1.THE BRIDES OF JESUS:NEW ORLEANS,LA
GOOD LORD,BRING THE FUNK!
A hot soul and funk-based jamband, The Brides of Jesus is the brainchild of guitarist Bill Iuso. Iuso started the band in Providence, Rhode Island back in 1992, at the beginning of the burgeoning jam scene. A few years in, he ended up doing a three-year stint as road manager for the Neville Brothers and the Meters. After that he set about putting “the Brides” back into action. The influence of both the Nevilles and the Meters permeates his music. Ironically, the music that Iuso was putting out a decade ago is more readily accepted today. Last year they released a superb album, Saints and Sinner. The band lives up to its claim of “pioneers of jam-funk” with a dynamic and diverse baker’s dozen cuts. The album opens with a version of “Don’t Let Go” that shows the band’s affinity with the Jerry Garcia groove. More in keeping with their own sound, though, is the spiraling funk-rock instrumental “Earle” (which features a guest appearance by Ivan Neville on B3 and piano). Other highlights are stunning versions of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children” and a funky rendition of Pete Townsend’s “Eminence Front,” which is far superior to the original. Highly recommended!
WWW.BRIDESFUNK.COM

2.THE KWAIT BROTHERS BAND:PHILADELPHIA,PA
COSMIC COUNTRY-BLUES
A sextet that’s lead by twin brothers Richard and Robert Kwait, The Kwait Brothers Band began its existence an acoustic bluegrass band in 1998, but has since expanded its line-up and musical horizons. These days puts forth an enticing and polished mixture of Americana rock with blues and country accents, which it describes as “cosmic country-blues.” There’s an undeniable simplicity in the music and the presentation, yet it radiates warmth and a general “feel-good” vibe. Their recent album Outland Disco features 11 finely crafted originals, covers of “Loving You Is Sweeter than Ever” and “Hallelujah I’m Ready,” as well as deft playing. Especially nice is the interplay between lead guitarist Chris Buchanan and steel guitarist Mike Brenner. The band also extremely strong vocally, with Tania Habenight’s harmonies adding the perfect topping.
WWW.KWAITBROTHERS.COM

3.RAI:SEATTLE,WA
JAM ON RYE
Rai (pronounced “rye”) is a quartet of experienced players that formed in March of 2000 with a view towards improvisation and jamming. Since then the band has been honing its skills in Seattle-area clubs as well as the occasional festival like Family-A-Fair. Last year they released a self-titled album. The individual member’s influences are diverse but as a unit they state key influences like the Steve Kimock Band, The Allman Brothers, John Scofield and the Meters. Not surprisingly the band puts forth a fluid mix of funk, jazz, rock and blues. The rhythm section lays down a nice backdrop for the band’s twin guitars. A recent live sampler CD shows them to be musically proficient with a penchant for long flowing jams that are rich in texture and melody. One can easily see the essence of their influences.
WWW.RAIVIBE.COM

4.7TH DIRECTION:SAN FRANCISCO,CA
ONE MORE WAY TO GO
7th Direction is a band that offers another perspective of the fertile Bay Area music scene. Led by Assif Jaffe,an Israeli-born songwriter, this five-piece has a more classic approach, with echoes of The Band and classic New Riders. The band’s self-titled debut is sheer delight that covers everything from “Laidback country to blistering rock and roll.” The band has some good songs and they embellish them with meticulous playing. Highlights on the album are “Dobro” and the soaring, harmony-laden “Forgotten.” Zero’s Martin Fierro and harmonica player Will Scarlet (Hot Tuna) are among the guests. In concert the band is apt to cover material by The Band and the Grateful Dead along with their solid and unpretentious originals.
WWW.7THDIRECTION.NET

5.KOOKEN AND HOOMEN:SAN FRANCISCO,CA
KOOKY FUSION
A quartet with a highly original, if somewhat indefinable, 21st century sound, Kooken and Hoomen occupy a musical space that’s kind of a minimalist electronica-meets- jazz. Their music is all about texture, ambience and the groove, rather than songs or complex, solo-inflected jams. In some ways it’s fusion, but not like early ‘70s fusion. There’s a sense of calm and conciseness, perhaps even grace, about their approach to the rich tones that they create. The band incorporates samples and subtle electronics with its basic guitar, piano, drums (real drums, I might add) and bass format, but they do it with a hypnotic quality. They have released a full-length album and an EP. Both are impressive, but this seems to be a band one needs to experience in a live setting to fully comprehend what they are about. Based on the recorded output they are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but innovation and originality count for a lot.
WWW.KOOKENHOOMEN.COM

6.SPARKLIFTERS:EDISON,NJ
LIGHTING UP EDISON
Sparklifters is a trio fronted by guitarist/vocalist Avi Teitz. They claim their music is “roof raising” and “good for the body and soul.” Based on their self-titled 2002 album, it’s hard to disagree. Charming, off-kilter songs with edgy vocals, articulate lyrics and great guitar tones fill the disc. There’s an uplifting quality to these quirky songs that have a Mark Knopfler/Neil Young/JJ Cale feel. The late Allen Woody plays bass on two cuts so that should give you an indication of the band’s quality. Best cuts are the mid paced “The Serpent” and the guttural groove of “The Chain,” in which the band sings, “We are a link in the chain.” They are indeed.
WWW.SPARKLIFTERS.COM

7.SEEPEOPLES:PORTLAND,ME
CAPITALIZING ON THEIR ESSENCE
SeepeopleS has an interesting, albeit kaleidoscopic sound, marrying techno/trance with rock and dub and a sly, prog-rock undertone with an occasional jamband vibe. Bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Will Bradford explains the strange mix: “For a number of years I was a DJ playing trance music and also playing in a rock band at the same time—basically our sound is a hybrid of that.” He cites a wide array of influences, from the Grateful Dead to Pink Floyd and from Kula Shaker to The Orb. Bradford says that while they’ve played with a lot of jambands the acceptance with the jamband fans has been tough. “Through Dana Colley (Morphine/Twinemen) we got into a more indie-rock crowd and it’s been more readily accepted.” Rather than endless solos or improvisation, the band concentrates on creating lush, aural tapestries. To date, they have released one album, For the Good of the Nation, which features seven varied tracks ranging from the stunning “View From Here,” a juxtaposition of Floydian textures, jazzy grooves and percolating electronics to the 15-minute opus, “Here We Go.” The band is currently working on a follow-up album, tentatively titled Corn Syrup Conspiracy, which Bradford says will be “similar to part of the first album but as a whole more groove and loop oriented. It will be more aggressive... and in your face.”
WWW.SEEPEOPLES.COM

8.BLUESTRING:ATLANTA,GA
A SONG-PROV BAND
Bluestring is not—as one might expect—a bluegrass band (they did start with a fiddle player), but rather an enticing and hard-hitting utilitarian rock band. After gigging up and down the Atlantic coast, they garnered the attention of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks. Trucks was so impressed when he saw the band that he asked to sit in; of course, the band didn’t think he was serious! He was, and went one step further and signed them to his Flying Frog label. This five-piece can fit into the jam-band mode, but don’t see themselves as a typical jamband, but rather as “a song-prov band.” That is, the songs and structure are equally as important as the improvisations. This is exemplified in their self-titled album as the band explores a variety of territory, from savvy horn-propelled rockers (“Pick Me Up”) to passionate blues-rock (“Longshot”), as well as some solid ballads (“In this Company”) and buoyant pop (“Second Wind”). This is a band that offers a little something for everyone and does it in an upbeat and positive fashion.
WWW.BLUESTRING.COM