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Rooster Rag is the fifteenth album of
original material by American rock band
Little Feat due to be released in the summer
of 2012. It marks their first original album
since 2003's
Kickin' It at the Barn and the recording
debut with the group of new drummer
Gabe Ford who replaced the late
Richie Hayward. Four of the songs were
written by former
Grateful Dead lyricist
Robert Hunter in collaboration with keyboard
player
Bill Payne now the only musician to have
played with every line-up of the group.
Surprisingly,
Paul Barrere the group's main writer/singer
has only been credited with writing on one
track, but his usual co-author
Fred Tackett contributes four songs, all of
which have appeared on his solo albums but not
all of which he sings lead on.
FEAT ON TOUR
Friday, August 3rd, 2012
Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
The Villains to open
Saturday, August 4th, 2012
Cats Cradle
Carrboro, NC
The Villains to open
Sunday, August 5th, 2012
The Morehead Center
Morehead City, NC
The Villains to open
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012
Bottle and Cork
Dewey Beach, DE
Amy Lennard to open
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
Rams Head Live
Baltimore, MD
Amy Lennard to open, VetSTOCK Benefit show.
Friday, August 10th, 2012
Flying Monkey Performance Center
Plymouth, NH
Amy Lennard to open
Saturday, August 11th, 2012
Indian Ranch
Webster, MA Sunday, August 12th, 2012
Blue Ocean Music Hall
Salisbury, MA
Amy Lennard to open Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
Theatre at Westbury
Westbury, NY
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
Ridgefield Playhouse
Ridgefield, CT
Amy Lennard to open
Friday, August 17th, 2012
Whitaker Ctenter
Harrisburg, PA
Amy Lennard to open Saturday, August 18th, 2012
Philadelphia Folk Festival
Schwenksville, PA
Just Added! Monday, August 20th, 2012
The Music Pier
Ocean City, NJ Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012
Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club NYC, NY
Papa Grows Funk and Honey Island Swamp Band
Sunday, September 2nd, 2012
Zoo Amphitheater
Minneapolis, MN
Just Added!, Tom Fuller Band to open
Monday, September 3rd, 2012
Vetter Stone Amphitheater
Mankato, MN
Wednesday, September 5th, 2012
Englert Theatre
Iowa City, IA
Just Added!, Tom Fuller Band to open
Thursday, September 6th, 2012
Park West
Chicago, IL
Just Added!, Tom Fuller Band to open
Saturday, September 8th, 2012
PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
Cincinnati, OH
Just Added!
Monday, September 10th, 2012
The Rev Room
Little Rock, AR
Just Added!, The Villains to open
Tuesday, September 11th, 2012
Cains Ballroom
Tulsa, OK
Just Added!, The Villains to open
Thursday, September 13th, 2012
Bluebird Theater
Denver, CO
Just Added!, The Villains to open
Friday, September 14th, 2012
Blues & Brews Festival
Telluride, CO
Just Added!, Show Time: 5:30pm
Saturday, September 15th, 2012
Talking Stick Resort
Scottsdale, AZ
Just Added!, The Villains to open
Sunday, September 16th, 2012
El Rey Theatre
Los Angeles, CA
Just Added!, The Villains to open
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
Laxson Auditorium
Chico, CA
Paul and Fred Acoustic Duo Show
Friday, September 28th, 2012
Lobero Theatre
Santa Barbara, CA
Paul and Fred Acoustic Duo Show,
Benefit Concert for The Rhythmic Arts Project
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
Furys Publick House
Dover, NH
"Tracing Footsteps" show
with Bill Payne and Dennis McNally
Saturday, October 13th, 2012
Middleburg Community Center
Middleburg, VA
Paul and Fred Acoustic Duo Show
Friday, October 19th, 2012
Magnolia Fest
Live Oak, FL
Paul and Fred Acoustic Duo Show
Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
Landmark On Main Street
Port Washington, NY
SATURDAY, Paul and Fred Acoustic Duo Show, Just
Added!
