Humphrey's Last Hometown Warmup: JGMS at Keystone, November 2, 1974

LN jg1974-11-02.jgms.148mins.aud-castelli-motb-0158.111191.flac2496

Update 12/27/2012: This is, indeed, Paul Humphrey drumming.

The Mouth of the Beast crowd, led by the inimitable Bob Menke, recently dropped Robert Castelli's master audience cassette recording of November 2, 1974 on an unsuspecting world. I foreshadowed this a little bit in a previous post. I have a few observations, and then reproduce my listening notes below.

1. The tape is listenable. I am sure the MOTB folks did incredible work with it. Thank you, gentlemen!
2. The show is pretty darn sloppy. Hate to bring it up, but anyone know anything specific about Merl's history with substances? Some of these Keystone tapes have a real heroin vibe to them.
3. Fierro plays maracas or the twisty rhythm instrument at turns when he's not blowing. He sounds like he's having fun, but it makes me want to fling myself off the nearest tall building.
4. This the last show before the east coast tour, breaking Paul Humphrey in.
5. update: the actual setlist differs from what's on the tape. I reproduce the real deal in comments below.

Anyway, notes below.

MOTB Release: 0158 16/44.1
Release Date: 2010-11-03
Band: Jerry Garcia Band [sic]
Date: 1974-11-02 (Saturday) [Note: was given as Wednesday]
Venue: Keystone
Location: Berkley, CA
Analog Audience Source: FOB Master Cassettes (MAC)
Medium Stock Brands: MAC = 2 x Maxell UD C-90
Analog Lineage: 1 x Sony ECM 270 >> Sony TC 110 >> MAC
Analog Sound Preservation: MAC >> Nakamichi CR7a => Korg MR-1000 >> DSF [1-bit 5.6448 MHz Stereo] >> Korg MR-1000 => Korg AudioGate >> WAV [24/96]
Taped By: Robert Castelli
Transfer By: Bob Menke
Mastering By: Derek McCabe

--set I (6 tracks, 63:24)--
s1t01: /Neighbor, Neighbor [10:#24] [0:10] %
s1t02: [0:23] Valdez In The Country// [10:40]#
s1t03: Freedom Jazz Dance [10:46] [0:13]
s1t04: % Tough Mama [9:30] [0:04] %
s1t05: [0:33] You Can Leave Your Hat On [11:25] [0:09]
s1t06: % That's A Touch I Like [9:02] (1) [0:05]

--set II (6 tracks, 84:59)--
s2t01: Wondering Why [20:52] ->
s2t02: People Make The World Go Round [3:35] [0:14]
s2t03: % Mystery Train [13:47] [0:03]
s2t04: % /It Ain't No Use [12:#06] [0:07]
s2t05: Favela [19:24]
s2t06: % /Boogie On Reggae Woman// % [#14:51]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
! Lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-g, vocals;
! Lineup: Merl Saunders - keyboards, vocals;
! Lineup: Martin Fierro - saxophone, flute, percussion;
! Lineup: John Kahn - el-bass;
! Lineup: Paul Humphrey - drums.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [ ] = recorded event time. The recorded event time immediately after the song or item name is an attempt at getting the "real" time of the event. So, a timing of [x:xx] right after a song title is an attempt to say how long the song really was, as represented on this recording.

! Jerrybase: https://jerrybase.com/events/19741102-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/110552 (this fileset, 16/44); http://etreedb.org/shn/111191 (this fileset, 24/96).

! R: Seed Notes: There are many areas where the mics get overloaded and the sound gets distorted.

! R: s1t01 NN enters a few notes in

! P: s1t02 VITC: it takes Merl about 40 seconds to come in with his introductory keyboard part. Needs to tighten up a little bit, though Humphrey is awesome.

! P: s1t02 VITC @ 6-min mark, second percussionist comes in ... maraca or one of those twisty rhythm instruments. @ 8:52 Merl is doing a recognizable riff

! R: s1t02 VITC @ 10:22 SQ change, then return; cuts out

! P: s1t03 FJD ca. 4:20 drop into a little theme, had a chance to do something interesting @ 5:20, but JG comes back to FJD theme. JG is getting nicely out into a GD-ish vibe around 7:30

! P: s1t05 YCLYHO start Merl has some seriously funky synth working ... or is it clarinet? I am confused about what I am hearing. It is unique and very weird

! R: s1t05 skip/glitch @ 2:30; Martin comes in @ 6:29

! s1t05 (1) JG: "We're gonna take a little break for awhile. We'll be back in a few minutes."

! R: s2t04 IANU clips in, missing first five notes or so.

! song: s2t04 was given as "It's Too Late", but it is "It Ain't No Use".

! P: s2t05 Favela maraca player comes back in @ 5:56-6:19, 6:34-9:08. Doesn't sound like much of a player to my ears ... Comes back on cowbell @ 9:20, better, until 13:21.

! R: s2t05 Favela SQ degradation @ 16:10, half signal or something.

! P: s2t05 Favela ends with a nice space-out

! R: s2t06 BORW clips in, not much missing.

! P: s2t06 BORW is a trainwreck at the start. Merl sounds wrecked. Maraca is back in 4-min mark. Is this Martin? Not sure it ever happens when he's blowing. Switches to conga @ 5:14. Horn @ 8-min mark preceded by end of conga playing. Merl really isn't bringing it. Maracas back in @ 10:37 ..., BAD maraca playing .... - 13:00, then the horn comes back.

! R: s2t06 BORW cuts out

! I infer from the patterns that the maraca (or whatever) is Fierro, when he's not blowing.