There's a trumpeter playing on "Roadrunner", the last song of set I of the show previously known as "August 15, 1974, Great American Music Hall", now corrected as 8/14/74. Listen to the first five minutes of the Falanga-Menke tape. Guy (presumably) is pretty good.
Showing posts with label trumpet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trumpet. Show all posts
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Garcia and Saunders at the Lion's Share (LN jg1973-07-05.jgms.all.sbd-alligator.79032.flac1644)
update 20230709: the trumpet player is Mike Price.
slight update 20110816, as noted below
Like 2/16/74, this was a previously uncirculated Betty Board dropped by the mysterious 'alligator' into the ether at Lossless Legs, this one about five years ago. What fantastically lucky music fans we are to have had this band playing, Betty Cantor taping, Rob Eaton preserving and documenting those tapes, and 'alligator' sharing them.
The show strikes me as very characteristic for the period, which is only knowable in the sense that the Live at Keystone releases so thoroughly mine the July 10-11 shows in Berkeley (see my post on the distribution of the July 11, 1973 show across the official releases, which will also link to the other cuts into the associated sets of material). At this stage of the game, there are not really any Merl Saunders vocals leads, though here he does sing a few verses of “The System”. There’s lots of soul and R&B, some jazz, a smattering of other Americana and a number of Saunders originals that are approached as improvisational vehicles.
As I note in the listening notes below, there are two things of special interest about this show.
The second was speculation about the trumpet player. It turns out to be Mike Price.
First is the setlist. When this was released, both "The System" and "Merl's Tune" were just identified as instrumentals. The correct titles were nominated by "sl halper" at deadnetcentral and have been confirmed. There are some very interesting selections here, with three bona fide Saunders-penned rarities.
First is the setlist. When this was released, both "The System" and "Merl's Tune" were just identified as instrumentals. The correct titles were nominated by "sl halper" at deadnetcentral and have been confirmed. There are some very interesting selections here, with three bona fide Saunders-penned rarities.
· "She's Got Charisma" [Allan | Scofield] is a slow blues, in the same emotional register as "Lonely Avenue". The title is a little fluid. It was first released on the vinyl Fire Up (Fantasy 9421, 1973) as “Charisma (She’s Got)” and lacking Garcia. As Alex Allan notes, it was not included on the subsequent CD Fire Up Plus (Fantasy FCD 7711-2, 1992), but did appear on the 1997 Keepers CD (Fantasy FCD-7712) with a 1972 date and renamed “She’s Got Charisma”. I use the later-officialized title. As a side note, it appears to have been covered by Cal Tjader on a 1973 album Last Bolero in Berkeley (Fantasy, 1973), the credits of which also seem to include Paul Humphrey, who would later drum with Jerry and Merl.
· "The System" [Allan | Scofield] is a pretty nicely funkified piece of social commentary, including Merl's early ecological interest (cf. "Save Mother Earth" [Allan | Scofield]). This version has (some of) the vocals. I cannot remember if others do. My sense is that at least some versions they played are instrumental, but I'd have to check.
· "Merl's Tune" [Allan | Scofield], finally, is most readily accessed through the Garcia/Saunders/Kahn/Vitt Live at the Keystone, volume 1 release (Fantasy FCD 7701-2, 1988), a version which was played five days after this one. This particular rendition is interesting because the tune is only the barest skeleton for what they actually do. In fact, they never play the distinctive swooping intro followed by the fast carnival swirl that starts off the album version (and which I really like). Really, there's just Merl playing the organ line and the rest of the band playing around it. And the "Merl's Tune" theme pops up all the way to the end of the "collective improvisation" (i.e., jam) that follows it. In other words, it would be just as plausible to have that all tracked together and to think of it as a 25+ minute version of “Merl's Tune.” NB that Allan credits only Saunders for this composition, while Scofield credits Merl and a John White. I am inclined to go with Scofield’s information.
