Iconic guitarist and composer Steve Kimock is a fixture in many different contexts. It’s hard to think of a musician who’s more adaptable and melodically resourceful. While his style gets unfairly lumped into the jam category, those more knowledgeable know better. It’s best to regard him as a purveyor of free music. Jerry Garcia admired his work immensely and proclaimed Kimock his favorite under-the-radar guitarist.

Chris Robinson Brotherhood (CRB) is much more than individual players built around a popular musician. While there’s no doubt that Chris’ past with The Black Crowes has helped fuel their ongoing surge, it’s unfair to the band and their music to label it as such. This is a band in the truest sense, and over the past four years and counting it would be difficult to argue against such a notion.

After hearing from dozens of people that Sufjan Stevens puts on one of the best live shows, I knew I had to go when I saw he announced a date in Austin. The venue was Bass Concert Hall, typically reserved for orchestras, ballets, and classy events that exist on a plane far outside my reach.

It was a bill that was full of bands that I have been anticipating seeing. I have seen members in each band play individually in all-star jams and as guests with other bands, but this was what I was waiting for. The New Mastersounds together with Analog Son and Adam Robinson & the Funky Monks opening. This was a hat trick with three great musical acts for the price of one. The crowd bulked up late, but none the less, they were there, and it was packed.

In a recent conversation we had, guitarist Leo Nocentelli laid down why music from New Orleans was so distinct.

“There are only a few cities that have a reputation of having a sound… [New Orleans] is a unique city that has its own identity. When a New Orleans record hits the radio, you know where it’s from. Being identified as an individual rather than sounding like anybody.”

When I published a review of RAH’s last show from the Bluebird Theater a couple of months ago, I knew and predicted that they would take off like wild fire, but I did not know it would happen this quickly. Since that opening gig, they have added bassist, Nat Lombardo, who absolutely tore it up on this night.

It was bound to happen that the San Francisco-based Brothers Comatose, one of the hottest bohemian bluegrass bands on the circuit would wind up pickin’ and grinnin’ from the Terrapin Crossroads stage at Phil Lesh’s lair in San Rafael, California.

“From death comes life and so on.”

I was honestly a bit wary of seeing my first Elephant Revival show sans Sage Cook. And I’m sure quite a few people felt that way. But most of me was excited to see what new journey the band was on with their new member Charlie Rose, playing a range of instruments and seamlessly adding his Rufus Wainwright-esque vocals on a number of songs. And like the lyrics above state, there’s a new life to Elephant Revival – one just as wonderful as I had hoped.

It was my second trip to Denver’s newest musical oasis of sound indulgence, Baur’s Listening Lounge. This venue is a fascinating place to see live music even if you have not heard of the performers. They do not book bad musical acts at this place. And there is intentional reasoning behind whom the Music Appreciation Society and Tsunami Music Publicity books here. On this night, the music was jaw dropping.

This was the first night of a series of hyped up, Grateful Dead infused, powerful shows that lasted almost a week. There were three shows at the Ogden Theatre, one Bisco Inferno extravaganza featuring Break Science and Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and a Billy & the Kids show at the Ogden featuring Bill Kreutzmann, Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits), Tom Hamilton (American Babies, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), and Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green).