RITZ POWER JAM (Warren Haynes, Jaimoe, Chuck Leavell, John Popper, Noel Redding, Bernie Worrell Etc.) - New York City, 1993

Let's hear it for POWER JAM! Let's hear it for da blues! Da bloooz! Da motherlovin' blüüüüüüüz!

I actually went to this show, long about 16 years ago, through the courtesy of my old buddy Sheldon "Flak" Berdoo (his real name). He had won tix through a radio contest or some such, as I recall, so on a frosty Feb'ry eve we headed over to rock out at The Ritz (not the original Ritz, which is now Webster Hall, but the short-lived second Ritz, which was the original Studio 54; after that Ritz closed it became Studio 54 again, until becoming the Roundabout Theatre Company, which it remains today. If you care, read the entire Ritz saga here.)

Another buddy of mine, D. Micah Quince of New York City (also his real name), recently alerted me as to the existence of this most precious -- and, luckily, extremely well-recorded -- three-disc bootleg of the concert, which was apparently supposed to be the first of many all-star POWER JAMs but ended up just being a one-off, truly "One Night Only." At $12.50 a ticket, no less...

But what a one-off it is, with its demolition derby of power-player star turns by Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes and drummer Jaimoe, Stones pianist Chuck Leavell, Blues Traveler singer/harp-shredder John Popper, Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding, and Parliament- Funkadelic organist Bernie Worrell, among others. Plus encore guest spots by Dave Matthews and Phish's Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, all performing a slew of Beatles, Elvis, Dylan, Hendrix, blues and oldies covers. Whoa. I mean, WHOOAAH!

As hoarily over-familiar as some of the tunes are, and were even back then, the performances are powerful indeed. It's rather wonderful to experience this show again, since it was such a rare bird. Takes me right back to my purply-hazy college days of Wetlands and Dead shows and the whole groovy early-'90s NYC jam band scene, braaah. Good times! No, really...good times.

Thanks to OldRockr1 for this baby.

RITZ POWER JAM
The Ritz - New York, NY - February 5, 1993 (SBD; MP4 format)
DOWNLOAD 1 / DOWNLOAD 2