Jammy Award

The Jammys (also known as the Jammy Awards) are an awards show for bands typically called jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music. The name is a play on the name for a more mainstream music awards show, the Grammys. The Jammys are sponsored by Relix magazine, Jambands.com, and promoter Peter Shapiro. The Jammy Awards will return in 2008 to the WAMU Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Rock legend Phish is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony to be held on May 7, 2008.

First Annual Jammy Awards (2000)

The First Annual Jammy Awards were held on June 22, 2000 at Irving Plaza in New York City. The event was presented by Jambands.com and executive produced by Peter Shapiro and Dean Budnick. Shapiro, who owns the Wetlands Preserve, is the publisher of Jambands.com. Budnick is editor-in-chief of Jambands.com and also co-hosted The Jammys with Peter Prince of Moon Boot Lover. The evening had two basic components: awards were presented in various categories and the scene's best bands performed sets of blistering music with special guests. The idea was originated nearly 10 months prior, with a conversation between Budnick and managers for various bands. John Topper from moe., Bob Kennedy from Deep Banana Blackout, and Darren Cohen from The Slip all mentioned doing something called "The Jammys" as an obvious play on "The Grammys."

Presenters included: Steve Bloom (High Times), Richard Gehr (The Village Voice), Lee Crumpton (Home Grown Music Network founder), Sam Kopper (first program director at WBCN in Boston, Phoenix Presents live engineer), John Scofield, Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone, VH1), Kirk West (Allman Brothers Band archivist), and Jambands.com staff members.

Performers

New Deal, Frogwings, The Disco Biscuits & Les Claypool, Merl Saunders, John Scofield, Strangefolk, Susan Tedeschi, Deep Banana Blackout, Soulive, The Slip,

Award Winners

Live Set of the Year: Phish, 12/31/99, Set II
Jam of the Year: The Disco Biscuits, Akira Jam, 12/31/99
Release of the Year: Grateful Dead, So Many Roads
Live Album of the Year: moe., L
Wetlands Award (Lifetime Achievement): B.B. King
Studio Album of the Year: Percy Hill, Color in Bloom
Future Jam (musicians' award): Ryan Abts
New Groove of the Year: Fat Mama
Home Grown Music Award: Strangefolk
Radio Show: The Music Never Stops, Barry Smolin, KPFK, Los Angeles
Fan Web Site: www.etree.org
Community Service: Strangers Helping Strangers
Topper Award (commitment to the scene): Chris Zahn
Jambands.com Writer: Jeff Waful

Second Annual Jammy Awards (2001)

The Second Annual Jammys took place at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The show featured more than five hours of non-stop music and presentations. "The idea for the Jammys was to create a night of music where we didn't know what was going to happen," says Jammys executive producer Peter Shapiro. "We wanted to bring artists who not only hadn't played together, but hadn't met and now, after experiencing what went down, it's a pretty overwhelming feeling."

Performers

Col. Bruce Hampton, Yonder Mountain String Band's Jeff Austin (mandolin) and Robert Randolph (pedal steel) joined the Derek Trucks Band for a version of "Turn On Your Lovelight." Paul Shaffer sat in with Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade featuring Junior Brown for The Beatles' "Taxman" and King Crimson's "Thela Hun Ginjeet." DJ Logic and guitarist Stanley Jordan performed with The Disco Biscuits featuring John Popper for Jane's Addiction's "Three Days" and Led Zeppelin's "Bring It on Home." The show concluded with a two-stage dueling jam on The Meters' classic "Cissy Strut," which followed the presentation of the lifetime achievement award to George Porter, Jr. The song featured the Derek Trucks Band with special guests Porter (bass, the Meters), Popper (vocals, harmonica, Blues Traveler) and Jordan (guitar). Strangefolk closed the show performing The Grateful Dead tribute portion of the show, joined by Merl Saunders they performed "Scarlet Begonias", then Strangefolk's Eric Glocker was replaced on stage with Percy Hill's John Leccese at which point they jammed into "Fire on the Mountain" (as performed by Merl Saunders with that added funk factor).