March 6-9, 2013
Breezes Grand Resort & Spa
Negril, Jamaica
11th Annual Feat Fan Excursion,
w/ Hot Tuna, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
SEE YOU ON TOUR!!
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Here at Jams Plus Media, our
primary focus has always been on Jambands plus their
musical influences. The summer of 2012 brought a band
that fits the bill on both accounts to our own backyard,
and we jumped at the chance to see the legendary Little
Feat. Since 1969 Little Feat has been jamming with a
unique style encompassing an eclectic array of musical
genres. Along the way, they have garnered a large and
loyal fan base, and have influenced many musicians
around the world. With the release of their first new
album in nine years, Rooster Rag, the band finds
fresh inspiration, and embarks on a tour stretching
clear across the United States through mid-October. Now
we present a glimpse of Little Feat as they graciously
made three stops down here on the coast.
Little Feat: Down On The
Coast, Part I – Tipitina’s, New Orleans, LA – 07/28/2012
If you are Little Feat and doing a
three show run on the coast, where should you start? I
would have to say the classic location of Tipitina's in
New Orleans is an excellent choice. Now understand
something about the music scene in New Orleans: there
are many great music venues in the Crescent City, but
the local fans and local musicians love their Tips! And
on a sweet Saturday night near the river is where we
first hit the ground running with Little Feat. This was
a night with a packed house at the famous Tipitina's,
all waiting for NOLA’s favorite west coast band who
sounds like they were raised on Bourbon Street. And
what better way to start a NOLA show than with "Voodoo
Jam" right into "All That You Dream".
We talked with Billy Iuso, New
Orleans musician and friend of the Feat, who features a
few of the members playing on his latest album. Billy
was our man on the spot for this show, and it’s always
insightful to hear about a great band from the
perspective of a great band man. Billy said in our
conversation, "Little Feat is the true hard working
band. These guys have always stayed busy and play show
after show with true passion and commitment". And
folks, Billy would know, not only about how hard they
work but also how passionate they are when they work.
Billy says, "You will never meet a nicer bunch of guys,
and [they’re] true to their cause". These nice guys
from the west coast brought their “A” game to this one.
Not only did they play great Feat classics like the
traveling song "Let it Roll", they also brought out new
tunes from their just-released album Rooster Rag.
One new treat features solid dueling vocals with Sam
Clayton and Paul Barrere in Fred Tackett's "One Breath
at a Time". Paul also collaborated with long-time
friend and musician Stephen Bruton, who passed away on
May 9th 2009, for the song "Just the Fever".
The enthusiastic fans were also
blessed with the new track "The Blues Keep Coming"
written by Bill Payne and newest member and drummer
Gabriel Ford. Billy Iuso said in our short
conversation, "I was really excited about the crowd
tonight, not so much for us the fans, but for the band.
It is great to see them getting the support they
deserve, and the new album is outstanding." Now as I
said, the band did play some of the amazing songs from
the new album, but also broke out some true gems. One
of the favorites was the classic "Fat Man in the
Bathtub" which is from the 1973 album Dixie Chicken.
In my opinion, the best quote from New Orleans
entertainer Billy Iuso was at the end of our great
conversation when Billy said, "The reason I came to New
Orleans to be a musician was because of Little Feat.
And you can ask many musicians around town, and I know
they would say the same. They did so much for me to
define who I was as an artist." Wow Billy, those are
very strong words about a very strong band. And a
packed crowd in the famous Tipitina's must also agree
with you. But remember, this is the first show of a
three show run with Little Feat on the Coast. So we
will see you in Mobile Alabama, and thank you Billy for
covering this amazing start of this triple hitter…but we
all know it was not like work, it was just work you
like.
Little Feat: Down On The
Coast, Part II – Soul Kitchen Music Hall, Mobile, AL –
07/30/2012
If you are traveling from New
Orleans to Jacksonville, what is the best thing to do
while in route? Stop at the Port City of Mobile
Alabama, of course. And that is exactly what Little
Feat did, and so will we as we continue with show two of
our "Little Feat: Down On the Coast" extravaganza. The
Roy Jay Band from Florida kicked off the evening right,
leaving a positive and lasting impression on the crowd
with their guitar-laden jams often reminiscent of the
Grateful Dead (they even covered “Franklin’s Tower”),
and a jubilant saxophone providing extra flavor.
