Re: R.I.P. Leroi Moore.
The more comparison I get to old shows, the more I miss Leroi. For so long I was excited that JC had stepped in to keep the band going. Still am in that regard. And while 08-10 were pretty exciting in terms of the energy he personally was bringing to songs like #41, Two Step, LIOG, it's been dwindling off ever since. Like his role started being riddled away starting in 2012. Just less and less, he stopped coming out to jam with 2 saxes and more or less fell lockstep in with a horn section type sound with RR for AFTW.
JC's solos are all becoming very redundant and predictable as well. As are RR's. How many times can RR do the United Airlines song in the middle of a solo? (I don't know the name of the real song).
But all this being said, Roi brought the intangible magic. He was less technical than Jeff, and on paper, less talented. But that personal sound he brought was such a big part of the old DMB sound. That mix of jazz, funk, blues. Bringing all his influences in. It was HIS voice on so much of that. I do wonder where the band would be if he was still around in 2022. If they'd still be getting along that is.
JC has a very hard role to fill in that, ROI had so many memorable parts that the fans love, but he would also never really play them exactly the same any given night. Outside of the studio albums, it's not a like a musician can come in and just copy the parts night after night. Especially in 08/09 I thought we brilliant in bringing in those memorable lines, but not copying them, while also being himself. He'd bring in that JC sound which was more uptempo and higher energy. Likely because he was playing for bigger audiences and knew the shoes he had to fill. He also looked like he was having a blast!
Fast forward to 2012-16 and then 18 to now. It's like he is a hired hand. A contracted musician who plays parts and then is "allowed" a solo or two on pre set songs. Like, ok Jeff gets 2 minutes on Lying in the Hands of God, is part of the pre show talk. He seems a bit less enthused on stage. Likes to argue with fans on social media, or get butt hurt like he should be immune to what the rest of us face everyday on there. (Someone tell Jeff, if you post personal opinions on how the world should be, lots of people are going to disagree and you're going to attract troll)
Roi brought so much taste and subtlety to the sax. Jeff, at least with DMB, is just blaring everything these days. And on songs like Ocean and the Butterfly he gets this beautiful role that lasts all of 7 seconds.
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