Little Feat is the classic example of a fusion of many styles and musicalgenres made into something utterly distinctive. Their brilliant musicianshiptranscends boundaries, uniting California rock, funk, folk, jazz, country,rockabilly, and New Orleans swamp boogie into a rich gumbo, that has beenleading people in joyful dance ever since.It began in 1969 when Frank Zappa was smart enough to fire LowellGeorge from the Mothers of Invention and tell him to go start a band of his own.Soon after, Lowell connected with Bill Payne, which stirred up sparks. They thenfound drummer Richie Hayward.They were quickly signed by Warner Bros. and began working on the firstof twelve albums with that venerable company. The first album,Little Feat,featured the instant-classic tune “Willin’,” and the follow-upSailin’ Shoesadded“Easy to Slip,” “Trouble,” “Tripe Face Boogie,” “Cold Cold Cold” and the titletrackto their repertoire. Paul Barrére, Kenny Gradney (bass), and Sam Clayton(percussion), joined up, and the latter two remain rock-solid members of LittleFeat’s rhythm section.1973’sDixie Chickengave them the title track and “Fat Man in theBathtub,” as good a blues as any rock band has ever written. Their career to thatpoint was summed up with the liveWaiting for Columbus, truly one of the bestlive albums rock has ever heard.Fifty years on the road cost them Lowell George, then Richie Haywardand Paul Barrére, but the music has carried them forward. When you spend yourlife on the road you can get eaten up by the stresses, or you can hold on to yourmusic and your friends and the joy of the people out front and keep the prioritiesstraight the way the Featsters have.Little Featin2024is: Bill Payne, Keyboards and Vocals; Sam Clayton,Percussion and Vocals; Fred Tackett, Guitars and Vocals, Kenny Gradney, Bass;Scott Sharrard, Guitars and Vocals; and Tony Leone, drums.Fifty yearson, they’ve been up and they’ve been down and they knowwhere they belong—standing or sitting behind their instruments, playing for you.And anything’s possible, because the end is not in sight