Seahorse,
Ekoostik Hookah's sixth album, was recorded in Cleveland, OH, in 2002. But if you didn't know better, you might assume that it was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late '60s or '70s. That's because
Ekoostik Hookah, like many jam bands, has a strong
Grateful Dead influence. The Columbus, OH, outfit's laid-back blend of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass is the work of a band who has obviously spent a lot of time listening to
Jerry Garcia and his colleagues. There is plenty of that "Casey Jones"/"Uncle John's Band"/"Friend of the Devil" influence on this CD. However, it is important to stress that being a disciple and being an outright clone are two different things.
Phil Woods,
Frank Morgan, and the late
Sonny Stitt -- three of bop's great alto saxophonists -- could be considered
Charlie Parker disciples because Bird is their primary influence. But they aren't flat-out clones; as Bird-minded as the altoists are, they're still their own men. And similarly,
Ekoostik Hookah knows how to be
Grateful Dead-minded without sounding like a cheap imitation -- the Buckeye boys bring a jam band energy of their own to easygoing, neo-hippie offerings like "I Been Down That Road," "Silver Train," and "Ridgway Sky." Again, having a love of
the Grateful Dead is hardly unusual in the jam band scene, but
Seahorse points to the fact that
Ekoostik Hookah is better at this type of approach than many other jam bands. Besides, the Ohio residents have other influences, which range from
Little Feat to
the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The Grateful Dead are their primary influence, but that doesn't mean that they are oblivious to other jam bands (past or present). Fans of
the Grateful Dead/
Kingfish/
New Riders school of Bay Area rock should have no problem getting into this enjoyable, if derivative, CD. ~ Alex Henderson