Buffalo News
October 15, 2006
1) Ratdog
Bob Weir carries the mantle for Grateful Dead-based improv-rock. Ratdog has developed into a far-reaching vehicle for the music Weir helped create.
2) Umphrey's McGee
A guitar-player's delight, and the most progressive of the younger jam bands.
3) Phil Lesh & Friends
With a rotating cast of characters - including, recently, Black Crowes vocalist Chris Robinson and legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield - Grateful Dead bassist Lesh is digging deeper into his former band's legacy.
4) The Derek Trucks Band
Trucks is quite likely the finest electric slide guitarist in history, and his still-young band just keeps getting better.
5) The Mars Volta
Frank Zappa and King Crimson meet head-on in this volatile, endlessly creative young band's ouevre.
6) Tea Leaf Green
Smart, tuneful, song-oriented jam-rock.
7) moe.
Buffalo's own entry in the jam band sweepstakes now commands a sizeable, devoted audience for its smart, searching sound.
8) Sound Tribe Sector 9
Bravely blending electronic influences with traditional jam-based music, STS9 is one of a few bands pointing the way toward the future of the form.
9) Soulive
Another Buffalo band made good, Soulive brings R&B, funk, hip-hop and soul to bear on the jam ethic.
10) Gov't Mule
Warren Haynes, erstwhile Allman Brothers picker, leads this powerhouse, blending the indelible influence of Cream with elaborate improv sections and a strong, southern soul feel.
