They're with the party band

Little Feat

Join the Band (429)

ESSENTIAL "Fat Man in the Bathtub"

Summer is fleeting, but here's a late entry for best party album of the season. The oft-overlooked Little Feat soars with big-name friends who join up for some Feat classics and more. Most tracks were recorded at Jimmy Buffett's Shrimpboat Sound Studios in Key West -- and the party atmosphere is contagious. Dave Matthews leads off with an inventive, Grateful Dead-like take on "Fat Man in the Bathtub," which makes you wonder if Dave didn't tap a bong beforehand. Bob Seger boogies through "Something in the Water," as country star Brad Paisley scorches on guitar. Buffett slips in for the swampy gumbo of "Time Loves a Hero," while Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes rips through "Oh Atlanta." The high times keep coming with Vince Gill providing a fresh look at "Dixie Chicken," Emmylou Harris getting gritty on "Sailin' Shoes," and Brooks & Dunn offering surprising depth on original Feat writer Lowell George's anthem "Willin'." Then there's a passing of the torch when George's daughter, Inara, sweetly sings his song "Trouble." Elsewhere, even Mike Gordon of Phish shows up to play some bass, and Bela Fleck some banjo. Perhaps only Little Feat could lure this kind of crazily varied cast. The result is pure bliss. [Steve Morse]