Les Claypool
Adventures on the High Seas
Pool Deck
Jam Cruise IV
2006-01-10

Setlist TBD
Source: DPA 4011's (OTS) > V3 > DA-P1
Transfer: R500 > AP2496 > CDWave > flac

Notes: I've never tracked a Les show right yet so appologies if the trend continues :)

Nice and calm at the start...very windy at the end.

I still like the sound from the back better than on the stack. Enjoy!

Taped and transferred by Ethan Alpert (ethan@audio-crusade.com)

Jam Cruise 4

January 17, 2006 11:19 AM
by Jim Harrington
liveDaily Contributor

Forget Vegoose, the High Sierra Music Festival and, even, Bonnaroo. Not that there is anything wrong with those events. But if you're a jam-band fan looking to find the closest thing to noodling nirvana, get onboard Jam Cruise (music).

Of course, Jam Cruise isn't as big an event as the likes of Vegoose or Bonnaroo. The boat only holds a few thousand folks, instead of the tens of thousands that turn out for those other hippie-music spectaculars. But part of Jam Cruise's appeal is its intimacy and, therefore, the accessibility to the artists.
On Jam Cruise, you might run into guitarist Steve Kimock in the hall as you leave your cabin for breakfast in the morning. You could find yourself standing in line next to saxophonist Karl Denson as you wait to have your paperwork checked by some port authority on a distant island. You could very well end up chatting politics and filmmaking with vocalist Michael Franti as you both munch mediocre pizza slices. You might get treated to a private show from British band Gomez as they work out a new arrangement.

Those are all things that happened to this writer during Jam Cruise 4, which departed Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 7 and made stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica; the Grand Cayman Islands; and Costa Maya, Mexico; before returning to Florida on Jan. 13.

And, of course, there was music--more music than even a caffeine-fueled, late-night junkie could possibly devour in several cruises. It started basically the moment the MSC Lirica left dock with a "Sail Away Party" fueled by the grooves of the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and seemed, basically, to keep pumping every moment that folks were on the ship. (The music stopped during the shore leaves.)

The first night (1/7) featured performances by hot jammers Umphrey's McGee. I had never seen the band in concert, but had heard strong reviews from fans (in fact, one woman from Florida said that Umphrey's was the reason she signed up for the cruise). According to some in the know, it wasn't a great night for the Indiana-based improvisational rock band. I concur. The jams were a bit bland and the music seemed quite commonplace. Keller Williams, who pulled a 12:15-2:30 a.m. slot, did much better as he wowed a crowd with his usual concert wizardry.

Williams was also a highlight of Day 2 (1/8) as he used his on-stage recording gear to tape and loop many "live" segments into mighty musical jigsaw puzzles. He would play his bass, record it, and let the loop run. Then he would add a little percussion, loop it, and move to the guitar. Throw some vocal effects in the mix and the result sounded like there was a full band performing on the stage.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, which will release the new CD "The Hidden Land" on Jan. 31, was also a highlight of Day 2. Everyone in the band is a monster instrumentalist and Mr. Fleck continues to push the boundaries of improvisational music.

Day 3 (1/9) was spent in Jamaica, as jam kids and jam kings snorkeled, tubed and biked their way through Bob Marley land. Back on the boat, the congregation was treated to a great poolside set by Gomez. Gomez is definitely miscast as a jam band. They jam, sure, but they also stick pretty close to classic rock song structures in a way that, say, Umphrey's McGee or Zilla (another band on the boat) wouldn't dream of doing. Likewise, the best set of the night really didn't belong on a Jam Cruise. Ian Ball of Gomez performed a terrific solo acoustic show that would have been perfect for Singer-Songwriter Cruise (does such a thing exist?). Ball is a great talent and he could definitely make it as a solo artist.

After spending much of Day 4 (1/10) lounging on the pristine beaches of Grand Cayman, Michael Franti and Spearhead got the joint jumping as the ship once again set sail. Franti proved with this set, as well as with another set on Day 6 (1/12), that he has really upped his game. His convincing mix of hip-hop, reggae, rock and, yes, jam-band music sounds great these days and he certainly appears headed for a lengthy run in the music business.

Les Claypool was, well, Les Claypool. His show on Day 4 was predictably weird and predictably popular. It served as a nice lead-in to the debut of the Brain Damaged Eggmen, a jam-band supergroup that covers Beatles and Pink Floyd songs.

Day 5 (1/11) was one of the strongest of the cruise. Following a stop in lovely Costa Maya, which was this writer's favorite port of the trip, the reunited Digable Planets delivered some much needed hip-hop to the mix as fans lounged in hot tubs and boogied on the main deck. The Lee Boys, a gospel-rock outfit, also drew rave reviews from passengers. If you like Robert Randolph, then you definitely will want to check out this pedal-steel-driven group. Look for them to be a staple on the festival circuit--blues, gospel, jam-band, whatever--for many years to come.

The final full day (1/12) was spent at sea, which translated to music from 11:30 a.m. (Fantastic 4) to 4 a.m. (when the Jam Room finally closed its doors). Along the way, passengers were treated to sets by such jam-band faves as Critters Buggin, the Everyone Orchestra, New Monsoon, Hairy Apes BMX and, most impressively, Michael Franti and Spearhead.

For nearly everyone on board, with the possible exception of the crew, the next morning (1/13) came too soon. It wasn't that people hadn't gotten enough sleep, which was certainly the case, as much as it was that they simply didn't want to leave.

Fortunately for them, and possibly for you, reservations are currently being accepted for Jam Cruise 5 in 2007.

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