Search - Cannabis Cup Band :: Live Joint

As the loosely knit all-star house band for the Cannabis Cup (a yearly smokeoff in Amsterdam to determine the best crops of ganja), the Cannabis Cup Band often mixes a hard-core legalize-it agenda with some Rastafarian philosophy. No surprise there. But the band has an impressively versatile sound on its debut: six singers are featured, and the music ranges from roots reggae to dancehall, funk, and rock. A highlight is the band's outstanding rendition of Bob Marley's "Heathen," which features hotshot Maxi Priest guitarist Joe Sansaverino. Other tasteful covers include Black Uhuru's "Sinsemilla" and a couple of tunes from Coxon Dodd. The originals, particularly the ones that stray off into non-reggae genres, don't translate from the live setting quite as well. The problem here is that the album's limited sound quality doesn't quite capture the band's formidable dynamics. However, taken as a live snapshot with a few limitations, Live Joint does make this band out to be a hell of a party whenever they play. --Tad Hendrickson