Interesting news just in on this subject seems worthy of a re-post. With the recent success of Cadillac Records, Ray and Dreamgirls, it's not surprising that news has broke of an upcoming Jerry Garcia biopic now in development for the big screen.   Let's hope the upcoming film does justice to the larger than life rock and bluegrass American icon and care is taken in telling the story of his early days before he transformed The Grateful Dead into one of rock and roll's legendary bands. Having seen Jerry and the Dead twice and meeting Jerry personally back in 1993, I can say with conviction that the man was probably one of the most "human" rock gods we'll ever see. This is what Bob Dylan had to say upon learning of his death in August 1995: "There’s no way to measure his greatness as a player or a person. I don’t think eulogizing him will do him justice. He was that great–much more than a superb musician with an uncanny ear and dexterity. He is the very spirit personified of whatever is muddy river country at its core and screams up in the spheres. He really had no equal…There are a lot of spaces between the ...

On a recent sweltering midweek night this past April, I made my way to Donald Link's highly regarded shrine to rustic and real Cajun cooking, Cochon.  I had seen Link's food stand at the Jazz Fest that previous Sunday afternoon but opted against the long lines and settled for the always stellar but simple red beans, rice and andouille sausage plate coupled with a tall can of Miller Lite. Tonight, it would be Cochon, a short cab ride or a 15 minute walk from my base in the French Quarter on Royal.  Dining solo, I was escorted to a seat at the kitchen bar overlooking the line and the wood burning oven - pure theatre and ample entertainment for the evening as it turned out. The restaurant features clean lines with wood paneling and subtle lighting offset by an exposed brick wall on the opposite side.  After surveying the crowd, I noticed none other than Peter Buck and some comrades at a nearby table; R.E.M. were supposedly holed up in New Orleans recording their follow up to Accelerate this spring.  A Kentucky Bourbon and soda seemed to be in order and was shortly dispatched to my place setting. While chatting with the couple ...

  Overcast skies gave way to an illuminating night of music at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre just west of Denver.  Red Rocks amphitheatre is about 20 minutes due west of downtown Denver and is nestled in a natural park amid the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  Without a doubt, this is the best outdoor venue I've ever encountered in my 28 years of concerts.    The sight lines were incredible, the natural bowl of this amphitheatre literally carved out of the mountain and hills.  Ample leg and seat room with no confining 'airline' seats were a welcome surprise. Having seen Petty and the Heartbreakers during one of their residency sojourns at the Fillmore in San Francisco back in 1997, I wasn't sure I needed to see the band again.  But, the chance to catch them on the cusp of releasing a new album coupled with the fact that this Red Rocks gig would be the opening night of their new tour, I decided to bite and picked up two tickets in the 10th row with surprising ease on the Ticket Master website.  I had also seen Petty on the Full Moon Fever tour in the cavernous old Chicago Stadium, a muffled and somewhat hazy ...

Being allowed to order a burger grilled rare in a restaurant these days is indeed a rarity.  Happily, I encountered an old stalwart in Denver's upscale Cherry Creek north neighborhood that was happy to grill mine up rare and even provided a nifty little burger temperature guideline inside their menu.  Oh, and did I mention it was one of the best burgers I've had in years? The Cherry Cricket has been around for at least 60 years and has withstood the changes that time brings in the best way.  The changes that they've made are by and large welcome: multiple large LCD TVs to watch the sports event du jour while devouring a juicy burger, air conditioning and an assortment of fine cheeses to place on top of your burger.  Several local micro-brews are available on tap and world class shopping for the yuppies are just steps away from this neighborhood anchor. Unfortunately, this isn't a 'sleeper' establishment, it's gaining a national following after a recent Man vs. Food episode and the burgers here regularly place in the top two burgers in Denver between the two competing city mags, 5280 and Westword.  It's just a perfect pit stop for a weekend day ...

And we're back after a fairly long hiatus; I managed to squeeze in a cross country move, a week in New Orleans, several micro brews in Fort Collins, Colorado and even more fun and games since the last post. Osteria Marco is a winner in Denver.  I've hit this place three times in the last month and I'm hooked.  They do everything well - from house cured meats and in house aged cheeses to outstanding pizzas and a great casual downstairs room and bar.  Under the guidance of Frank Bonnano, this restaurant hits the sweet spot between sophistication and unpretentious fine dining.  The user friendly menu begins with formaggi & salumi selections, both house crafted and imported and then branches out to include ample small plates, salads, creative paninis and the previously mentioned pizzas - the Rapini Za is out of this world BTW. Looking for unique cocktails incorporating ginger beer or bacon infused bourbon?  Check.   How about some cured meats and home made sausages?  Check.  Some type of Pork Belly presentation?  Check. Word has it that Bonnano is preparing to open a fourth Denver restaurant this summer; this time we'll get his take on casual French/American country fare.  I'll be there.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a huge fan of the Rumors era line-up but digging deeper into the Mac's catalog is highly recommended . Two forgotten stalwarts of Fleetwood Mac's early 70's lineups include the dandy Bob Welch and guitar virtuoso Bob Weston.  If you like Christie McVie's legendary contributions during the late '70's and early '80's you'll love some of her gems on albums like Penguin, Heroes are Hard to Find and Mystery to Me. Fleetwood Mac Live in 1973 McVie, sorely missed on the two most recent Fleetwood Mac reunion tours, is now retired in the English countryside but her legacy looms large over the long and storied career of the band.  She has, to date, appeared on all but two albums, either as a member or as a session musician.  Any questions about the soul and depth of McVie's compositions and writing skills should be answered with a listen to Mystery To Me's final track, Why.  Hmmm, I'm getting carried away about McVie and I set off to shine some light on Welch and Bob Weston. Here's a 1976 version of Why with Lindsey Buckingham adding some tasteful guitar stylings. Bob Welch was a pure bred Californian who helped to convince Mick Fleetwood and John McVie ...

