Part I of our two-part Jammys Coverage
See "The Stanky, Sticky Air Up There:
My Report from the Nose Bleed Seats at The Jammys" (Below)
Phish Appear on Stage For First Time in Four Years
Chevy Chase Accepts Award He Did Not Win
7th Jammy Awards Complete List of Winners
Phish accepts their Lifetime Achievement Award May 7, 2008 at the Jammy Awards in New York City
http://dinoperrucciphotography.blogspot.com/
Photo by Dino Perruci
(New York, NY) – The four members of Phish accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award last night at the 7th Jammy Awards. It’s the first time the band stood onstage together since their final concert in Coventry,VT in 2004. The surprise reunion followed an emotional speech from longtime Phish photographer Danny Clinch.
Each member of Phish addressed the audience from the stage. Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman delivered quick acceptance speeches, before handing over the microphone to Trey Anastasio, who thanked a number of key members in the Phish organization by name and described his former bandmates as “his oldest friends.” He also talked at length about the strength and importance of the Phish community, before bowing alongside his bandmates and quietly exiting the stage.
Phish’s emotional speech arrived near the end of an action packed Jammy Awards, which featured the unique collaborations the ceremony has become known for over the years.
Co-hosts Warren Haynes and Grace Potter
http://dinoperrucciphotography.blogspot.com/
Photo by Dino Perruci
Co-hosts Warren Haynes and Grace Potter opened the evening with a band that consisted of Stax keyboardist Booker T. Jones, Fab Faux bassist Will Lee and drummer Joe Russo. The supergroup ran through a number of classic rock covers, including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Find the Cost of Freedom,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” and Al Green’s anthem, “Take Me to the River.”
Colorado’s Jake Sproul (right) performs with Matisyahu
http://dinoperrucciphotography.blogspot.com/
Photo by Dino Perruci
Former “New Groove of the Month,” and Colorado-based, Rose Hill Drive took the stage next with special guest Matisyahu and his bandmates Aaron Dugan and Rob Marscher (formally of 2001 Jammy nominees Addison Groove Project).
Colorado’s Daniel Sproul (left) of Rose Hill Drive, tears it up with Leslie West
http://dinoperrucciphotography.blogspot.com/
Photo by Dino Perruci
The strange bedfellows ran through a cover of The Flaming Lips’ “In the Morning of the Magicians,” before Mountain guitarist Leslie West took the stage with Rose Hill Drive for the evening’s loudest offerings. The hard-rock guitarist jammed with Rose Hill Drive and Potter on a version of “I’m Going Down” that included “Close Encounters,” before offering his signature song, “Mississippi Queen.”
Next up, Keller Williams took the stage to perform a solo version of his Jammy nominated song “Cadillac.” He was quickly joined onstage by comedian/actor Chevy Chase, who unbeknownst to most is a one-time college band mate of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. On this occasion, Chase opted to play piano alongside Williams on a rearranged version of “(You Made Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and a medley of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Take the Money and Run” that earned some of the evening’s loudest cheers. The pair apparently bonded backstage and when Williams later took top honors in the Song on the Year category, he sent Chase onstage in his place for a humorous speech that included the line “I want to thank Clive Davis just because I feel like I should.”
As the show went on Tea Leaf Green made its Jammys debut with guest bassist Steve Adams (ALO) and fiddler Allie Kral (New Groove winner Cornmeal) for a rendition of their 2006 Jammy winning number, “Taught to be Proud.” Big Head Todd’s Todd Park Mohr and Squeeze’s Glen Tilbrook also sat in with the expanded group on their songs “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)”and “Tempted,” respectively, the latter of which featured some choice guitar work by Haynes himself.
McConnell, who was the only member of Phish confirmed to play the Jammys in the weeks leading up to the event, appeared early on to accept Phish’s award in Download of the Year category for the charity track the “Headphones Jam.” He also led an all-star jazz combo that included drummer Roy Haynes, saxophonist James Carter, trumpeter and former Anastasio collaborator Nickolas Payton and bassist Christian McBride through two of his three recorded Phish originals: “Magilla” and “Cars Trucks Buses.” The performance followed an appearance by Jon Fishman, who presented the Mimi Fishman Memorial Award on behalf of his late mother to the non-profit Rock the Earth.
