#Alex Koford

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Andrea Whitt and Alex Koford - “Standing on the Moon”

Andrea Whitt and Alex Koford aim for what small-“s” space might sound like on their sparse and ethereal version of “Standing on the Moon.”

With she on pedal steel and he on acoustic guitar and vocals, the Grateful Dead cover comes as part of Whitt’s “Steel Your Face Sundays” video series. This is a thoughtful remake, keeping the skeleton of the original wholly intact while jettisoning everything else and losing nothing in the process.

“Standing on the Moon” is one of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia’s masterpieces, which makes covering it a crap shoot. Whitt and Koford had hot dice for this one.

Grade card: Andrea Whitt and Alex Koford - “Standing on the Moon” - B+

4/30/23

[deadheadland]

Standing On The Moon |Andrea Whitt's Steel Your Face Sunday, feat. Alex Koford

Andrea Whitt’s Steel Your Face Sunday feat. Alex Koford Standing On The Moon The latest in multi-instrumentalist Andrea Whitt’s series of Grateful Dead songs performed on pedal steel. Alex Koford is Andrea Whitt’s special guest for this performance of Standing On The Moon

[theloniousbach]

TERRAPIN CLUBHOUSE #6: PHIL LESH with Karl Denson, Stu Allen, Jason Crosby, Alex Koford, Grahame Lesh and Elliot Peck

Karl Denson wrapped up the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds Tour on Sunday night and was in Terrapin Clubhouse early enough in the week for this installment to be released by 8 am PDT Wednesday.

The opening conversation alternated between his Stones’ stories (Brian Jones as source for all the blues recordings they listened to which paralleled the blues/r&b Pigpen picked up from his father’s radio show; Keef writing hooks and riffs and Jagger filling them in) with PHIL LESH’s on the impact of the Stones on the Warlocks>GD and how his fascination with what he thought was a bass on the Stones’ 12 x 5 album perhaps planted a seed for him becoming the Dead’s bass player).

In any case, what unfolded was nearly 40 minutes of Grateful Stones music: Shakedown Street (Denson sang and wailed on tenor sax)>Miss You (!—with those fat bass lines morphing into one another and more Denson vocals), Gimme Shelter (!!—Elliot Peck with the requisite Merry Clayton imitation and the band jamming it forcefully), and Not Fade Away (which both bands did, but here it was explored Deadishly as expected).

I continued to be heartened to note that Lesh is still working his magic with his bass lines. It was a bigger band and there were point where I strained to hear his voice and other times (Shakedown>Miss You segue and NFA) were he was the show. Stu Allen continues to grow on me as a little more than just another interchangeable Garcia substitute. I don’t think he’s in even Jackie Greene’s league, much less Warren Haynes’ or Larry Campbell’s, but he deserves to be a regular feature at these gigs. Jason Crosby is, like Grahame Lesh, solid but I would like to see Denson play with Holly Bowling who is a big league player. Peck doesn’t get enough space to sing leads. Alex Koford is fine, but I will always appreciate John Molo at the kit.

But the treat was Denson who brought an earthy tenor to the mix that really elevated Shakedown and his vocals were surprisingly good too. I’d like to see what he does on the anticipated Darkstarathon that I trust is coming. That will be his test, but his contributions here and this set list are pretty darn special.

https://youtu.be/ZyDk_S9d8UU?si=HefLq_-OejVZiYxy

[davidaron]

Phil Lesh and Friends - The Grate Room Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael, CA 12-14-2014 Set 2 from Davidaron on Vimeo.

Set II (1:36:25)

tuning China Cat Sunflower > Bird Song > The Wheel > This Wheel's On Fire > Iko Iko Panama Red Viola Lee Blues I Know You Rider

------------

Phil's donor rap The Weight

Phil Lesh: bass, vocals David Nelson: guitar, vocals Barry Sless: guitar, pedal steel Scott Law: guitar, vocals Jeff Chimenti: keyboards John Molo: drums, vocals Alex Koford: vocals

Hat Tip to SirMick =/;->

[mauitime]

Phil Lesh and Friends at Maui Arts and Cultural Center Phil Lesh and Friends will perform at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on Thursday, Dec. 28 and Friday, Dec.

[widespreadpanichq]

Tonight: COSMIC TWANG 🎸 Dave Schools joins Neal Casal, Alex Koford, Ross James and Scott Law at The Chapel in San Francisco! Tix and info @ http://bit.ly/2KPmaBF _______ #sidestage #daveschools #thechapelsf (at The Chapel)

[stslivemusic]

John Scofield To Join Phil Lesh For Two Performances At Terrapin Crossroads

Jazz guitarist, John Scofield will be joining Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh‘s band Phil & Friends for two performances in late-January.

