Aquarium Rescue Unit - Live @ the Jacksonville Jazz Festival 1996

[kid_runningfox]

Don't know how many other people here are fans of these guys, but I found this on one of my regular Youtube peruses for interesting new(ish) music, and I really think it's quite superb. I was familiar with the earlier incarnation of ARU, which featured Jimmy Herring, Oteil Burbridge and the one and only Colonel Bruce Hampton, but I wasn't aware of this later and more streamlined version of the band. These guys are quite astonishing musicians, and this line-up managed to combine all of those stellar chops with some quite glorious tunes. And I love Paul Hanson's voice - of its time perhaps, but there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. Certainly, for me there's more than a sense that, of the generation of jambands they emerged with (Spin Doctors, Phish, etc.) ARU were the one band who genuinely deserved to make it big and yet didn't. Maybe they were just too good. Anyway, be interested to know f there are any other fans, and if this is new to you, please enjoy!!

[spellbound]

I've been a fan of ARU since the early version of the band you mention, with Col. Bruce Hampton. When they parted ways with Hampton, they remained a great band.

[Dave (in MA)]

And I love Paul Hanson's voice

I believe that to be Paul Henson. The Paul Hanson of the fusion/jam band scene is a bassoon player. ( For instance, https://archive.org/details/bfft2003-11-28.sbd.flac16 )

[No Pride]

The first time I heard ARU (probably over 20 years ago), I almost could've sworn it was Tribal Tech with a singer. If you've never heard TT, you should check them out and you might see what I mean. They're all great players, no doubt!

A few months ago, I was standing in front of my hotel in Maryland, where I was to play a gig and this familiar looking guy got out of a car with a guitar. I asked what I pretty much already knew, if he was Jimmy Herring... and of course, he was. He was in town to meet up with (guitar builder) Paul Reed Smith. We had a 15 minute conversation and he was a very nice, unassuming, friendly guy with a good sense of humor. The next day, I ran into him in front of the hotel again, along with Paul Reed Smith, who came to pick him up and had another conversation. They said they would've come to our show, but they had plans to see Santana, which was understandable. Jimmy's a great guitar player; very much a jazz-fusion guy who somehow ended up playing with a bunch of southern rock and jam bands, including a brief stint with The Allman Brothers.

Listening to the ARU show as I type; sounds awesome; thanks, Mark!

[spellbound]

^Cool story. I saw the Jimmy Herring Band at a small venue in 2009. He is a truly great guitarist.

[kid_runningfox]

I believe that to be Paul Henson. The Paul Hanson of the fusion/jam band scene is a bassoon player. ( For instance, https://archive.org/details/bfft2003-11-28.sbd.flac16 )

Ah, my mistake - apologies!!

[kid_runningfox]

The first time I heard ARU (probably over 20 years ago), I almost could've sworn it was Tribal Tech with a singer. If you've never heard TT, you should check them out and you might see what I mean. They're all great players, no doubt!

A few months ago, I was standing in front of my hotel in Maryland, where I was to play a gig and this familiar looking guy got out of a car with a guitar. I asked what I pretty much already knew, if he was Jimmy Herring... and of course, he was. He was in town to meet up with (guitar builder) Paul Reed Smith. We had a 15 minute conversation and he was a very nice, unassuming, friendly guy with a good sense of humor. The next day, I ran into him in front of the hotel again, along with Paul Reed Smith, who came to pick him up and had another conversation. They said they would've come to our show, but they had plans to see Santana, which was understandable. Jimmy's a great guitar player; very much a jazz-fusion guy who somehow ended up playing with a bunch of southern rock and jam bands, including a brief stint with The Allman Brothers.

Listening to the ARU show as I type; sounds awesome; thanks, Mark!