Typical of summertime on the coast, the night was
smoking hot; but on this night at the Soul Kitchen, the
Feat were leading the heat wave. Opening with the 1979
song/album where we all went "Down on the Farm", you
knew this band was going to bring it like they did for
almost the last 40 years. Throughout the entire show
the band was so tight, and their harmonies are still
absolutely amazing. Our second song was from the new
album Rooster Rag and a Mississippi John Hurt
tune "Candy Man Blues", because blues in the south is
always going to get the joint a jumping. A fabulously
smooth “Red Streamliner” followed, and then Paul Barrere
asked us if we were ready for some Sam. Hello!? Big
daddy Sam Clayton means we are going to a place they
call the "Spanish Moon" and the crowd loved it. After
jamming a bit, the key change was cause for celebration
as they faded into the classic "Skin It Back" a Paul
Barrere tune from the 1974 release Feats Don't Fail
Me Now. Bill Payne was perfect with the haunting
keys that have always given this song its own identity.
A new CD means new tunes, and I was
really excited to hear some of them live. Now some of
these fans got their first taste of a Robert Hunter
tune, long time lyrical genius for Jerry Garcia
throughout his career. Robert has teamed up with
original Feat member Bill Payne to give us "Rag Top
Down". If you look at the lyrics and the challenging
chord changes, you know that these guys will do some
great sounds together. Since I had talked with Fred
Tackett earlier in the week about the songs he had
contributed to the fabulous new album, I was very
excited when he changed gears to his Mandolin and
started strumming the sweet sounds of "Church Falling
Down". This song is deep and melodic in a magical way.
A fun "Willin'>Don't Bogart that Joint" had the crowd
singing along; then they moved into another Payne and
Hunter tune with the tease to the ears in "Salome" that
will trick you into thinking it is Sally Mae, and she is
a girl from Jasper. Good old Hunter and his great story
telling abilities are fun with the Feat! Next they did
the title tune from the album "Rooster Rag" with great
tempo changes and nice southern picking, and lyrics that
leave you with a line you remember and the rest you
forget, something about stroking that rooster. To end
the Alabama show, it was appropriate to get the fan
favorite in the 1973 classic "Dixie Chicken". Now, in
my 20 plus years of seeing Little Feat I saw this
version evolve right in front of me. Fred and Paul got
down and dirty with a duel of electric power, the band
keeping the southern sound dancing right underneath. It
may be the sickest “Chicken” I have ever seen. Not sure
if the Feat were on fire, or does Mobile just do that to
people? We will see what awaits us in the beautiful
Florida Theatre.
Little Feat: Down On
the Coast, Part III – Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL
– 07/31/2012
The weather was
surprisingly consistent all afternoon as I prepared to
catch the legendary band Little Feat in Jacksonville,
Florida. If the weather was not enticing enough, the
venue was the elegant and monumental Florida Theatre, an
indoor theatre built with phenomenal acoustics providing
for a more intimate viewing. Since I had lived the
previous two shows vicariously through other associates
at Jams Plus Media, I was very enthusiastic to hear new
Little Feat material in such a renowned theatre.
I arrived early to
enjoy downtown with my mother who accompanied me for her
birthday. She was excited to see Little Feat and curious
about the opener, The Roy Jay Band out of Orlando,
Florida. Earlier that day, I had received a text from a
good friend in Mobile urging me not to miss this opening
act. He convincingly told me, “They cover the Grateful
Dead, and their original stuff is still...very Dead-ish”.
Before the doors opened, I sat with a long-time fan
since 1982 named Larry. We were on a bench across from
the tour bus, and he had laminates dangling from his
neck in bulk. He pumped me up for Little Feat and when
I asked him about The Roy Jay Band, he replied “Do you
like the [Grateful] Dead?”, and coincidently gave the
same band description, stating “They are very Dead-ish”.
