Gov't Mule: The Deepest End, Live in Concert

Gov't Mule: The Deepest End, Live in Concert.
2003 Michael Drumm Music Link Productions & ATO Records.
Recorded May 3, 2003: The Saenger Theatre, New Orleans.
Gov't Mule: Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Danny Louis
Additional Musicians: Michael Barbiero, Michael Drumm, Karl Denson, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Bela Fleck, David Hidalgo, Sonny Landreth, Ivan Neville, Derek Trucks, Fred Wesley, Bernie Worrell
Guest Bassists: Jack Casady, Les Claypool, Roger Glover, Mike Gordon, Paul Jackson, Conrad Lozano, Will Lee, Jason Newsted, George Porter Jr., Greg Rzab, Rob Wasserman, Victor Wooten
Buy The Deepest End: Live in Concert (two CDs, one DVD) at Amazon.

Gov't Mule's original bass player, Allen Woody, died in August of 2000, when many thought that the offshoot of the Allman Brothers Band would become a major success in their own right. Regrouping, surviving members Warren Haynes and Matt Abts recorded a pair of albums in tribute to Woody, jamming with some of Woody's favorite bassists (Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Flea, Mike Watt, Les Claypool, etc.) While touring in support of both of the Deep End records, the band used a plethora of keyboard players and bassists.

The final "Deep End" show took place at Jazz Fest, or as it's known by its official name, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, in 2003. Gov't Mule invited several players from the Deep End sessions as well as several more musicians to come jam with them. This could've been a major catastrophe, as many of the musicians were given very little time to rehearse, many of them would be performing songs they had never done before, and some of them were performing onstage with other musicians who they had never even played with before that night.

Instead, it turned out to be an amazing show, one that ran over six hours, and turned into an essential concert memento.

For those curious, here's what songs are performed on the DVD.

Highly, highly recommended. GET THIS ONE. It has over six hours' worth of music, and it's worth every minute of your time.