The Dancing Tree 08.25.2009

New Additions:

Keller Williams - ODD CD - "For my 14th release, I went with studio versions of road tested favorites. The only exception would be the the first track (environmental song) which has never before been played live. This collection of tunes was recorded and mixed by Jeff Covert at Wally Cleaver's Recording Studio in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He as well as Jay Starling, Claude Arthur and Doug Henderson make audio appearances, but this record is primarily a solo effort with me playing all the instruments (with the exception of a few drum loops). The art work was created by Richard Biffle. The idea came from the lyrics of my science fiction bluegrass song "elephorse", which is of course a cross between an elephant and a horse. But don't be confused. That's not the elephorse on the cover but the flying 2 headed dragon that befriends it. Please enjoy!" - Keller $15

The Ragbirds - Finally Almost Ready CD - The record features 12 tracks including many brand new Ragbirds songs. We had the honor of working with producer, fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, Tim Carbone (of Railroad Earth) and Phil Nicolo at Studio 4 in Philly who mixed and mastered the songs. Phil is a Grammy-Award-winning producer and engineer who has worked with an impressively long list of top performers. Here's what Phil had to say about the album: "I was pleasantly surprised to discover The Ragbirds new album to be a wonderful combination of clever songwriting and heartfelt performances. This will live in my CD player for a long while!"
Made from Eco-Friendly packaging, designed with a plastic tray made out of recycled plastic bottles, and printed with vegetable based inks. Each CD saves 6 plastic water bottles from being thrown in a landfill! $12

James Carter & John Medeski - Heaven on Earth CD - Saxophonist James Carter and organist John Medeski (of the pioneering jam-band, Medeski, Martin & Wood) lead a supergroup featuring Christian McBride (bass), Adam Rogers (guitar) and Joey Baron (drums). Together they carve out a groove that captures the buzz and vitality of jam-jazz at its most exhilerating. Recorded live at the Blue Note in New York, the group throws down the funk on Django Reinhardt's "Diminishing," Larry Young's "Heaven On Earth," Leo Parker's "Blue Leo," and the songbook standard, "Street Of Dreams." $16.98

September 8 - Phish - Joy CD

September 15 - Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - Brother's Keeper CD
Kyle Hollingsworth - Then There's Now CD
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers - Levitate CD
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker - Burn it Down CD

Last Week:

The Giving Tree Band - Great Possessions CD - The Giving Tree Band's Great Possessions mirrors the timeless qualities of the folk-rock greats without sparing the quality arrangements and production of modern indie rock. Dubbed by the Chicago Sun-Times as "the greenest of albums," this 18-song collection augments its natural sound with carbon-neutral production: 100% solar-powered recording sessions, 100% recycled paperboard case, and biodegradable shrink wrap. $15.99

Jonah Smith - Lights On CD - Images of love, war, natural disaster and political awakening weave through Jonah Smith's new album, Lights On. Its stories travel from country to city as we are taken from a lone man ice fishing in Cabin Fever to Brooklyn for a New Year's Eve celebration in the song Mrs. Cooper. Sonically, there is more consistency than Smith is likely to admit; he pulls from the deep well of American Blues and many of its offshoots: Soul, Country, and Folk to name a few. Essentially, he is a songwriter with the voice of a soul singer. $10.99

Boulder Acoustic Society - Punchline CD - The new full-length CD from the Boulder Acoustic Society is the new wave of acoustic Mountain Music: a combination of many traditional folk styles through a contemporary lens, all wrapped up in the band's virtuosic playing. Punchline also comes in an amazing, one-of-a-kind 3D stereoscope package. You gotta see it to believe it! $15.99

Wayne Krantz - Krantz, Carlock, Lefebvre CD - The boldly inventive improvisations of guitarist Wayne Krantz have long held a fascination for fans of dynamic, uncompromised music. Ex-Sideman with Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Michael Brecker , Billy Cobham and many others, Krantz has focused on live performance for nearly two decades, holding down a residency at New York City’s 55 Bar. Now, with Krantz Carlock Lefebvre, he is returning to a recording studio to document his own music for the first time in over fifteen years .

Krantz Carlock Lefebvre features Krantz as one-third of a longstanding trio that also includes virtuoso drummer Keith Carlock (Sting, Steely Dan, James Taylor) and bassist extraordinaire Tim Lefebvre (Chris Botti, Uri Caine), which was first convened in 1997. “Giving this band a voice in the context of a studio is a big deal for us,” Krantz says. “Everything we’ve ever released together has been some kind of live album. Now we have the clarity and concision of the studio along for the ride.” Cut live in the studio and then augmented by overdubs, the result is Krantz’s most personal statement yet, more strongly rooted in composition while still rich with the improvisational nuances that make his live performances so riveting. Get ready for one of strongest musical statement of the year. $15.99

Upcoming Events:

August 28-30 - NedFest - Nederland, CO

August 28-30 - Summerdance - Nelson Ledges, OH

August 29 - Long Beach Funk Festival - Long Beach, CA

September 4-6 - The Get Down - Chapel Hill, NC

September 18-19 - Let it Roll - Ghent, NY

October 10-11 - 4th Annual Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival - Joshua Tree, CA

November 13-15 - *Bear Creek Music & Art Festival - Live Oak, FL

* Look for the HGMN booth at this event

Video of the Week:

Lotus - Through the Mirror Vol 1

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Lee Crumpton