Bob Mould's first solo album, was composed during the year following the dissolution of Hüsker Dü back in 1988. Released in the spring of 1989, Workbook presented a clear departure for Bob Mould after severing ties with Grant Hart. The album picked up immediate airplay on Modern Rock stations across the country fueled by an infectious bit of jangly Byrd-esque power pop on the single, See A Little Light .  But that song belies the overall mood of the album; closer listening of songs like Wishing Well and Poison Yearswould provide the true spirit Mould set out to document - disgust, despair and catharsis. Poison Yearsslowly builds to a climax as Mould recounts 'poison years that are now just a memory', seemingly clearly referencing the rancorous final year or two that Husker Du trudged through.   Later in the song, Mould states that 'treason is the reason for his poison years' as he slowly adds layers of acoustic and churning electric guitar to the track. Buoyed by an excellent backing band featuring Golden Palominos drummer Anton Fier, Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and cellist Jane Scarpantoni, Mould delivers a career best solo effort out of the gate. Workbook - Bob Mould For all the doom and gloom present in the lyrics, the music and melodies on ...

A recent sun splashed Sunday afternoon at Birkdale presented a perfect opportunity to indulge in one of the best cigars available on the planet right now: the Padrón Family Reserve No. 45.  Released in two versions (natural and maduro) with one size (six inches with a 52 ring gauge), this exulted cigar celebrates the 45th anniversary of Padrón Cigars. After staking out an outdoor table at a local Starbucks next to a gas patio warmer, I carefully surveyed the scene for cigar disafficiondos before slowly torching up my pricey No. 45.  The cigar features a decadently dark hued wrapper, encompassing fine reserva Nicaraguan tobacco, reportedly aged for at least 10 years. Receiving nods of encouragement from a vicarious onlooker  toting a freshly brewed Venti, I slowly began to enjoy the cigar and couldn't believe the rich, intense notes of cocoa and espresso, followed by a slightly spicy finish; but all well rounded and incredibly smooth.  The firmly pressed tobacco burned very evenly and at a luxuriantly slow pace allowing nice coils of smoke to waft by soccer moms and yuppies buried in their Sunday Observers. Similar to a fine Pauillac or a nuanced Miles Davis or Steely Dan album, I didn't want this ...

You call yourself a music lover, music consumer or better yet, a true aficionado? Are you in London or planning a trip there sometime soon? Jaded Londoners need not continue reading but those who have not been to Abbey Road and the famous "zebra crossing" should add it to their itinerary. You see, the famed Abbey Road studios are reportedly up for sale by it's cash-strapped and over-leveraged owner, EMI records. This old Georgian house in north London ranks up there with Graceland, The Whisky A Go Go, Motown's old HQ and Memphis' Sun Studios as 'hallowed ground'. The Beatles recorded 95% of their recorded output here, including the classic Abbey Road album which features the band casually crossing the road in front of the studio during a mid afternoon tea break. Legend has it that the album was set to be titled Everest but the lads couldn't be bothered to travel to the Himalayas for a photo shoot. The iconic album cover was the first not to feature the name of the album or the name of the band. In hindsight, those 7 or 8 photos taken that day seem quaint given today's PR machine world of choreographed photo opps and behind ...

One of them died before he had a chance to get old.  Another died a decadent prototypical rock and roll death at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas on the eve of their 2002 tour, hot on the heels of their incendiary performance at the Concert for New York. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey soldier on with help from a brother, the son of a Beatle and others sharing the common cause of continuing to breathe life into a band called The Who.  This  Super Bowl performance proved there is still life and vitality in the now age-less songs that Townshend originally penned decades ago.    Hard to believe it but these guys were also at Woodstock over 40 years ago. Have they aged?  Yes, certainly;  Townshend no longer bounces up and down and smashes his guitar and Daltrey's voice now shows distress on higher registers but these guys can still manage to bring it and deliver a quality performance. Cynics may say this isn't really The Who anymore now that Moon and Entwistle are no longer on the stage and with us.  Others say no, Townshend and Daltrey have every right to  perpetuate the legacy of the band and can still deliver ...