The Fourth Annual Jungle Jam in Jaco Beach is already one of Costa Rica’s premier musical events, but this year’s Jungle Jam will truly shine thanks to the performances of… Read more » Continue reading →
The Fourth Annual Jungle Jam in Jaco Beach is already one of Costa Rica’s premier musical events, but this year’s Jungle Jam will truly shine thanks to the performances of two high-caliber musicians whose legendary body of work includes playing next to the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Herbie Hancock, and others.
As previously reported by the Costa Rica Star, this year’s Jungle Jam, will feature California’s fusion band Slightly Stoopid. In a sense, playing at Jaco Beach will have some spiritual meaning for this band: They were originally signed to Skunk Records by none other than the dearly departed Brad Nowell of Sublime. Costa Rica held a special meaning for Nowell and his friends in Sublime; this is where he came to dry out and escape from the demons of substance abuse in 1992, and he would later sing about his experience on Caress Me Down:
Me fui para Costa Rica para tomar y surfear
Platicaba con la raza Cause they know who we are
Along with Slightly Stoopid, Jungle Jam will also feature Jamaican legend Don Carlos from Black Uhuru, Costa Rica’s own Ojo de Buey and other fine musicians. Of special note are Ican Neville, who leads the band Dumpstaphunk from New Orleans, and musician Oteil Burbridge from the District of Columbia. To get an idea of the musical caliber that will play at the Doce Lunas Resort in Jaco Beach from January 16th to the 19th, it helps to review a few highlights from these musicians’ extensive careers:
Ivan Neville is the nephew of the ultra-legendary Neville Brothers. His father Aaron is a Grammy winner who has performed with Aretha Franklin and Dr. John. Ivan Neville’s keyboard work appears in albums by the Rolling Stones, and he has even gone on tour with Keith Richards.
Oteil Burbridge is a long-time member of the Allman Brothers band. This is a bass player who draws inspiration from his classical and jazz backgrounds to achieve excellence in jam sessions. He is a recipient of the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and he is also part of Bruce Hampton’s Aquarium Rescue Unit. Burbridge loves fusion, and thus he will certainly please crowds at this year’s Jungle Jam.
Relix Magazine, a publication dedicated to Grateful Dead culture, describes this Jaco Beach music fest as follows:
“Jungle Jam wins the award for best boutique, destination festival of its size. It’s a small-scale event with big-scale thinking.”