Flagpole Magazine 
written by Matt Thomson

CD Review "Jammin' At The Georgia Theatre"
An Independent Release

Jason Fuller is without a doubt one of the more talented musicians in Athens, a town plumb thick with hot players. In terms of pure talent, the boy can flat play that piano (or organ or keyboards or whatever). He's also one of the most versatile, able to leap from barrelhouse boogie to nasty New Orleans swing to rollicking honky tonk to tasty jazz. He's also one of the busiest: since coming to Athens in 1996, Fuller has played with more bands than most folks have seen and by his own admission he's loved every minute of it.

With that in mind, Jammin' At The Georgia Theatre makes perfect sense. Although it's released under his name, this isn't a Jason Fuller solo project. Rather, it's a compilation of live performances - all at the Georgia Theatre, natch - culled over the past couple of years from eight of the bands Fuller has pounded the piano with, including King Daddy Zeb, Kinchafoonee, Stewart & Winfield and Two Fisted Cool. The end result is not only a good overall representation of Fuller's talents and versatility, but also a pretty nifty introduction to the bands he's sitting in with and their respective skills.

Again, while this is a Jason Fuller album and his keyboard skills are the ones highlighted, his playing never overshadows the bands or the songs themselves. Fuller is often called the most sought-after sideman in Athens, so it's appropriate that the tunes he picked showcase the collective abilities of the bands rather than his own flashy style. For example, the collection's standout track is a roaring rendition of Buddy Miles' classic "Them Changes" from the Santana Tribute Band. The piece is propelled by Fuller's tasty organ and piano work, but the tune is made special by lead vocalist Clarence Cameron's gospel-style shouting and guitarist Wade Hester's hot licks.

That doesn't mean Fuller takes a backseat, however, as he leans into a nasty, burning take on B.B. King's "Sweet Little Angel" by Don't Know, again featuring Cameron's vocals. With the Grateful Dead cover band Cosmic Charlie's rendition of "Franklin's Tower," Fuller's restrained yet forceful playing makes for one of the best renditions of the tune ever, Jerry Garcia or not.

These tunes, along with hot numbers by the Nathan Sheppard Band and some slick Kinchafoonee style honky tonk, particularly the charming "Kudzu Country Club," Fuller shows just why he has received so many accolades. The boy can play anything he puts his mind to, but he doesn't overplay when it's not necessary. Although he can do just fine tickling the ivories all by his lonesome, thank you very much, Fuller loves playing with good bands as much as possible and Jammin' At The Georgia Theatre proves it. Good stuff. (357 Cobb St. Athens, GA 30606)

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