DAYS BETWEEN 8/3

Today we go back to Family Dog at the Great Highway in 1969. A show that features Charles Lloyd on Saxophone and David Flamme on Violin. Here the SBD can be downloaded.

The funky electric violin can be heard in the solo break of "Hard To Handle." Jerry starts playing off the and then takes over soloing duties. I count 29 hits before the band starts the "BIODTL." It throws their guest off as they are not sure what to do with that many hits.
This is the final "Hi Heeled Sneakers." The Dead only did it four times but Jerry later did it a couple of more times with Merl Saunders. Jerry starts off singing the song. Half way through the second verse, Jerry forgets the lyrics. Pigpen laughs and then takes over the vocals of the songs. It's as if he was warning Jerry that he couldn't sing the blues like he could. So he finishes the song for him.
A tentative "High Time" comes next and were Jerry fades on the songs break, Phil fills in. "Mama tried to raise me better but her pleading I denied."
As the "Dark Star" starts the other guest makes his way to the stage. The sax branches out as he plays off the theme Jerry has established. Jerry and Lloyd trade licks as the music drifts from the theme. Then they circle back to the main rift as Jerry sings the first verse. Flamme then re-enacts the verse on his violin. As the three play off each other until the second verse is sung. There is a brief pause before "Alligator" is started. Garcia and Weir rift lyrics over the drums making for some interesting banter.
Feeling more confident in the direction of the music and the jam, Charles Lloyd accelerates the interchanges on "The Other One." Phil leads them to the descending jam, that usually goes post verse, as the band enters "Caution." Lloyd is running his sax up and down scales as the heavy baseline is played. Pigpen sings the verse as the band lets the song melt away into a feedback mess. Here Lloyd starts to play "Stars and Stripes Forever," which the band doesn't pick up on. They stay with their abstract weirdness with some traditional song teases. Until Garcia caps the jam with "Bid you Goodnight."
The Family Dog was a Chet Helms club. Chet Helms and Bill Graham were the two big promoters in San Francisco and were mirror opposites. They were ying and yang of concert promoters, one was mellow and laid back while the other was in your face. Over time the New York attitude of Bill Graham made him a favorite of the Dead

Hard to Handle, BIODTL, Hi-Heeled Sneakers, High Time, Mama Tried, Dark Star, Alligator, Caution, We Bid You Goodnight

Tonight there will be a live broadcast of Bob Weir's tribute to Jerry's 70th, Move Me Brightly. It starts at 9:30 EST and you can watch it through this link for TRI Studios. Last night a tweet went out saying that they were going to board cast some of the rehearsals. We got to see the band do "Catfish John" and instrumental "Shakedown" and "Terrapin." The show will be simulcasted on Sirius/Xm channel 23 if you are taking off on vacation.
Phil's emotional tribute to Jerry from Terrapin Crossroads is now available to download HERE. Notice the encore of the show. A very classy tribute to Grateful Dead history. It reminds me of the first time Phil & Friends played Bethel Woods and reenacted the Grateful Dead setlist from Woodstock.

I can be followed on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to your Google+ circle.

DAYS BETWEEN 8/2

Today we go in the way back machine to a show on this date in 1976. This is a fine example of the bands willingness to experiment while staying true to the song.

The song "Might as Well" is usually a short rocker about the Festival Express train rides the band took in 1970. Here the song finds some space as Jerry plays the solo the band expands the song and venture out as the jam spins into "Samson." It's a brilliant version.
1976 featured some great versions of songs, one of my favorites from this time period is "LL Rain." You could almost hear Bobby and Donna getting down to it in the music. Though Phil said that the line, "Street cars make love" always reminded him of Pigpen and Janis, I always think of Bobby and Donna.

"Here he comes then he's gone again." The featured jam is the "Playin'." the song was starting to transfer from the first closing jam to the second set space odyssey. In this jam the two drummers duel as Jerry lays down the lead and Phil drops bombs. The jam morfs into a "Slipkont" esk jam till Jerry takes the spot light for "Wharf Rat." The song is kept light and fluffy like he's walking on a cloud.
Then Phil leads the charge with a heavy baseline that sounds like they are progressing into "Help." But as the music picks up Jerry pulls out "Going Down the Road." The "Bid You Goodnight" jam progresses back into "Playin'." Before closing the set with a "Around."
The band pulls the double encore of "US Blues" and "Sugar Mags." Clearly the vibe was too good to close on one encore.

