Modern Bands Who Improvise Live?

[LSGoCards7]

Are there any bands nowadays that improvise off of their studio recordings live? I'm not talking Phish or Dead stuff here, more like Cream, Led Zeppelin, Clapton with Derek and the Dominos, Hendrix, ABB etc. I wish that today's musicians would show off their musicianship! I want to go to a concert to hear the band play in a live format, not as if they are lip-syncing off the cd.

[TheGuildedAge]

Pearl Jam seems to mix it up a bit, different solos and such.

[major-minor]

Bruce Hornsby likes to "veer off track" on his live shows. Makes for some pretty interesting arragements of songs we're used to hearing on the radio. Showing off musicianship-----is putting it mildly. He and his band SMOKE.
I've heard Steeley Dan take some interesting liberties as well. I love it when bands do that.

[DaBlizzardofOz]

Gov't Mule

and

John Mayer

[Flyin' Brian]

Derek Trucks

[Kojack19]

wilco...

[mattwasserman]

Widespread Panic, North Mississippi Allstars, Govt Mule

[Butterfly]

Definitely Pearl Jam

[Spudman]

The Flower Kings do.

[Guitar Dave T]

Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian

Derek Trucks

True that. It's not just improv either, it's like watching improv royalty. Last time I saw his band they pulled out the most awesome, Coltrane influenced version of "My Favorite Things" I've ever heard. And they even had the wives, girlfriends and non-rabid fans in the audience going. Transported me to a different place, and I don't even drink or smoke dope.

And his "Already Free" album is, IMHFO, the best thing to come out since Clapton and Duane recorded "Layla".

[Guitar Dave T]

Originally Posted by major-minor

Bruce Hornsby likes to "veer off track" on his live shows. Makes for some pretty interesting arragements of songs we're used to hearing on the radio. Showing off musicianship-----is putting it mildly. He and his band SMOKE.
I've heard Steeley Dan take some interesting liberties as well. I love it when bands do that.

Not to toot my own horn, but I agree 100% - My band is based on this to a large extent. We rehearse maybe 3-4 times a year even though we do some complex arrangements. It's just that the real cool stuff seems to evolve from one performance to the next - on stage.

[hurley3038]

Mayer, Pearl Jam, Clapton still does, The Black Crows, Them Crooked Vultures Springsteen, Dave Mathews Band, Foo Fighters, O.A.R, The White Stripes

[stupidmunkey214]

Originally Posted by Guitar Dave T

True that. It's not just improv either, it's like watching improv royalty. Last time I saw his band they pulled out the most awesome, Coltrane influenced version of "My Favorite Things" I've ever heard. And they even had the wives, girlfriends and non-rabid fans in the audience going. Transported me to a different place, and I don't even drink or smoke dope.

And his "Already Free" album is, IMHFO, the best thing to come out since Clapton and Duane recorded "Layla".

Exactly. I saw them last year in New Orleans. I wasn't lucky enough to get "My Favorite Things" that night, but we did get a 4 minute "Who Knows" interlude.

Oh and that place you were transported to, it's lovely isn't it....

[EricPeterson]

I shit you not, Maroon 5, they are great live.

[SpaceFlunky]

Queens of the Stone Age do this all time time.

When SFTD came out (the one with Grohl on drums) the album had not even come out yet and they were already jammin on certain songs.





and now they are doing it again with Them Crooked Vultures. They have an awesome jam on Warsaw and Scumbag Blues every nite.