Featuring An All Star... ［CD+DVD］

This 2003 package spotlights Dan Hicks (guitar/vocals) and his handpicked assemblage at a one-time-only gig at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco on December 9, 2001, honoring Hicks' 60th birthday. In his trademark approach, the pacing is decidedly low-key, even as different aggregates of musicians come and go between practically every number. This gives each delivery a unique texture and allows for some inspired interaction. Early classics include the jug band-infused Charlatans side "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?," with Mike Wilhelm (guitar/vocals), George Hunter (autoharp/tambourine), and Richard Olsen (tenor sax/clarinet/flute/vocals) from the original lineup of the legendary Bay Area combo. Participating from the seminal incarnations of the Hot Licks are "Symphony" Sid Page (violin), Naomi Eisenberg (vocals/violin), Jaime Leopold (string bass), and Maryann Price (vocal/percussion). "Reelin' Down," "The Buzzard Was Their Friend," "Canned Music," "Milk Shakin' Mama," "News from Up the Street," and the opening "You Gotta Believe" are all revived with considerable verve. This is especially notable in Hicks' limber fretwork, which vacillates from the hot-steppin' "Walkin' One and Only" to the sublime and intricate "Payday Blues," as well as "Strike It While It's Hot" from his then-concurrent release, Beatin' the Heat. Recommended for seasoned enthusiasts and the curious alike, there is much to enjoy and revisit on this outing. ~ Lindsay Planer