How about the Mouth on that Beast? JGB at the Stone, February 2, 1980, as recorded by Bad Bob Menke

LN jg1980-02-02.jgb.all.aud-menke-motb-0038.105635.flac1644

I recently revisited an old favorite, 2/17/80, and surprised myself by not noting anything about the "After Midnight -> Eleanor Rigby -> After Midnight" medley, to say nothing of an old favorite of another kind, "Positively 4th Street". I have vowed to revisit these. Someone was also extolling old favorite 3/8/80 on its recent anniversary, claiming that this last AMERAM was the best, and we speculated that maybe the band hung it up after that because, really, where else was there to go with it? Always leave 'em wanting more, amirite? It would indeed have been sad if AMERAM had become just another thing, like MAMU -> Mexicali over on the dark end of the street. I vow to revisit that one, too, though I have held a candle of hope out for the emergence of that master tape, ready for a fresh clean transfer, for coming on 25 years, to no avail. Why do you forsake me, tape goddesses?

Anyway, let me here touch on a charming third old favorite from this period, 2/2/80 at the Stone. As was typical in the Freddie Herrera - affiliated stable of clubs, old times bluesers Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker played the soft open Thursday night, and then Jerry headlined the first weekend under the new management. (I seem to recall this being pretty much the same billings as opened the seemingly ill-starred Keystone Stockton back in '74.)

John Angus pulled a remarkable tape from the Friday show, I think in the company of his brother Harry, who is the venue guru extraordinaire (a.k.a. JGBP) of our little corner of the blogosphere and who enjoyed the white linen tablecloths and vased red roses classing up the joint on that first Friday. I have not revisited that tape in many years - add another to the to-do list. But the legendary, enigmatic HOF taper Bad Bob Menke pulled an all-time great tape the next night. The Powers That Be (TPTB) even released a track of it, "When I Paint My Masterpiece", on a 2005 Dylan homage / money grab. I hope Bob got paid for it. Because, man, what a recording! The Mouth of the Beast, indeed.

And this is a characteristically killer early 1980 Garcia Band performance. Update: five years ago the first set did nothing for me. That tells you the scientific worth of my quality assessments, heh heh.

Lossless pioneer Danny Metz, who used to do the math to be sure to cut tracks on sector boundaries to ensure Red Book CD-audio compatibility before the programs automated that process, once said that "Jerry's solo in Train To Cry [from] 5:30-7:10 may be the sickest bluesy guitar work I have ever heard." Danny also praises Johnny D's drum work. I can't argue. One of the things I have noticed in some of these shows, too, is that Ozzie Ahlers doesn't take any shit from ol Jer. Here, in TLEO, Mr. Eponymy starts throwing elbows about 4 minutes in, and Ozzie just plays harder for a while. Yeah! All kinds of good glassine guitar work throughout, some of it Mutron-smooth like leaded cathedral fare and some of it sharp and shardy. For me, the real highlights arrive in Masterpiece, well-released not least because it features the longest scrub in the history of rock and roll, and then, of course, AMERAM. So much Mutron, so much killer jamming, such a killer medley. Ozzie even does a little "Riders On The Storm" descent 13:40ish, headed to the Beatles by way of the Doors. All in all, a wonderful listen!

Oh yeah, how about some color from the flamboyantly fabulous Bay Area Reporter (via archive.org):

Garcia's local club dates have long been one of the special joys of this burgh. Some will tell you that here resides the true wonders of The Dead, without all the hocus-pocus. Others will tell you it's just a boring old fart. Let those who have ears hear [!]

Jerry Garcia Band

The Stone

412 Broadway

San Francisco, CA 94133

February 2, 1980 (Saturday)

Menke motb-0038 shnid-105635

--set I (5 tracks, 49:13)-- 

s1t01. //It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry  [8:20] [0:02] %

s1t02. They Love Each Other [9:28] [0:12] % [0:18]

s1t03. Money Honey [8:19] [0:15]

s1t04. Sitting In Limbo [13:26] ->

s1t05. That's Alright, Mama [8:34] (1) [0:14]

--set II (6 tracks, 72:30)--

s2t01. [0:12] Harder They Come [16:53] [0:54]

s2t02. When I Paint My Masterpiece [13:51] [0:16] %

s2t03. [0:13] Russian Lullaby [14:57] [0:07]

s2t04. After Midnight [15:40] ->

s2t05. Eleanor Rigby Jam [4:28] ->

s2t06. After Midnight [4:49] [0:12]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #11a

! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-g, vocals;

! lineup: John Kahn - el-b;

! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards;

! lineup: John D'Fonseca - drums.

