Live Jam Folk (Old Meets New)

Featuring Boris Garcia, BrownChicken BrownCow StringBand, and the David Nelson Band.

Download: Podcast 5: Live Jam Folk

Performances:
BrownChicken BrownCow StringBand: “Sexy When She Comes”
BrownChicken BrownCow StringBand: “She Comes and She Goes” (with Barry Sless)
Boris Garcia: “Shady Grove”
Boris Garcia: “Walking Barefoot”
Boris Garcia: “Point Of Grace”
Boris Garcia: “Song of Love”
David Nelson Band: “Lochinvar”
BrownChicken BrownCow StringBand: “Twilight Swamp” (with Barry Sless)

This episode explores the convergence of traditional folk, gypsy, bluegrass, and Appalachian country music in a live jam setting. It also provides an example of the influence of ancient Scottish and Celtic folk songs, as reinterpreted by Appalachian country and bluegrass artists, on today’s jam bands.

See podcast episode commentary for more…

FOBs: TBone Outtakes Remakes and Rare Breaks

Welcome to the Flying Other Brothers Music Podcast, hosted by Rockument, a podcast channel produced by Tony Bove, the harmonica player in the Flying Other Brothers.

The following includes a studio recording produced by T Bone Burnett and live gems from past shows featuring G.E. Smith, Country Joe, and Bob Weir.

Download: TBone Outtakes Remakes 

Song list:

1. Take a Drive – studio outtake (T. Bove, B. Keely) produced by T Bone Burnett
2. Let’s Get Together (Powers) with G.E. Smith
3. Ohio (Young) with G.E. Smith
4. Sugaree (Garcia, Hunter) with G.E. Smith
5. King Harvest (J.R. Robertson) with G.E. Smith
6. Rockin’ Around the World (McDonald) with Country Joe
7. Playing in the Band-Other Miles Jam (Weir, Hunter, FOBs) with Bob Weir
8. The Main Ten-Uncle John’s Reprise-Playing in the Band Reprise (Hart, Weir, Hunter, Garcia) with Bob Weir

We recorded the first song (with Tony Bove on vocals) at Village Recorders in Santa Monica on Aug. 5-7, 2006, with T Bone Burnett at the controls, in preparation for a studio album that has not yet been released:

1. Take a Drive – studio outtake (T. Bove, B. Keely)
(You can also download this song as an individual MP3 file.)


Left to right: Bert Keely, T Bone Burnett, Roger McNamee, Tony Bove

Our summer tour of 2006 featured G.E. Smith on lead guitar trading licks with Barry Sless on lead and pedal steel guitar. One stellar night, Aug. 17, 2006, we played Duggan’s Waterfront Pub in Homer, Alaska. With a great crowd and some truly inspiring dancers, we played one of the longest sets ever, more than 3 hours. Tony sang this at the very end, nearly out of breath, the anthem of the Sixties:

2. Let’s Get Together (Powers)

All during our summer tour of 2006, which took us from SoCal to Alaska to NYC and parts inbetween, G.E. Smith would lead us in inspired remakes of the Crosby Stills Nash and Young song “Ohio” (vocal by Tony Bove), the Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia solo classic “Sugaree” (vocal by G.E. Smith), and the Band classic “King Harvest” (vocal by Roger McNamee, Tony Bove, and G.E. Smith):

3. Ohio (Young) — Juneau, Alaska at Hangar on the Wharf, 8/20/2006
4. Sugaree (Garcia, Hunter) — Juneau, Alaska at Hangar on the Wharf, 8/20/2006
5. King Harvest (J.R. Robertson) — Haines, Alaska at the Tribal House, 8/26/2006


G.E. Smith on the road

BOXER ROCKS on Feb. 25, 2005, was a celebration of Senator Barbara Boxer for her courage at the Condi Rice hearings. This was also the CD Release party for our studio album, San Francisco Sounds. We persuaded a few of our friends to come out and play. It didn’t take much persuading, in actual fact. So lines formed outside Slim’s early on that Friday night, and never really abated. Boz Scaggs joined us along with friends and occasional SuperFOBs G.E. Smith, Country Joe McDonald, David Nelson, T Bone Burnett, and Bob Weir. From that concert, here is Country Joe and the Flying Other Brothers (with G.E. Smith):

6. Rockin’ Around the World (McDonald)

On April 21, 2002, we played a benefit for Camp Winnarainbow and Patch Adams’ GESUNDHEIT Institute (yes, that Patch Adams!) and Wavy Gravy at Bimbo’s in San Francisco. Pete Sears and The Dawn Patrol also appeared, and we provided backing for Bob Weir, with Larry and Corinne Marcus on drums and percussion, and Giles McNamee on rhythm guitar. Bob Weir, of course, sang and played lead guitar. The club was packed to the rafters and we started and ended the Bob Weir set with this impromptu jam that included a Miles Davis riff:

