Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Father John Misty and Courtney Barnett to Headline Fortress Festival (jambands.com)





The second annual Fortress Festival will return to Fort Worth, TX, this spring, and the two-day event’s lineup will be topped by headliners Father John Misty and Courtney Barnett.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/26/father-john-misty-and-courtney-barnett-to-headline-fortress-festival/#ixzz55UZhlVpi

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Neil Diamond Retires From Touring (Ultimate Classic Rock)




Neil Diamond has announced the immediate end of his touring career as the effects of Parkinson’s disease have begun to take hold. It follows the 76-year-old’s cancellation of part of his 50th anniversary tour last year, when doctors ordered him to rest. However, he’s aiming to continue writing and recording.

Read more @Ultimate Classic Rock

Monday, January 29, 2018

Umphrey's McGee Welcome Nicole Atkins in Philadelphia (jambands.com)




Umphrey’s McGee brought their tour to Philadelphia’s Fillmore over the weekend, opening up a two-night stand at the venue while wrapping up a two-show stint with opener Nicole Atkins, who marked the occasion by joining the band during the first set.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/27/umphrey-s-mcgee-welcome-nicole-atkins-in-philadelphia/#ixzz55UaSQbD3

Sunday, January 28, 2018

On the turntable this Sunday...Chicago Transit Authority




Chicago were formed in 1966 as "the Missing Links", then "the Big Thing", then Chicago Transit Authority when producer James William Guercio took them on in 1968. Their trademark was fusing brass and jazz with a soulful rock and roll feel and Guercio felt that this would prove successful, lobbying for his label to give them a try.
Chicago Transit Authority were signed to Columbia Records late in 1968 and recorded their first album in late January 1969. While Guercio had recently produced Blood, Sweat & Tearssecond album (which proved to be a huge smash), he did so to raise capital for his band. By the end of The Chicago Transit Authority's sessions, it was clear that the album would have to be a double. Skeptical, as the band had no track record, Columbia only agreed to the concept if the group would take a royalty cut.
In their original incarnation, keyboardist Robert Lamm, guitarist Terry Kath and bassist Peter Cetera all shared lead vocals, while James PankowLee Loughnane and Walter Parazaiderhandled all brass and woodwinds (trombonetrumpet and saxophoneclarinet and flute respectively) and Danny Seraphine played drums and likely doubled on percussion. Lamm, Kath and Pankow were the band's main composers at this time. Kath's prowess as a guitarist was so strong that Jimi Hendrix became an avowed fan of Kath's playing. According to the album's original liner notes, the solo performance of Kath on "Free Form Guitar" was created without the use of any pedals. In a nod to Hendrix's guitar expressionism (Hendrix most notably used wah and fuzz pedals), Kath instead plugged directly into his studio amplifier and improvised the entire track in one take for the purpose of pure tone. "Free Form Guitar" is also noted as being another influence on the genre of noise music.
Released in April 1969, Chicago Transit Authority (sometimes informally referred to simply as "CTA") was an immediate hit, reaching #17 in the US and #9 in the UK. While critical reaction was also strong, the album initially failed to produce any hit singles, with the group seen as an album-oriented collective. In 1970 and 1971, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (#7), "Beginnings" (#7) and "Questions 67 and 68" (#71/#24 re-release) would all prove to be belated hits. Buoyed by the success of their later albums, the album stayed on the charts for a then-record 171 weeks, and was certified gold (and later platinum and double platinum). It is one of two albums not to have any songwriting contributions from Cetera during his tenure in the band, the other being Chicago V, but he started writing songs with the second album Chicago.
While the band toured the album, legal action was threatened by the actual Chicago Transit Authority, forcing the group to reduce their name to simply Chicago.
In 2002, Chicago Transit Authority was remastered and reissued on one CD by Rhino Records. However, Rhino Records trimmed some of the songs, noticeably the fadeouts on "Questions #67 and #68" (six seconds longer on the LP) and "Free Form Guitar" (five seconds longer), and the 10 second gap between "Someday" and "Liberation".
In 1974, the album was also mixed in quadraphonic sound and released on SQ encoded LP (GQ-33255) and Dolby Quadraphonic 8-Track (QCA-33255).
In 2010, Rhino Handmade re-released the original quadraphonic mix of the album on a limited edition DTS DVD, and in 2016, in DTS-HD Master Audio, as part of Chicago Quadio Box Set.
Chicago Transit Authority is the only Chicago album listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Chicago Transit Authority was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014.[5]

Saturday, January 27, 2018

2018 New Music Releases (UCR)




The new year gets off to a fast start with the looming release of Judas Priest's highly anticipated follow-up to 2014's Top 10 Billboard hit Redeemer of SoulsJoe Satriani and Joe Perry have also assembled all-star casts for their respective new solo albums.

