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Blues Traveler is on the road
again after hitting a few bumps
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Having survived the death of its bass player, its lead
singer’s serious auto crash and battles with obesity, and
indifference from radio programmers, Blues Traveler keeps chugging
along.
The New York-based band, with two new members in tow and a new
album released late last year, is back doing what it does best:
performing live.
Blues Traveler, best known for its Grammy-winning hit “Run
Around” and the mind- bending harmonica flourishes of
frontman John Popper, is often lumped into the jam rock movement
most closely associated with groups such as The Dead, Phish,
Widespread Panic and Leftover Salmon.
“I think we’re more a rock band that jams, rather than
a jam band for jamming’s sake,” said keyboardist Ben
Wilson, one of two new band members officially brought into the
fold after bassist Bobby Sheehan’s death in 1999.
“We’re jamming in the sense that we’re letting
loose and improvising, but there’s a structure. Obviously,
Phish has structure, but we’re trying to make the song the
thing, not our ability as musicians.”
Wes Orshoski, assistant editor of Relix magazine, which covers the
jam band scene, said Blues Traveler is on the fringe of the
movement.
“They certainly do jam,” he said. “But
they’ve been extended the umbrella, like Les (Claypool) of
Primus.”
Wilson, whose background was in straight-up traditional blues, was
initially a hired gun brought on board for Blues Traveler’s
first post-Sheehan record, “Bridge,” and a subsequent
tour.
After a trial period, Wilson said, he was offered full membership
into the group at the beginning of 2003. “It was pretty clear
they were pretty happy with me,” he said.
Meanwhile, bassist Tad Kinchla, brother of guitarist Chan Kinchla,
replaced Sheehan.
Keyboards have always been featured on Blues Traveler’s
records, but were not quite as prominent in the mix as on the
band’s latest record, “Truth Be Told.”
“Obviously, the dynamic has changed,” Orshoski said.
“But they’re still a force live.”
Wilson said his role is to flesh out the band’s sound,
bridging the gap among guitar, bass, drums and Popper’s
trademark harmonica riffs.
However gifted Popper is on the harmonica, “he is one of the
premier harp players, maybe the top young guy,” said
Orshoski, it is more limiting than a deck of multitoned
keyboards.
“He can do a lot of things with a harp, but it’s still
a harp,” Wilson said. “I’m not a speed burner,
but I’m more tonal.”
As for the once-massive Popper, Wilson said the singer is quite
svelte these days.
“Now he looks like a big guy as opposed to a big fat
guy,” Wilson said.
Kent Kimes
Knight Ridder Newspapers