Jambands: The Complete Guide to the Players, Music & Scene

by Dean Budnick

Jamband – the word brings to mind long summer days of hanging out with friends and listening to an astounding array of talented musicians. This book takes an in-depth look at the bands and fans of this lively, diverse musical and cultural phenomenon. Offering essays, commentaries and discographies of more than 170 groups – from Phish, Allman Brothers, Donna the Buffalo and Widespread Panic to Peach Melba, Ten Ton Chicken and Moon Boot Lover – this fun-filled guide will enhance your appreciation of your favorites while introducing dozens of other notable bands in this ever-expanding universe of sound. You also get a link to online audio of exclusive live tracks from moe., the Disco Biscuits, Keller Williams, the Motet, Reid Genauer & the Assembly of Dust, and Jazz Mandolin Project!

Genres: Music

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Budnick, through the success of his Web site www.jambands.com, succeeded in popularizing the term "jamband" and this encyclopedic resource goes far to mark out and delineate exactly what that term covers. This detailed tome touches on nearly 200 groups. This includes a biography of the band as well as recommended recordings reviewed and rated. In this way, it combines elements of the All-Music Guide and The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Web sites may make this resource dated on that level relatively soon, for there is frequent mention of URLs for band sites, discussion lists, fan sites, and the like. Just as the text highlights the important and worthwhile, it does not shirk from pointing out albums or groups not worth serious examination. This adds credibility and makes the book valuable for forays into the genre by the inexperienced music enthusiast that wants to explore uncharted territory. Extra sections cover Budnick's Jammies awards series and the festival scene.