Rusted Root

Rusted Root is a multi-instrumentalist ensemble that fuses the Grateful Dead’s jam-heavy rock with percussion traditions rooted in the music of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The six-piece outfit originated in Pittsburgh in 1990, its founding members being Michael Glabicki on vocals and guitar, Liz Berlin on vocals and percussion, Patrick Norman on bass and vocals, and Jim Donovan on drums and percussion; John Buynak, who plays percussion and winds, and Jim DiSpirito on percussion completed the lineup later that same year. The band’s first independent album, Cruel Sun, appeared in 1992. National notice arrived with the 1994 release When I Woke. College-radio support and growing acclaim for the group’s entrancing live performances helped the album gain traction in alternative circles throughout 1995–1996, driven especially by the singles “Send Me on My Way” and “Ecstasy.” Mid-1996 brought the Evil Ways EP, a collection of live recordings that also documented the band’s contributions to the films Twister and Home for the Holidays. October saw the arrival of Remember, produced by Jerry Harrison; the album reached the Top 40 in its opening week. A self-titled LP followed in 1998. After an extended hiatus, Welcome to My Party surfaced in 2002. The band then left major-label affiliation behind and issued the 2004 album Rusted Root Live on its own indie label, Touchy Pegg. Stereo Rodeo ended a seven-year interval between studio albums when it landed in 2009. Following nearly continuous touring for the next couple of years, the group entered the studio and emerged with Movement in 2012.