Jam Bands

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Jam Bands got a major boost in popularity in the mid 1990's when the Grateful Dead stopped touring in the wake of Jerry Garcia's death. However, the similarities between the Dead and jam bands are limited; jam bands in the modern sense of the word had actually been around since the late 1980's and were not revivalists or copycats.

The biggest jam bands of the 90's took a wide range of disparate influences, including folk, jazz, blues, classic rock, soul, bluegrass, country, and worldbeat and melded them into a new live music that relied more on improvisation than traditional rock; most of these bands are renowned for their live performances, and their album sales were secondary.

Phish is the yardstick by which most of these bands are measured; no band achieved Phish's enormous cult, and Phish were one of the most eclectic and accomplished live performers of the the era.

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Some important/influential jam bands are:

1. Phish: Bouncing Around The Room

From Burlington, VT., the earliest version of Phish was put together in 1983 when Guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, and guitarist Jeff Holdsworth came together at the University of Vermont. Bassist Mike Gordon joined later, responding to an ad placed by the other three. Their first recording was a cassette-only release, Junta, in 1988. Thier big break came in 1992 when they were show stealers at the H.O.R.D.E. tour and Elektra re-issued their first two albums. The band inherited a sizable number of Dead fans in the mid-90's, although the bands are fairly dissimiar, with Phish relying more on jazz-flavored improv more than folk and blues, and having a goofier image. Their big breakthrough came in 1994 with Hoist. It's difficult to choose a representative song for Phish (or any of the bands on this list), since variety is their bread and butter, but "Bouncing Around The Room" from Lawn Boy (1991), captures them at their fresh, formative stages.

2. Blues Traveler: Hook

Formed in New York by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Bobby Sheehan, and drummer Brendan Hill, Blues Traveler was one of the biggest names among jam bands in the mid-90's, after Four clicked in 1994, although many of their fans prefer their earlier material. "Hook" is a standout from Four, which also contained their hit, "Run Around", but the band has not fared well since, suffering lukewarm reviews, serious health problems with Popper, and the death of Sheehan in 1999.

3. moe.: Four

moe., from upstate New York, was originally formed in Buffalo in 1990 under the name Five Guys Named Moe. Several years of intense dues-paying followed as the band built a fan base for their unusual mixture of high energy rock that developed its improvisatory element over their first couple of years. In 1995 guitarist Chris Mazur joined the lineup, which shifted the emphasis even further into the realm of longform improv. The band gained national attention in 1996 with No Doy, from which "Four" is taken. While moe. has never really been a commercial force on a national level, they have always been one of the more popular jam bands, by virtue of their relentless touring and their eclectic, but tightly played music.

4. Spin Doctors: Jimmy Olsen's Blues

One of the bigger commerical flame outs of the 1990's was accomplished by the Spin Doctors, whose 1991 debut, Pocket Full of Kryptonite languised for a year before MTV picked it up; ultimately, the album produced three hits and peaked at #3. "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" is the wittiest and hardest rocking moment on the album, and captures their playing and songwriting at its best. Two subsequent albums followed, which didn't come close to selling in the numbers the debut did, and the band was dropped by Epic in 1996. The band broke up in 1999, but reunited for an album in 2005.

5. Martin, Madeski, & Wood: Dracula

Martin, Madeski, and Wood, formed in New York in 1991 by keyboardist John Medeski, drummer/percussionist Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, mixed in avant-garde, jazz and funk sensibilities into their music, resulting in a challenging and unique sound that sets them apart from most on this list. They were four albums into their career by 1996 when some live performances with Phish gained them a much larger audience. Not quite rock and not quite jazz, the trio represents a new, little-explored avenue in music; since 1998, they have recorded for jazz label Blue Note. "Dracula" comes from their 1996 milestone, Shack Man.

6. Dave Matthews Band: What Would You Say

Formed in Virginia by South AFrican born singer/guitarist Dave Matthews, Dave Matthews Band combined some Grateful dead influence with a healthy dose of pop, which was made interesting with an array of worldbeat touches. Sometimes disliked by jam band aficianados for the pop approach their albums take, the band played many of the same venues (often on the same bills) with other jam bands and should be considered part of the scene. Their 1994 major label debut Under the Table and Dreaming, from which "What WOuld You Say" is taken, sold over 2 million copies, and the band has been a serious commercial force since.

7. Train: Meet Virginia

Train was formed in San Francisco in 1994 by singer/guitarist Rob Hotchkiss, guitarist Jim Stafford, singer Patrick Monahan, and bassist Charlie Colin. In 1997 they landed opening gigs for Blues Traveler, Counting Crows, and Barenaked Ladies, which elevated their laid-back country-inflected rock's profile; Columbia Records signed the band to Aware records, and "indie" imprint, and the band hit paydirt in 1998 with their debut, Train, and "Meet Virginia". Since then, the band has continued to sell fairly well, as it drifts away from its jam band roots.

8. Big Head Todd & The Monsters: Bittersweet

The Colorado-based trio Big Head Todd & The Monsters is another band that built its reputation on heavy touring, building a fanbase before releasing their debut in 1989. Jazzy, somewhat blues-inflected, their music has always been a popular live attraction; like many jam bands, their essential skills don't always translate onto record very well. Their most successful album was the 1993 release, Sister Sweetly, which contains the galloping "Bittersweet". Since then, they've continued to sell modestly as they've honed their sound; their most recent release, in 2004, is a live album recorded at the Fillmore.

9. Allgood: It's Alright

Allgood hailed from fertile Athens, GA, where they built an audience for their brand of Allman Brothers-influenced southern rock, highlighted by the twin guitars of John Carter and Clay Fuller. "It's Alright" opens their debut, Uncommon Goal, from 1993, and shows real promise; unfortunately the album didn't sell well, and after a pair of 1994 releases, including an excellent live album, Kicking And Screaming, nothing more has been heard from them.

