The Gorge

Performer: Dave Matthews Band
Producer: Dave Matthews Band
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews (vocals, guitar); Boyd Tinsley (vocals, violin); LeRoi Moore (vocals, horns); Carter Beauford (vocals, drums); Stefan Lessard (bass guitar). Additional personnel: Butch Taylor (keyboards). Though the Dave Matthews Band has released several live albums, THE GORGE stands out from the pack due to its unique recording environment. The outdoor venue in question is carved out of the basalt cliffs adjacent to Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, a canyon in the Cascade mountain range. The space is renowned both for its scenic splendor and natural acoustic properties. As such, the sound quality here is warmer and clearer than a typical concert recording, and the ensemble seems inspired to deliver a top-notch performance. As on the group's other live outings, several tracks here are much longer than their studio counterparts. Particular beneficiaries of this treatment include the baritone sax-driven rocker "Two Step" and the funky world-beat exploration "Lie in Our Graves." In addition to the two audio discs, the set also includes a DVD that presents live footage, videos, and a documentary.

Rolling Stone (p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] shining example of how live-concert DVDs should be shot....[With] a mix of perspectives, edited in sync with the flow of the music."

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Matthews was born in South Africa, but it was after moving to Charlottesville, Virginia, in the 1980s that he assembled his world-beating band. Adding violin and multiple saxophones to the traditional rock-band instrumentation, Matthews and his cohorts created a unique, idiosyncratic sound that melded jam-band improvisation with elements of folk-rock, funk, and jazz fusion. A homegrown phenomenon, the band sold a stunning number of copies of a self-released debut album via non-stop touring. After signing to a major label, avoiding any artistic compromise in the process, the band immediately broke through on a national level, becoming one of the most popular groups in the U.S.

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