When I was in San Francisco in December I grabbed a live CD by jam rock band Umphrey's McGee entitled Live at the Murat. I didn't know exactly what to expect as I'd only heard of Umphrey's McGee but had no idea what their music actually sounded like.
At first, I thought I'd stumbled upon a band very similar to moe. Long, relaxed improvisations that gradually gain in intensity, some country rock influence, etc. But it turns out Umphrey's McGee is actually a very different kettle of fish. While moe. can get heavy at times, Umphrey's McGee understands heavy. Their range of influences goes much further into heavy metal territory, and in fact the guitars draw a lot of that vocabulary even when they're playing soft or light.
Of course, a new jam rock band is not something you instantly love (or at least it never was with me) unless you see them live. On record, even on a live record, you need repeated listenings to "get" where they're going, to understand their particular brand of jamming. It took me three or four listens with Live at the Murat, but by the first listen (in the car on the highways of California with my colleague Vince at the helm) I knew that this was a band I'd listen to again and again.
And indeed, beyond the breadth of syles that influence them and the frankly stunning musicianship that these guys have, there's a depth of playing here that I know I will only get to explore gradually. And that's cool with me. In honor of this, I've decided to make the next Rambling Podcast a jam rock one. The track selection is done, I just need to mix the whole thing and wait for the banner, and it's up.
Meanwhile, check Umphrey's McGee out. They're well worth it.
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