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/19800202-01

! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/4432; https://etreedb.org/shn/16681; https://etreedb.org/shn/85532; https://etreedb.org/shn/92372; https://etreedb.org/shn/92432; https://etreedb.org/shn/105635 (this fileset)

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

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

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

! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, January 20, 1980, p. 22; San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, January 27, 1980, p. 13

! mention: San Francisco Examiner, January 25, 1980, p. 23;

! listing: Bay Area Reporter, January 31, 1980, p. 22. In characteristically cheeky style, the BAR writes "Garcia's local club dates have long been one of the special joys of this burgh. Some will tell you that here resides the true wonders of The Dead, without all the hocus-pocus. Others will tell you it's just a boring old fart. Let those who have ears hear."

! listing: BAM no. 72 (February 1, 1980), p. 41

! official: Jerry Garcia - Garcia Plays Dylan (Rhino, R2 73263, 2005) (d2t01-Masterpiece)

! recollex: Harry Angus recalls that the white linens and roses were on the tables again this night, as the night before, which was the hard opening of the Stone as such. See that date for the specifics.

! R: field recordist: Bob Menke

! R: field recording gear: 2x Nakamichi CM700 > Sony TC-D5

! R: field recording media: 2x Maxell UDXLII

! R: Analog Sound Preservation: MAC >> Nakamichi CR7a => Korg MR-1000 >> DSF [1-bit 5.6448 MHz Stereo] >> Korg MR-1000 => Korg AudioGate >> WAV [24/96]. Transfer By: Bob Menke; Mastering By: Derek McCabe

! R: MOTB Release: 0038 16/44.1

! R: Release Date: 2010-01-26

! R: Bob Menke pulled a truly amazing audience tape this night.

! R: s1t01 ITALTL, ITATTC clips in

! P: s1t02 TLEO Ozzie missed Jerry's not-so-subtle cue to step back early 4, Ozzie just asserts and plays. Good on ya!

! R: s1t04 SIL tape flip near end (patched?? with Nak300's > Sony 158 > MAC (Maxell UD XLII) source

! P: s1t05 TAM killer glassine guitar tone 2.

! s1t05 (1) JG: "We're gonna take a short break, be back in a little while."

! P: s2t02 WIPMM Jerry working the Mutron. Huge long scrubby segment through the 11 range. Whoa. Still at it over 12. Longest scrubbing run ever, until 12:15?

! P: s2t04 AM so much Mutron 10:15. Wonderful jamming here 11. Ozzie does a little "Riders On The Storm" descent 13:40ish. Man, this jam is stretchy-good.

! R: s2t05 tape flip patched with Nak300's > Sony 158 > MAC (Maxell UD XLII source

! P: s2t06 AM more big fanning. Great stuff.

Positively Killer: JGB at Keystone Palo Alto, December 21, 1979

I was recently surprised when I listened to JGB 12/17/79 and found the show totally lackluster. Jerry sounds listless, indifferent, tired, and he and Johnny D, the 21 year old Marin kid drumming live with Jerry for only the seventh time, seemed badly out of sync. So, I listened to the next show, 12/20, and found it to represent a considerable improvement. Deciding to carry on, I spun 12/21/79 here on its 41st anniversary. This was a relatively rare soundboard tape in early circulation back in the day, was widely traded (insofar as Garcia Band tapes were), and has long been a fan favorite for the arc'ing, soaring "Sugaree" and, especially, for the long version of a relative rarity, Dylan's "Positively 4th Street".

I am here to say that 40 years of crowds have been wise to revere this show. It kills. Let me just mark a few points, but urge you to check it out yourself, perhaps especially from shnid-138677, which sparkles.

First, I guess Johnny D and Jerry just needed a little work together --they hadn't played since 11/18, and I doubt they had practiced between time. Yes, I'm talkin' 'bout practice. So we see monotonic improvement in how these two are sync'd, and that makes everything else work. By 12/21, I do not notice any problems at all - not a one. And I hear Johnny D doing some killer stuff, e.g., in Sugaree, that validates why Garcia wanted him in the band. He's really, really good.

