It's no secret that jam bands like to, well, jam. Umphrey's McGee has taken a definite interest in that pursuit over the course of their career, often dedicating entire sections of the setlist on any particular night to improvisation. On Friday, Nov. 13, Umphrey's took a lesson in jamming from a member of the genre's reigning kings, Phish. Midway through the band's first of four shows that they performed in three days over the weekend -- yeah, another telltale sign of a jam band -- Phish bassist Mike Gordon plugged in for a long and winding version of the Umphrey's original 'In the Kitchen.' It's a tune that won a Jammy Award for 2005's Song of the Year. With Gordon on bass, this version passed the 16-minute mark. Not that anyone was timing.

Phish kicks off their fall tour this Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Cobo Arena in Detroit. The band recently announced a four-night New Year's Eve run at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., with tickets going on sale Saturday, Nov. 21 through Ticketmaster outlets. Prior to breaking up in 2004, New Year's Eve was always a special three-set tradition for the band, on par with their much-hyped Halloween shows.

As for Umphrey's McGee, they have extra special holiday plans as well. From Dec. 10 to Dec. 14 they will return to Jamaica where, paired with the Disco Biscuits, they will perform nightly on a beach stage at the infamous Hedonism III resort in Runaway Bay. It is part of an all-inclusive festival, now in its third year, called Caribbean Holidaze. Attendees get to partake in activities such as golfing, tennis and scuba diving, often alongside band members, during the day and get treated to intimate performances from both bands, their side-projects and several additions each night. A limited number of tickets remain and you can count on one thing from these bands -- there will be jams.