I: Promised, Half Step, Mama Tried, Deal, Cassidy, Jed, Big River, BE Woman, Minglewood, TLEO, LL Rain, Loser, Lazy Lightning, Supplication

II: Might as Well, Samson, Candyman, Playin', Wharf Rat, Drums, GDTRFB, Playin', Around E: US Blues, Sugar Mags

Last night I went to go see the Grateful Dead Movie with several other DeadHeads. The into by Justin Kreutzmann was an interesting reminder to where DeadHeads are now. Then the Monty Python-esk Uncle Sam cartoon brought us right back to Winterland 1974. The only two complaints I heard was "Turn it up" and "No talking during the Dew."

I can be followed on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to your Google+ circle.

SKY WAS YELLOW THE SON WAS JERRY

Jerome John Garcia was born on this date 70 years ago. His parents chose the name Jerome as a tribute to the songwriter Jerome Kern. Kern wrote more than 700 popular songs at that time. Most of his songs were parts of either Broadway plays or part of his Hollywood films. His most famous work is the musical "Showboat."

Jerry was the second son of Joe and Ruth. His mother was a stay at home 50's mom, and his dad was a Clarinet/Saxophone player. His father died one day when the family was at the beach. The rip tide sucked him out to sea and his body was never found. Jerry was 4 and claimed to remember seeing it happen but older brother Tiff thought that he only remembered the commotion around the search.

Tiff was later responsible for Jerry losing part of his finger. It was cut off when the two were playing a game of chicken with an ax. I guess Jerry wasn't chicken enough. There is speculation that this might be the only part of Jerry that is buried but Tiff said that he did not completely severe the finger. It was amputated because of the condition when they reached the hospital.
Jerry started playing guitar at the age of 14 when he finally convinced his mother to buy him a guitar. He gigged around San Francisco as a banjo player in the early 60's. He and his girlfriend Sara had a shotgun wedding and shortly after his first daughter was born he took of to West Virginia to listen and learn, and hopefully play with Bill Monroe. Though he never did, he recorded the live shows, which is why he didn't mind the Deadheads and their tape trees.
In 65, Pigpen helped to convince Jerry to go electric as a blues band. Pigpen, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Dana Morgan Jr, and Jerry started The Warlocks after gigging as Mother Mccree's Uptown Jug Band Champions. The Grateful Dead was born when Phil Lesh discovered a Warlocks album in a record store. The band was kicking around names when Jerry started flipping through a Funk & Wagnell Dictionary, when he happened across the term Grateful Dead. The juxtaposition of the two terms fascinated Jerry, so he proposed it to the group. A weary soul that pay respect to someone that has helped to rectify that souls body may encounter the Grateful Dead.

According to Deadbase, Archive, and the Jerry site, Jerry has played 5 birthday shows. The most famous is the Grateful Dead from Roosevelt, NJ in 1973, but he played shows in 1965, 1966, 1994 and his 40th birthday in 1982.
This is birthday party is a real "Playin' in the Band" fest. After closing out the first set with an igniting "China/Rider," the band opens up the second set with "Playin'." As the verse end the band opens up the cosmos and takes the audience right through the door. "Iko" comes out of the madness and the band slips right back into the madness before "Sailor/Saint."
Inching their way out of "Space," the band fades into "Wheel," before reviving the set opener. Although not as far out as the opening jam, there is more thickness to the "Playin' reprised." After that revival Jerry preaches "It's just like any other day there ever was." Bobby then puts together the two Chuck Berry classics to close out the set with a bang.
This is perfectly displays Jerry's character. Although he could have called for more of his songs, he stood back and took what came his way. Rarely did he ripple the waters.

I: Straw, TLEO, CC Rider, Jed, My Uncle, Big River, China Cat, Rider

II: Playin',Iko, Playin' Sailor, Saint, Drums, Space, Wheel Playin', Black Peter, Around, JBG, E: US Blues 

Now there are a couple of ways that you can celebrate Jerry's 70th birthday, the first is at the movies. I'll be at New Roc for the Grateful Dead Movie at 7 PM. The San Francisco Giants are going to be celebrating his 70th birthday when the play New York Mets at 7 PST. There will also be a Jerry event at Terrapin CrossRoads that Phil will be playing at his San Rafael club. There will also be a special announcement coming from dead.net this afternoon. Or if you just have thoughts you can tweet them to Relix Magazine with the hastag #HappyBDayJerry.
Now the fact that Jerry was named after a songwriter is fitting considering that he took on that profession. Most Ben Stern fans know Kern's most recognizable song is "Old Man River," but did Jerry ever cover his namesake?
The final studio session that JGB did was for the "Smoke" soundtrack. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is the only song that Jerry cover of Jerome Kern.