Second, Ozzie Ahlers plays masterfully here, going toe to toe with Garcia with tremendous confidence. This would be less and less the case over the years of Garcia's side bands - Melvin Seals was wonderful, a perfect complementary player who could take sparkling features when it was his turn, but was certainly very submissive vis a vis Garcia. Here, Ozzie occasionally steps forward over Jerry, Jerry keeps playing loudly, and, rather than backing down, Ozzie ups his attack and amplitude. They really feed off each other wonderfully this night. Nick pointed out to me that there is no synth here, just electric piano, so maybe that gives his playing a little more oomph or something, I dunno. Or, like Johnny D, having played a few gigs has him feeling warmed up. Or, it's just a great night. Whatever the case, a great night for Ozzie Ahlers, the best I can recall having heard.

Third, Garcia plays very mathematically throughout, and alternates between loud, grungy rock and roll lead guitar on the one hand and some much more gentle, patient plucking on the other. I can't explain why it feels mathematical except that it's both arithmetic (like an expanding cycle) and geometric (lots of loop and circles). He also comps as well this night for Ozzie as he ever did. See especially "After Midnight", which rocks hard.

Fourth this "Positively 4th Street" more than earns its reputation as the BOAT version. Checking in at 17 minutes, it starts with some beautiful instrumental work, as Jerry patiently sets everything up. I wasn't following along with the lyrics or anything, but I think he gets all of the verses almost entirely right, and sometimes he just barely remembers a line in time but offers it up off the beat and a little faster, providing some really nice syncopated texture. I think he even has the verse order mostly right. His guitar tone works throughout, and he comps aggressively for Ozzie, including some fanning that would normally just be him but here serves the whole unit. By the end I just wrote "I am actually pretty speechless at this point. WOW." Check it out.

Fifth, I seriously doubt that HTC was really an encore. In this period, a 35 minute second set would only have happened if they were running up on closing time. But then they would not have been able to play an encore. So I suspect it's just a four-song, 50-minute second set.

Sixth, I also seriously doubt that this comes from master reels. Maybe I shouldn't - the tape sounds absolutely fabulous, and it sounds even better, on a quick comparison, via shnid-138677, than the "Bertha" version I got with. It sounds light years better than the cassette master of the next night, which doesn't circulate but which I have heard. But all of that said, I am just not aware of anyone running reels at this point. The last Garcia Band reels I know about date from summer 1978. Betty ran reels for Reconstruction at least into July 1979, but the Garcia Band tapes from after that were limited to cassette. I dunno. It seems pretty certain there is a cassette gen here, based on cuts in After Midnight and Harder They Come. Older circulating versions have also tended to be a little bit hissy. But, I dunno. Happy to be proven wrong!

So let me just close this fun little exploration that I do think 12/17/79 was quite weak, but the band gets better each night of the three I have engaged over the last few days. The 12/21/79 show is absolutely outstanding, holding its own next to anything JGB did plus or minus a few years. I have seen folks say that they use it to introduce novices to the Garcia Band, and I can see why - the tape sounds great and the performance is outstanding. True, I can hear the limitations creeping in to Jerry's voice, which is still sweetly high but which is starting to bump into tighter range and volume constraints. It ain't perfect, but it is excellent.

Listening notes below the fold.

Sunday, Monday, What's the Difference? JGB #11a at Keystone, December 17, 1979 (Monday)

LN jg1979-12-17.jgb.s1s2p.aud-walscoller.106057.flac1644

I wanted to spin some JGB #11a (Ozzie-Johnny D quartet) from late in 1979, a little window I have neglected in favor of their first few gigs on the one hand (10/7, 10/14), and the Winter 1980 tour (overall economics, 2/16, 2/20, 2/24) on the other hand. (update: see also 12/20/79)

Joanie Walker, Paul Scotton and Charlie Miller collaborated in putting out an aud tape of 12/17, which had never really circulated much, as distinct from shows on the 20th and the 21st. Following my nose for the obscure, I checked it out.

The tape: nice.

The show: blech.

Really blech. The most obvious thing is that Jerry and Johnny D'Fonseca are just not sync'd up, a big problem given that Johnny D is the drummer. And I blame Garcia. This is not only because Johnny D is so dang young (just 21 at the time of this show) or because it's only his seventh night out with the band. And it's not just because, corresponding to these, we might put responsibility on the older fella with his name on the band to help him out, the way he did with the JGB's previous young drummer, Buzz Buchanan. It's mostly because Garcia mostly just sounds out of it. His voice is still sweet in its sweet spot, but it lacks oomph and shows limited range. There are some good pyrotechnics in Sugaree, but 22+ minutes for Sugaree is a little indulgent even for Our Hero. And the second set material, which I think is incomplete on the tape, just doesn't really go anywhere or do anything.

