Today we look back to May 3, 2004…

Jazz Fest: The Second Weekend

Reports are still coming in from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (look for a photo gallery a bit later this week) but here are a few tidbits from the weekend…..Thunderstorms led to the cancellation of the Fest proper on Friday for the first time in 13 years, and only the 3rd time in the history of the festival……As one might imagine, that night’s Gov’t Mule show drew in some guest players, including Chris Robinson, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Audley Freed and Karl Denson…..After that gig Warren Haynes made it to the New Earth Mud show and rejoined Robinson for ‘Stealin’‘ & ‘Sugaree.’…..Also that night, a number of musicians appeared with Mofro at the Mermaid Lounge: Ben Ellman, Theresa Andersson and the Duo, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo…..The next day at the fairgrounds, Andersson’s longstanding collaborator, Anders Osborne appeared with multiple celebrated area musicians, among others, George Porter Jr., Brian Stoltz and John Gros…..Carlos Santana, a late addition to the festival invited Hugh Masekela to perform with his group….On their second night at the Orpheum Theater the Mule brought Ivan Neville, Rob Somerville and Smoky Greenwell onto the stage……Neville also collaborated with Galactic…..Back to KD, he performed well past dawn this morning at the House of Blues, with numerous guests including Mike Dillon, Skerik and former Tiny Universe member Carlos Washington.

Paul Pena Shares With The Derek Trucks Band

In 1971 Paul Pena released his eponymous studio debut on Capitol Records. He soon began work on his follow-up but due to the vagaries of the music business it did not emerge until nearly twenty years later, although Steve Miller has long since recorded Pena’s ‘Jet Airliner’ (these sessions also featured Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders). Another track on New Train is ‘Gonna Move,’ which Susan Tedeschi later recorded on her Wait For Me album, backed by the Derek Tracks Band. The DTB has been playing the song as of late as well, and on Saturday at the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA, Pena joined the group on guitar and vocals for a version of ‘Gonna Move’ along with ‘Joyful Noise.’ As for Pena, a portion of his fascinating life is related in the Academy Award-nominated documentary Genghis Blues which tracks the blind musician as he travels to the nation of Tuva and participates in a throat singing competition.

Phish Unveils Undermind on June 15 with Bonus DVD

The latest Phish studio effort, Undermind is set for a June 15 release on Elecktra Records. Produced by Tchad Blake (Tom Waits, The Bad Plus, Crowded House, Los Lobos), Undermind offers fourteen tracks including ‘Scents and Subtle Sounds,’ ‘Army of ‘One,’ ‘Secret Smile,’ and many others that the group has not yet performed in concert. In addition, the first pressing of the disc will include a 26 minute film directed by Danny Clinch on the recording of Undermind.

Durkin as Plant with Scarecrow Collection

Judging by the volume of email we’ve received at the Jambands.com news department, it’s fair to say that Scarecrow Collection fans and band members alike were energized by the appearance of Jen Durkin with the group over the weekend. On Saturday at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, NJ, Scarecrow Collective invited a few guests to sit in, including former member Rob Csapo on mandolin and sax player Bill Shelley (Jimson’s Lyric). The group then closed out its set, with Jen Durkin (who was there to perform with the Bomb Squad) stepping up and channeling Robert Plant during a rousing version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love.’

Acoustic Planet Tour Features Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Keller Williams and Yonder Mountain String Band

A month of dates has been released for the Acoustic Planet Tour. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Keller Williams and Yonder Mountain String Band share the bill for these shows which will hit a number of mid-sized outdoor venues and theaters. The first takes place on August 5 in Interlochen, MI at Kresge Auditorium. The tour routes through the midwest and into the south with the final confirmed show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach SC on September 5.