The venue was rather empty as The Roy Jay Band opened,
and it felt almost as if it were a self-fulfilling
prophecy when they jammed a couple songs right into
“Cassidy” by the Dead. After the well-executed cover
they played a few entertaining originals, and left the
stage with a very pleased crowd.
With the release of Rooster Rag
and the previous conversations detailing the earlier
shows, I was very eager to hear some Little Feat. I was
familiar with the new album and was delighted to hear
such wonderful live versions of “One Breath at a Time”,
“Church Falling Down”, and “Rag Top Down”. Written by
guitarist Fred Tackett, “One Breath at a Time” was very
pleasant and was my favorite of the night. The song
“Day or Night”, from their 1975 album The Last Record
Album, was a turn of events. Fred had been toying
with his guitar, playing it with what appeared to be a
Maestro/Conductor’s baton, reminding me of the movie
August Rush. In the new songs, you could hear Robert
Hunter’s lyrics come alive in keyboardist Bill Payne’s
voice, resonating pleasantly off of the boisterous
acoustics, tickling your inner ear with a hint of
nostalgia. The lyrics of the songs subconsciously place
you on the west coast, with a feeling of riding in a
classic convertible listening to Little Feat’s portrayal
of the legendary Robert Hunter stories. They ended the
set with heavy jam sessions and playing some older
favorites like “Fat Man in the Bathtub”, teasing Buddy
Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and Dr. John’s “I Walk on
Guilded Splinters”. The “Dixie Chicken” encore was
better described as a 20 minute, crunchy jam of “Dixie
Chicken> drums&bass>drums>drums&keys>Dixie Chicken”.
During the drums&keys portion, Payne danced around
playing some off the wall sequences. The highlight of
the evening was the very tasty “Willin” sammich. The
setlist only had “Willin” on it, but after some dueling
back and forth between the members and their
instruments, they wound up playing “Willin>Dont Bogart
that Joint>The Weight>Willin”. The meat of that sammich,
come to find out, was entirely improvisational. After
the show, I got the luxury to sit and speak with a few
members of the band, including Fred Tackett and I asked
him if it [“The Weight”] was intentional or was it added
on the spot, and with a big smile he replied, “We were
all jamming it, we were feeling it, so...we had to share
it!” So, if you were wondering whether or not they still
had it, I can assure you they
can still bring the funky, country-flavored sound they
are recognized for, and can do it on the fly.
As we wrap up our run with Little
Feat "Down On The Coast", I thought about my first time
hearing "Dixie Chicken" as a young child: the swing of
the ivory keys, the beat of the percussion, the strum of
the guitar and the thump of the bass. It was really my
first experience with a band that would jam. It was the
mid 1970's; I had only listened to radio in Nashville
Tennessee, and they were not playing 9 minute songs.
These guys changed my view of music and the sounds that
can be created with all the influences I heard. It was
a true mixing pot of groove. And as time traveled, I
started seeing them live, buying their albums and
opening my mind. Little Feat was a major part of that
journey and almost became the soundtrack for a kid
entering his teens. So yes, I was excited to turn the
focus of Jams Plus Media to a three show run by this
band, not so much because I am such a fan, but because I
feel everyone else should have the chance to be. I can
write about Little Feat to those who know the Feat; but
we want to introduce those who never knew that they
have Feat, too. So from beginning to end, no matter if
it is Lowell, Roy, Bill and Richie; or Fred, Kenny, Paul
and Sam, and a new album; through all the different
faces and changes over the years this band has become
what they are and never forgotten who they were. And
forty years from now we will still be walking with
Little Feat.
Written by: Dale Taylor, Rosemary
A.W. Roberts, Joey A. Pye, and Billy Iuso
Edited by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts
Photos by: Clayton Roberts, Joey A. Pye, Jeffrey Dupuis, and Beverly Pye
Fat Man in the Bathtub by RAD GUMBO: A New
Orleans All Star Tribute to Little Feat bringing together
members of Little Feat (Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett and Kenny
Gradney), Bily Iuso and others
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