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music
Music could, in fact, very possibly be one of the earliest forms of creativity (next to, you know, makin' babies). Much like makin' babies making music is an art that you can't do alone (well, you can but in the end you just end up "alone and sticky"). It requires noise of some form, someone making that noise and somebody else listening to it. People make music everywhere all of the time. Some people spend a lot of time and energy into music because they feel like it is something worth putting time and energy into. And us who do the listening couldn't be more grateful. Here are a few musicians and groups of them (aka "bands") that make good music and are nice enough to share it with us.
you'll have to excuse us we're still getting the hang of putting music up here and not sure how it's working yet let us know. Craig has been awesome enough to figure out how to do this because craig is flippin' awesome. If you or your band want to play music on creativecollectivity cool! email robinlee@creativecollectivity.com.
Every Sloppy Joe performance draws on a deep well of original songs. This material is frequently recombined with jug-band instrumentation (spoons, jug, wash-tub, etc.) all while band-members swap the guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and bass around the stage. One observer claimed to see the upright bass change players three times in one song.
In this era when many bands perform out of a weak-eyed allegiance to pop-culture’s formula for “success” and a soul-less mimicry of music that’s already ‘been there and done that’ this originality of sound and subject-matter is the refreshing difference that sets Slopgrass apart from any other stage-style.
Sloppy Joe has performed regularly in the tall pines of the north country (Manitowish Waters, Cecil, Swamp n' grass, Northland, Flat Rock, Prairiegrass festivals to name a few), and the mountains and cypress swamps of the south ( Suwannee Springfest, Americana, Magnoliafest, and Poppy Mountain) all the while maintaining the unique slopgrass sound. Although they are no strangers to these big stages Sloppy Joe has thrilled audiences from the rough roadhouses of America’s backwoods to old-time rendezvous gatherings and community celebrations on Main street USA.
In their travels they’ve had the opportunity to share the bill with a variety of great acts including The late John Hartford, The Del McCoury Band, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Leftover Salmon, Danny Barnes, Michael Hurley, Piper Road Spring Band, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Vassar Clements, and Hayseed Dixie.
Asking any other band to play slopgrass might get a, “You can’t get there from here!" response.
Remember, "If it ain’t Sloppy Joe it ain’t Slopgrass”!
from: www.slopgrass.com
Based in Madison, WI, Elf Lettuce is a three-piece band that has evolved drastically since its inception in November of 2003. The group’s sound is an eclectic mixture of many musical styles, firmly rooted in rock and blues, and isn’t quite retro or rock-a-billy, yet not overly futuristic or avant-garde. One wouldn’t describe Elf Lettuce’s sound as strictly funk, gospel, or traditional, but their sound does contain elements of each, as well as some elements of bluegrass and roots Americana. The band’s sound hovers around all of the above genres and is fuelled by the driving force of improvisation. Elf Lettuce strives to perform with an exponentially increasing level of intensity, viewing every performance as an opportunity for musical exploration and growth, combining free-flowing improvisation with precisely executed composition to excite young and gracefully aging fans alike. (taken from www.elflettuce.com)
The Lights Band consists of four musicians who draw from a variety of influences to create a unique brand of music. The group is currently in it's sixth year of existence. The band got together through the jazz program at Neenah High School. All four musicians immediately felt a spark when they played and they decided they wanted to stay together at all costs. This led them to attend the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point to study music together. Now after five years, they have experienced a lot of life, music, good times and bad.... only to find that it has taken their music to a more refined, sincere and meaningful level.
One unique aspect of The Lights Band is that they truly are an equal collaboration of great musicians. They don't have a lead guitar player or a lead singer. Every musician in the band leads the music in some way. Everybody also writes music and everybody sings lead parts for different tunes. This "give and take" quality really becomes apparent when they collectively improvise music. Totally unplanned and uninhibited improvisation is a regular part of what they do. (from www.thelightsband.com)
Reverend Eddie Danger started his career in music as an alto sax player in the 5th grade. In the 9th grade he was kicked out of the Jazz band and stopped playing music for about 4 years. At age 18 an enlightening experience in the parking lot at a Grateful Dead concert reintroduced Ed’s Love of music and he started frequenting drum circles. Ed left the Midwest for the next few years traveling around the world picking up instruments from Cuba, South America, Africa, Australia, Mexico and the US. At age 20 Ed Joined a World/Rock band and started his craft in song writing. During this time the “southpaw” started to teach himself how to play the guitar upside down.
Taking a break from music this time to ride his bike from Canada down the coast through California Ed ended up without any money in Berkeley, California where he got a job starting school gardens. It was in the Bay area where he began to record music at the California Recording Institute in San Francisco. The years following lead Ed north to Alaska where he lived in a tree house and to Portland, Oregon to pursue music. To pay the bills while living in the Pacific Northwest Ed worked on a Llama Ranch, drove a school bus, was a backcountry guide, taught science, edited a book on sexual astrology and performed music. Ed moved back to Wisconsin summer 2003 where he released his first solo Self-titled CD. He currently organizes the worlds largest renewable energy fair www.the-mrea.org and the Feel Good Music Festival www.feelgoodfestival.org in Central Wisconsin. You can often find him on the road living his life as a wandering minstrel traveling around playing the many instruments he has collected over the years.
Art Stevenson & High Water are Wisconsin's best-known bluegrass show, and have been in demand throughout the Midwest festival circuit since 1993. The band's bluegrass sound comes from the close duet singing of husband and wife team Art and Stephanie Stevenson, along with the spirited banjo and Dobro playing of Dale Reichert, and the hard-driving mandolin picking of Bruce King. They perform over 100 dates a year, and April 2006 marked the seventh anniversary of their Wednesday night bluegrass show, radio show, and open mic at The Northland Ballroom, Iola, Wis. They have released six albums: “Art Stevenson & High Water” (1996), “Dusty Boxcar Wall” (1998), “Lonely Days” (2000), “The Winding Stream” (2001), “Like A River” (2004), and "John Deere" (2006). High Water's music is heard on bluegrass radio programs around the USA and has received critical acclaim in the magazines Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Now. Recording artist James King and country music historian Bill Malone agree that Art and Stephanie Stevenson rank among the best duet singers active today.
High Water's repertoire is taken from many sources: the bluegrass classics of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, early country music, mountain songs, and new material. Their blend of traditional bluegrass numbers, originals, contemporary songs, and instrumentals satisfies a wide range of music lovers! Art, Stephanie, and Dale have each written songs or instrumentals frequently performed by the band. The band's mission is to preserve the hard-driving traditional bluegrass sound, while including material from other musical styles. Art and Stephanie's singing, Dale's banjo instrumentals, Bruce's tasteful mandolin, and Art's harmonica tunes always bring a rousing response from the audience. Be sure to watch for Art Stevenson & High Water at a festival or venue near you! (from www.highwatermusic.com)
Sprouting out of the dawn in Madison Wisconsin, Baghdad Scuba Review is a first-rate model of what the band is attempting to introduce to its listeners: full scale, well disciplined progressive rock. As a six-piece group of uncommonly talented musicians, with both entertaining and amusing personalities, this bold group of artists carries impeccable musicianship to spawn a chimerical stage presence and as a newborn band has already embraced a sizeable following. (from www.baghdadscubareview.com)
all of the musicians that you hear on creativecollectivity.com were nice enough to donate their songs for us to listen to here. It would be nice if you supported them back by going to their shows, buying their C.D.'s, or giving back massages.
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