Galactic balanced its jazz/funk past with its hip-hop present, inviting out a slew of guests, including Booker T. Jones, Sharon Jones, Jurassic 5’s Charlie 2na and MC Doug E. Fresh for songs like “Hip Hug-Her,” “Born Under A Bad Sign” and “Think Back,” among others.
The evening’s surprise guests really started coming out in force when Beatles tribute act the Fab Faux took the stage with stealth performer Joan Osborne for a rendition of “Come Together.” The Fab Faux then busted into “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Anastasio emerged partway through the song to thunderous applause to take an extended solo, before leading the group into a jam uncharacteristic of the cover act. He remained onstage for the rest of the group’s segment, which included a tease of “Bungalow Bill” and a full version of “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey.”
The rest of the night focused on Phish, both before and after the four members of the group took the stage to accept their award. After the quartet slipped into the wings, Disco Biscuits bassist Marc Brownstein led Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon Gutwillig, String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth, Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger and Russo through a series of Phish covers under the name the HeadCount All Stars. Brownstein led the charge through spot-on renditions of “Wilson,” “Run Like An Antelope,” “2001,” and “Maze,” the latter of which also featured Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner.
“We accomplished our goals with the Jammys and it’s time to take this momentum in a new direction,” said executive producer and co-founder, Peter Shapiro. The event will evolve into a larger celebration of live music.
A number of other popular performers were seen milling around throughout the evening, both on and off the stage, including Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, Assembly of Dust frontman Reid Genauer, Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasick, moe. drummer Vinnie Amico, Guster guitarist Ryan Miller, Steel Train bassist Evan Winiker, Disco Biscuits drummer Allen Aucoin, Deep Banana Blackout/Tom Tom Club guitarist (and onetime Jammys Orchestra leader) Fuzz, American Babies guitarists Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger, Dr. Dog drummer Juston Stens, Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, singer/songwriter Jonah Smith, and singer/bassist Esperanza
Spalding, along with the people behind Bonnaroo, Sirius Jam-On, the Rock Band video games, Q104, Rock the Earth, the Homegrown Music Network, HeadCount and JamBase, among many, many others. During the evening, Zenbu Media president Steve Bernstein also introduced the audience to 8-year old Japanese guitar prodigy Yuto Miyazawa, who is able to deliver note-perfect readings of Black Sabbath and Eric Clapton songs on a guitar the size of his small frame (Miyazaw later performed with Galactic at the Jammys post-party).
After appearing at the 7th Jammy Awards, Galactic headlined the official Jammys post-party at New York’s B.B. King’s Blues Club. The Jammys post-party is known for its special guests and this year’s festivities proved to be no exception. Miyazawa, who worked the crowd into frenzy when he presented the New Groove Award at the Jammys, was escorted onstage with Galactic by Zenbu Media president Steve Bernstein, and proceeded to lead the quintet through a cover of Ozzy Osborne’s “Crazy Train.” Miyazawa played a v-neck guitar the size of his pint-size body to thunderous applause well past his bedtime. The young guitarist also made a stealth appearance earlier this week at an open mic night held at New York’s Rodeo Bar. As expected, Galactic also invited several old friends onstage throughout its late night set, including Jurassic 5’s Charlie 2na, Cheme and Trombone Shorty.
The following is a complete list of winners at the 7th Jammy Awards:
Live Album of the Year: Umphrey’s McGee, Live at the Murat
New Groove of the Year: Cornmeal
DVD of the Year: Disco Biscuits, Progressions
Download of the Year: Phish, “Headphones Jam” Mimi Fishman Award:Rock
the Earth
Song of the Year: Keller Williams, “Cadillac”
Tour of the Year: the Disco Biscuits/Umphrey’s McGee, D.U.M.B
Grahmmy Jammy: Lee Crumpton, Homegrown Music Network
Archival Release of the Year: The Grateful Dead, Three From The Vault
Studio Album of the Year: moe., The Conch
Live Performance of the Year: Gov’t Mule and Guests, Bonnaroo
Lifetime Achievement Award: Phish
