The ascension continues for Chicago's Umphrey's McGee, not only in terms of their
commercial success but in creative accomplishment and instrumental achievement
as well. Their performance on Live at the Murat (SCI Fidelity), their first
official live release, is as impressive as anything they've recorded to date,
with the power and finesse, the yin and the yang, that have come to characterize
their by-now classic material.
Recorded in Indianapolis in April 2007 and produced by longtime "sound
caresser"/ honorary seventh member Kevin Browning, the two-disc set features
fan favorites like "Push the Pig," "The Triple Wide," "In
the Kitchen," and "Nothing Too Fancy" along with rare tunes like the
set-ending "Padgett's Profile" and the brief but torrid "Angular
Momentum," centered on the combo of drummer Kris Myers and guitarist Jake
Cinninger. The band also dusts off tunes like "Hajimemashite" from
'98s Songs for Older Women, and the Yes meets Little Feat-influenced
"40's Theme," a live favorite for the band and its fans.
Throughout the show, UM's invention brings the progressive instrumental chops
of Zappa and the stylistic savvy of Steely Dan. It is innovative without being
indulgent, exhilarating without losing control, and there are plenty of improv
passages that keep the band and their fans off-balance. As David Fricke notes
in his four-star review of Live at the Murat in Rolling Stone,
Umphrey's McGee "always have destination on their minds, even when they
fly free."
Live at the Murat is the latest feather in the cap of the dazzling sextet.
The magical odds and sods The Bottom Half, released in the spring of
this year, followed their highly touted spring 2006 studio release Safety In
Numbers. Contrary to its name, The Bottom Half is a top-rate sequel to
Safety In Numbers. The double album is full of spontaneity and intrigue,
fresh ideas, and the kind of dazzling musicianship we have come to expect from
Umphrey's. With its outtakes, alternate versions, and other nifty bits, The
Bottom Half reached #26 on Billboard's coveted "Heatseakers" Chart
and received high marks from the music press. HARP magazine noted "…[The
Bottom Half delivers] creamy studio work infused by diabolical skill."
UM has - since forming in the late '90s in the South Bend, Indiana area — cultivated
an impressive presence both live and in the studio, quite an accomplishment
when considering their humble roots. Cummins, Bayliss, bassist Ryan Stasik and
original drummer Mike Mirro all studied at the University of Notre Dame near
South Bend, Indiana, while percussionist Andy Farag at the South Bend branch
of Indiana University. Cinninger, from Michigan, had a South Bend-based band
called Ali Baba's Tahini - as well as an open invitation to join Umphrey’s,
which he accepted in the Fall of 2000. His addition, along with Kris Myers'
arrival in 2003, proved critical to the band’s success. Together, the gifted
collective elevated its game.
Just a few months after their first gig in 1998, the band released their first
album, the cleverly titled live document, Greatest Hits Volume III. Songs
for Older Women and One Fat Sucka followed — as did their first ever
DVD, Live from the Lake Coast. Building a reputation with the critically
favored studio recording Local Band Does OK (not to be confused with
Local Band Does Oklahoma — a live EP released soon after) and honing
their groove as a stellar live act, by the time 2004's Anchor Drops was
released to raves, the buzz on Umphrey’s had grown loud. Rolling Stone
tipped them in their Hot Issue and the Washington Post named the band
"rock's undisputed lord of sonic shape-shifting." And if you need
further convincing, one look at their second DVD, 2005's Wrapped Around Chicago:
New Year’s at the Riv, says it all: Umphrey's had arrived.
The jam crowd hoisted the band up on their proverbial shoulders as heroes,
heirs to the Phish throne. Fans reveled in Umphrey's flair for inventive improvisation,
incredible covers, and unpredictable moments. The band had also developed an
uncanny visual language onstage that includes dozens of unspoken cues - a happy
face, for example, symbolizes a major key, while a sad face indicates a minor
one - that make their signature "jazz odysseys" and "Jimmy Stewarts"
legendary on the jam scene. These cues manage to keep things tight and prevent
their improv interludes from spiraling into hippie jam orbit. The band retains
space, breath, and patience in performances, yet maintain masterly control in
the process.
These days, Umphrey's spends half the year on the road habitually flooring
audiences. Their anything-goes musicianship, humor, and good-nature all make
remarkable entertainment. The band shuttles between styles with precision, from
straight-up pop and rock to jazz, prog-metal, and classical. If you can name
it, chances are Umphrey’s can play it.
Umphrey's McGee is Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Jake
Cinninger (guitar, Moog, synthesizers, vocals), Joel Cummins
(keyboards, vocals), Andy Farag (percussion), Kris
Myers (drums, vocals), and Ryan Stasik (bass, no vocals).
Also with the band are sound man Kevin Browning, monitor engineer
Bob Ston, stage manager Robbie Williams, lighting
designer Adam Budney, road manager Don Richards,
and manager Vince Iwinski.