Maybe I am totally wrong. Maybe you will listen to it and wonder what's wrong with me. I dunno. Let's discuss.

The only other thing I have to say about this show relates to the scheduling. The left side of the panel above shows the Keystone pink section ad dated December 9th, the right the one dated December 16th. You will see that JG was originally scheduled in Berkeley for Sunday 12/16, with Monday the 17th billing the "Best New Bay Talent" for no cover and a one drink minimum. Jerry on Sunday had still been listed in the Examiner as late as the 14th. But by the time the day-of-show ad comes out, the New Riders are in the Sunday slot and Jerry has moved to Monday. What's more, we now have a newly-added Jerry show on Saturday 12/22. Maybe that one was to makeup for the canceled gig on 12/8.

No biggie, stuff happens. The Pareto Criterion asks us to evaluate a possible change in the world such that it leaves at least one party to a transaction better off, and no party worse off. This one fits the bill. The New Riders get a gig, Freddie gets the New Riders on a Sunday (selling tickets and presumably more beer than the Best New Bay Talent) and Jerry on a Monday, great for him. As for Garcia, I SPECULATE that he was totally indifferent to the change. Sunday? Monday? Whatever.

One question I have is to what extent some notion of Jerry doing the Riders a favor might have entered into the equation. Call this Qustion 1. Of course he lent his lucrative name and considerable talents to these boys out of the gate, getting them some huge paydays before sending them off on their own. I don't know who besides Dawson was in the NRPS by late 1979, but the band had certainly fallen on hard times, and would never sniff its early 70s success again. Maybe part of the context was the chance for Jerry to help produce a payday, however modest, for an old friend. I dunno.

A second, question, call it Question 2, this is somehow related to the fact that the GD canceled the last two shows of its tour in Milwaukee on 12/13 and St. Paul on 12/14. At Jerrybase we note cancellations because "one band member ill and band wants to finish new album". Maybe Jerry needed Sunday night to work on what would become Go To Heaven. Or maybe he was the sick band member and needed another day to recover, which might also account for how out of it he sounds here.

Q1 and Q2 are not mutually exclusive, of course. Maybe all of the above, and Pareto smiles.

Anyway, my notes below.

Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94740
December 17, 1979 (Monday)
s1s2p walscoller aud shnid-106057

--set I (4 tracks, 62:37)--
s1t01. [0:14] Sugaree// [22:15#] %
s1t02. //Catfish John [12:38] [0:09]
s1t03. That's Alright Mama [10:25] [0:41]
s1t04. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [16:16] %

--set II (3 tracks, 47:54, probably incomplete)--
s2t01. /After Midnight [#14:16] [0:07] %
s2t02. Simple Twist Of Fate [19:39] %
s2t03. /Harder They Come [#13:45] [0:07] %

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #11a
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards, synthesizers;
! lineup: John d'Fonseca - drums;
! lineup: John Kahn - bass.

JGMF:

! R: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [x:xx] = 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/19791217-01

! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/106057 (this fileset)

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html

! venue: URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/12/2119-university-avenue-berkeley-ca.html; URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/01/jerry-garcia-and-keystone-shows.html

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

! listing: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, December 16, 1979, p. 18

! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, December 16, 1979, p. 30

! seealso: JGMF, "Checking Myself: JGB at Keystone Palo Alto, December 20, 1979"

! historical: show was originally scheduled for Sunday night, 12/16, but moved to Monday for reasons unknown to me.

! R: Recording Info: Unknown Mics -> ? -> Cassette (Maxell UDXLII)

! R: Transfer Info: Cassette (Nakamichi DR-1) -> Sound Devices 744T (24bit/96k) -> Adobe Audition v3.0 -> Samplitude Professional v11.03 -> FLAC/16 (2 Discs Audio / 1 Disc FLAC). All Transfers and Mastering By Charlie Miller charliemiller87@earthlink.net February 14, 2010

! R: seeder notes: -- Thanks to Joani Walker and Paul Scotton for the tapes -- Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his help with the pitch correction

! R: this recording is clean. The keyboards are way forward and the bass is buried, the guitar also a little low.