Glad you're enjoying it, Ernie! Yes, I am familiar with Tribal Tech, and I love Scot Henderson's playing - I wish I could make my own guitar work that harmonically complex! I first came across Jimmy Herring thanks to his involvement with Widespread Panic, and I've been working back through his career since then. Like you say - a truly great player and judging by the interviews I've seen with him online he's a genuine standup, humble guy. I must admit that I've found his solo albums to be a bit disappointing - a bit too far down the jazz path for me - but his work with others has never been anything less than superlative. Incidentally, there's some great video footage up on Youtube of his GIT-era band from 1985, and they're playing some seriously Dregs-like material, with JH in full-on Steve Morse mode. I guess you can take the boy out of the South....

[Wounded Land]

Interesting stuff...thanks for the link!

[No Pride]

I must admit that I've found his solo albums to be a bit disappointing - a bit too far down the jazz path for me

I only have "Lifeboat;" in fact when I told Jimmy that, I was a little embarrassed when he mentioned that he had put out another solo album since that one, because I wasn't aware of it (and still have yet to hear it). I like it and wasn't a bit surprised that it was more jazz oriented, because it was obvious to me that he was a jazz player at heart, capable of improvising over more harmonically challenging chord progressions than he encounters in the other bands he plays with. Of course, I'm a jazz fan and became one when Prog was just a twinkle in rock n' roll's eye (yes, I'm that old). What was slightly disappointing to me about Lifeboat was that he didn't really play "outside" on it, like he often does in other contexts. Perhaps he does so because he wants to create chord changes where there aren't any... and with his own compositions, that wasn't necessary, I don't know; just speculating. At any rate, he's a terrific player! I've got to check out his other solo album now!

[Dave (in MA)]

Ah, my mistake - apologies!!

No, I was just wondering if it was the same guy.

[Dok]

http://deepjams.net/col-bruce-hampto.../#.VW3440YcS73

A reunion tour this summer!

John McLaughlin guests with them in a few days at Rams Head in Baltimore celebrating the 30th anniversary of Paul Reed Smith Guitars - http://theaquariumrescueunit.com/joh...m-rescue-unit/

Looks like Dennis Chambers will be playing there too! Good news after his recent illness.

[kid_runningfox]

http://deepjams.net/col-bruce-hampto.../#.VW3440YcS73

A reunion tour this summer!

John McLaughlin guests with them in a few days at Rams Head in Baltimore celebrating the 30th anniversary of Paul Reed Smith Guitars - http://theaquariumrescueunit.com/joh...m-rescue-unit/

Looks like Dennis Chambers will be playing there too! Good news after his recent illness.

Ah yes, I saw that on JH's Facebook page. Sadly, there is categorically NO chance of them ever coming over to the UK (I'll be there over the summer), or especially China. I can only hope that on of these days I'll be back in the US and JH will be playing nearby in one of his various bands.

[Sean]

This is pretty smokin'. JH does some rippin' playing and then McLaughlin melts everyone's faces.

[kid_runningfox]

Wow, be wonderful to be in the audience to listen to musicians of that calibre really going for it! Nice to hear McLaughlin's still got it, too...

[Shadow]

The first time I heard ARU (probably over 20 years ago), I almost could've sworn it was Tribal Tech with a singer. If you've never heard TT, you should check them out and you might see what I mean. They're all great players, no doubt!

A few months ago, I was standing in front of my hotel in Maryland, where I was to play a gig and this familiar looking guy got out of a car with a guitar. I asked what I pretty much already knew, if he was Jimmy Herring... and of course, he was. He was in town to meet up with (guitar builder) Paul Reed Smith. We had a 15 minute conversation and he was a very nice, unassuming, friendly guy with a good sense of humor. The next day, I ran into him in front of the hotel again, along with Paul Reed Smith, who came to pick him up and had another conversation. They said they would've come to our show, but they had plans to see Santana, which was understandable. Jimmy's a great guitar player; very much a jazz-fusion guy who somehow ended up playing with a bunch of southern rock and jam bands, including a brief stint with The Allman Brothers.

Listening to the ARU show as I type; sounds awesome; thanks, Mark!

You played a gig in Maryland and you didn't tell me.

[No Pride]

You played a gig in Maryland and you didn't tell me.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, SORRY, Ed! I know this doesn't help, but I never remember which of my Internet friends live in whatever locale I'm playing at. Most of my life is a "senior moment" at this stage.