, Corea and many more really incredible musicians, too many to mention. Where do you put Sun Ra, the father of all Jam Bands? Have you listened to Sun Ra? He was doing things in the 50’s that are still very far out today. Almost too far out. All of these people/bands really were Jam Bands at one point or another. It could have been for a career(The Dead, Phish) or it could have been for a period (Coltrane, Miles) or even just a moment here and there (Zeppelin).
The kids these days aren’t really paying attention. Due to this “unfocusing”(now that Phish is over) there is a whole lot of room out there to play…and take risks. Take the internet Jam Band ‘Ekoms Top’. They don’t play any live shows. Totally online-and they post MONTHLY concerts. Jamming blues/fusion/ambient based 30 minute songs/jams for your mind to swim in. They are so out there they don’t even need any vocals. That is very rare today.
This ‘new wave’ of jam bands has at its disposal the musical foundation of the founding fathers and the now well established technology that enables the modern musicians to share their creations almost immediately….and then the listener to share exponentially. It is a bona fide revolution folks, happening right before your eyes. Jam bands like Ekoms Top are the future of music as we know it. Its not just their free jamming style, and lack of any set lists, or music for that matter- it is the delivery method. The greats were always tweaking something to express themselves differently or more flavorful, if you like. The beauty of it lies within the ear of the beholder.…….whom is now YOU thanks to this revolution.