Umphrey’s, the little band that could from the Midwest, is still out 100 plus days a year throwing rock shows peppered with excellent covers and chops galore. This is how its always been. But this fall when the band traveled to the Mishawaka Amphitheater something special happened underneath that Colorado moon and it has kept on happening all over the country.

[Photo by Adam Kaufman]

The band has been more focused as of late with more patient, momentum building grooves that emphasize the whole rather than the sum of its parts. Don’t get me wrong, Umph is still umph, and the threat of metal is always around the corner, but there are some must hear musical moments that show a definite turning point in Umphrey’s improvisational language. The groof has found them and we here at Hidden Track want you to hear it.

09/04/2009 Much Obliged

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09/11/2009 Utopian Fir

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09/15/2009 Nemo

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09/15/2009 The Crooked One

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Stay tuned for more installments of the Dream Focused column featuring blazing improvisation from the Chicago-based sextet.