7. Playing in the Band-Other Miles Jam (Weir, Hunter, FOBs)
8. The Main Ten-Uncle John’s Reprise-Playing in the Band Reprise (Hart, Weir, Hunter, Garcia)

All songs published by Fobros Music Publishing (ASCAP) with the following exceptions:

“Ohio” is published by Cotillion Music Inc./Broken Arrow Music (BMI). “Rockin’ Around the World” is published by Country Joe McDonald. “Sugaree”, “Playing in the Band”, “The Main Ten”, and “Uncle John’s Band” are published by Ice Nine Publishing Co. (ASCAP). “King Harvest” is published by Canaan Music (copyright (c) 1970 Canaan Music, Inc.). “Let’s Get Together” is published by Irving Music (BMI).

For videos and more songs, visit the Flying Other Brothers on Rockument (www.rockument.com/fobbs)

The Flying Other Brothers are:
Bill Bennett, bass and vocals
TBone Tony Bove, harmonica and vocals
Bert Keely, guitar, trumpet and vocals
Corinne Marcus, percussion — songs 7-8
Larry Marcus, percussion — songs 7-8
Ann McNamee, percussion and vocals
Roger McNamee, rhythm guitar and vocals
Giles McNamee, guitar — songs 7-8
Jim Sanchez, drums — songs 1-6
Pete Sears, keyboards and vocals
Barry Sless, lead and pedal steel guitar — songs 1-6
G.E. Smith, lead guitar and vocals — songs 1-6

Guest stars:
Country Joe McDonald, guitar and vocals — song 6
Bob Weir, lead guitar and vocals — songs 7-8

The Flying Other Brothers crew:
Howard Danchik, live engineer
Stacy Parrish, studio and live recording engineer
Pat Morrow, Road Manager
Paul Dulany, crew
Dawn Holliday, spiritual advisor

Social Folk Roots of California Rock

Featuring Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers, Balfa and Schwarz, Pete Sears with Jorma Kaukonen, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, the David Nelson Band, and the Flying Other Brothers.

Download: Podcast 4: Social Folk Roots of California Rock

Performances:
Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers: “Rye Whiskey”
David Nelson Band: “Humboldt County Hippie (Hippie from Olema)”
Balfa and Schwarz: “Dirt Farmer”
David Nelson Band: “The Poor Old Dirt Farmer”
Flying Other Brothers: “Constellation Rag”
Pete Sears with Jorma Kaukonen: “Meadway Rag”
Flying Other Brothers: “Take Me With You”
David Nelson Band: “Frankie and Johnny”
Georgia Sea Island Singers: “Hambone, Where You Been?”
Flying Other Brothers: “Clueless”

This episode explores the social folk roots of California rock music, with licensed rare and historical performances (hosted by Tony Bove of the Flying Other Brothers) — including whiskey songs, fiddle tunes, piano rags and primitive dance tunes.

See podcast episode commentary for more…

Country Blues Roots of California Rock

Featuring J.D. Short, the Rev. Gary Davis, the David Nelson Band, and the Flying Other Brothers with special guests G.E. Smith, Jorma Kaukonen, and Jack Casady, and excerpts by Son House, Robert Johnson, and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

Download: Episode 3: Country Blues Roots of California Rock

Performances:
J.D. Short: “Slidin’ Delta”
David Nelson Band: “Slidin’ Delta”
Robert Johnson: Excerpt from “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom”
Sonny Boy Williamson II: Excerpt from “Eyesight to the Blind”
G.E. Smith with the Flying Other Brothers: “Eyesight to the Blind”
Son House: Excerpt from “Walkin’ Blues”
Robert Johnson: Excerpt from “Walkin’ Blues”
Son House: Excerpt from “Empire State Blues”
G.E. Smith with the Flying Other Brothers: “Empire State”
Rev. Gary Davis: “Hesitation Blues (Instrumental)”
Rev. Gary Davis: Excerpt from “Hesitation Blues”
Flying Other Brothers with Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady: “Hesitation Blues”

This episode explores the country blues roots of California rock music, with licensed rare and historical performances (hosted by Tony Bove of the Flying Other Brothers). No form of music is more genuinely American than the blues, which is embodied within early jazz and became the basis for rhythm and blues and eventually rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, and hard rock. What we now know as “the blues” developed separately in three different regions of the South: the Mississippi Delta and eastern Texas at the turn of the century, and in the Piedmont region of the Carolinas ten years later. These rural blues were carried from the plantations and prison farms to urban areas such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Los Angeles — where it evolved into the electric blues and rhythm and blues.

See podcast episode commentary for more…
 

Ballad Roots of California Folk-Rock

Featuring music by Paul Clayton, Kilby Snow, the David Nelson Band, the Flying Other Brothers, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Sarah Hawkes, and Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers.

Download: Podcast 2: Ballad Roots of California Folk-Rock

Performances:

Paul Clayton: “The Twa Sisters (The Two Sisters)”
Kilby Snow: “Wind and Rain”
The David Nelson Band: “Wind and Rain”
The Flying Other Brothers: “Johnny B”
Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger: “The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie”
The David Nelson Band: “Peggy-O”
Sarah Hawkes: “Little Sparrow (Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies-Sharp 118)”
Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers: “Fair And Tender Ladies”
The Flying Other Brothers: “Gwendolyn”

This episode explores the ballad roots of California folk-rock music, with licensed rare and historical performances (hosted by Tony Bove of the Flying Other Brothers).

From the European troubadours of the 16th Century to the early settlers of Appalachia, people have been singing songs about desperate men, senseless violence, murders and executions, damsels in distress, hard traveling, whiskey, gambling, and lost loves. Centuries have past, but we sing about the same things, and sometimes we sing the same songs.

In this episode we explore the roots of several ballads that found there way into contemporary rock, and in particular into the repertoires of Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, David Nelson, and Peter Rowan. Ballads are most often folk poetry in a musical format, passed along orally from generation to generation, set to conventional tunes and usually sung by a solo voice.

See podcast episode commentary for more…

Americana Roots of California Folk-Rock

This episode explores the roots of rock music and the influences on rock performers, with licensed rare and historical performances (hosted by Tony Bove of the Flying Other Brothers).

Download: Podcast 1: Americana Roots of California Folk-Rock

Featuring:

Roscoe Holcomb: “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”
Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers: “Man Of Constant Sorrow”
Excerpts: versions of “John Hardy” (Carter Family and Lead Belly)
David Nelson Band: “John Hardy’s Wedding”
Woody Guthrie with Sonny Terry: “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”
Flying Other Brothers with special guest David Nelson: “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad”

Many of the songs that inspire today’s rock, folk-rock, and bluegrass bands from California are rooted in what is called Americana: the country blues of the southern states, the cowboy songs of the western states, and that high lonesome sound of bluegrass and country ballads from Appalachia.

See podcast episode commentary for more…

FOBs: Girdwood, radio KUEL, 89.5 FM

Welcome to the Flying Other Brothers Music Podcast, hosted by Rockument, a podcast channel produced by Tony Bove, the harmonica player in the Flying Other Brothers.

Download: Girdwood Alaska Radio 8-21-2005   

We visited Alaska in August of 2005 for about 2 weeks, touring from Homer on up the Kenai Peninsula and then across to Juneau and up to Haines and Scagway. We visited Girdwood, near Anchorage, and played a brief acoustic set at the radio station — KUEL, 89.5 FM.

On a fine rainy afternoon we crowded into a very tiny smokehouse connected to the separate control shack by a wooden plank, and played to a microphone in the middle of the smokehouse in acoustic format. Here’s the entire show, featuring:

  1. Tell Me It’s Okay (Roger McNamee)
  2. Falling In Leaves (Ann McNamee, G.E. Smith)
  3. Gwendolyn (Roger McNamee)
  4. Take Me With You (Tony Bove, Pete Sears)
  5. Spillin’ The Blues (Ann McNamee, Lou Dog)
  6. W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (J.R. Robertson)
  7. Wise Man in the Desert (Bill Bennett)

All songs published by Fobros Music Publishing (ASCAP) except “W.S. Walcott Medicine Show” which is published by Canaan Music (copyright (c) 1970 Canaan Music, Inc.).

To learn more about these and other shows, visit Recent Fun on the Flying Other Brothers site.

The Flying Other Brothers are:
Roger McNamee, rhythm guitar
Ann McNamee, percussion
Jim Sanchez, drums
Pete Sears, keyboards
Barry Sless, lead and pedal steel guitar
Bert Keely, guitar and trumpet
TBone Tony Bove, harmonica
Bill Bennett, bass

The Flying Other Brothers crew:

Howard Danchik, live engineer
Stacy Parrish, studio and live recording engineer
Pat Morrow, Road Manager
Paul Dulany, crew
Dawn Holliday, spiritual advisor

The Flying Other Brothers Management:

Michael Nash, Tritone Artist Management

FOBs: Sharp Times in the Flatlands

The Flying Other Brothers shared the bill with the David Nelson Band and Stir Fried.

