Check out all of our favorite highlights from the past month of music…

Gov’t Mule Featuring John Scofield, Sco-Mule

Sco-Mule, the latest archival release from Gov’t Mule, highlights the first meeting between Mule’s Warren Haynes and jazz-fusion guitarist John Scofield. Taken from the recordings at a pair of 1999 shows together, this release has an awesome blend of blues, rock and some silky smooth jazz, with both guitar virtuosos trading ferocious licks back and forth. This is a must listen for any Mule and Scofield enthusiasts. The album release also comes as a precursor to a Mule/Scofield tour beginning February 18 in Seattle. Check out the full review here.

Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues

“With quick changes, twisted tunings and complex time signatures, Punch Brothers provide listeners with a mind-bending rollercoaster ride of intricate instrumentation that is among the greatest of its genre,” L4LM’s own Joseph Conlon writes. He couldn’t be more spot on. This is the Punch Brothers’ most sophisticated release to date, and with Chris Thile leading the quintet, anything is possible. Read the full review here.

 L4LM On The Road With Umphrey’s McGee

We at L4LM couldn’t be happier to partner up with Umphrey’s McGee for their 2015 winter tour. For all 27 dates, spanning from January 28th – March 21st, the Live For Live Music team will keep you updated while on the road with the band via a published in-depth tour log featuring entries from band members, exclusive track releases, professional photos, and even a FREE exclusive webcast (TBA). Check out our ongoing tour log with the band here.

 Joe Russo’s Almost Dead @ The 15th Annual Freaks Ball

For anyone that follows the jam band scene closely, they will tell you that Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is one of the most exciting Grateful Dead related projects going today. Their interpretation of the Dead catalog, with its’ dark twists and turns have delighted fans and breathed some new life into classic Dead material. So, when JRAD rolled into New York City at the Brooklyn Bowl for the 15th annual Freaks Ball, needless to say, expectations were high. JRAD did not dissapoint. They delivered two of their most unique shows to date, debuting a plethora of new Dead songs to their repetoire. This included a fantastic take on “Jack-A-Roe,” featured above. For the full L4LM rundown of JRAD at the Freaks Ball, click here.

 Island Getaways

The island getaway adventure has become an ever-increasingly popular blueprint for jam bands come January when it’s cold most places in the states. moe. (Tropical Throe.down in Jamaica), Widespread Panic, (Panic En La Playa in the Dominican Republic), and Gov’t Mule (Island Exodus in Jamaica) all threw down magnificent runs with some of their most devout fans in attendance. These island adventures are surely the way to go for jam band fans to overcome the lulls of winter. Enjoy this playlist (above) with some highlights from these island adventures.

 Jam Cruise Delivers (Again)

Can you ever remember a Jam Cruise that wasn’t super successful? That didn’t have countless sit-ins and collaborations? We can’t either. For a great, comprehensive breakdown of all of the happenings at Jam Cruise this year, take a look at L4LM’s 20 Things You Will Only See On Jam Cruise here.

The Motet & Keller Williams Team Up For West Coast Dates

If you’re in the mood for some funk and live in on the west coast, then The Motet‘s co-headlining tour with the one-man-band, Keller Williams is the way to go. They kicked off their miniature run of tour dates on 1/29 at The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA and will wrap up things up on February 7 with a performance at the Crystal Bay Club & Casino. The run of shows are sure to be spectacularly funky, so don’t miss out! Check out our review of the recent show in Los Angeles here.

 Greensky Bluegrass Transcends @ The Brooklyn Bowl

Greensky Bluegrass is, pound for pound, one of the tightest bluegrass syndicate playing today. L4LM editor Chris Meyer said it best: “The music this band creates goes well beyond that [bluegrass] realm, incorporating folk, indie, americana, singer-songwriter, psychedelic, and jam in seamleass fashion.” Make no questions about it, Greensky is out for blood each and every time they play, and when they rolled into Brooklyn Bowl for a two night stand earlier last month, they took no prisoners. With flames rising from their extreme picking and plucking, GSBG proved why fans flock to their shows like the salmon of Capistrano. And when you thought it couldn’t get any better, enter Soulive/Lettuce‘s Eric Krasno and the Infamous Stringdusters‘ Andy Falco for some great collaborations. Check out Kraz sitting in with Greensky for the Allman Brothers Band‘s “Midnight Rider” below and for the full review of Greensky’s Brooklyn Bowl shows, click here.

 60,000 Mail Orders Come In For Core Four’s “Fare Thee Well” Reunion Shows

 

 

As you’ve probably heard by now, the Core Four (plus Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby, and Jeff Chimenti) of the Grateful Dead will be playing their final three shows together this 4th of July weekend at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The tickets for this event are arguably the most sought after so far in the 21st century, and the team were overwhelmed by by more than 60,00 mail orders requesting in excess of 350,000 tickets. Due to this demand, promoters have closed off pre-sale ticketing and are set to put the remaining tickets on sale to the public February 28. Best of luck to all those vying for a shot at tickets!