Ring Like Fire

Today is the anniversary of what my friends and I used to called "The other Branford show." Although this is the third time Branford played with the band, it was the second time on the East Coast. Since we were located in NY, our tape collection seemingly consisted of primarily East Coast shows. We a handful of Winterland, Oregon, and Red Rock tapes thrown into the mix. So download the SBD HERE and HERE.
The setlist from this show and the initial Branford show, which I blogged about Here, are very different. They only have three songs in common and if you factor in his sit in for New Years 1990, there is only one song that was played at all three of these gigs; "Dark Star." It's no wonder that Branford has had someone shout out "Dark Star" at every gig he played after Nassau 90.
This show differs from the other two Branford gigs, whereas this is less of the band playing songs that they want him on and more of a Grateful Dead show with Branford. That might seem a bit backhanded but it speaks to the comfort level between the band and Branford.

This line-up of the Grateful Dead offer a different dynamic for Branford. Bruce Hornsby occupied the space between Jerry and Phil, so there is less room for Branford on stage. He finds a nice place to find his groove on "Shakedown," which Phil sucks the band into his zone for as he is almost bass slapping for. "CC Rider" is the first blues number that the band plays with Branford and he fits in as well as the '91 "Train to Cry" coda to "CC Rider." Although the next three songs aren't horn songs, Branford manages to slide in a play some tasty licks. "High Time" sets the tone for some of the prettiest playing that Branford does all night.
The second set engages with "Help/Slip/Franks" opener. Similar to the "Bird Song" from Nassau '90, there is a moment in the "Slip" where Branford gets it. He circles around the closing rift of the song and then finds all the right notes to act in unison with band. It's beautiful and awe inspiring all at once. As the "Estimated" ebbs and flows, the band steps into a spectacular "Dark Star," which bookends "Drums/Space." The "Dark Star" clocks in at 25 minutes and if you include "Drums/Space," it is about 38 minutes of exploratory music. This is 5 minutes shorter of the longest "Dark Star" ever. Then Bobby being Bobby moment of the set kicks in with "Miracle," and is followed by a salutary "Standing on the Moon." The sad saxophone notes that Branford plays at the end of the song give me the chills every time I hear it. Then a song written for horn, as Branford and Vince duet on "Lovelight." Jerry jazzed from the sit-in introduces Branford before the "Baby Blue" encore.

I: Shakedown, CC Rider, Train To Cry, BT Wind, High Time, Cassidy, Deal

II: Help, Slip, Franks, Estimated, Dark Star, Drums, Space, Dark Star, Miracle, SOTM, Lovelight 

E: Baby Blue

With Branford Marsalis

Happy Birthday Pigpen

Recently there has been a radio interview recorded in 1966 that has surfaced. They rebroadcast the interview in 1967 and the whole thing was captured, download it HERE. In the interview they mention the first ever Grateful Dead t-shirt.

Pie Up In The Sky

Today is the anniversary of a special guest apperance by legendary reggae artist Jimmy Cliff with the Jerry Garcia Band in 1989. Download this show from the Greek Theatre HERE and HERE.
Jimmy Cliff came on to the music scene when his movie "The Harder They Come" debuted in 1973. The movie was about one man's struggle for survival in Kingston Jamaica and his emergence through music. As someone who works on a daily basis with several people form Jamaica and the surrounding islands, the fact that there is english subtitles for people talking english in Jamaica, has always been the unintentional funniest part of the movie to me.
It didn't take Jerry long to become a fan of the movie and Jimmy Cliff. The movie was released February but didn't start to gain attention until it was made into a midnight feature in April. On July 10th of 1973, Jerry Garcia first covered the song with Merl Saunders, this also the same show that David Grisman sat in for on "Positive 4th Street." The song remained a standard of Jerry Garcia's side projects from then on. It is the third most played song in JGB history, to "How Sweet it is" and "Midnight Moonlight."

The article is right, there is sort of a struggle between Garcia and Cliff on stage. Cliff wants the song to be it's normal three and a half minute version of the song and Garcia of course is looking to stretch it. The two compromise somewhere in between. This was the only time the two collaborated and it was a magical.

I: Cats, TLEO, Forever Young, Run for the Roses, Mission, Harder They Come*, Deal

II: How Sweet, Stop that Train, Waiting for a Miracle, Think, Sis & Bros, Lucky Old Sun, Midnight Moonlight

* With Jimmy Cliff on vocals

He Was The Art

A video just appear on YouTube this weekend that features a lost Jerry Garcia interview from the 90's. The last 5 minutes of the video features a brief tour of the vault from the late Dick Lavtala.

In the interview Garcia discusses the avid test, Neal Cassady, his philosophies on the musical relationship between the Grateful Dead, and the fact that Rap is not music. Watch it below.

