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Jerry Garcia Band

Started by WhatstheUse?, March 19, 2010, 10:42:19 AM

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birdman

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:19:10 PM
Quote from: Igbo on March 19, 2010, 12:09:59 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:01:46 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 11:17:32 AM
Hey, BM, you still have that LoM "mix" somewhere? That was the shit!
This mix was kicked down to my friend in college from Merle Saunders himself.

WOW! Do you remember any of the highlights of the mix?
Honestly, the whole tape was highlights. Merle apparently hand picked the songs. The quality was A++, right off the masters.
He also kicked down a SBD GD tape that was  a mix of two shows that were unreleased at the time.
Must find that tape now.

now that I think about it, I may have lost that tape in the divorce!
Oh Snap.
I'll ask J if she still has it and then return it to its rightful owner. :police:
Paug FTMFW!

whyweigh5.0

Quote from: WhatstheUse? on March 19, 2010, 12:16:50 PM
Quote from: whyweigh4.0 on March 19, 2010, 12:14:59 PM
Quote from: Phishy69 on March 19, 2010, 11:02:27 AM
Quote from: WhatstheUse? on March 19, 2010, 10:42:19 AM
JGB is something I know virtually nothing about and have listened to very little of.

Any advice on where to start/highlight shows/where to find them?

To add, I had a few friends in HS that had seen quite a few  :syf: shows at the time and they were adamant that in the 90's, JGB would outdo the Dead on any given day in their opinion.  Not sure if that was the general consensus, just relaying the thoughts from some serious Deadheads.

In the 90s, if you wanted to see Jerry at his best you would go to JGB shows

Why would that be?  Is it his supporting band? Was he less drugged up w/ JGB?

I'm not exactly sure why, and I was not there.  But from listening to the tapes I think that he just sounded a lot better with JGB than the GD in the 90s.  Maybe he was just more comfortable in that outfit... maybe it was the droogz, I don't know.  I just think he played a lot better with them IMO
The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. - Hunter S. Thompson
http://liquidgoggles.blogspot.com/

kellerb

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:19:10 PM
Quote from: Igbo on March 19, 2010, 12:09:59 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:01:46 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 11:17:32 AM
Hey, BM, you still have that LoM "mix" somewhere? That was the shit!
This mix was kicked down to my friend in college from Merle Saunders himself.

WOW! Do you remember any of the highlights of the mix?
Honestly, the whole tape was highlights. Merle apparently hand picked the songs. The quality was A++, right off the masters.
He also kicked down a SBD GD tape that was  a mix of two shows that were unreleased at the time.
Must find that tape now.

now that I think about it, I may have lost that tape in the divorce!

Note to self:  Don't ask Pie-guy to recommend a lawyer

birdman

Quote from: kellerb on March 19, 2010, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:19:10 PM
Quote from: Igbo on March 19, 2010, 12:09:59 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:01:46 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 11:17:32 AM
Hey, BM, you still have that LoM "mix" somewhere? That was the shit!
This mix was kicked down to my friend in college from Merle Saunders himself.

WOW! Do you remember any of the highlights of the mix?
Honestly, the whole tape was highlights. Merle apparently hand picked the songs. The quality was A++, right off the masters.
He also kicked down a SBD GD tape that was  a mix of two shows that were unreleased at the time.
Must find that tape now.

now that I think about it, I may have lost that tape in the divorce!

Note to self:  Don't ask Pie-guy to recommend a lawyer
LOL
Paug FTMFW!

PIE-GUY

Quote from: kellerb on March 19, 2010, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:19:10 PM
Quote from: Igbo on March 19, 2010, 12:09:59 PM
Quote from: birdman on March 19, 2010, 12:01:46 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 11:17:32 AM
Hey, BM, you still have that LoM "mix" somewhere? That was the shit!
This mix was kicked down to my friend in college from Merle Saunders himself.

WOW! Do you remember any of the highlights of the mix?
Honestly, the whole tape was highlights. Merle apparently hand picked the songs. The quality was A++, right off the masters.
He also kicked down a SBD GD tape that was  a mix of two shows that were unreleased at the time.
Must find that tape now.

now that I think about it, I may have lost that tape in the divorce!

Note to self:  Don't ask Pie-guy to recommend a lawyer

You want food recommendations, I'm your guy. Lawyers, not so much.
I've been coming to where I am from the get go
Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go
So put your worries on hold
Get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul

WillBreathes

I prefer pretty much any JGB incarnation to GD.

JGB in '95 is magical.
tipsyfuddledboozygroggyelevatedprimedidedither

WhatstheUse?

Quote from: WillBreathes on March 19, 2010, 01:02:15 PM
JGB in '95 is magical.

See, I just don't understand this (def not to say you are wrong)

It's just, how could 95 JGB be awesome, yet 95 GD Jerry was falling apart at the seams  :|
Bring in the dude!

whyweigh5.0

Maybe there was just more structure and discipline in JGB as to where 95 dead was just lets let him do whatever the f he wants.  I have no idea if there is any truth to that, but it could be

I have a feeling that in 95 the GD was basically going on because they thought that they had to
The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. - Hunter S. Thompson
http://liquidgoggles.blogspot.com/

WhatstheUse?

