Warmup for Four: JGB at the Stone, July 19, 1980

LN jg1980-07-19.jgb.all.aud-moore-berger.122980.flac1644

These notes were orphaned - I listened to this sometime back, never posted them.

Last of three warmups for the short-lived JGB #11b quartet. We used to think that this band happened because the 11a drummer, John d'Fonseca, died in Spring 1980. But we now know that's not true, so it's not clear why he left the band. Anyway, Greg Errico was a consummate pro, and Jerry called on him a lot when he needed a guy to keep the beat. Consistent with the Iron Law, this new configuration debuted on an off-night (Wednesday, 7/16). They then played a weekend for the Berkeley regulars, and took a very brief, very lucrative little jaunt out east, grossing $150k for four consecutive nights' work. Maybe Jerry needed a new pair of mocassins.

What really stands out to me about this show is the hard limit he keeps hitting on his voice. Whatever is happening with him in this period, he hasn't adjusted his arrangements to conform to his vocal limitations. Not only does he clam up a few times, but he sometimes switches key mid-verse to manage things. The whole show feels lackluster, perfunctory. A six-minute Deal? I wonder when was the last time it clocked in so short?

Anyway, for the record and all that.

Jerry Garcia Band
The Stone
412 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
July 19, 1980 (Saturday)
2nd gen cassette Moore-Berger shnid-122980 renamed to sets

--set I (4 tracks, 35:02, probably incomplete)--
s1t01. Deal [6:21] [0:05]
s1t02. Sitting In Limbo [10:46] [0:03] % [0:09]
s1t03. Money Honey [7:10] [0:05] % [0:07]
s1t04. Tangled Up In Blue [10:08] (1) [0:10]

--set II (5 tracks, 60:36)--
s2t01. Harder They Come [13:50] [0:06] %
s2t02. Mission In The Rain [11:55] [0:04] % [0:08]
s2t03. Simple Twist Of Fate [12:58] [0:05] %
s2t04. Dear Prudence [11:30] [0:07] % [0:09]
s2t05. Midnight Moonlight [9:34] [0:08] %

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #11b
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards;
! lineup: Greg Errico - drums;
! lineup: John Kahn - bass.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [m:ss] = 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 [m:ss] 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/19800719-01

! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/122980 (this fileset)

! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/Vr6EBXU6KvA2

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/07/stone-mothers-412-broadway-san.html

! historical: Chris Rowan opened. This is a rare quartet show, the last of three local warmups before taking a very brief, very lucrative little jaunt out east for John Scher.

! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, July 13, 1980, p. 10

! listing: BAM no. 83 (7/18/80), p. 37

! R: source: MAC > cassette 1 > cassette 2 (Jerry Moore's Maxell MX-110, Dolby B);

! R: transfer: nak dragon/b > tascam hd-p2 24/96 > pc > adobe audition 2.0 > cd wave > flac; transferred & seeded by Rob Berger Nov. 2012.

! P: s1t01 Deal First "spend some time" reveals vocal limitations. Also "all that went down" - he goes off key to adjust for his limited voice. He does some good hard stuff after the vocals, but he doesn't sustain it very far. Very short and uninspired.

! R: s1t02 SIL taper and neighbor chatter.

! P: s1t02 SIL this tape really captures his voice well, and he can't really sing SIL very well. He has lost the sweetness he once had for this song.

! P: s1t03 MH breaking in new guys can be really interesting. As they try to sync up, Garcia starts the song with some really fuzzy grungy guitar. Awesome! He can't hit his night notes very well vocally this night.

! s1t04 (1) "We're gonna take a break for a little while."