Gov’t Mule, Scofield Jammin’ In Indy In 2015
Rock torchbearers Gov’t Mule are celebrating their 20th anniversary with an extensive tour and a series of dynamic live archival releases that highlight the group’s versatility and epic, fearless live performances. No two Gov’t Mule shows are alike, as the band draws on the more than 300 songs in their repertoire to create a unique experience each and every time. Their steadily expanding fan base knows that the Mule always has something special waiting for them. Expect the unexpected.
The deep chemistry and steely confidence shared by the quartet allow them to tackle any form of music and stamp it their own while remaining true to the spirit and intent of the original. This can of course be heard any time guitarist-singer Warren Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, bassist Jorgen Carlsson and multi-instrumentalist Danny Louis take the stage, but a series of new live archival releases really drives the point home.
On January 2015, fans will finally be able to get their hands and ears on a very special release – the long-awaited SCO-MULE album. In late September of 1999, John Scofield teamed with Gov’t Mule, then featuring original bass player the late Allen Woody, along with keyboardist Dr. Dan Matrazzo, in Georgia for two legendary shows of mind- bending live prowess. Both shows were recorded and included the Mule’s first-ever all-instrumental sets. The band had begun preparing the music for eventual release while working on their third studio album Life Before Insanity. However, less than a year later, their beloved bassist Allen Woody passed away, setting the Mule on a different path.
The idea of releasing SCO-MULE came up over the years, but the timing was never as right as it is now – helping to thmark Gov’t Mule’s 20 Anniversary. While Scofield and the Mule did reunite briefly for a set at Warren Haynes’ 25th Annual Christmas Jam in December 2013, fans have been clamoring for the return of the project ever since those lauded 1999 shows, and for more than a decade the Mule have been eager to share the music from these shows through an LP.
Now for the first time, fans can experience the SCO-MULE magic first-hand in album form, newly mixed and mastered. The 3-hour all-instrumental album is a jazz romp laced with rock riffs and will be available as a 2-CD set as well as a double vinyl.
“I think a lot of the music we’re doing now is very similar to the music we were making in the earliest years with the obvious exception that we are no longer a trio,” says Haynes. “In some ways we’ve come full circle and in other ways it only makes sense if you step back and connect the dots. And that seems right to me. You want to keep growing and you never want to be static, or done changing.”
In 2015, Gov’t Mule will perform a string a dates with Scofield. They will be at the Riviera in Chicago, Ill. on Feb, 27, at the Egyptian Room at the Old National Center in Indianapolis, Ind. on Feb. 28. Ticket presale begins at noon on Dec. 9. For more information visit mule.net.