Umphrey's McGee's dueling guitar attack and penchant for challenging arrangements are hallmarks of their sound and often the first elements of their music that stand out to listeners. This year on Jam Cruise, the music of Umphrey's McGee will sound like it never has before. For the first time, Umphrey's keyboardist Joel Cummins will be performing a set featuring the music of Umphrey's McGee arranged for solo piano.
A founding member of Jam Cruise favorites Umphrey's McGee, Joel Cummins' keyboards have provided a sonic bedrock for the band's progressive sound for the past 13 years. His usual rig consists of a Minimoog Voyager, Hammond B3 organ and Fender Rhodes, but this year he scales it back to a set on just solo piano, his first musical love. This will be Joel's 7th Jam Cruise. In addition to 5 performances with UM he has also performed on board with two of his other projects, the fusion-tinged Ohmphrey in 2010 (featuring Jake and Kris of Umphrey's McGee and Chris Poland, formerly of Megadeth) and Yacht Rock in 2009, a tribute to the smooth sounds of FM radio from 1976-1984.
