1. CREAKING TREE STRING QUARTET:Toronto, CAN
H U G A T RE E
There’s no doubt that the Creaking Tree String Quartet has intense, string-driven power. Since forming in early 2001 the band has grown in musical stature. This summer, the band—which has released two stunning albums to date—did the rounds of Canada’s biggest folk, jazz and classical festivals. From an instrumental perspective they are in the same vein as Darol Anger/Mike Marshall and similar “newgrass” acts, but there’s a great deal of depth and variety—not to mention dexterity—in the quartet’s organic instrumental music. One hears obvious influences of Grisman, Fleck, etc., but there’s so much more, as stand-up bassist Brian Kobayakawa explains. “I think something that’s very special about this group is our independence and the balance between the four of us.” Perhaps a good insight into the group’s eclectic nature can be found in its tune “The Triple Bill.” Kobayakawa explained that it’s a medley of tunes by Bill Frissell, Bill Evans and Bill Monroe. It certainly highlights their vast musical abilities and musical empathy. The band hopes to take its music outside of Canada next year. In the meantime, both albums are worth investing in. The most recent, Side Two, was produced by Todd Philips. www.creakingtree.com

2. JAM CAMP:Seattle, WA
C A M P O U T
2 Jam Camp is a versatile and volatile instrumental band that’s been around for well over a decade. The four band members play in other groups but come together for musical freedom. Stylistically they are all over the place, from doomy prog-rock to jazz, adding fleeting glimpses of Allman Brothers-like rock as well as psychedelia. Saxophonist Steve Munger explains, “Each player is versed in a variety of styles and an openness to explore.” Drummer Joel Veatch says, “The band originally came together because of a love for progressive music: free-form exploration and more complex voicings and rhythms.” The band’s latest disc, Black Hills Jam, offers plenty of evidence of its openness and penchant for musical exploration. This is especially notable in the expansive “Trees” and the 15-minute-plus meandering and melodic passages of “Black Hills Jam.” With twin guitars and sax, the band has a lot of freedom for improvising and, as Veatch notes, they love to “jam, jam, jam.” While his band may exist somewhat on the periphery of the jam scene, he says the community’s acceptance has opened all sorts of possibilities for Jam Camp. The band has two CDs in the works and is looking to do more and more live gigs (think King Crimson meets Umphrey’s McGee with a healthy dose of jazz and expansive musical creativity and expertise). The new disc is the best “jam” record I’ve heard in years. www.jamcamp.com

3. THE MIX:San Francisco, CA
A N EW B L E N D
The Mix is a quartet that’s been creating quite a serious buzz with its first round of tours and its recent album, American Spring (Rainman). Once one learns the band consists of keyboardist Melvin Seals of the Jerry Garcia Band, ex-Zero drummer Greg Anton, guitarist John Kedecik and bassist Kevin Rosen of the Dark Star Orchestra, it should prove to be no surprise. Add to that mix some Robert Hunter songs and it makes even more sense. But what originally started as a pairing of talent by a booking agent has turned into something bigger than they expected. “It’s already bigger than the four of us,” Anton says of the band, which originally featured guitarist Jeff Pevar. “We’ve got chemistry. There’s an equal amount of strength in all four members.” Seals echoes those sentiments: “We did some dates and people seemed to like it a whole lot. Our idea was to not do so many Jerry-type songs, which is what we did in the beginning. The idea is to bring the original material to the table and do that.” The album demonstrates that while the band has a similar groove to the Garcia band, it has a life and identity of its own. Highlights include the title cut, a great cover of John Lennon’s “Nobody Told Me” and a couple of tracks by Seals. Both Seals and Anton lavished all sorts of praises on Kedecik, and listening to the album one can certainly see why. He is a pure musician who plays with passion and feeling. Seals says that the original material and direction will be more evident on the next record. At this point he is cautiously optimistic about the band’s future, and you certainly can’t argue with that. The band will return to the road soon.

4. BOCKMAN'S EUPHIO: Columbia, MO
B L U R R I N G T H E L I N E S
Bockman’s Euphio is a quartet with a highly original sound that exists on rock’s arty fringes, á la Talking Heads and Steely Dan. It just takes a little more patience acquainting yourself with them. These guys have many diverse elements to their sound and, in the end, their songs are warm hearted but complex meldings of pop, rock and jazz. The band’s latest disc, Gorjus: Fighting Bockman’s Euphio, is an effort chock-full of complex arrangements and inventive instrumental embellishments. The band has garnered quite a bit of attention in the Midwest and has played at a number of major festivals. In fact, it hosts its own Euphio Campout in Lesterville, MO. www.euphio.net

5. BIG CITY SUNRISE :Sautee-Naccoochee Valley, GA
R I S E A N D S H I N E
Any band whose influences range from David Grisman, Bob Marley and The Allman Brothers to Red Hot Chili Peppers, New Grass Revival, Cake and Stephane Grapelli is likely to offer something of a musical surprise. And that’s exactly what the sextet Big City Sunrise does. Daybreak, the band’s debut, is a veritable melting pot of sounds and styles. The complex “My Love” somehow mixes almost all the aforementioned influences into one song and boasts some exquisite guitar work. Elsewhere they offer a variety of sophisticated music. There’s the jazzy-folk juxtaposition of “Folks” and a wonderful bluesy jam on “Clarice.” The band has been honing its skills in Northeast Georgia. “We couldn’t ask to be a part of a more artistically supportive community,” says bassist Adam Kahn. “They dance holes in the floor every show.” Rhythm guitarist Doug Meads explains the band’s philosophy as “creating a community atmosphere…we believe that community should be the embrace of individuality and the learning that takes place between different walks of life.” Daybreak is highly recommended. The band continues to play in the Southeast but plans to embark on a formal East Coast tour early in 2005. “Having six members helps broaden our range of musical influences,” says guitarist Chris Thacker, adding, “We feel comfortable bringing any genre to the table.” That they certainly do! www.bigcitysunrise.com