Lesh’s venue, Terrapin Crossroads will host two evenings of Phil & Friends on January 23 and 24, 2019. Accompanying Lesh and Scofield will be guitarist Scott Metzger, multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby, drummer Alex Koford, and drummer Tony Leone.

Phil Lesh &…

[paulcitone]

#FBF Phil Lesh , Ross James and Alex Koford at Terrapin Crossroads in 2014 .. @terrapinxroads @gratefuldead #tunes (at Terrapin Crossroads)

[livemusicblogon]

Phil Lesh & Friends Welcomes John Mayer Again for 2nd 1977 Show Phil Lesh & Friends repeated their celebration of the Grateful Dead's 1977 with another guest sit-in from…

[krispyweiss]

Karl Denson Joins Terrapin Clubhouse; Stones the Dead

- Phil Lesh’s Friends for Episode 6 include Stu Allen, Jason Crosby, Alex Koford, Grahame Lesh and Elliott Peck

Phil Lesh says that in the early days, the Grateful Dead played so many Rolling Stones songs, they were occasionally hired by folks who thought they were a Stones cover band.

Imagine their surprise …

Lesh relates the story, and others, to Karl Denson, the longtime onstage saxman for the Stones, who dropped by Lesh’s Terrapin Clubhouse to join the former Grateful Dead bassist, guitarists Stu Allen and Grahame Lesh, keyboardist Jason Crosby, drummer Alex Koford and singer Elliott Peck for Episode 6 of “the Clubhouse Sessions.”

Dead Stones were on tap as Denson sung and blew sax on “Shakedown Street,” a funkified version that found Crosby shining brightly and Peck adding mighty contributions on the improvised vocal coda. The Dead’s disco song dropped effortlessly into the Stones’ own disco number “Miss You,” again with Denson singing, and for Sound Bites’ money, this version tops any version the Stones have ever done. Playful, unserious and in a serious groove, it featured a little “Shakedown” coda - a la the Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias” reprise at the end of “Fire on the Mountain” - before coming to a complete stop.

The following “Gimme Shelter,” however, is rough. The unflappable Peck met her match in Merry Clayton on this one and Allen’s attempts at the male lead were similarly unsuccessful. Given the editing that goes in to these “Sessions,” it’s a wonder this was released.

Things conclude with “Not Fade Away,” a song any musician can play and these musicians play joyfully. It’s a number that spent time in both the Stones and the Dead’s repertoires, making it the logical ending for this in-studio gig, though one has to wonder why “The Last Time” wasn’t trotted out as well.

Read Sound Bites’ previous Clubhouse Sessions coverage here.

7/25/24

[theloniousbach]

TERRAPIN CLUBHOUSE/DARKSTARATHON #5, PHIL LESH with Stu Allen, Holly Bowling, Alex Koford, and Grahame Lesh

I saw most of this as it was premiering, so that’s a treat. But I missed the introductory “seminar” wherein the professor frames the ensuing discussion in terms of the 2/18/71 Beautiful Jam, a transcendent 5 minutes between Wharf Rat (today’s closer) and Dark Star which today kicks in around the 11 minute mark. So while I probably missed the explicit evocation of the Beautiful Jam, I just happily had several beautiful jams with vocal interludes of verse 2 of the never-ending Dark Star, West LA Fadeaway, and Wharf Rat along with several instrumental teases.

Lesh himself shone particularly in the quiet parts and I treasure a few days of seeing Jack Casady and Phil Lesh on the streams suggesting possibilities of what the bass can do. Drummer Alex Koford was understated but solid, a competent rock drummer. Grahame Lesh was more sensitively locked in than I’ve seen him. Stu Allen was up a notch particularly as he and everyone had Holly Bowling pushing him along.

She is different than Bruce Hornsby but both are/were really creative with this canon. And as good as Brent Mydland and Jeff Chimenti were/are, she adds something special and is a presence. She moves jams around and makes it all keyboard-centric. She and Allen are on the same side and you could see her influence on his ideas.

Last time, she teased Allen about his homework for China Cat>The Eleven exercise, but she was the one today who had done the analysis on the Beautiful Jam. She also got the last word in the discussion segment on how special it is that a one time jam can become part of this canon for the band and the fans.

Lesh promises more jams to come, certainly Spanish and Mind Left Your Body but maybe Feelin’ Groovy and even Mountain.

https://youtu.be/EkH86_bGCsc?si=5tk0djvlOuUNDrVt

[davidaron]

Phil Lesh and Friends - The Grate Room Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael, CA 12-14-2014 Set 1 from Davidaron on Vimeo.

