Billy K as strong as ever!

Kreutzmann Burbridge Murawski February 15, 2009 Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Oregon

Bill Kreutzmann - drums
Oteil Burbridge - bass
Scott Murawski- vocals, guitar

opened for The Greyboy Allstars at the Portland Jazz Festival

Rhymes
Sugaree
Thunder
Chains Of Life
Help On The Way->
Murderland
Bertha

A couple times since last July I've posted up a video of Bill Kreutzmann, Oteil Burbridge and Scott Murawski, sometimes known as the Bill Kreutzmann Trio or KBM. I'm not sure how I first heard about these guys. Well, what I mean is, how I heard about them getting together to play shows. Actually I didn't know who two of three were but I'm pretty sure I've known quite well and for quite awhile who Billy K is. (For those who don't know: Burbridge is the bassist of the Allman Brothers Band and Murawski has been in a band called Max Creek since about '77.)

When I heard about them early last year, they had apparently completely blown the roof off the bar they first played in, in Massachusetts I think. My memory might be off on this.

Poking around Youtube I found the vids that I posted: Bertha and Eyes. Pretty cool, I thought, and maybe I'd eventually get a show of theirs. Eventually is now here and I have two shows at the moment. This shorter set I've decided to post up, as a taste of KBM.

Three of the songs here are, of course, known to me but the rest I am clueless about. I only know the names of the them because the setlist was supplied with the tunes. They're not bad. I found out Rhymes is an Al Green song... oh, and just now while working on this post I discovered Murderland is a new Robert Hunter original. Ahhh ha, cool! But as a song here by this band, it's not Robert's best work. But as a poem, it's not bad. From the Grateful Dead Lyric & Song Finder, here are the lyrics:

Murderland
Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Scott Murawski

As I was walking in Murderland
On the razzle dazzle in Murderland
Over and over, and the rest be damned
Happy as a rooster in Murderland

Can never get enough of Murderland
Sweet sugar soft girls walking hand in hand
On my motor scooters, gonna beat the band
I'll be on the colonnades in Murderland

Hey down, hoe down, derry derry down
Gentlemen of [?], cock-a-doodle down
Fool [a planet] soda cracker, alligator man
Water, water everywhere and not a drop of sand

Dancing on the water, on a [digital dam]
The well it comes on over into no man's land
No man, no woman, no payment on demand
In the lethal tender of Murderland

And it's who-ooh in Murderland
And it's give all the killers a great big hand
It's fun when they gun you down, great when they weigh you down
Ooh-ooh, Murderland

As I was walking in Murderland
All the razzle dazzle in Murderland
Over and over, and the rest be damned
Happy as a rooster in Murderland

Lyrics aside, it's a nice fun romp. The whole show is filled with great jamming and Grandpa Billy plays so well. Murawski's guitar is outstanding and Burbridge plays that bass of his with quite a bit of funk. At times he's absolutely barreling through songs. The Grateful Dead songs here do kinda sorta sound like it's just some cover band, but not exactly because they're not exactly imitating the GD, they're putting their own spin on it in some ways. When the music's playin' and these guys are putting their heart into it, just Fahgettaboutit, stop makin' comparisons and Listen To The Music Play! They're not bad! I'm definitely gonna make it a point to occasionally play a (and post) a different Kreutzmann-Burbridge-Oteil show. Since this was just an opening act show, their sets are usually a lot longer with a lot more music packed in. Definitely lookin' forward to it!

Thanks, Billy, for not hanging it up! Glad to have you around!

P.S. this recording SMOKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.P.S. Check out a KBM review for 5/28/08 Providence

and GREAT Sue Weiand pics for 2/13/09 San Francisco

Kreutzmann Burbridge Oteil, as of March 30, 2009, is not @ the Live Music Archive

Download The Show Here Audio Quality: Lineage: Front Of Board Audience (by Ian Stoy) -» FLAC Part One ▪ Kreutzmann Trio ▪ 2/15/09 2/15/09 ▪ Kreutzmann Trio ▪ Part Two

2-15-09 aka 02-15-09 aka 2/15/09 aka 02/15/09 aka 09-02-15 Portland