The Coast Of California

Today is the anniversary of a great show from the 1991, yeah I said great, from Shoreline Amphitheater and can be downloaded HERE and HERE. This edition of the band featured the dual keyboardist of Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby. The virtuoso Hornsby provided an infusion of energy and light that was loss after Brent Mydland passed. His bright piano is a prevalent part of the mix and he served as a catalyst to mix up the standard placement of tunes.

The show opens with a splendid "Jack Straw," which due to Bobby's microphone problems allowed Bruce to take Bobby's part in the first verse interchange. Then what starts as a soft "Bertha" changes into high gear after Jerry starts belting over piano fills. Bruce's piano is all over the "All Over Now." Really inspiring. The longest song of the set is "Desolation Row." Bobby really fights to get through this one. The band pauses for a couple minutes after this, which facilitates some restless noodling. Quite naturally the band falls into the first first set "Dark Star" in nearly twenty years. This is nearly happened earlier in the year at Giants Stadium, but after a minute tease the band quickly transferred into "Masterpiece." This ten minute version of "Dark Star" is beautifully crafted until Bobby calls the "Promised" closer.

The second set opens with a lively "Scarlet Begonias." There is some beautiful interaction between Hornsby and Jerry on this interlude, until Hornsby links the band to "Victim or the Crime." There is no closing to this "Victim" as they move into a Phil-ful "Fire on the Mountain." After they roar through a monster "Truckin'." Each member filling the holes of the verse lines and crushing the ending jam into "Drums." Throughout "Space" there is a vibe that "The Other One" would be taking the band through the second half of the set but instead they twist the vibe into a heady "Playin' Reprised." The previous "Playin'" was three nights earlier at CalExpo, so they put a bow on that. A gorgeous "Standing on the Moon" comes next and listen as Jerry pulls the band back through a reprised singing of the full stanza, "A lovely view of heaven but I'd rather be with you." The band is not expecting it (much like the second solo on the Soilder Field "So Many Roads") but they quickly catch up to Jerry. Bobby storms out of the emotional "Standing on the Moon" with a delightful "Good Lovin'." Listen at the start of the song as Hornsby rifts "La Bama" over the song intro. Stellar. 

The next night the band briefly reprised "Dark Star" out of "Space," before transitioning into "Morning Dew." I know I know I like that combo too. 

I: Jack Straw, Bertha, Over Now, Ramble, Desolation Row, Dark Star, Promised

II: Scarlet, Victim, Fire, Truckin', Drums, Space, Playin' Reprised, SOTM, Good Lovin' E: US Blues

Last first set Dark Star was on 11/15/71

I Love You More Than Words Can Tell

Way Down, Down By The Docks

Last year on this date, I didn't feature the only show from this date in Grateful Dead history because I didn't have it. Well between then and now, the great Charlie Miller transferred much of summer 1982, including this show. So instead of sharing my college paper on the significance of "Bird Song" in my coming of age with the Grateful Dead, I have this show for download HERE and HERE.

The night beforehand is Dicks Pick's 32 and in some way this is the better of the two shows from Alpine this year. The first set has a lot of interesting placement of songs and a unique resetting miscue  during "LL Rain." The "Alabama/Promised" is very different only because it opens instead of closes the set. Then where you'd expect a set closer the band plays "Peggy-O" before closing with "Samson," which hadn't been played in the first set since .

The left field call of "Far From Me" opens the second set, which sets the stage for a glowing "Scarlet/Fire." The "Scarlet" is bright and features some great playing by Brent. Then the "Fire" is filled with some spectacular playing by Phil. Some great energy from Jerry's guitar flows into the ending jam, when if have headphones, you'll hear Bobby barking out a countdown into "Estimated. Here we hear another Bobby mistake as he sings "California" two bars earlier than the band is ready for it. Yet it made up for in the hypnotic jam that comes out of this "Estimated." Magnificent interplay between the band mates before the drums hollow out the song and the first special guest of the night joins in. Zakir Hussain is a tabla player who was a founding member of the John McLaughlin trio Shakti and someone who has appeared on every Mickey Hart album to date. He adds a special flavor to this "Drums/Space," like a little chilli pepper on your eggs. As "The Other One" explodes into a million stars, the next special guest John Cipollina burst onto stage with the sly twist into "Not Fade." The rocking "Not Fade" fizzles into "Wharf Rat," before exciting into the closer of some good "Good Lovin'." The six members are the only ones who return to stage to rip-roar through "Satisfaction," with "Wang Dang" lyrics and a peaceful "Brokedown." This is the perfect song to help you get through tomorrow for the eighteenth time. 

I: Alabama, Promised, TLEO, Mama Tried, Mexicali, Loser, Rooster, BE Women, LL Rain, Peggy-O, Samson

II: Far From Me, Scarlet, Fire, Estimated, Drums*, Space*, Other, NFA**, Wharf Rat**, Good Lovin'** E: Satisfaction, Brokedown

* With Zakir Hussain ** With John Cipollina