Winners

Album of the Year: Phish "Farmhouse"
Live Performance of the Year: Phish, 7/11/00, Noblesville, IN
New Groove of the year: Yonder Mountain String Band
Radio Show: "Jam Nation" (Radio 104, Hartford, CT)
Fan Website: www.Etree.org
Festival: Gathering of the Vibes
Topper/Zahn Award: Howie Schnee
Mimi Fishman Memorial Award: Mockingbird Foundation
Live Album: Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade: Live Frogs Set 1
Jam of the Year: Phil Lesh & Friends with Mike Gordon (12-31-00)
Release of the year: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Grateful Dead"
Lifetime Achievement: George Porter Jr. and the Meters

Third Annual Jammy Awards (2002)

The Third Annual Jammy Awards were held October 2, 2002. It was presented by TDK, and took place at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

Performers

Rat Dog bassist Rob Wasserman and DJ Logic kicked off the night. Next was Rusted Root, DJ Logic and guitarist Melvin Sparks, who played "Send Me on My Way" and "Ecstasy," with host John Popper (Blues Traveler) adding harmonica. John Scofield was joined by saxophonist Skerik (Critters Buggin’, Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade), drummer Stanton Moore and bassist Andy Hess (Gov't Mule)). Pedal Steel guitarist Robert Randolph sat in with the Blind Boys of Alabama for "Amazing Grace." Unannounced guest John Mayer collaborated with Randolph and Derek Trucks. Particle and Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the B-52's played "Planet Claire," "Private Idaho" and "Love Shack." Original Blue Öyster Cult members Eric Bloom (vocals), Buck Dharma (guitar) and Allen Lanier (guitar, keyboards) took the stage as moe. was finishing "Rebubula" and segued into "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." Reid Genauer, Jessica Lurie (Living Daylights) and Hope Clayburn (Deep Banana Blackout) joined house band The Tom Tom Club for "Take Me to the River." Bassist Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band) played "Beautifully Broken" with Gov't Mule, before the Allman Brothers Band took the stage.

Rat Dog's set was capped by the dual stage jam, which closed out the show with a version of "Turn on Your Lovelight," with countless musicians on both stages. Rat Dog was joined on the main stage by guitarist Trey Anastasio (Phish), Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers Band), Al Schnier (moe.), Popper, Abts, and DJ Logic. Meanwhile, the second stage included bassist Mike Gordon (Phish), guitarist Fuzz (Deep Banana Blackout), Randolph, saxophonists Skerik, Clayburn, Lurie, Tom Tom Club vocalists Mystic Bowie and Victoria Clamp and "Flute Girl."

Winners

TDK Live Performance of the Year: moe., Bonnaroo Music Festival, 6/23/02
Tour of the Year: Trey Anastasio, Summer 2002
Studio Album of the Year: Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio
Live Album of the Year: Widespread Panic’s Live in the Classic City
Archival Album: Phish, Live Phish 11: 11/17/97, McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
Song of the Year: Gov't Mule's “Soulshine”
New Groove of the Year: Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Fan Website of the Year: Philzone.com
Lifetime Achievement Award: The Grateful Dead (presented by essay contest winner Bill Stites)
Mimi Fishman Community Service Award: Joshua Stack, Panic Fans For Food
Grahamy Jammy (industry award for support of the scene): Annabel Lukins

Fourth Annual Jammy Awards(2004)

The Fourth Annual Jammy Awards were held on March 16, 2004 at Madison Square Garden. It is most notiable for the reunion of Black Crowes members Chris Robinson, Rich Robinson and Eddie Harsch which lead to their revival of the Crowes in early 2005.

Performers

The night kicked off with a performance of “Higher & Higher” by the Harlem Gospel Choir, which was soon joined by an expanded version of Soulive. The trio welcomed vocalist Reggie Watts of Maktub, trumpeter Rashawn Ross, tenor saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, alto saxophonist Cochemea “Cheme” Gastelum and percussionist Danny Sadownick. Next up was Reid Genauer and the Assembly of Dust with Dickey Betts and Edie Brickell.

The Disco Biscuits launched into their own "Rock Candy." (Flavor Flav was originally scheduled to join the band, but he respectfully declined during the last week. Rahzel was then booked, but could not make the gig due to a snowstorm in the Northeast). Dr. John, Toots Hibbert (Toots and Maytals), bassist George Porter Jr. (the Meters), guitarist Brian Stoltz (the Meters), and drummer Matt Abts (Gov't Mule) then took the stage for a set that included "Right Place, Wrong Time," "Pressure Drop" and "Hey Pocky Way," with Widespread Panic keyboardist JoJo Hermann on the latter.