! R: s1t01 Sugaree cuts out

! P: s1t01 Sugaree tempo variability, Johnny D trying to figure out where Jerry wants to be. But if you know this tune from this era, you know it's good. Many hold 12/21/79 to be the one of the best. Certainly the guitar work Jerry is doing in the 14-minute range and forward is outstanding. Standing big layers of notes 15:23. Still big peaky stuff 19.

! R: s1t02 CJ cuts in

! P: s1t03 TAM wonky start, but Jerry just bulldozes it forward and Johnny D jumps on almost immediately once Jerry really sets things. He's good. Things still wonky, but he's doing as well as anyone might.

! P: s1t04 HSII sounds a little off key for a bit, JG can't remember the lyrics in the first verse or so.

! R: s2t01 AM clips in

! P: s2t01 AM JG and JD are not syncd at all to start the tune. It's really pretty bad until about 2, when it seems to synchronize. Talk near taper @0:56: "Jerry's just like a jazz musician". More conversation that is nearly audible, someone could probably get ears on it and report out. Still late 5 it doesn't sound to me like the drums are doing what they need to be doing. JG also sounds pretty out of it on this whole version. Nothing of note here.

! P: s2t02 STOF good high peaky guitar work 10. John should take his feature late 10, but Ozzie takes it. Tempos a little unsure. John is fluttering behind, Ozzie pretty perfunctory, now John steps out a little more 11:38, still not very loud. JG steps out 13:34, crowd gives John a nice round of applause.

! R: s2t03 HTC cuts in. I cannot put my finger on what feels off this night, other than everything. Jerry's voice is still high, but it lacks oomph and range. He really needs backing vocalists to fill it out that aspect of the band's sound. All night the tempos have struck me as off.

Ozzie and Johnny D

LN jg1979-10-07.jgb.all-2.aud-angus-hart.106528.flac1644

First night out for Ozzie Ahlers and John d'Fonseca (and hence, of JGB #11a). Sunday night is consistent with pattern of breaking in new guys on off-nights, but the Garcia fans don't worry about work on Monday morning.

Probably not surprisingly, this performance is not a world-beater. They are feeling each other out.

This was not listed in BAM no. 65 (October 5, 1979), p. 10. That makes me think it might have been a relatively late booking. We don't really know how Reconstruction ended. Recall that Reconstruction was listed at least in BAM (no. 63, September 1, 1979, p. 14) for a 9/29/79 gig, though we don't know if that was supposed to have involved Garcia. What's more, the Keystones ad at TJS just lists "Jerry Garcia", which is a little ambiguous. I am not sure it means anything, but it could. It's all kind of consistent with the possibility that JGB #11a was put together even more hastily than we have thought.

Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 7, 1979 (Sunday)
Angus-Hart all-2 flac1644 shnid-106528

--set I (6 tracks, 51:05, missing one song)--
s1t01. tuning [0:09]
s1t02. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [7:54] [0:02] % [0:27]
s1t03. Catfish John [8:13] [0:05] % [1:11]
s1t04. Simple Twist Of Fate [8:33] [0:12] % [0:46]
s1t05. After Midnight [9:31] [0:24] % [0:17]
[MISSING: Friend of the Devil]
s1t06. Harder They Come [13:00] (1) [0:19] %

--set II (6 tracks, 48:25, missing one song)--
s2t01. tuning [1:03] % [0:04]
s2t02. Money Honey [9:49] [1:16]
s2t03. They Love Each Other/ [8:33#] % [0:14]
s2t04. Sitting In Limbo [7:53] [0:26] % [0:16]
s2t05. Russian Lullaby [12:00] [0:10] % [0:12]
s2t06. That's Alright Mama [6:14] [0:13]
[MISSING: Tore Up Over You]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #11a
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards, synthesizers;
! lineup: John d'Fonseca - drums;
! lineup: John Kahn - bass.

JGMF:

! R: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [x:xx] = 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/19791007-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/14081 (s2 partial, same master, deprecated); http://etreedb.org/shn/32616 (same master, deprecated); http://etreedb.org/shn/106528 (this fileset).

! map: http://goo.gl/maps/z22BN

! venue: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html; Arnold, Corry. 2010. 2119 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA: The Keystone Berkeley. Lost Live Dead, December 31, 2010, URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/12/2119-university-avenue-berkeley-ca.html, consulted 4/22/2012.