Quote from: whyweigh4.0 on March 19, 2010, 01:07:06 PM
Maybe there was just more structure and discipline in JGB as to where 95 dead was just lets let him do whatever the f he wants.  I have no idea if there is any truth to that, but it could be

that does make some sense....
Bring in the dude!

PIE-GUY

I get the sense Jerry was bemused at best when it came to playing with Dead in the 90's. It was such a huge monster by then. I mean, they could sell out most venues just with tour-heads, never mind locals. I think he felt obligated to keep playing Dead shows... and playing for the obligation of it can't be healthy. I mean, I only saw the Dead once (Deer Creek 94), but I got the sense that the music was really secondary to the "circus" for most folks there.

I think he played JGB shows from a healthier head-space. It was still music for music's sake with JGB. He got to strip away all the excess of Dead tours and just play.
I've been coming to where I am from the get go
Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go
So put your worries on hold
Get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul

WhatstheUse?

Any idea what size venues JGB was playing at the time?
Bring in the dude!

Buffalo Budd

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 19, 2010, 12:50:13 PM

You want food recommendations, I'm your guy. Lawyers, not so much.
:hereitisyousentimentalbastard
Everything is connected, because it's all being created by this one consciousness. And we are tiny reflections of the mind that is creating the universe.

PIE-GUY

Quote from: WhatstheUse? on March 19, 2010, 01:21:47 PM
Any idea what size venues JGB was playing at the time?

Anywhere from theaters to small arenas. The Dead were playing RFK and Soldier's Field.
I've been coming to where I am from the get go
Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go
So put your worries on hold
Get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul

Superfreakie

#43
I'm not an authority on the subject but here goes:

Reasons why JGB was better than GD 88-95:

1) Quite simply, Jerry was tired of playing GD tunes. Think about it. Plus he could hardly muster up the energy to write new ones due to heroin lethargy, so why not play your favorite covers in your own band. He cared more.

2) Often the venues he played were not concrete shells that destroyed sound and instead were wonderful theaters. Often he could sleep in his own bed after the shows. A lot of Bay area shows (backyard shows). 

3) The people who went to Jerry shows were the hardcore family heads. The local yocals and others showing up just for the GD droog scene were not there. It made for a much cooler scene.

4) His heroin buddy and best friend, John Kahn, was his bass player. No one was going to tell him what droogs he could or could not do.

5) The song structures were more conducive to playing on heroin.

Now Will states that 1995 JGB is awesome. I'm not feeling this. Some say the vocals from this year drip with emotion, which they do at times, but the playing is often "trainwrecky" as the heroin/health was now really taking its toll. As for Legion of Mary. I hate Martin Fiero (RIP). I hate flute and I hate saxophone in my rock and roll. While I like sax in my jazz Fiero played some pretty cheesy sax. But do not overlook Jerry and Merls stuff. There are some serious intergalactic voyages. I will put together a list when I get home as, at the moment, I can not name dates off the top of my head.

Legion of Mary (Garcia Saunders) until 1975

Keith and Donna Godchaux Band [inclu. Jerry, Billy K.] and JGB [Nicky Hopkins (piano), Ron Tutt (drums), John Kahn, Jerry] begin in 1975

1976 - both bands merge to form the JGB [without Billy K.]. They will play 1976-1978.

1979 - Reconstruction, the name for this JGB incarnation, is formed and sees a return of Merl behind the keyboards and the departure of Donna and Keith. [Jerry G., Birch (drums), Kahn, couple dudes on horns, Merl]

1979 - Back to being called the JGB iand a four piece [Jerry, Kahn, Ozzie Allers(keys), Foncesca (drums)]

1981 - Melvin Seals replaces Merl on keyboard and so begins the band that I like.

KAHN, SEALS THERE TILL THE END.......(yes there is an acoustic band that starts in 1987 but I don't remember all their names)

also Garcia and Grisman collaborations begin in 1991 (i believe this is the year)

My favorite era of the JGB is 1988 to 1992. Jerry sounds great (vocals), and his playing is "on". I love B3 organ and this era is heavy with Seals. This period was all about creating great grooves combined with emotive ballads. Wonderful pillows of bass upon which Jerry's guitar would burbble lines. Unbelievable. For sick jams check out nearly any version of "Don't Let Go" from these years. Also, because a lot of the venues were acoustic wonderlands, there are some fantastic auds pulled from this period.

here are some shows I remember liking:

2-6-88 Warfield
3-4-88 Warfield
3-5-88 Warfield
7-10-88 Greek

Warfield Shows winter 1990 in fact any Warfield show from 88-92 you generally can't miss.


Que te vaya bien, que te vaya bien, Te quiero más que las palabras pueden decir.

PIE-GUY

Quote from: Superfreakie on March 19, 2010, 03:04:30 PM

As for Legion of Mary. I hate Martin Fiero (RIP). I hate flute and I hate saxophone in my rock and roll. While I like sax in my jazz Fiero played some pretty cheesy sax.


Cheesy, perhaps. But I have always loved the sax in LoM, since the day I first heard it. It always sounded like Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem to me... just perfect little laid-back groove that I can listen to for days and never tire of. It just sounds so effortless and care-free (or, you may say, "Footloose and fancy free."
I've been coming to where I am from the get go
Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go
So put your worries on hold
Get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul