Jam Band Spotlight: Railroad Earth
New Jersey-Based Band with Bluegrass Roots Excels Live and In Studio
Formed in 2001 in Stillwater, New Jersey, Railroad Earth is not known for their four incredible studio albums, but for almost 500 live shows which feature extensive improvisation. The band displays interplay skills that are necessary for any jam band, yet they are not a traditional jam band.
They draw roots from many forms of music, including folk, bluegrass, Celtic, and jazz. Their varied influences may be harder to pick up when listening to their CDs, but when they play live, a little bit of everything comes out. Their three-hour set on June 28th in Morristown, New Jersey featured selections from their new album, Amen Corner, extended solos, and a guest appearance from accordion player Len Mooney.
Railroad Earth Jams, Solos through Live Shows
One of the greatest skills a band can have is to be able to take a five-minute song and turn it into a fifteen-minute song, and Railroad Earth masters this skill. With help from violinist Tim Carbone and banjo player Andy Goessling, the band doubled the length of instrumental “Stillwater Getaway”. At the end of the show, the band extended the drum-heavy “Like a Buddha”, much to the enjoyment of drummer Carey Harmon. And at the end of the first half, guitarist/vocalist Todd Sheaffer brought Len Mooney of Roamin' Gabriels on stage for a thirty-five minute jam that included the songs “Elko”, “Warhead Boogie”, and “The Forecast”.
What makes Railroad Earth great at making their bluegrass-style songs into full blown jams? Arguably, the most important factor is the band's uncanny ability to listen to each other. After playing together for seven years (except for bassist Johnny Grubb, who joined the band in 2003), the band has had a considerable amount of time to learn each others' playing styles. As a result, they show a tendency to listen very well, which results in improvised dueling solos as well as a generally solid interplay between the soloing violin, mandolin, and banjo and the tempo-keeping percussion, bass, and guitar. This helps Railroad Earth to play in different styles as well, such as when mandolin player John Skehan debuted one of his Celtic songs, "The Green Roofs of Eireann".
Amen Corner Solidifies Band's Talent In Studio
As if their live shows weren't enough, Railroad Earth's newest studio album, Amen Corner, is yet another impressive addition to their lineup. The album is significantly different from their previous material; it has superb audio quality, a more mellow feel, and of course more work between the band members. The band's compositional skills shine in songs like the mellow “You Never Know” and “Been Down this Road”, and they are also present in the fast-paced homecoming anthem “Crossin' the Gap”. Another great addition to the album is “Lovin' You”, which has been played live by the band for at least a year.
Amen Corner was released June 10th on SCI Fidelity Records.
You can go to Railroad Earth's website for tour dates and more, or check out Archive.org for complete live recordings of the band.
