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In the summer of 2000, it seemed like groove music could rule the world. Soulive was on
the rise, jumping from Wetlands to the Bowery Ballroom to Irving Plaza in a matter of
months, Galactic had moved out of their southern home to become a national act and Project
Logic was breaking new ground - instrumental music was everywhere. In the midst of the
surge, however, Robert Walter hit a near catastrophe when his band’s equipment was stolen
(in a U-Haul trailer if I remember correctly). No matter how much success the bands were
finding, there’s no doubt that they were working for it, sweating it out night after
night; how could anyone recover from such a loss? The answer: community.
On a hot August night at Wetlands, groove luminaries from all corners of jamnation came
together to raise money for Robert Walter’s 20th Congress in an epic all-star jam to end
all all-star jams. Clocking in at a stunning five and a half hours, with no set breaks,
and personnel changes of no more than mere minutes, the music stretched far into the early
morning hours, slinking through funk standards, free form jams and no shortage of Herbie
Hancock material.
The band was largely led by Eric Krasno, Justin Wallace, Topaz and
Fuzz, but featured a host of others, including Stanton Moore, Adam
Deitch, Joe Russo, Hope Clayburn, Scott Metzger, Houseman,
DJ Logic, of course Robert Walter, and many others. It was without question
the single greatest all-star jam…for that matter, the single greatest show I ever saw at
Wetlands.
Featured here, in just under two hours, are some serious highlights, including many of the
staples everyone was playing at the time: "Flood in Franklin Park," "World Is A Ghetto" (a
killer, killer version at that), "Everything Is Everything" > "Standing on Shaky Ground" >
"I Wish" (featuring Hope and Houseman), as well as a couple of extended jams: one led by
Hope, one that works from a pure improv into "Nautilus" > "Steppin'" (the Janet section) >
"Stay," and one that melts away into the late night hours after 17+ minutes. This was
truly remarkable and unique outpouring of support and groove, and well worth your time.
As always, enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK'S MIX
Written By: Dan Alford
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