Sunday, July 02, 2017

Swan Song for JGB #15c: Philly, June 5, 1983

LN jg1983-06-05.jgb.early-late.aud-nak300-minches.76973.flac1644
LN jg1983-06-05.jgb.early-late.aud-peters.138199.flac1644

I consider 5/31/83 at the Roseland Ballroom to be one of the best Garcia Band shows of the 1980s. Six days later, this band, featuring the great and powerful Greg Errico on drums, would play its final two shows at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA. Surprisingly, only two tapes circulate as of mid-2017: an unattributed 1st gen copy of a Nak 300s master, and, now, Dave Peters's pulls of both shows have enter digitalia. Of historical note, as far as I know Jerry Garcia and Greg Errico would never play together again.

What follows are listening notes from the older source from at least a few years back, and then listening notes finished today from the Peters tape. Interesting to compare - they end up hitting a few points identically (6-7 minute range of LIR, circular patterns in TUIB, Errico's power), and are generally quite convergent.

LN jg1983-06-05.jgb.early-late.aud-nak300-minches.76973.flac1644

Jerry Garcia Band
Tower Theatre
19 South 69th Street
Upper Darby, PA 19082
June 5, 1983 (Sunday) - Early and Late (9:30 PM) shows
1st gen Nak 300 flac1644 shnid-76973

--early show, main set + encore (9 tracks. 70:31)--
--early show, main set (8 tracks, 60:12-0:07)--
a-t01. tuning [0:05]
a-t02. Cats Under The Stars [7:24] [0:08] %
a-t03. /They Love Each Other [#7:38] [0:07] % [0:19]
a-t04. Let It Rock [9:01] [0:04] % [0:14]
a-t05. Love In The Afternoon [7:46] [0:05] % [0:13]
a-t06. I Second That Emotion [9:20] [0:05] % [0:02]
a-t07. Simple Twist Of Fate [12:28] ->
a-t08. Run For The Roses [5:00] (1) [0:05] % pre-encore [0:07]
--early show, encore (1 track, 0:07+10:19)--
a-t09. Rhapsody In Red [10:17] [0:02] %

--late show, main set + encore (10 tracks, 87:19)--
--late show, main set (9 tracks, 79:21-0:05)--
b-t01. tuning [0:19]
b-t02. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [8:34] [0:02] % [0:17]
b-t03. I'll Take A Melody [15:27] [0:01] % [0:13]
b-t04. Cats Under The Stars [7:16] %
b-t05. Gomorrah [5:51] %
b-t06. The Harder They Come [14:13] %
b-t07. tuning [0:07]
b-t08. Dear Prudence [14:27] ->
b-t09. Tangled Up In Blue [12:20] [0:03] % pre-encore [0:05]
--late show, encore (1 track, 7:58+0:05)--
b-t10. Midnight Moonlight [7:53] [0:05] %

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #15c
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-Guitar, vox;
! lineup: John Kahn - el-Bass;
! lineup: Melvin Seals - Keyboards;
! lineup: Greg Errico - Drums;
! lineup: DeeDee Dickerson - vox;
! lineup: Jaclyn LaBranch - vox.

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/19830605-01 (early); https://jerrybase.com/events/19830605-02 (late)

! JGC: http://jerrygarcia.com/show/1983-06-05 (early); http://jerrygarcia.com/show/1983-06-05-tower-theatre-upper-darby-pa-2/ (late).

! db: shnid-76973 (this fileset), shnid-138199 (Peters MAC flac1644). Only two tapes from a Philly show - surprising. The Nak 300s version runs slower, not sure which is correct.

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/IBjq9

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/tower-theatre-19-s-69th-street-upper.html.

! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html. Final show for JGB #15c. That makes this the last known time Garcia and the great Greg Errico would share a stage.