The Derek Trucks Band featured vocalist Solomon Burke for "I wish I knew How it Would Feel to be Free" and "Home in Your Heart." Trucks’ wife, Susan Tedeschi, along with Dickey Betts, then joined in for "Turn on Your Lovelight." The String Cheese Incident opened its portion of the night with the instrumental "Valley of the Jig" and "’Round the Wheel." Jane's Addiction front man Perry Farrell then emerged for "Idiots Rule," which also included the Soulive horn section. Following Gov't Mule’s "Blind Man in the Dark," Black Crowes members Chris Robinson, Rich Robinson and Eddie Harsch shared the stage for "Sometimes Salvation." It was their first performance together since October of 2001. The Crowes have been officially on hiatus since January of 2002. This was one of the reasons that the band got back together in 2005. Earlier in the set, Chris Robinson joined the Mule for a rendition of Neil Young’s "Southern Man."

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Steve Winwood and his band took the stage for the evening’s finale, which opened with "Different Light." For the final jam of the night, Betts and String Cheese Incident’s Michael Kang returned to the stage, along with the show’s host, Robert Randolph, who played guitar, and saxophonist James Carter for "Gimme Some Lovin'," one of Winwood's oldest hits, which he wrote at age 15 while in The Spencer Davis Group.

Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award - Steve Winwood
Live Album of the Year - Gov't Mule - The Deepest End
Studio Album of the Year - moe. - Wormwood
Song of the Year- The Allman Brothers Band - Old Before My Time
Archival Live Album of the Year - The Grateful Dead - Closing of Winterland: December 31, 1978
Live Performance of the Year - Gov't Mule with Les Claypool, Bela Fleck, Sonny Landreth, George Porter Jr., Dave Schools, Victor Wooten and more - 5/3/03, Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA
Tour of the Year - Phish - Summer 2003
DVD of the Year - Dave Matthews Band - The Central Park Concert
Album Cover of the Year - String Cheese Incident - Untying the Knot by Alex Gray
New Groove of the Year - The Breakfast (formerly Psychedelic Breakfast)
Mimi Fishman Memorial Community Service Award - Justin Baker, Conscious Alliance
Grahamy Jammy (Industry award for support of the scene) - Don Strasburg, talent buyer for the Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO

Fifth Annual Jammy Awards (2005)

The Fifth Annual Jammy awards were held on April 26, 2005 at Madison Square Garden. Phil Lesh, bass player of the Grateful Dead, was the host.

Performers

Bruce Hornsby ran through his “Valley Road” with Yonder Mountain String Band and Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman. Next up, Huey Lewis joined Umphrey's McGee for a mini-set beginning with “Heart & Soul.” Soon after,Mavis Staples, Sinéad O'Connor and Jeff Coffin joined the collective for covers of “The Weight” and “I’ll Take You There.” Keller Williams and ?uestlove provided the rhythm section for the evening’s next jam session, which included a Nelly McKay version of Bob Dylan’s “Rain Day Woman.”

Ryan Adams invited Phil Lesh onto the stage for a cover of the Grateful Dead's “Wharf Rat.” Les Claypool, dressed in a pig mask, and Gabby La La joined in during a jam between the Benevento/Russo Duo and Mike Gordon. The Disco Biscuits then performed for the first time without founding drummer Sam Altman, who was currently preparing for a career in medicine. Scheduled to perform “Honytonk” with Travis Tritt (who performed his own show earlier in the evening at BB King Blues Club), the Disco Biscuits also included the country star’s drummer for a version of its “House Dog Party Favor.”

Buddy Guy led a jam anchored by ceremony host Phil Lesh and The Roots drummer ?uestlove. John Mayer, a 2002 Jammy performer and Guy disciple, also made a surprise appearance, adding guitar to a version of “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Medeski, Martin and Wood assisted with songs by Burning Spear and Sinéad O'Connor. This performance marked O'Connor’s first appearance in New York in over five years. Luther Dickinson, ?uestlove, Disco Biscuits' Aron Magner and Jon Gutwillig, Claypool and Marco Benevento all returned to the stage, with Gutwillig sharing a vocal duet with O’Connor.

