Feel Good Hit of Winter: 22nd Haynes Jam

Last night in Asheville, it was truly a winter wonderland...


By Fred Mills


That headline above couldn't be more apt: there was never a moment or even a second at the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam last night that was less than inspiring. From the roster of players and guests (see our earlier roundup here) to the overall direction of the evening, which subtly morphed from jammy rock into a funky, psychedelic brand of deep soul - with plenty of New Orleans flavoring the musical gumbo - a fine time was had by all.


And when everyone staggered out into the Asheville night sometime around 3:15 am to be greeted by a just-revving up hard snow, well... it might've been a source of mild anxiety for drivers, but it was still part of the lingering magic of the evening hard to resist.


We'll have a complete recap in a couple of days after we've had a chance to recover. Meanwhile, check out the video, below, that someone has alrady posted of The Warren Haynes Band doing a killer version of the old Robert Palmer hit (originally penned by Allen Toussaint, natch). The audience clip is decent, video wise, but the audio is outstanding. Presumably slated to appear on Haynes' forthcoming solo studio album, tentatively due next May, it'll give you a taste of what went down last night and what to expect when the album drops. UPDATE: more clips are surfacing, among them (below) Umphrey's McGee and John Bell (of Widespread Panic) doing a stunning cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine"; the Dirty Dozen Brass Band w/friends on "Spanish Moon" and the Steve Miller Band on "Take the Money and Run."