! R: field recordist: unknown

! R: field recording gear: 2x Nakamichi 300 > Sony D-5

! R: source: master cassette > 1st copy cassette

! R: transfer and FLAC encoding by David Minches: 1st generation cassette played back on Nakamichi Dragon > ART DI/O > Digital Audio Labs Card Deluxe soundcard > Cool Edit 2000 > flac encoding > FLAC.

! R: profoundly muffled, distractingly low vocals. a-t06 ISTE you can hear Jerry counting off the tune, perhaps spliced in from an alt. source? For a second there is sounded real real upfront. That would be consistent with low vocals.

! P: a-t04 LIR is quite good. A 6:25 some interesting patterning, then 6:45 some fanning, over 7, fan to pluck. More fanning early 7. Nice note around 7:28.

! P: a-t05 LITA some lyrics issues to start LITA.

! P: a-t08 RFTR this is a nice period for the song. Errico is much more heavily percussive than Kemper. Not evaluating in any way, just noting the stylistic difference. Errico is a banger.

! a-t08 (1) JG: "Thanks a lot. We'll see you later on. [inaudible]"

! P: b-t08 DP is quite good, with some extra vocal effort, some beautiful unhurried guitar work over the 6-minute mark, lovely. Throughout 9 over 10 he is really weaving lots of concentric circles, all the way to a great brief fan 10:32, now feels like he's unwinding the circles, speeding them up late 10, mixing punctuations with circles, some pulls 11:10-11:11. Lovely.

LN jg1983-06-05.jgb.early-late.aud-peters.138199.flac1644

Jerry Garcia Band
Tower Theatre
69th and Market
Upper Darby, PA 19082
June 5, 1983 (Sunday)- Early and Late (9:30 PM) shows
Peters MAC flac1644 shnid-138199

--early show, main set + encore (8 tracks, 68:50)--
--early show, main set (7 tracks, 59:19)--
e-t01. [0:26] Cats Under The Stars [7:12] [0:16]
e-t02. They Love Each Other [7:28] [0:10] %
e-t03. [0:19] Let It Rock :20-9:09 -9:15 % -9:26
e-t04. Love In The Afternoon 7:51
e-t05. I Second That Emotion 9:19
e-t06. Simple Twist Of Fate 12:08
e-t07. Run For The Roses 5:01
--early show, encore (1 track, 10:54)--
e-t08. [0:29] Rhapsody In Red [10:04] [0:21] %

--late show, main set + encore (8 tracks, 84:12)--
--late show, main set (7 tracks, 77:15)--
l-t01. How Sweet It Is 8:54
l-t02. I'll Take A Melody [15:06] [0:11] % [0:10]
l-t03. Cats Under The Stars [7:06] [0:05] %
l-t04. /Gomorrah [#5:38] [0:11] %
l-t05. /Harder // They Come [#13:#00 ][0:11] % [0:03]
l-t06. /Dear Prudence [#14:04] ->
l-t07. Tangled Up In Blue [12:05] [0:27] % pre-encore [0:04]
--late show, encore (1 track, 8:19)--
l-t08. Midnight Moonlight [7:41] [0:39] %

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #15c
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-Guitar, vox;
! lineup: John Kahn - el-Bass;
! lineup: Melvin Seals - Keyboards;
! lineup: Greg Errico - Drums;
! lineup: DeeDee Dickerson - vox;
! lineup: Jacklyn LaBranch - vox.

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/19830605-01 (early); https://jerrybase.com/events/19830605-02 (late)

! JGC: http://jerrygarcia.com/show/1983-06-05 (early); http://jerrygarcia.com/show/1983-06-05-tower-theatre-upper-darby-pa-2/ (late).

! db: shnid-76973 (1st gen Nak 300s Minches), shnid-138199 (this fileset). Only two tapes from a Philly show - surprising. The Nak 300s version runs slower than this one, not sure which is correct.

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/IBjq9

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/tower-theatre-19-s-69th-street-upper.html.

! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.htmlFinal show for JGB #15c. That makes this the last known time Garcia and the great Greg Errico would share a stage.