Regarding personnel, it’s probably worth noting that Garcia (I presume – could also have been Merl and/or John) was looking for something more than what he got out of the guitar-bass-keys-drums quartet setup. Of course there had been second guitarists, from Tom Fogerty (mid-1971 to late 1972, on and off) to George Tickner (ca. spring 1973). Sarah Fulcher had been around in the first part of ’73 and would appear with Garcia/Saunders at least as late as October, singing in her very distinctive scatting style. Martin Fierro would come in two weeks to the day from the performance being noted here (7/19/73, Great American Music Hall) and would be more or less around for two solid years, seemingly giving the band the fill and color that they (or someone) wanted.
Anyway, an interesting show and a really nice tape. Listening notes follow after the jump.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Garcia's unidentified guests
Unidentified guests on Garcia shows. Updated 12/27/2019.
LLD's post on flute players with the GD got me thinking to the vexing question of the unidentified trumpet player on the Pure Jerry vol. 4 release (Keystone, "9/1/74"), which got me thinking to other unidentified guests on Jerry (non-GD) shows. So I figured I'd post a list and see what, if anything, turns up.
- NRPS 1970-07-07, Matrix, SF: "Bev" partners with Nelson for the vocals on "Long Black Veil." Corry: "I have been thinking about the guest vocalist on "Long Black Veil." My initial nominee would be Beverly Bivens, former lead singer of the group We Five (who hit it big in '65 with Sylvia Tyson's "You Were On My Mind"). The We Five are generally lumped with The Mamas And The Papas and those sorts of groups, but the band members were well connected to the Fillmore/Avalon bands. Bivens had left the We Five in 1967, despite their success, due to management issues. She had married bassist Fred Marshall in 1966, and she largely stepped away from professional music after 1967."
- JGMS 1972-12-28, Lion's Share, San Anselmo: trumpet (check which songs). Dave Tamarkin remembers this as a "trumpet player who just walked up out of the crowd."
- JGMS 1973-07-05, Lion's Share, San Anselmo: trumpet player for set II. DNC user "sl halper" says this: "The trumpet player is almost certainly the same guy who's on Pure Jerry 4; he pulls out all the same quotes and is especially heavy with his attempts to play John Coltrane's Resolution over the jam on d3t2 [Merl's Tune]."
- JGMS 1973-07-19, Great American Music Hall: harmonica player.
- JGMS 1973-10-02, Winterland, SF: trumpet player. Wolfgang's Vault says this is Bill Atwood, based on a suggestion by Corry Arnold. Bill Atwood chimes in in comments noting that Joe Ellis did the fall '73 GD tour trumpet playing (with Martin Fierro on sax), and suggests that this might be Ellis.
- JGMS 1974-02-05, Great American Music Hall: commenter extraordinaire runonguinness says in comments that there might be a second saxophonist, especially audible last three minutes of "My Funny Valentine". I need to revisit.
- JGMS 1974-02-16, Keystone, Berkeley: conga player (I guess Armando Peraza) and second guitarist.
- JGMS 1974-07-12, Keystone, Berkeley: guitar player. David Grisman shows up on mandolin and Martin is absent, so the lineup is definitely funky this night. Also on the bill is Locomotiv G.T., about which I know nothing, but which could of course have supplied the guest. I also wonder about Paul Pena, who was on the bill a lot during this period. Corry doubts either of these possibilities, suggesting it might be someone close to Grisman, possibly David Nichtern.
- JGMS 1974-08-15, Great American Music Hall: trumpet player
- JGMS "1974-09-01" (really 1974-08-28) Keystone, Berkeley: trumpet player. The Pure Jerry release (#4) is a composite of more than one show. The trumpet player is only partly unidentified, as I understand that his first name was Michael.
- JGMS 1974-09-02, Golden Gate Park: second horn player, maybe Snooky Flowers?
- JGMS 1974-10-27, Golden Bear, Huntington Beach: circulating tapes list the guests as Ringo and Maria Muldaur. I only know of one Ringo, but have no idea if this is him. Need to revisit.
- JGMS 1974-12-28, Golden Bear, Huntington Beach: attendee RD comments that a trumpeter blew some at the end of "Freedom Jazz Dance". Need to check tape.
