Your last concert was to see who and when?

Bdp24- I didn't get into Lyle's story telling and dry/offbeat sense of humor because it can be a bit off-putting to some folks.  It tickles my funny bone, but I'm pretty far off the norm on that axis.  I've seen him several times now over about 20 or more years; in a small venue with small "acoustic" type back-up, in a large venue with a rocking band, but this is the first time with "His Large Band".  All shows were excellent, but this took it to "perfection".  My wife and I would look at each other several times during each song with an OMG face.  I know Kunkel's resume and always enjoyed his drumming but this was the first time I saw him drum live.  It takes an extraordinary percussionist to really catch my attention but I was absolutely dumbstruck.  Each time he drew a song to a conclusion, each stroke was obviously, perfectly pre-ordained by the prior one and lead inexorably to the next.  And the same could be said for pretty much each vocal and instrumental part all night.  Something as simple as a short sax lick in the middle of a bridge was exactly as long (or short) and loud (or soft) and as mournful (or joyful) as it needed to be.  No more and no less.  

Euge Groove and Peter White last month at One World Theater in Austin, TX.  Great place for music  

Swampwater---it was with his Big Band that I last saw Lyle, and what a band it was! What makes a band that good is just what makes Russ Kunkel such a good drummer---what each musician plays serves the song above all, the parts being "musical", serving a musical purpose. A lot of musician’s play so to as impress other musician’s with their technical prowess, the results often being rather amusical, the part serving no purpose to the song itself, or being musically related to what any other musician is playing. I have found that the better a songwriter is, the more he values "musicality" in players , not necessarily technical prowess. The two are very different things. As the old spiritual expression goes, you can’t serve two masters ;-). Not that a very technically endowed musician can’t be very musical, or visa versa, but that is a rarity imo. I have found the two to have an inverse relationship. Others may, I have no doubt, disagree.

James Hunter and his band- big, full band with horns, blue-eyed soul. These guys are very good players and put on a tight, bang-on performance. The drummer is terrific, the bass is a good old fashioned acoustic bass- made me realize how much is missing, harmonically, from an electric bass. Solid keyboard player and did I mention the horn players? Jazzy, slick professionals with soul. James has a good voice- he pushes hard, and you walk out a couple hours later fully satisfied that you've been fully entertained by great performers, delivering the goods. 
We've heard them at least 6 times now, and particularly enjoy them in the little local club not far from our NY place. 

But-. Well said.  No individual ego in that group; all players/singers serving the song.  When they are that technically skilled and the songs are that good, it's sublime!