Winners

Lifetime Achievement: Buddy Guy
Song of the Year: Umphrey's McGee, "In the Kitchen."
New Groove of the Year: Benevento/Russo Duo
Tour Of The Year: Phish, Summer 2004
Download of the Year: The Dead 6/12/04, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN
DVD of the Year: Phish, IT
Archival Live Album of the Year: Jerry Garcia, After Midnight Kean College, 2/28/80
Mimi Fishman Memorial Community Service Award: HeadCount
Studio Album of the Year: Gov't Mule, Deja Voodoo
Live Album of the Year: Keller Williams Stage
Live Performance of the Year: Phil Lesh & Friends, 12/19/04
Grahamy Jammy: Ken Hayes

Sixth Annual Jammy Awards (2006)

The Sixth Annual Jammy awards were held on April 20, 2006 at Madison Square Garden. The event was co-hosted by Grateful Dead drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.

Performers

2004 JamOff winner Jonah Smith opened the ceremony with an hour-long set in the Theatre of Madison Square Garden’s lobby, while the Disco Biscuits autographed copies of the current issue of Relix magazine. The North Mississippi Allstars kicked off The Jammys proper with Umphrey's McGee drummer Kris Myers sitting in for Cody Dickinson. The North Mississippi Allstars also played a version of “Freedom Highway,” with vocal duties supplied by Mavis Staples.

Richie Havens, who was the first performance at Woodstock '69, started the night off with his song "Freedom," backed by the Mutaytor. Next, Blues Traveler paid tribute to the Wetlands club by performing their song "NY Prophesie" with DJ Logic. Bettye LaVette also appeared during Blues Traveler's set, adding vocals on a cover of Steppenwolfs "Magic Carpet Ride." Next Bela Fleck and the Flecktones played a set.Next, a mixture band consisting of Joe Satriani, Steve Kimock, Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, horn player Willy Waldman, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey bassist Reed Mathis and Grace Potter performed a set. After them, Guster was joined by Peter Frampton and worked on material from Guster's new album Ganging up the Sun. Martin Sexton also joined them for a version of Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do." Banjoist Bela Fleck led his band, the Flecktones, on their first performance at a Jammys, welcoming jazz legend McCoy Tyner and tap dancer Savion Glover to join them.

Next, Dweezil Zappa debuted his band Zappa Plays Zappa. Dweezil performed many tunes from his father's catalog and was joined by Mickey Hart, Chick Corea, and Jake Cinninger during their set, then took the stage for their second Jammys appearance, performing with Mad Professor and playing The Clash's "Guns of Brixton," and its own "Buster." Co-hosts Hart and Bill Kreutzmann then performed an improv set which including "Iko Iko," while being joined by Mike Gordon, Kimock, Steven Perkins, Charlie Musselwhite, The Mutaytor, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo and Bettye LaVette. The awards show came to a close with many of the nights performers jamming to Bob Marley's "One Love." People included Little Feat, Hart, Kreutzmann, Stephen Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Frampton, DJ Logic, Satriani, Hubert Sumlin, Consequence, Musselwhite and Fleck.

Winners

Lifetime Achievement: Frank Zappa
Tour of the Year: Big Summer Classic Tour (String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee, New Monsoon, and Xavier Rudd)
Live Album of the Year: Widespread Panic - Live at Myrtle Beach
Studio Album of the Year: Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon - Sixty Six Steps
Song of the Year: Tea Leaf Green, "Taught To Be Proud"
Live Performance of the Year: moe. Tsunami Relief Benefit, Roseland Ballroom, NYC, 2/10/05 (with Trey Anastasio, Sam Bush, Jennifer Hartswick, John Medeski and Ray Paczkowski)
Archival Album of the Year: Phish - Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995
DVD of the Year: Bob Dylan - No Direction Home
New Groove: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Global Rhythm World Music Award: Baaba Maal
The Jammy Industry Award: Larry Bloch
Green Apple Award: Jack Johnson

External links

• Jammys official site
• Jambands.com site
• Relix Magazine official site