! band: JGB #11a (http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html)

! expost: "Newsreels," BAM no. 66 (October 19, 1979), p. 17.

! tags: 1979, JGB, John Angus, Scott Hart, Keystone, Berkeley, CA, tapers, listening notes, Ozzie Ahlers, John d'Fonseca

! R: field recordist: John Angus and Scott Hart;

! R: field recording gear: 2x Sony microphones > Technics cassette deck

! R: transfer and FLAC encoding by David Minches: Master played back on Nakamichi Dragon > Grace Lunatec V3 (24/96) > Digital Audio Labs Card Deluxe > Adobe Audition 3.0 (dither/downsample) > FLAC encoding.

! R: Pitch Correction by Joe B. Jones

! R: seeder notes: Thanks to Harry Angus for providing the master tapes.

! personnel: First show for Ozzie Ahlers and John d'Fonseca. Consistent with the pattern of breaking in new guys off-the-beaten path, and/or on off-nights, this is a Sunday show, as is the second gig a week later in Palo Alto.

! R: John Angus and Scott Hart pulled some amazing tapes during the 1978-1981 period, very often the only tapes of any given show. They are rather randomly distributed across this timeframe, a show or two a year. They're not all great, but a few of them (11/18/79, 2/1/80, 2/22/81) are masterpieces. I really mean this. Next time you go to a show, bring your microphones (2x!) and tape recorder and record it. No? No. It's a bitch. I tried it a few times (Grateful Dead 8/22/87, JGAB and JGB 11/28/87) and I nearly died of stress and confusion. A great ambient recording of this kind of event is the quintessential human accomplishment. We are such freaks! This is not one of Angus's best tapes, but I think that's down in part to the sound coming out of the speakers at 2119 University this night.

! P: sluggish, uninspiring. I know it's their first night out, and the sound doesn't sound great.

! R: s1t02 HSII the mix takes a while to come in, not sure how much of this is tape and how much is tape. Sounds muddy. Taper talk "put this right by the wall, man", implies that they are still positioning?

! P: s1t02 HSII around 5:09 they have a little hiccup to get to a little Ozzie run in the 5-min mark. I don't like the sound of these keys, but he plays well. Late 5-min mark Garcia steps up, perhaps a bit rudely, and starts soloing. I would say he cut Ozzie off. But let's be charitable and say that they are just trying to learn to play together, and one needs to send clearer signals, perhaps, at this stage of a professional collaboration. Here are the limits.

! P: s1t03 CJ, pretty good, nothing to write home about.

! P: s1t04 STOF I was just thinking that it's cruel of me to so frequently listen to the first show, or other very early shows, of any given band. They are just getting it together! Here, they don't quite hit the  1 of the first verse, which Garcia typically started in on right away. So they set themselves up, and we get a pleasant little waltz for a minute or so. Not bad. @ 1:09 crowd guy yells "Louder!", telling me it's the PA that's a problem. And I totally agree with him. I don't know if this tape is picking up PA or stage monitors, but the vocals are low, the whole volume is low relative to the crowd. Late 7-minute mark, Garcia has to be pretty terse in bringing things to a close. I think Johhny D. and the tempos are where he's mainly signalling: Ozzie seems pretty tight with Jerry.

! s1t06 (1) JG: "We're gonna take a break for a little while. We'll be back a little bit later." Or something like that.

! P: s2t02 MH meh

! R: s2t03 TLEO clips out

! P: s2t05 RL John bass feature late 6 over 7.

! P s2t06 TAM totally uninspired.

Two Negative Reviews, One Participant Observation of Deadheaddom, Long Island Style: JGB at Stony Brook, February 24, 1980

So much to say, so little time. Eventually the February 1980 tour will have to be written up. Here are some raw materials. Really nice tape, an excellent version of "When I Paint My Masterpiece" , two negative show reviews and one a participant observation study of Deadheaddom, Long Island style, February 1980.

