Tag: Vida Blue

Russell Batiste Band & Snarky Puppy at Bear Creek Music Festival 2011

I’m gonna start my Bear Creek Music Festival flood with some of the videos that I can upload raw without audio upgrades (since I’m pretty sure no one was taping these shows and my audio already sounds fine). First up is the Russell Batiste Band‘s set from early Friday afternoon at the Campground Stage (this stage was nestled back in the woods near the lake where you can bring you own drinks from your camp, since you’re not officially in the festival grounds).

Russell Batiste Jr. is the drummer from The Funky Meters and PBS (Porter Batiste Stoltz) and Vida Blue. His band has been gigging for a few years and I’ve been interested to see how they sound (although I could already imagine that it was a heavy dose of NOLA funk with some warped Russell Batiste vocal shouts and maybe a request for the audience to do the hokey pokey or skip around [Russell’s weird like that]).

I left the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio set early and jumped a ridge on a golf cart with Harry Zegers and the Fan Club HQ crew down to the Campground Stage to find George Porter Jr. and his wife standing by as the Russell Batiste Band was soundchecking. I was less than 2 hours into the festival and already primed to witness some sit-ins!

I watched the first few songs and still no George Porter sit-in, so I decided to make my way back to the music park to catch some of Anders Osborne and then the Chali 2na Band. As I was about to leave ear-shot of the Campground Stage, I heard Russell invite George up, so I headed back. George joined for a version of The Meters tune, Ease Back and then they did the classic Cissy Strut (actually Russell’s rearrangement “Cissy Got The Blues”), which you can watch below. This is one of the very few times you will see George actually plucking the bass. Yeah you’re right.

Russell Batiste Band with George Porter Jr – Cissy Got The Blues 11/11/11 Bear Creek Music Fest:

Russell Batiste Band – first song 11/11/11 Bear Creek Music Fest:

This next video is from Sunday afternoon. I was only able to catch Snarky Puppy‘s last song and I was sold immediately. These guys have a huge jazz fusion sound that is also very organic. I’m definitely going to be keeping my eyes on these guys….

Snarky Puppy – Phoebus 11/13/11 Bear Creek Music Festival (with Louis Cato on percussion):

Stay tuned, cause the flood of videos is about to continue…with the secret tree house after party jam session with WRD (Robert Walter, Eddie Roberts & Adam Deitch).

Phish used to get funky; here’s twenty seven minutes of proof.

Phish – Ghost – July 23, 1997 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amp.

I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big Phish fan. A few of their tunes interest me (mainly the instrumental passages, crazy prog epics like YEM, and funk work-outs like Meat) and many do not. But when a friend of mine forwarded me this 26 minute version of Ghost from a 1997 show, it gave me a newfound appreciation of the band.

I always heard that they were capable of “transcendant” musical moments, etc. but I rarely had the patience to get past the vocal heavy song beginnings and the many goof-ball choruses. One listen to this track caused me to revisit their 1998 album, The Story of the Ghost. Since then, I’ve learned that 1997 was the year of their “funk” sound period. And I do believe I may search out more 1997 live recordings in the future.

The Funky Meters October 8, 2000 Cincinnati, OH (VIDEO)

About ten years ago I packed some friends in my car and drove up to Cincinnati, Ohio to see The Funky Meters perform. The festival was free and they performed during the daytime, down by the river. The situation was ripe for my old Sony Digital Hi8mm video camera to capture it all. Ten years later it’s still one of my favorite videos. I used an external microphone (the same mic I still use today) so the sound quality is great, despite being a little “hot” due to the extreme volume (I can’t believe I didn’t wear earplugs back then!).

Poppa Funk Art Neville was still in good health and George Porter Jr was ten years younger. Russell Batiste played with focus and Brian Stoltz shredded with experience. I’ve decide to post the entire 80 minute video on youtube in 7 parts, and I am also seeding the full DVD here: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=347253
and here: http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=89869.

If you made it this far, then you probably know that The Funky Meters have been doing some shows recently with Brian Stoltz returning (after Ian Neville took over guitar duties for about 4 years). Here are links to some recent recordings:
1/14/11 NOLA @ Tipitina’s (Louie’s SBD + onstage matrix!!)
2/16/11 NYC @ Brooklyn Bowl
2/17/11 NYC @ Brooklyn Bowl