Untitled Document
In 1990, when Drew Emmitt merged his group the Left
Hand String Band with Vince Herman’s Salmon Heads to create Leftover
Salmon, no one imagined the impact the group would have on the world of
popular music. During the next 15 years the genre-breaking jam band from
Boulder, Colo., released several CDs, both independently and on major
labels; played the finest festivals; and filled clubs and theaters across
the country, including a concert with Little Feat at our very own Sangamon
Auditorium in October 2000. The group called their peculiar music blend
“polyethnic Cajun slamgrass,” to give you an idea (well, sort
of) where they were going and what they were about.
The band never officially disbanded, as far as I can
tell; they just didn’t play out after 2005, and members wandered in
their own directions. The official Leftover Salmon Web site lists two
festival dates this summer, so it appears that the guys are planning at
least a few reunion dates. Three or four weeks ago, founding member Vince Herman
was in Peoria for a locally promoted club show. Springfield’s Bill
Laymon, bass player of the New Riders of the Purple Sage and the David
Nelson Band, stopped by to visit Herman and sat in on bass all evening
long. Now it’s Emmitt’s turn to bring the vibe
of Leftover Salmon back to central Illinois. Emmitt was the first member of
the band to make a solo album, releasing Freedom
Ride in 2002 with the help of a host of
celebrated musicians, including Peter Rowan and Vassar Clements. In Across the Bridge, his 2005
offering, Emmitt again brought together some of the best-known names in
modern bluegrass music. Guest artists on the latest Compass Records release
include Sam Bush, John Cowan, Del and Ronnie McCoury, Stuart Duncan, and Jim Lauderdale. Anyone familiar with those
names understands that the list speaks volumes about the caliber of
Emmitt’s musicianship and the respect he has earned in the music
world.
Rumor has it that Emmitt, who excels at the guitar
along with mandolin and other stringed instruments, is breaking out the
electric guitar for this tour, adding a more rocking feel to his standard
bluegrass-breakdown sounds of the last few years. As you might imagine, his
regular band is stellar and well worth the price of admission. Other
components of Emmitt’s talent include his smooth, sincere vocals;
fine choice of covers; and knack for penning good tunes. Along with the Drew Emmitt Band performance,
concertgoers will hear Luke Turasky’s Bourbon Bluegrass Band, filled
with superb local pickers, including father-and-son Dobro-and-mandolin
combination Mike and Bryan Steinhauer. The ubiquitous Laymon kicks off the
evening with an acoustic set. The Drew Emmitt Band performs at City Nights, in the
Capital City Bar & Grill (3149 S. Dirksen Pkwy., 217-529-8580), at 8
p.m. Saturday, March 24, with Luke Turasky’s Bourbon Bluegrass Band
and Bill Laymon. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2007.