- JGB 1977-01-29, 1977-01-30, Keystone, Berkeley: there is a rhythm guitar player. I now know who this was, but am saving it for the book.
- JGB 1977-04-09, Keystone Palo Alto: again, a second guitarist. As with 1/29 and 1/30.
- Reconstruction 1979-01-30, Keystone, Berkeley: female vocal accompanist on "Do I Move You?"
LLD's post on flute players with the GD got me thinking to the vexing question of the unidentified trumpet player on the Pure Jerry vol. 4 release (Keystone, "9/1/74"), which got me thinking to other unidentified guests on Jerry (non-GD) shows. So I figured I'd post a list and see what, if anything, turns up.
- NRPS 1970-07-07, Matrix, SF: "Bev" partners with Nelson for the vocals on "Long Black Veil." Corry: "I have been thinking about the guest vocalist on "Long Black Veil." My initial nominee would be Beverly Bivens, former lead singer of the group We Five (who hit it big in '65 with Sylvia Tyson's "You Were On My Mind"). The We Five are generally lumped with The Mamas And The Papas and those sorts of groups, but the band members were well connected to the Fillmore/Avalon bands. Bivens had left the We Five in 1967, despite their success, due to management issues. She had married bassist Fred Marshall in 1966, and she largely stepped away from professional music after 1967."
- JGMS 1972-12-28, Lion's Share, San Anselmo: trumpet (check which songs). Dave Tamarkin remembers this as a "trumpet player who just walked up out of the crowd."
- JGMS 1973-07-05, Lion's Share, San Anselmo: trumpet player for set II. DNC user "sl halper" says this: "The trumpet player is almost certainly the same guy who's on Pure Jerry 4; he pulls out all the same quotes and is especially heavy with his attempts to play John Coltrane's Resolution over the jam on d3t2 [Merl's Tune]."
- JGMS 1973-07-19, Great American Music Hall: harmonica player.
- JGMS 1973-10-02, Winterland, SF: trumpet player. Wolfgang's Vault says this is Bill Atwood, based on a suggestion by Corry Arnold. Bill Atwood chimes in in comments noting that Joe Ellis did the fall '73 GD tour trumpet playing (with Martin Fierro on sax), and suggests that this might be Ellis.
- JGMS 1974-02-05, Great American Music Hall: commenter extraordinaire runonguinness says in comments that there might be a second saxophonist, especially audible last three minutes of "My Funny Valentine". I need to revisit.
- JGMS 1974-02-16, Keystone, Berkeley: conga player (I guess Armando Peraza) and second guitarist.
- JGMS 1974-07-12, Keystone, Berkeley: guitar player. David Grisman shows up on mandolin and Martin is absent, so the lineup is definitely funky this night. Also on the bill is Locomotiv G.T., about which I know nothing, but which could of course have supplied the guest. I also wonder about Paul Pena, who was on the bill a lot during this period. Corry doubts either of these possibilities, suggesting it might be someone close to Grisman, possibly David Nichtern.
- JGMS 1974-08-15, Great American Music Hall: trumpet player
- JGMS "1974-09-01" (really 1974-08-28) Keystone, Berkeley: trumpet player. The Pure Jerry release (#4) is a composite of more than one show. The trumpet player is only partly unidentified, as I understand that his first name was Michael.
- JGMS 1974-09-02, Golden Gate Park: second horn player, maybe Snooky Flowers?
- JGMS 1974-10-27, Golden Bear, Huntington Beach: circulating tapes list the guests as Ringo and Maria Muldaur. I only know of one Ringo, but have no idea if this is him. Need to revisit.
- JGMS 1974-12-28, Golden Bear, Huntington Beach: attendee RD comments that a trumpeter blew some at the end of "Freedom Jazz Dance". Need to check tape.
- JGB 1977-01-29, 1977-01-30, Keystone, Berkeley: there is a rhythm guitar player. I now know who this was, but am saving it for the book.
- JGB 1977-04-09, Keystone Palo Alto: again, a second guitarist. As with 1/29 and 1/30.
- Reconstruction 1979-01-30, Keystone, Berkeley: female vocal accompanist on "Do I Move You?"
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