Set I (1:09:32)

tuning Alabama Getaway Henry The Shape Iím In Factory Girl * Cold Rain And Snow Dead Flowers Franklin's Tower

Phil Lesh: bass, vocals David Nelson: guitar, vocals Barry Sless: guitar, pedal steel Scott Law: guitar, vocals Jeff Chimenti: keyboards John Molo: drums, vocals Alex Koford: vocals

Hat Tip to SirMick =/;->

[krispyweiss]

Phil Lesh Brings Blueprint to Fifth Darkstarathon - the Grateful Dead’s Feb. 18, 1971, Show

Phil Lesh brought a blueprint to his latest “Darkstarathon” in the form of the Grateful Dead’s Feb. 18, 1971, concert.

Speaking with bandmates/Friends Holly Bowling (keys), Alex Koford (drums) and guitarists Stu Allen and Grahame Lesh, the former Grateful Dead bassist says he’s lately been enamored with the “Beautiful Jam” from the aforementioned gig and wants to play around with it. And given that Bowling long ago transcribed the thing, it’s on.

“How many other bands can you think of that there’s this huge amount of people that can hear a few notes from a particular performance - it wasn’t even the song, but was a particular piece of improvisation decades ago - and all be like, (snaps fingers), ‘I know exactly what that is?’,” Bowling says.

The 45-minute, in-studio performance at Terrapin Clubhouse finds the band undertaking fresh, formed and formless exploration; ceding the titular song’s verses to guitars while singing the middle eight; playing full versions of “West L.A. Fadeaway” and “Wharf Rat;” and digging into the jam that is the current apple of Phil Lesh’s ear.

Poor singing be damned, the playing is both beautiful and “Beautiful,” with Bowling, Allen and Koford being the MVPs of “Darkstarathon” No. 5.

Read Sound Bites’ previous “Darkstarathon” coverage here.

7/19/24

[krispyweiss]

Phil Lesh’s Latest “Clubhouse Sessions” Video is for the Musicians in the Audience

Phil Lesh and his Friends spend time between making music talking about how the Grateful Dead made music circa 1968 in episode 5 of Lesh’s “Clubhouse Sessions.”

With chatter about shifting keys and the evolution of arrangements in sometimes-technical jargon, much of the conversation is geared toward fans who also happen to be musicians.

But the Friends - guitarists Grahame Lesh and Stu Allen, drummer Alex Koford and keyboardist Holly Bowling - also play. And they, too, lean toward the Dead’s raw, late-’60s sound and repertoire on such tracks as “China Cat Sunflower,” “The Eleven,” “New Potato Caboose” and “Born Cross-Eyed.”

The band moves the timbre forward a couple of decades when Greensky Bluegrass’ Dave Bruzza pops in for “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” and a small bite of “And We Bid You Goodnight.”

“That was tasty,” Phil Lesh says when it ends.

Read Sound Bites’ previous Clubhouse Sessions coverage here.

7/11/24

[krispyweiss]

Post-surgery, Elliott Peck to Return to Stage at California’s Terrapin Roadshow

- “Grateful to be making music for you all again,” Midnight North frontwoman says

Elliott Peck is poised to return to the stage for the first time since surgery in March to remove a tumor from her abdomen.

The Midnight North frontwoman will perform acoustic-duo sets with Jon Chi and Hot Buttered Rum’s Nat Keefe, respectively, June 1-2 at the Terrapin Roadshow festival in California, Terrapin Crossroads announced.

“Grateful to be making music for you all again,” Peck, who announced her illness in February, said.

Peck’s Midnight North bandmate Grahame Lesh will perform both days as part of the Terrapin All-Stars. That band, featuring Stu Allen, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, Jason Crosby and Alex Koford, will play a set of its own before reconvening June 2 to back Peter Rowan.

5/20/24

[theloniousbach]

TERRAPIN CLUBHOUSE #5: PHIL LESH with Stu Allen, Holly Bowling, David Bruzza, Alex Koford, and Grahame Lesh

This was a special episode for two related reasons. Firstly, PHIL LESH had a specific programmatic plan to go back to some of the very early Grateful Dead experiments which required conferences which were like graduate seminars wherein he explained the histories and hows of China Cat Sunflower in a different key would lead to The Eleven which also had a groove in 12, how the intricacies of Anthem of the Sun deep cuts New Potato Caboose>Born Cross-Eyed worked.

Then, almost certainly related, Lesh’s bass playing was as wonderfully idiosyncratic and prominent as it was back in the day when he and Jerry Garcia were leading one another and the band onward and outward.

In the seminars, Stu Allen was the one who had obviously done the homework and had his own charts and analyses. Holly Bowling got it intuitively and on the fly and then soared with it. But Allen did impress me too as I saw the work he puts into it. Alex Koford was very solid on the drums, but not John Molo. Grahame Lesh too handled the structure and intricacies well.

David Bruzza from Greensky Bluegrass joined for the closing Going Down the Road Feeling Bad which, besides the And We Bid You Good Night instrumental figure, sang a typically wobbly verse or two.

https://youtu.be/BdyTvFa4oe4?si=XqhURyvFcEymoYV4