[Scott Bardolf]

Hey Everyone, Half Step is excited to have been asked to be a part of this inaugural night of musical exploration along with Joe Gallant (Illuminati) and a host of other NY area musicians:

Here is the official press release: Jamband Nation: Music of the Grateful Dead, High-Grooving Originals and Beyond. Hosted by Joe Gallant

This will be the first of what we hope will become a monthly event featuring a rotating list of talent. Inaugural performers will be:

HALF STEP - Grateful Dead Tribute Band
Scott Bardolf, Tom San Filippo, Ron Cohen, Cindy Lopez, Craig Privett, Scott Treibitz

THE MOONLIGHTERS - Dead and deep-grooving originals.
Joe Gallant, Alan Lerner, Scott Guberman, Rob Wolfson & Anastasia Rene

DNA - Groove-centric, awesomely guitar-driven explorations.
Dave Berg, Amy Peters, Chris Crosby & Mark Mancini

WITH Spoken Word Artist * LAURIE VARGAS *

Global-Recession cover-charge: $5 Bucks.
21 and over.

Artwork courtesy of Cindy Lopez.

***********************************************************
the JAMBAND NATION Manifesto

... my intention with JAMBAND NATION is to create a
low cover-charge ($5), monthly Gathering, featuring 3 bands per evening who are active on the local jammy/experimental-jazz scenes, along with a potent live spoken-word element.

we've needed an in-town, comfortable, no-drama meeting, grooving and listening spot ever since our dear Wetlands passed on.

JAMBAND NATION will present groups who both define and stretch the edges of the sounds we dig deeply.

This First Event has some Tremendously talented, big-hearted People involved !!!!
please mark your calendar !!!!!!

and please feel free to contact me if you have a project that could work within this post-Knit, jam-prov groove-oriented freejazz Dead-exploratory terrain.
peace
joe gallant

[1960strat]

i will totally support this. NYC is devoid of our place to play as "jamband" people.

[Scott Bardolf]

Thanks 60's Strat, your support is greatly appreciated. FYI, Joe Gallant is the founder of Illuminati, they did that killer arrangement of Unbroken Chain which was on Stolen Roses. I believe Henry Rollins was on that disc, Dylan, Elvis Costello etc. He's a supremely talented musician

[mkaufman]

I saw them perform the Blues for Allah album at the Kitting Factory back in the 1990's.

mk

[augustwest75]

Yo Scotty, I'm pumped to see Half Step back in NYC!! I have the date circled on my calendar and will definitely see you there. PEACE!! Rob

[Pete B.]

I have those Illuminati CD's (Blues for Allah and Terrups tributes), and there are some incredible versions of some great GD tunes.
They lose me on some of the avant garde sections, but most of the playing is very high caliber... and played live.
This is really, to me, what a "Tribute" is. As opposed to a "Copy Exactly as Best We Can" Tribute band (not that there's anything wrong with that).
A drummer in one of the Trio's I jam with was also at the taping of the Blues For Allah show back in the day.

[Scott Bardolf]

For me, the "Copy Exactly as Best We Can" approach is the only way to go if your playing Grateful Dead music, to a degree. Like you said, they kind of lose you with their original avant garde approach to the songs. If I'm playing Mama Tried or Black Throated Wind or Brown Eyed Women, there is no way I'm going to try and put my original take on those tunes, the key and time signature and arrangement are not up for debate. Same with the harmony parts on say, Uncle Johns Band, 3 parts, not up for debate. And tunes like Bird Song and Playing in the Band or a The Other One for instance, once we're through the body of the song, it's improv time, no one is referencing versions when in the jam, but when we land and get back to the song, yes, Grateful Dead all the way.