Your last concert was to see who and when?

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!  

Went on a bike ride a couple weeks ago. Saw moe. in Utica NY, then a couple nights later Dark Star Orchestra in Charlotte NC. Both were absolutely excellent. 

Dead and Co. last month. More recently caught Earthless for a show last week. My ears got pummeled for that one. It was cool though.