LN jg1980-02-24.jgb.all.aud-stankiewicz.126077.flac2496

Jerry Garcia Band
Pritchard Gymnasium, State University of New York (SUNY)
1 Center Drive
Stony Brook, NY 11794
February 24, 1980 (Sunday) 9 PM
Richie Stankiewicz MAC flac2496 shnid-126077

--set I (6 tracks, 57:17)--
s1t01. crowd [1:05]
s1t02. Sugaree [15:15] [0:17]
s1t03. Catfish John [9:40] [0:40]
s1t04. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [8:44] [0:09] %
s1t05. Sitting Here In Limbo [11:54] [0:56]
s1t06. That's Alright, Mama [8:20] (1) [0:36]

--set II + encore (7 tracks 65:00)--
--set II (6 tracks, 56:40)--
s2t01. crowd [1:47]
s2t02. That's What Love Will Make You Do [9:14] [0:22]
s2t03. When I Paint My Masterpiece [9:01] [0:18] %
s2t04. Tore Up Over You [9:01] [0:14] % 9:15-
s2t05. I'll Take A Melody [12:24] [0:38]
s2t06. The Harder They Come [12:13] (2) [0:17] %
--encore (1 track, 8:19)--
s2t07. [0:38] Midnight Moonlight [7:31] (3) [0:10] %

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-g;
! lineup: John Kahn - el-b;
! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards;
! lineup: John D'Fonseca - 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/19800224-03

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/8414 (probable Mark Cohen, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/8913 (unattributed, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/18019 (Mark Cohen, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/35140 (Charlie Connor, shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/101725 (Bob Morris, flac1644); http://etreedb.org/shn/106582 (Bob Morris, 2496); http://etreedb.org/shn/126078 (Richie Stankeiwicz, flac1644); http://etreedb.org/shn/126077 (Richie Stankiewicz, flac2496, this fileset).

! band: JGB #11a (http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html).

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/VSBMqxPR5QP2

! venue: JGBP supplies the given street address, though I am uncertain about it.

! personnel: "I believe his name is spelled D'Fonseca. According to ancestry.com, he was born July 30, 1958 and died March 28, 1987. His father, also named John D'Fonseca was born December 3, 1934 and died January 16, 1977. It seems like Jerry chose to hire Johnny for that east coast tour, but wasn't necessarily planning to use him long-term." (Anonymous, URL http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2011/11/johnny-de-foncesca-jr-drums.html?showComment=1368021211671#c7721560489908964906)

! review: Wald, Richard. 1980. Jerry Garcia: Relic of the Past. Statesman (SUNY Stony Brook), Alternatives section, February 27, 1980, p. 3A. Negative review. Wald describes the concert as an ordeal, and Garcia as unbudging and stagnant.  "Total lack of regard for the audience"  show opened an insensitive 45 minutes late, 30 minute Hunter set, then another 45 minutes for Garcia to come on, so ca. 11 pm.  "No apologies or helloes were offered, just an evident feeling that Garcia would rather be doing more drugs backstage" ouch. "No Dylan being played", so reviewer doesn't know Masterpiece. Almost another hour between sets, then languid and tedious set, then another half hour wait for the encore! Bemoans Jerry's appalling lassitude and insensitivity.

! review: Jaffe, Larry. 1980. Jerry Garcia Drifts Along. Unknown publication. Negative review. Here's the template, as he sees it: "five minutes to tune up, another five to find the right riff; five minutes later, the vocals came, and then jamming with the same guitar leads for five more minutes. It was like the Jerry Garcia Machine: take a classic song, ... drop the record into the slot, and [sic] comes out sounding like the Grateful Dead. ... incredibly repetitive ... great music to fall asleep by." Didn't like the hourlong intermission, bemoans idolatry of the fans, in whose eyes Garcia "can do no wrong". "A mild indulgence of this sort of aimless shuffling is harmless, but addiction to the Grateful Dead, my friends, is a sad sickness."

! review: Corley, Eric. 1980. Being a Deadhead: Unity and Insanity. Stony Brook Press 1, 8 (February 28, 1980), p. 6. Substantially about "the scene", how odd Deadheads are with their long hair, Volkswagens, their tendency to travel en masse, their rapturous worshipful engagement with Garcia. He thinks he has it figured out: "The reason for the loyalty, devotion and insanity of this particular sampling of mankind lies not so much in the music as in the crowd itself. Thousands of people who get together to smoke pot, scream, and sway with the music provide each other with a much-needed sense of unity."  He finds this endearing. 

