Leftover Salmon plays Hermosa Beach
Leftover Salmon. Courtesy photo
by Whitney Youngs
In 1985, guitarist and singer Vince Herman relocated to Boulder, Colo., from Morgantown, W. Va., and spent his first night in town attending a Left Hand String Band show, where he met its frontman, mandolinist and singer Drew Emmitt. This serendipitous encounter undeniably shaped their musical careers, as the two men, along with banjoist Mark Vann, would form the band Leftover Salmon four years later.
“I’m pretty happy that, 27 years down the road, we still have something to add to the scene,” Herman says.
In its early years, Leftover Salmon — which, for a time, had an accordionist who played a lot of Tex-Mex and zydeco music — defined its sound as “polyethnic Cajun slamgrass.” Leftover Salmon’s 1997 debut album “Euphoria” revels in slamgrass jamming, while its 1999 album “Nashville Sessions” confirms the group’s keenness for exploring and ultimately fusing other genres to its trademark sound. The band has recorded nine albums.
“We have no problem with inconsistency,” Herman says with a laugh. “We kind of do what we do on a record, and somehow it all gets tied together.”
Leftover Salmon went on hiatus in 2005 so that members could work on solo projects and come to terms with the death of Vann, who succumbed to cancer in 2002 at the age of 39. Reuniting in 2007, the band in 2010 welcomed Andy Thorn, a North Carolina native with a degree in jazz guitar, as its new banjo player.
“It’s like you’re taking a big dive into the well of Americana,” Herman says about a Leftover Salmon show. “Living in these times, we have so many influences and we let them all hang out.”
Aside from its blues, American roots and bluegrass jamband stylings, Leftover Salmon also incorporates reggae, calypso, ska, rock ‘n’ roll, electronic and jazz into its songs. The group’s affinity for jazz originated with bassist Greg Garrison — who earned a doctorate in jazz studies from the University of Colorado and joined the group in 2000. Drummer Alwyn Robinson, who met Garrison after moving to Colorado to pursue an advanced degree in music, joined the band in 2013, while University of Colorado, Boulder alum (major: piano performance) pianist Erik Deutsch joined three years later.
“Erik, for example, brings a lot of real modern influences to his sound, and with Greg and Alwyn, they are all heavily jazz informed, so it’s like having a jazz trio,” Herman adds. “It gives us the opportunity to delve into the Americana songbook and bring up a wide variety of music.”
With three members residing in Colorado, two in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Herman in southern Oregon, Leftover Salmon will get together to record a new album in May at a studio in Tucson, Ariz.
“We will hole up in the desert for a while and see what happens. Maybe we’ll end up sounding like the Eagles or something,” Herman jokes.
Leftover Salmon plays at 9 p.m., March 31, at Saint Rocke, 142 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach, (310) 372-0035. www.saintrocke.com.