Today we enter the Days Between. A period of 8 days that span between the anniversary of Jerry Garcia's birth and death. Each day I'll present a featured show and I'll have a review and write up about news on the celebration. Last year the Grateful Dead Channel on Sirius would broadcast an interview with Jerry Garcia at 8 AM and 5 PM EST.  

Jerry and his dad. The two musicians in the family. 

Follow me on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to your Google+ circle.

WATKINS GLEN

For the past five years my wife and I have gone up to lake Seneca to stay with my cousins. Like myself, my cousin married a Buffalo girl. He, also being from the New York City area, has spent a lot of time in the car driving to visit the in-laws. The major difference between our two trips, is that my cousin did most of his trips before 390 linked route 17 to i90. Since he didn't have that road, they choose route 14 to cut up on, and so they would cut up through Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake. They fantasized about buying something on the lake. They eventually bought property and built their own place. We've utilized their generosity with visits every summer.

Thank God for iPods. The first time I went up there, I remember scrambling through my iPod when I drove through Watkins Glen. The Summer Jam in 1973 was running through my head. How could it not. I remember it wasn't in my iPod and all weekend I was pissed that I had taken it off a month or so earlier. Coming home I transferred it back and rocked out to the "Bird Song," "Jam/Wharf Rat," "China/Rider," and the "Eyes."
The following year and the subsequent years before leaving, I would make sure that the iPod included 7/27 and 7/28. On the drive to and fro, I always listen to the shows. So now anytime I listen to the show I think of hiking up the Glen, waterskiing on Seneca, and ice cream at Mac's. The one consolation about that first trip without 7/28/73 was on my wife's trip to the Windmill, I found a pair of Steal Your Face pajama pants for $5.

Here is 7/27 and 7/28 and the REST of the show. I will be listening to the show today as I participate in a bike ride around Keuka lake. Its a benefit ride for diabetes, a disease that effects my sister in-law. It's a 44 mile ride around the Y shaped Finger Lake.
You'll remember that Jerry slipped into a diabetic coma in 1986, from which he woke from sober and unable to play guitar.

7/27/73; Promised, Sugaree, Mexicali, Bird Song, Big River, Jed

II Half Step, My Uncle, Jam, Wharf Rat, Around

7/28/73; Bertha, BIODTL, BE Women, Mexicali, Box of Rain, HC Sunshine, LL Rain, Row Jimmy, Straw, Deal, Playin'

II Around, Loose Lucy, Big River, He's Gone, Truckin', Nobody's Jam, El Paso, China Cat, Rider, Stella, Eyes, Sugar Mags E Sing Me E2 NFA Mountain Jam, JBG

Yes, it was one of those hot hot days in Upstate New York. Humidity was through the roof and relief came in the form of thunder showers, which you'll notice in the "Box," "Sunshine," "LL Rain" combo of songs. It should be noted that this is the last "Box" until 1986. Phil gave up singing lead until '86 despite the fact that he had two songs on their next album. 

Levon Helm wrote about a thunder shower that rolled through during The Band's set causing them to stop playing. During the shower, Garth climbed behind the keys and started riffing. As the music built, the rain slowed down, and The Band picked back up their instruments to hammer the crowd with "Chest Fever."

This is the only performance the Grateful Dead did of "Mountain Jam" a song derived from Donovan's zen song "There is a Mountain." The chorus that is recognizable in the jam is "First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is."

On this "Mountain Jam" the Allman's, the Dead, and members of The Band are all sharing the stage. This Jam was a staple of the Allman Brother's concerts. Ironically the inspiration for the "Jam" comes from a guitar quoted by Garcia at the end of "Alligator" on the Grateful Dead studio album "Anthem From The Sun." At the end of the song Garcia plays an instrumental quote of "There is a Mountain" on his guitar for about 8-10 seconds. The Allman's took that "Jam" and made it epic, like this version on 7/28/73.

I can be followed on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to you Google+ circle.

MIGHT AND GLORY

35 years ago, the Grateful Dead released their first album in two years, Terrapin Station. The album's title track is the most ambitions song the Dead ever recorded. At just over 16 minutes, the title track features a string arrangements and a choir.
The Grateful Dead had long wanted to control their own destiny in the studio and be allowed to produce their own records. In the recording of their second album they actually drove the producer so crazy that he quit in the middle of making the record. Eventually the record company got tire of fighting and allowed the Grateful Dead to produce their own records. After the success of "Workingman's" and "American Beauty" the band decided to start their own record company. "Wake," "Mars Hotel," and "Blues for Allah" were all self produced albums that failed to sell well.
"Terrapin Station" marked a change of philosophy and the record sold well, peaking at 28 on the album chart in 1977.

