Search - The Best of the Jammys Volume Two on DVD

Volume 2 fails to live up to volume 1

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 11/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With volume two of "Best of the Jammys," Relix continues to show us what happens at their annual Jammy events. It is a great premise to cut and paste different bands together for the sake of improvisation. This sequel bridges the jammin' gaps between Blues, Pop, World, Reggae and Jazz. Again, no intact bands perform. Instead, the event features dream bands or 'frankenstein groups' that unite under the flag of jam. Despite the inclusion of Trey Anastasio, Les Claypool, Mike Gordon, Steve Kimock and Mickey Hart, this second installment is significantly weaker than the first. For starters, the improvisation, compositions and songs are all softer. In a word, it lacks 'mojo.' This installment doesn't boast partnerships like the Disco Biscuits and Travis Tritt. Leaning more towards playing regular songs, this DVD strays away from the long improvisational interludes that were such strength of the predecessor. To stress the spirit of fitting in more quantity versus the quality of the jam, the producers actually transgressed the unthinkable: they faded to black in the middle of a song. While 'Beltless Buckler' by Benevento, Russo, Claypool, Gordon and La La was good enough to include, it seems that it was not interesting enough to show in its entirety. Aside from the drawbacks, highlights include 'Love Shack' which joined the B-52's and Particle. It might seem a farce to invite the B-52's to such an event, but it really is one of the tracks that best shows musicians stretching out. Another stand-out is Robert Randolph and the Blind Boys of Alabama. For a moment, we can forget that Randolph and the Blind Boys aren't a Jammy's created frankenstein band since they're been playing together for years. Throwing a bone to Jazz listeners, John Scofield, Stanton Moore, Skerik and Andy Hess made 'My Babe' another quality moment. Ultimately, this proves to be too little, too late when it comes to satisfying the listeners who learn towards Jazz. In suffering from 'bonus disc syndrome,' it seems that most of these selections are leftovers. Despite content issues, the production is again tops with respect to audio and video. It is very rare to enjoy a musical DVD that is truly mixed for surround sound, utilizing the technology's greatest potential. Volume one was the definition of a five star product: complete in almost every respect. Since volume two barely earns four stars, viewers with light wallets should stick with volume one.

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