! R: field recordist: Dave Peters

! R: field recording gear: 2x Nakamichi microphones > Sony D6C

! R: lineage: JVC TD-R462 playback > Audacity > TLH Flac8

! R: seeder notes: Tape paused between some tracks. Splice in late show t05.

! R: seeder notes: So the story goes: I answered an ad on Craigslist for 500 free Grateful Dead tapes. On picking them up from the taper, I'm also informed he and a friend recorded other bands through the 70's. These were never circulated, and deemed inferior in quality. When I inquired about digitizing his masters, he laughingly obliged. Most of the old Ampex and BASF tapes are in poor shape, several completely off the spool, and many squealing badly. I will be attempting to bake some of them. I will be presenting the ones of superior quality only, out of the initial batch he loaned me. I do believe these shows will be lovingly embraced by the Dime community, and will be shared here exclusively. Zombiwoof to Dime 2017 series.

! R: lots of room feel, vocals a little boomy. SBEs on every track should be fixed before burning to CD, if anyone still does that.

! P: e-t01 CUTS Philly crowd is singing along enthusiastically. This is a tight version, doesn't go 'round too many times at the end. Good start.

! P: e-t02 TLEO late 2 it's Melvin's turn, but he's inaudible. Up a little more 3:30ff, but he's still pretty low in the mix.

! P: e-t03 LIR is just smoking. Late 6 into 7, boy oh boy can this boy play his guitar. Even more 7:17 just head down and charging, very high in the register late 7.

! P: e-t07 RFTR John sounds great on this.

! R: e-t08 RIR levels come up late 2, but the guitar is pretty buried in the mix. The bass sounds great, by contrast.

! P: e-t08 RIR Jerry sawing 3:20ff, very good molten tone and sensible note choices. Hits the next verse perfectly right at 4. His voice is scratchy-fragile, but he's giving it his all. "I sing the blues | where has it led" (as he sang it) is always a great line. Oh my gosh, late 6 over 7 Garcia is absolutely on fire. Very good RIR, as expected.

! P: l-t02 ITAM Jerry is really feeling it, and the tape does a great job of capturing the crowd responding to him. Nice, nice feeling performance. John has missed a cue or two. @  6:30 one of the ladies goes a turn too many, Jerry circles back to pick her up, all is well. 8:40 ish he is doing some kind of pitch-bending which foreshadows the sustained work in this vein he'd undertake a decade later.

! P: l-t03 CUTS gotta learn how to end it. Like, someone just keep count, define a limit?

! R: l-t04 Gomorrah clips in

! R: l-t05 HTC clips in, splice @ 8:53

! R: l-t06 DP clips in DP

! P: l-t06 DP 9ff long circular progressions.

! P: l-t07 TUIB great energy on vocals and now guitar 6-min range. Exceptionally long phrases 8+ min mark, over 9 just sailing, and the band sounds great. More Garcia guitar pyrotechnics to close the tour. Nice landing to close.

3 comments:

  1. Nice writeup! looking forward to checking this one out. I agree completely about Errico's vs Kemper's styles. It seems fruitless to speculate why Garcia fired different musicians, but I have a hunch that Errico may have been too much of a powerhouse at the wrong moments: he seems to have had a tendency to push things a bit uncaringly at times, whereas Kemper was more responsive. I can't think of a specific example, but there are shows from 82-83 where Garcia isn't quite on top of his game, and Errico is just bulldozing mercilessly. It works when Garcia is spitting flames and the intensity is up to 11, but I think Kemper was able to dial it down a couple notches as needed while still keeping the ship afloat ('one foot on the gas, one foot on the brakes' and all that). Just imho, of course.

    Also, this show wasn't quite the last time Errico and Garcia played together: they played on a few tracks for Pete Sears' album Watchfire (released 1988, don't know the recording dates). That album also has a pre-G/G meeting with David Grisman as well.
    http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Watchfire.htm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Man, I like your analysis a lot. It feels spot-on to me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looking back over my notes, I see that I like these shows very much. Good to know.

    ReplyDelete

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