Read more @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Thursday, January 25, 2018

David Byrne Reveals Massive World Tour (jambands.com)




With a new studio record on the horizon, former Talking Heads linchpin David Byrne has announced a 80-date world tour that will put him on the road from March until August.

Read more @jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/16/david-byrne-reveals-massive-world-tour/#ixzz54RuDbvGX

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Tom Petty's Cause of Death Confirmed (jambands.com)



In October 2017, legendary singer-songwriter Tom Petty passed away at the age of 66 after being found unconscious and in cardiac arrest in his Malibu, CA, home, and now the coroner in charge of examining Petty’s cause of death has confirmed the musician succumbed to an accidental drug overdose, The New York Times reports.




Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/20/tom-petty-s-cause-of-death-confirmed/#ixzz54l0Owslj

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Alex Lifeson AdmitsRush Are 'Basically Done' (UCR)





Rush pulled off the road a couple years ago, but fans had hopes for some kind of smaller-scale project from them in the future. But guitarist Alex Lifeson has pretty much confirmed that the band is over.

Read more @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Sunday, January 21, 2018

On the turntable this Sunday...Burning Bridges



Burning Bridges was Naked Eyes' 1983 debut album. The album was released in the United States and Canada as Naked Eyes with two tracks demoted to B-sides. The track "Always Something There to Remind Me" was released as a single and reached No. 59 in the United Kingdom chart and US Top 10 in July 1983. The album was released for the first time on CD in 2012 by Cherry Red Records.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Mike Gordon Debuts "Destiny Unbound" and Tower of Power Cover at Sunshine Music Festival (jambands.com)




While Tedeschi Trucks Band were the main event at Sunshine Music Festival, Mike Gordon and his band made waves of their own, debuting their version of the formerly illusive Phish original “Destiny Unbound,” as well as a cover of Tower of Power’s “You Strike My Main Nerve.”

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/16/mike-gordon-debuts-destiny-unbound-and-tower-of-power-cover-at-sunshine-music-festival/#ixzz54RsiCPHB

Thursday, January 18, 2018

20 Burning Classic Rock Questions for 2018 (Ultimate Classic Rock)




If 2018 is anything like the past few years, the next 12 months will be filled with big headlines, exciting tours and new music from many of your favorite classic rock artists.

Read more @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Sunday, January 14, 2018

On the turntable this Sunday...Otis Blue



Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul, or simply Otis Blue, released September 15, 1965 on Stax Records, is the third studio album by soul singer Otis Redding. The album mainly consists of cover songs by popular R&B and soul artists, and, bar one track, was recorded in a 24-hour period over July 9/10 1965 at the Stax Recording Studios in Memphis, TennesseeOtis Bluewas critically acclaimed upon release and became one of Redding's most successful albums; it reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart, and was his first to reach the top spot of the Billboard R&B chart. Furthermore, it produced three popular singles, all charting at least in the top 50 on both the Billboard R&B and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is considered by many critics to be Redding's first fully realized album.
Three of the eleven songs were written by Redding: "Ole Man Trouble", "Respect", and "I've Been Loving You Too Long". Three songs were written by Sam Cooke, a soul musician who had died a few months earlier. As was the case in the previous albums, Redding was backed by house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a horn section of members of The Mar-Keys and The Memphis Horns, and pianist Isaac Hayes.
Otis Blue is included in a number of "best album" lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All TimeTime magazine's list of the All-Time 100 Greatest Albums, and Robert Dimery's "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Rhino Records released a two-disc Collectors Edition of Otis Blue in 2008.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Listen to Umphrey's McGee's New Album it's not us in Full (jambands.com)





Umphrey’s McGee returned today with their 11th studio album it’s not us, an 11-track romp that celebrates the band’s 20th anniversary this year with an array of styles and approaches, an appropriate offering from a band that continues to push themselves and their music even after two decades in the game.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/12/listen-to-umphrey-s-mcgee-s-new-album-it-s-not-us-in-full/#ixzz543t80cHt

Friday, January 12, 2018

Tom Petty and Neil Young Publisher Sues Spotify for $1.6 Billion (UCR)



Wixen Music Publishing, which owns songs by Tom Petty and Neil Young, is suing Spotify for $1.6 billion.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the publishing group – which also holds the rights to works by the DoorsDonald FagenStevie Nicks and others – filed the lawsuit against the streaming service for what it claims is unauthorized use of thousands of songs without license or compensation.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

John Mayer on Taz Niederauer: "The first young guitar player that is not a gimmick" (jambands.com)




Before his end-of-the-year shows, John Mayer took some time to chat with fans via an Instagram Live that, in typical Mayer fashion, provided both insights and laughs into some of the Dead & Company guitarist’s thoughts.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/05/john-mayer-on-taz-niederauer-the-first-young-guitar-player-that-is-not-a-gimmick/#ixzz53OzkpD6K

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Flying V Turns 60: 25 Rock Stars With Gibson's Famous Guitar (UCR)




The Gibson Flying V is one of the most distinctive and recognizable electric guitars ever made. Ultimate Classic Rock is celebrating its history with the below gallery featuring many rockers who have played one, including Eddie Van HalenKeith Richards and Tom Petty.

Read more @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Umphrey's McGhee Share it’s not us Track "Looks"




Umphrey’s McGee will release their new studio album, it’s not us, on January 12, and the band has shared the latest track from the effort, “Looks,” t via Paste.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/05/umphrey-s-mcgee-share-it-s-not-us-track-looks/#ixzz53OyrEhQl

Monday, January 8, 2018

Eagles Add More Dates to 2018 Tour (Ultimate Classic Rock)




The long rollout for the Eagles' 2018 tour continues with the addition of four new dates to the band's slowly expanding itinerary.

Read more of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Sunday, January 7, 2018

On the turntable this Sunday...Music



Music is the debut studio album by Omaha alternative rock band 311. It was released on February 9, 1993. "Do You Right" was released as a single. The album was certified Gold in 1999 by the RIAA, having sold over 500,000 copies.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Herbie Hancock Sets Spring Tour Dates (jambands.com)



Jazz icon Herbie Hancock will set out on a run of spring tour dates this March, kicking off at Seattle’s McCaw Hall on March 1 and moving down the West Coast.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/03/herbie-hancock-sets-spring-tour-dates/#ixzz53Iw1vgp7

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Rockers We Lost in 2017 (UCR)




A trio of legendary classic rock bands were decimated by losses this year, while a pair of early genius also died. We likewise said farewell to Tom PettyWalter Becker and Chris Cornell, among others, in 2017. Keep scrolling for Ultimate Classic Rock's list of Rockers We Lost in 2017.

Read more @ Ultimate Classic Rock

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Phish Cap Off New Year's Run With New Song, Pirate Gag (jambands.com)



After distributing cosmic, LED wristbands with a cryptic, space-themed message, Phish subverted expectations when they transformed the stage at Madison Square Garden not into a space ship, but rather into an intergalactic pirate ship.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/01/phish-cap-off-new-year-s-run-with-new-song-pirate-ship-gag/#ixzz52zaM2QU8

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Widespread Panic Honor Col. Bruce Hampton in Atlanta



In their home state of Georgia, Widespread Panic wrapped up their New Year’s run at the Fox Theater by busting out a few dormant tunes, including a “Basically Frightened” cover to honor the late, great Col. Bruce Hampton.

Read more @jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2018/01/01/widespread-panic-honor-bruce-hampton-in-atlanta/#ixzz52zZXuRJp

Monday, January 1, 2018

Galactic Announce Mardi Gras and Lundi Gras Shows (jambands.com)




Galactic have announced their annual Mardi Gras celebrations. The funk outfit will once again gear up for Fat Tuesday with shows at their home venue, New Orleans’ famed Tipitina’s.

Read more @ jambands.com: http://www.jambands.com/news/2017/12/25/galactic-announce-mardi-gras-and-lundi-gras-shows/#ixzz52O0GZT00