Widespread Panic has been rockin' out in one form or another since the early-Eighties. Taking the influences of The Allman Brothers, Steve Miller, and the Grateful Dead, and molding it into their own unique style, consisting of elements of improvisational jazz, blues, and Southern rock, they have gained worldwide acclaim.

Night Of Joy features live selections from two of the band's shows at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while they toured in support of Ball. Like I have mentioned a couple of times before, I am usually not a big fan of live albums. But the quality of these recordings is so impressive, you can’t even tell it's live until the crowd pipes up between songs.

It has been years since the last time I heard these guys, but this album has given me a newfound respect for the Georgia-based jam band. The only complaint I have about the album is about the CD jacket design. The elementary Photoshop job on the cover totally detracts from what the album actually has to offer. That aside, all fans of jazz and blues need to give Night Of Joy a listen.