SIDE A
Estimated Prophet
Dancing in the Street
Passenger
Samson & Delilah
Sunrise
SIDE B
Terrapin Station
BONUS MATERIAL
Peggy-O (Instrumental)
The Ascent
Catfish John
Equinox
Fire on the Mountain
Dancing in the Street (live 5/8/77)

The album featured tracks written by, Weir, Lesh, Garcia, and the first song written by Donna Jean. This song was written for roadie Rex Jackson whom died in a car accident. The band later used Rex's name when they discovered the tax benefits of creating their own charity.
The studio version of "Dancing" lacked the funk and jam of the live version. Though as event in the 5/8/77 version, Bobby rarely got the lyrics right at the beginning of the song. Bobby commonly starts the "Calling out line," to early.
The bonus track of "Fire" has completely different lyrics then what they had been performing live up to this point.

I can be followed on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to your Google+ circles.

THE SIRENS OF TITAN

Tom Davis died yesterday. He was a comedian, a writer, and a Saturday Night Live cast member in the 70's. He and Al Franken were the pivotal voices to bring the Grateful Dead to SNL on 11/11/78. There first live Television performance.
After the performance, Davis, Franken, and Garcia joined together to develop the Kurt Vonnegut book "The Sirens of Titan" into a movie. Garcia and Davis spent many hours together writing and developing the script.
The two had Bill Murray commit to the lead role of the movie. The three had a meeting were they pitched the movie to Universal but were turned down..'
Even though the project never got off the ground Jerry Garcia retained the rights of the script till the day he died. Davis said that he hoped to see their movie made before he died, unfortunately he did not.

SUPER HUMAN CREW

Download my SBD copy of Alpine Valley on 7/19/89. This is the final night of the three night run. Part of this first set was used in the "Downhill From Here" DVD. 

This is the conclusion of the three night run in 89 at Alpine Valley. This is the first night that the first set doesn't start off with two typical opening songs. The first night opens with "LTGTR" and "Stranger," the second night starts with "Touch" and "Straw," but this night starts with "Bucket" then jumps into "Sugaree." A welled played "Sugaree" at that.
The maturity of "Althea" is complete here. You can see how far it's come in the ten years on the road and this is why this song would later be used on the live album "Without a Net." The DVD picks on this first set before the "West LA" then the feature song of the first set "Desolation Row." Even though Bobby catches himself messing up the lyrics, it was voted as the best Dead version of "Desolation Row." The song is all about the interaction of Bobby's singing and Jerry's guitar that makes the ten verses song build till Bobby pulls the plug just to sing "Everybody's shouting Which side are you on?" I know where I stand.

Phil opens up the wet second set with "Box of Rain." Jerry then starts one of his newish songs, "Foolish Heart," which if you listen to the solo Jerry extends. He goes right through Stop, and pushes the solo higher and higher until they peak again. This is considered the second best versions of "Foolish Heart" for this solo work. Bobby then brings the crowd back to the rain with a stirring "LL Rain."
Then the band opens up the flood gates with "Terrapin Staton."
From the on set the "Terrapin" is soft and building, as Jerry weaves the tale to be told. This opens up into an interesting jam that entwines Phil, Jerry and Brent. This builds until he sings as the band enters "Terrapin." Although Jerry does sing the line, "To get to Terrapin" the band gets us there anyway. The band delights us for an extensive jam which stays on the theme until "Drums" takes over.
Post "Space" the tempo quickens as the band clobbers with "The Other One" and then tumbles through the repeat "The Wheel." As the song fades, Jerry picks up the scales as he throws down the gauntlet and drops into "Dew." The previous year, Jerry sang a heavy version of "Dew," here he takes down the volume for as sagacious "Dew." His vocals on the song are meaningful and complimentary. They work as an engineer for the rest bands instruments. Quite when need be. Powerful when they need to be loud. The crowd cheers the last "I guess it doesn't matter" as solo starts with a whisper and builds to a crescendo. At the peak, it sounds like the whole band is shuffling and crashing their instruments to full power. Then Bobby caps the night off with "Lovelight."

I: Bucket, Sugaree, Mama Tried, Mexicali, Althea, Victim, West LA, Desolation Row, Deal

II: Box, Foolish Heart, LL Rain, Terrapin, Drums, Space, Other, Wheel, Dew E: Lovelight

I can be followed on twitter @potvinrocks or add me to your circle in Google+