Jake Cinninger Says New Umphrey’s McGee Album Coming In January

This past Saturday night, Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger reunited with Ali Baba’s Tahini for a performance at Vegetable Buddies in South Bend, Indiana. Cinninger discussed the gig with his old group for a preview in the South Bend Tribune and revealed a new album from his main band is on its way.

Jake told the paper Umphrey’s McGee has been hard at work for the past 18 months on new music. Cinninger confirmed UM will have a new album out in January after amassing “a huge body of songs.” Umphrey’s released ZONKEY, a compilation of studio-recorded mashups, in 2016. The band previously issued The London Sessions, recorded in just one day at the famed Abbey Road Studios in 2015 less than a year after unveiling Similar Skin.

Cinninger and Ali Baba’s Tahini regrouped in South Bend to raise funds for local fixture Michael Welter. “He has a degenerative muscle disorder with no insurance,” Jake said of Welter. “He is a good-hearted soul. We wanted to help him out a little with his medical bills. I had some time off and said, ‘Man, we could actually make this happen.’ I am glad to see that everything is going in the right direction.”

ABT was formed in South Bend in the mid-’90s ahead of Cinninger joining Umphrey’s. Jake brought a number of Ali Baba’s Tahini songs to the UM repertoire upon his addition to the band. The group played some of those in South Bend including “Space Funk Booty,” “Kabump” and “Soul Food II.” Cinninger and ABT also served up a handful of covers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny,” the Grateful Dead’s “They Love Each Other” and “Dear Prudence” by The Beatles.

Watch footage of Ali Baba’s Tahini’s Saturday night show thanks to Izeoftheworldphotos: