MAY 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM SPOTLIGHT reps

Jason Thrasher Todd Nance, John “JoJo” Hermann, Jimmy Herring, John Bell, Dave Schools, Domingo S. Ortiz Jason C WIDESPREAD PANIC For their latest, the masters of improv draw upon comedy and tragedy alike

WIDESPREAD PANIC FRONTMAN JOHN ideas through that process. Someone gets Bell sees a sharp distinction between being a inspired to mess with the tempo, or the so-called “jam band” and being a band that’s arrangement, or just the feel of certain things.” adept at improvisation. “It’s the difference While the bulk of Dirty Side Down consists between playing while you’re asleep and of Panic originals, one standout track is playing while you’re awake,” he says. “To a cover of a never-before-released song apply yourself properly to improvisation, written by Vic Chesnutt, “This Cruel Thing.” you need to have an awareness of the other The acclaimed Athens singer and songwriter players and know what they’re doing with died just days before the group began their instruments. There’s an intensity in it recording. that really wakes you up.” “Listening to Vic’s songs is like hearing Bell should know. Over the last 24 years, a great comedian, someone who’s not just AS SEEN IN: MAY 2010 he and his bandmates have established spewing jokes but who’s saying things with themselves as one of America’s premier substance,” Bell says. “He got into heavy M MUSIC & MUSICIANS improvising live acts. The Athens, Ga.-based stuff, but he also kept things light on the MAGAZINE group’s shows have become so legendary, surface.” In fact, while Bell’s major infl uences in fact, that people sometimes forget that include Motown, Van Morrison, Neil Young along with the spectacular musicianship and Jeff Buckley, comedy albums by George comes a trove of great songs—including Carlin and the Firesign Theatre fueled his those on the band’s latest album, ideas about lyrical wordplay. Dirty Side Down. Rife with celestial, guitar- Bell is quick to point out, however, centric jazz-rock, organ-laced boogie shuffl es that Widespread Panic’s music refl ects and shimmering balladry, the disc brings to the sum total of each band member’s mind everything from vintage Santana to tastes and experiences. Adhering to that the astral-blues offerings of the Allman philosophy has been key to the group’s Brothers Band. longevity. “It’s important to remember “For this album, we concentrated on that there are six of you, and that making fi nishing one song at a time,” says Bell. music as six people is more fun than “Every tune was recorded live, with all being on your own,” he says. “It’s a of us in the room. We did multiple takes, team sport.” and what’s cool about that is you get new –Russell Hall

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