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Roll Call: Burt Neilson Band & Fat Cats @ Opera House on Sat. Dec. 19


Jay Funk Dawg

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oh man... I'm just out on the West coast in the middle of a Trews acoustic tour, during which I've been exclusively 'rocking' the accordion the whole time. Can't wait to get back to TO and some actual keyboards and get this show rolling...

seeming as I'm as out of the loop as everyone else... I hope the exciting news TBA is good!

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I'm glad this Eminence Front thing has legs. I've always wanted to hear it used as a springboard for an improvisation. It's got a lot of things going for it, the arpeggiated key intro (not sure if I'm using that word correctly), driving drum, the singular bass line and guitar riff. And then of course the definitive vocals. It's also cool that it's a Townsend song and Daltrie comes in on the chorus. Lyrically too it's deep as fuck like some David Byrne shit. Was used very fittingly in an early episode of Entourage once. In short it gives everyone in the band something meaty to lean into and it's precisely the sort of vehicle that Burt can so aptly run right off the road (or into a deer).

Back in the day, Roadside Attraction used to play this in their sets all of the time, and it was GOLD. And it is certainly a platform from which to launch into a great jam.

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By The Door is solid! It has grown on me over the years. I listened to that disc a few months ago and thought "great stuff." Plus it's still a lot of fun getting down when Burt launches into an old-school groove. Throw some pyschedelic spiral jams into the mix and there's a recipe for a night of music that will put a smile on my face. :)

Peace, Mark

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just in case you didn't read this from the other post (like I hadn't), here's the final lineup for the night.

We are happy to announce that Both The Fat Cats and The Gratefully Dedicated Soundsystem will join The Burt Neilson Band in a celebration of Canadian Jam music on December 19th at Toronto's Opera House.

In what has become somewhat of an annual holiday event, we thought who better to share the stage with than the band who helped form the basis for all Canadian Jambands.

As well, Rory Levy brings his incredible collection of Grateful Dead music. I can still remember those endless nights at evolve listening and dancing with friends to the GDSS.

There was a time when BNB and Fat Cats made regular appearances on the same bill. A deep respect and friendship formed through these musical endeavors. Although these meetings have become few and far between, the spirit in which they originated remains.

We are excited and happy to bring you this event, and hope that we see faces both new and old..are you ready?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I forgot about the boots. They totally cracked Cully and I up at the last Burt show as they peaked out from under his keys. Apart from missing out on the formative years playing in his uncle's funeral parlour old Jeff's styled himself after a modern day Garth Hudson.

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I know that's a bit of a preposterous statement to make - playing wise I'm sure Heisholt would be the first to acknowledge the gulf - it's not that far off the mark. Richard's a stretch too for other reasons (although Jeff certainly does testify by the 'I just wanna break even' credo) ... I remember talking to Garth in passing about Richard playing 'rhythm piano' ... he was really offended 'he did alot more than that' he grumbled.

Frankly I've always liked to think of Jeff Heisholt as a modern day 'great Stan Szelest'.

"Stan Szelest was a living fountain of rock and roll piano, a one-of-a-kind player. His prescence, the way he could play piano, was overwhelming. I tried to play what Stan was doing with his left hand. I wasn't stealing. I was learning. One night, Stan gave me a look while I was copying him. He stared at me with a super-conscious look in his eye - and magic! - all of a sudden I got better at doubling his left hand. He had transmitted some powerful force to me. Stan could just give it to you if he wanted."

-- Rick Danko, This Wheel's on Fire

Piano/keyboard player Stan Szelest from Buffalo, a well-respected and professional musician that everyone refers to as "the great Stan Szelest", was only seventeen years old when, in early 1960, Ronnie Hawkins hired him to enrichen the sound of the Hawks after guitarist Jimmy Ray "Luke" Paulman had left the group. At this point the Hawks were Levon Helm on drums, Robbie Robertson on bass, Fred Carter Jr. on guitar, and Szelest and Will Jones doubling on piano and keyboards. The configuration was soon altered when Robertson took over as lead guitarist from Carter and Rebel Payne came in as the new bass player. When Rick Danko replaced Payne in 1961, Stan Szelest became Danko's musical teacher. Szelest stayed with the Hawks for over a year. When he left in 1961, Richard Manuel was called down from Canada to Arkansas to be the Hawks' new piano player.

In the summer of 1984, Stan Szelest and Levon Helm played together again as members of the short-lived septet The Woodstock All-Stars. By the end of 1990 Szelest became a member of the reunited Band, as they were getting ready to record for CBS, writing songs, recording, and rehearsing with Garth Hudson in Woodstock. In January 1991, Stan Szelest died of a heart attack at the age of 48. Some of his electric piano work can be heard on the Band album Jericho, where he also co-wrote the Richard Manuel tribute "Too Soon Gone".

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Nice! *new poster* totally sweetened the deal. I'm in.

As for covers. I want to hear you guys do a cover of a cover the Fat Cats would do. Doesn't matter which one.

I second C-towns - PERMIT COLLECTOR.

Did Zero win the BNB bio contest? Does he get to present it between bands at the show?

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Did Zero win the BNB bio contest? Does he get to present it between bands at the show?

I think I was the only entry but Jay keeps trying to convince me to do some 'Ken Kesey bozo rap type thing' akin to Phish at Darien. I'm on the fence.

As far as Watching TV... am I the only one that thinks that title is totally misleading. I mean seriously it should be called 'Jealousy Whoa'.

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