JACKSON, Wyo. — Collective spirits were maximized on Thursday evening by the raw talent of The Jerry Douglas Band—featuring Douglas (dobro), Daniel Kimbro (upright bass), Christian Sedelmyer (fiddle), and Mike Seal (guitar)—performing to a sold out Silver Dollar ‘Showroom Sessions,’ the sixteenth iteration of the intimate, world-class series. Douglas staged a laidback demeanor to his song introductions and banter, putting the crowd at ease, which included some of Teton County’s standout roots musicians and composers.
The adept quartet shredded an eleven-song set featuring predominantly material from the luminary’s first studio album in seven years, The Set. The album’s debut single, and instrumental version of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” was released yesterday. Set highlights included the intense fury of notes during instrumental “Pushed Too Far,” the seasoned and experimental instrumental “We Hide and Seek,” and a swampy, playful version of Tom Waits’ “2:19.” Douglas turned to his bandmates to feature their wonderfully crafted original material from the album, including Seal’s intricate “Renee,” Kimbro’s animated vocal performance on the TVA-storied “Loyston,” and Sedelmyer’s fiery set closer “Deacon Waltz.”
A theme began to surface late in the set—the sequence of songs, aka how the setlist was arranged, was masterful. The ebb and flow of groove, genre and musician interplay was impeccably showcased in a rootsy manner with a healthy smattering of modern tones, jazz-inflected improvisation, and patient musical spaces for creative personalities to flourish. It was an inspiring set to witness.
