Specific aromas have the power to transport me back to an earlier, more youthful time: the earthy redolence of decaying leaves, mesquite smoke wafting from a neighbor’s barbeque, and even the gamy stench of a hockey locker room. I also have triggers for my ocular, haptic, gustatory, and aural senses. All of us do. And I thought sensory recall was the closest thing I would ever have to a time machine. But on Friday night, Phil and Friends changed that – not once, but twice.

Ruthie Foster and her band put on an interesting show at the L2 Center in Denver this past Saturday. Foster came on the music scene in the 1990s with a powerful and soulful gospel voice, often compared to that of Ella Fitzgerald. Her solo material combines her gospel roots with elements of jazz, blues fusion, and what some may call "adult alternative."

Soulive was in Boulder, at the Fox Theatre, all weekend long! "Snowlive," a three-day event, presented by KGNU, KGNC, and The Colorado Daily, featured mid-day workshops and three nights of shows. The workshops were run by the members of Soulive and focused on songwriting, expanding musical vocabulary, sound engineering, and the art of being a band.

Expecting an opening act, we arrived at the venue an hour after the doors were to open. There turned out to be no opening act, and the wait for the band went on for a seemingly endless  2++ hours. There was little entertainment aside from an unruly hula hooper among the large, otherwise well behaved Broward County crowd.

Going to see Yonder Mountain String Band in your t-shirt and shorts in February is pretty special, especially when you’re from Boulder. I was lucky enough to catch YMSB last night, which for me is fortuitous timing considering I am in town visiting my mom (and planning a monster trip to The Galapagos next week).

“In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, -- no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair.

Saturday night, I had the privilege of catching an up and coming Boulder folk band called Gipsy Moon. They combine bluegrass, soul, alternative rock, and a little bit of gipsy jazz, weaving an intricate aura of acoustic song. A friend of mine called me up, telling me that the group was playing at the Lazy Dog on Pearl Street and it was not to be missed. He was right.

Perpetual Groove has been a staple of the Jamband scene for almost 15 years now. Their studio recordings have been received with success, but it is really their live shows and dedicated fans that have kept P-Groove on top of the scene and riding that momentum into their sophomore decade. Based out of Athens Georgia, P-Groove has achieved international success and are staples of the festival world.

Band of Skull's new record, quite an improvement over their previous full-length album (2009's Baby Darling Doll Face Honey), showcases a more emotional and lyrically complex side of the band. Entitled Sweet Sour, the album lives up to its name.

Knitting together different brands of jam strands, the Park West Chicago housed an evening of fine music with Chicago Farmer, Greensky Bluegrass and Strange Arrangement on 1/27/2012.  The Midwest monsters knotted up the mass of fans with this highly anticipated show.  Strang