Welcome to the Flying Other Brothers Music Podcast, hosted by Rockument, a podcast channel produced by Tony Bove, the harmonica player in the Flying Other Brothers.

Download: May Daze in Colorado 5-27-2005 

What a weekend — long and occasionally strange, at that! We performed at “May Daze” on May 27, 2005 at Matt and Maria Jefferson’s ranch, Strasburg, CO.

The playlist:

  1. Spitfire (Pete Sears)
  2. Falling In Leaves (Ann McNamee, G.E. Smith)
  3. Blip In The Life (Tony Bove, G.E. Smith)
  4. Gwendolyn (Roger McNamee)
  5. Wise Man in the Desert (Bill Bennett)
  6. Spillin’ The Blues (Ann McNamee, Lou Dog)
  7. Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad (with Bill McKay, organ, vocals)

The Flying Other Brothers are:
Roger McNamee, rhythm guitar
Ann McNamee, percussion
Jim Sanchez, drums
Pete Sears, keyboards
Barry Sless, lead and pedal steel guitar
Bert Keely, guitar and trumpet
TBone Tony Bove, harmonica
Bill Bennett, bass

In the days before the weekend, we learned a couple of worrisome things: Vince Herman, exuberant front man for the late, lamented Leftover Salmon, had emergency surgery to fuse two vertebrae that were in danger of severing his spinal cord; and Bill Laymon, well-known bassist for the David Nelson Band, found himself in the hospital, baffling doctors with some troubling symptoms.

One result: for the first time in years, Pete Sears took his bass on the road with him. Those who know him as a keyboard player may not recall that Pete held down the low end for Jefferson Starship back in the day, and having played keyboards behind Nelson on many occasions, he was a natural choice to fill in.

Barry Sless and Tony Bove photo

So we arrived at May Daze, trailing a cloud of dust as we arrived on Thursday evening for a sound check, only to find that the rigors of building a stage had taken somewhat longer than expected. We went off in search of dinner, at the best BBQ place in Strasburg, CO. OK, the only BBQ place in Strasburg. This may explain why the Nelson crew found us so easily, whereupon followed a finger-lickin’ session of swapping lies, with an undercurrent of real concern for Bill, who was still stuck in San Francisco, awaiting the results from a spinal tap.

Friday night, then, is the show you hear in this podcast — featuring the incomparable Bill McKay from Leftover Salmon on “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” — and after we did our thing, Pete admirably defined the pocket for the Nelson band. Next thing we knew, it was Saturday afternoon, and we got word that Bill Laymon was en route. He seemed a bit weak when he arrived, but his playing that night was as strong as ever. This, by the way, makes David Nelson one of the very few who has played with both the Dead and the near-dead.

Come Sunday, and with it menacing storm clouds and intermittent rain, when who should appear on the scene but Vince Herman, patched together with the usual baling wire and bubble gum, and with the addition of a very rakish neck brace. We prepared a modified set list when Vince allowed as how he might just join us for our set, and so Strasburg’s May Daze was the venue for the unofficial debut of Vince and the Stiffnecks (having decided that the neck brace was not enough like a clerical collar to support a band called Father Vincent and the Altar Boys). We played into the teeth of a driving rain, it must be added, that ultimately caused the cancellation of the festival’s final set by Stir Fried. We note with great pleasure that Mookie Siegel also sat in with the band on the mighty Hammond, as he had on Saturday. Got that? Right. We returned to the Bay Area with our faith in the healing power of music confirmed once more.

Set list, Friday 5/27

  • Highway 61 Revisited
  • Spitfire
  • Falling In Leaves
  • Blip In The Life
  • Gwendolyn
  • While My Guitar Gently Weeps
  • Wise Man in the Desert
  • Spillin’ The Blues
  • Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad (with Bill McKay, organ, vocals)

Set list, Saturday 5/28 (with Mookie Siegel, organ)

  • Tell Me It’s Okay
  • Old Brown Shoe
  • Clueless
  • Spillin’ The Blues
  • W. S. Walcott Medicine Show
  • Arastradero Road
  • Stella Blue
  • Nick of Time > Devil’s Kitchen

Set list, Sunday 5/29 (with Vince Herman, guitar, vocals; and Mookie Siegel, organ)

  • Highway 61 Revisited
  • Friend of the Devil
  • It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
  • Euphoria
  • The Weight
  • Love Minus Zero
  • Like A Rolling Stone
  • Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad

The Flying Other Brothers crew:

Howard Danchik, live engineer
Stacy Parrish, studio and live recording engineer
Pat Morrow, Road Manager
Paul Dulany, crew
Dawn Holliday, spiritual advisor

The Flying Other Brothers Management:

Michael Nash, Tritone Artist Management