Phish

Formed by Phish drummer Jon Fishman as a kind of all-star experiment from local players in Burlington, Pork Tornado delivers a mismatched set of solo noodles, tight rhythm jams, spacy synth pads, saloon laments - songs set in styles that have nothing much in common other than the spirit of the musicians as they hopscotch from genre to genre. Their authenticity on country cuts like "Home Is Where You Are" and "Blue Skies" makes it almost impossible to believe that the same guys are responsible for the funk track "Kiss My Black Ass," which they execute with a street energy, crisp backbeat, virtuoso stuttering bass, and collage mentality that reach back to James Brown and War for inspiration. There are enigmatic moments as well, which range from Dan Archer's somewhat stiff solo guitar fragment "Fellini" to a few seconds of Fishman goofing around on the keys in "Organ"…

Everyone who followed Son Seals has a special story to tell about the way they discovered him, a certain show they witnessed, or the like. This DVD, A Journey Through the Blues: The Son Seals Story, is certain to bring great memories to all of his fans and will enlighten those who might have overlooked his immense contribution to the blues. I first saw Son Seals perform on a sultry July afternoon in Oswego, NY. I had previously spun his albums on my radio show in college, and was quite pleased when I saw him listed as a side stage act at Phish's 1999 festival. I didn't know much about him other than his signature guitar sound - a tone as unmistakable as those of BB King or Jimi Hendrix - and that startling voice.