10. The Black Crowes: Remedy

The Black Crowes mix of Stonesey hard rock and Faces boogie made them one of the most popular rock acts of the 1990's. The band actually dates all the way back to 1984, when brothers Chris Robinson (vocals) and Rich Robinson
(guitar) formed Black Crowes in Georgia. The band's 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker, peaked at #4, and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, which includes "Sometimes Salvation" went all the way to #1. The band remained big through 1996, when their sales began to taper off; they disbanded in 2002.

11. The Samples: Underwater People

The Samples are an extremely prolific band that has released sixteen albums since their 1989 debut on Arista. Their experience at Arista was brief, and most of their releases since then have been on their own label. The Samples blended Sting-like pop/worldbeat/jazz with some Grateful Dead-esque folk, and were also known for their almost constant touring. Underwater People, from 1992, remains their most realized effort, and "Underwater People" a good introduction to the band.

12. Ben Harper: Fight For Your Mind

California-born Ben Harper started out as the ultimate cult artist of the 90's, blending an odd mix of influences, including Jimi Hendrix, blues, classic singer/songwriter music, Dylan, Marley, and jam-band elements. All of these disparate elements came together best on his 1995 sophomore disc, Fight For Your Mind. Since then, he has been discovered by the mainstream; Diamonds on the Inside, from 2003, was his biggest seller, ever.

13. Everything: Hooch

Everything, from Virginia (the members met at James Madison University), formed in 1989 and specialized in a mix of funk, rock, ska, jazz, and Latin music, and most of the members doubled on assorted horns and saxes in addition to their standard rock instruments. "Hooch" was their biggest song, taken from the 1998 album Super Natural, a wildly eclectic collection that scraped the lower reaches of the Billboard album charts, their best showing. Despite limited commercial success, the band kept working into the 00's, despite a hiatus, People Are Moving, from 2001, was arguably their best album.

14. Dayroom: Not Enough

Dayroom were a fairly minor band to the genre, releasing three albums in the mid-late 1990's. Formed in Athens, GA, they initially pursued a somewhat goofy image in the manner of Phish, but played it up even more. Utimately, this may have proved to be a bad strategy; when they released their best album Better Days in 1999, they were greeted with some suspicion that they were something of a novelty act. "Not Enough" is the standout from the album, which is a good one, featuring a mix of acousitc and electric material, with some jangle pop influence and room to stretch out.

15. Bela Fleck: Blu-Bop

Banjo-player Bela Fleck really isn't a jam-band artist at all, although with his band the Flecktones, he appeared with many of the names on this list at the same venues, often performing together with them, and his bluegrass background won him many fans among Jerry Garcia's devoted. In addition to bluegrass, he'd mix in jazz and southern rock influences, coming up with a music that could be tight or freeform. "Blu-Bop" leads off Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, arguably his best release, which represented the first time a bluegrass player topped the jazz charts at the same time a rock audience was discovering him.

16. Gov't Mule: Blind Man In The Dark

Formed by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, both alumni of the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule took the obvious Allmans influence and meshed it with a Cream-like power trio attack. Their debut, Gov't Mule, reached #5 on the blues chart (more of a reflection of few blues releases than the album's sound), and touring and appearances at some key jam band festivals gained them a devoted following. "Blind Man In The Dark" is from their best album, Dose, from 1998. Sadly, Allen Woody died in 2000, but the band soldiers on.

17. Widespread Panic: Blue Indian

One of the leading jam bands of the 1990's, Widespread Panic, formed in 1984 in Athens, GA, is known not only for their mix of southern rock, blues, folk, and eclectic other influences, but also for their uncanny way with cover versions; their shows and many of their albums are liberally sprinkled with offbeat covers given longform treatment; despite their willingness to stretch out (sometimes considerably), the playing is always pretty tight. "Blue Indian" is from their best studio album, 'Til the Medicine Takes, and manages some Grateful Dead-like ambience. Tragedy struck when guitarist and founder Michael Houser died in 2002, but the band continues to this day.

18. Pat McGee Band: The Story

A 6-piece from Richmond, VA, The Pat McGee Band formed in 1996 and toured hard, racking up over 250 dates their first year. "The Story" is from their 1997 release, From the Wood, a rustic, largely acoustic collection that conjures up images of impromptu living-room jam sessions with friends. Their biggest release was Shine, from 2000, which briefly entered the Billboard album charts. Their most recent album, Save Me, appeared in 2004.

19. Big Sister: Did U Ever

An all-female group from Woodstock, NY, Big Sister is another eclectic 6-piece in a field crowded with eclectic 6-pieces. The band formed in 1989 and had a slot at Woodstock '94. "Did U Ever" is from the 2000 album "So Hi How Are You" and represents their essential sound pretty well, which is a bluesy rock/roots rock mix. A very little-known cult act, they're worth a listen; as the only all-female jam band of note, their an interesting curio.

20. The Ominous Seapods:

The Ominous Seapods are yet another jam band that toiled for years on the road in relative obscurity after being formed in the late 1980's in Pittsburgh, NY. The band relocated to Albany, which was nurturing a small but happening jam-band scene in the 90's, and by 1995 had built a big enough audience that Spin, the Village Voice and the New York Times all profiled them in 1995, which also boosted the profiles of other bands, moe. and Rusted Root among them. The band itself has the often-requisite Allmans feel, which they mix with a Zappa-esque sense of humor. "Theme For Another Enlightened Rogue" is from their best studio album, Jet Smooth Ride from 1997.

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