! tags: JGB, 1980, Pritchard Gymnasium, SUNY, college gigs, tapers, Richie Stankiewicz, John D'Fonseca, listening notes, east coast, tapers, songs-W

! historical: This show resonates as a very "east coast" show. I write about this as a west coaster, which is fraught, so I don't want to go much into it. But Garcia said repeatedly that there was a New York vibe that he, not only a west coaster but a native San Franciscan, recognized and loved. The energy. Can anyone disagree? It's more interpersonally intense, for sure. New York has it all, and it's right out there for you to plug in to. This is example number 9,477 of an ambient recording supplying more information than a line tape. New York, Long Island, no less, in February, two days after the Miracle on Ice? You know what comes next -- fuhgedaboudit. Related, note that no fewer than five audience tapers made it out this night - East Coast tapers, representing.

! R: field recordist: Richie Stankiewicz

! R: field recording equipment: 2x AKG D222E > Nakamichi 550

! R: field recording location: FOB "in the sweet spot"

! R: Transfer: MAC > Nakamichi 1000-II > Sound Devices USB Pre-2 > WAV 2496, by Richie Stankiewicz.

! R: Edits: WAV 2496 > Wavelab > CD-Wave (24bit output) > TLH > FLAC 2496 tagged, by Andrew F. 11/2013.

! R: s2t04 Patch from ID-106582, Tore Up Over You 0:00 > 0:18.

! R: s1t02 a little overloaded on the guitar in Sugaree.

! P: s1t02 tempos are a little uneven, starts too slow but Jerry is trying to pick it up in the 4-5 minute range, to my ears. Crazy fanning in the late 9 minute mark. Yeah, Jer!

! R: s1t03 levels come up around 1:50

! R: s1t05 SHIL more hiss after tape flip

! P: s1t05 SHIL Jerry's voice sounds a little scratchy. Damn coke.

! s1t06 (1) JG "We're gonna take a short break, and we'll be back in a few minutes."

! P: s2t01 JK quotes a famous jazz line, maybe Monk, maybe Epistrophy or something like that?

! P: s2t03 WIPMM Jerry's tone is raunchy as he walks around some very interesting open-sounding guitar work, soloing ca. 1:30-2:30. Now I hear the genius of the tape. Ozzie solos 2:45ff. "Like a rhapsody-y" @ 4:45. Great sustain on his notes this night. He's totally locked in. Jesus he is 100% spot on with his vocals. Extra articulation, big fat bendy notes complementing. Some time in the 7-minute mark a crowd guy gives him a good "Yeah, Jerry!"

! P: s2t04 TUOY now voice sounds a little worn, but hubba hubba the guitar work is top-shelf. Listen to the tone in the 2-minute mark, the sustain. Amazing tone 6:20-6:30 ish, bends a note too far and finds himself off-key (a rare misstep), gets aggressive late 6 over 7-minute mark, some of the most inventive guitar playing that you'll hear. Wow, he is disquisiting now, dissertating, phrases to sentences to paragraphs to pages of flowing creation. Nice. This is a @@ top-shelf version of "When I Paint My Masterpiece".

! P: s2t05 ITAM into some very interesting guitar work 8 minute mark, mid-9 doing some chunka chunka rhythm over the melody. Ozzie is soloing, but he's not very high in the mix, Jerry kind of dominating things.

! P: s2t06 HTC is lightning fast. 7:45 great dissonant tone, raunchy and watery and jangly. 8:15 Johnny D catches Jerry just before he falls, Garcia toes the foothold and launches into another opportunity to chase after shiny sonic objects.

! s2t06 (2) JG: "See ya later."

! s2t07 (3) JG: "Thank you, thank you."

Dealin' on Johnny D's Third Night: JGB, Keystone Palo Alto, October 14, 1979

LN jg1979-10-14.jgb.s1s2p.aud-unk-moore-berger.122979.flac1644

Understood second third show for Ozzie Ahlers and John d'Fonseca. Update: I had this as the second show for this outfit, a week after its 10/7/79 debut, but it turns out they also played the Monday night, 10/8, in Berkeley.

Excellent Sugaree and After Midnight, songs which this band made its own right from the get-go. Good show overall.

Understood public JGB debut of Deal.

Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone Palo Alto
260 South California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
October 14, 1979 (Sunday)
99 min (all-2, s1s2p) 2nd gen Moore-Berger cassette flac1644 shnid122979

--Set I (6 tracks, 61:00)--
s1t01. [0:05] Sugaree [12:48] [0:10] %
s1t02. [0:10] They Love Each Other [7:19] [0:17] %
s1t03. Let It Rock [8:56] [0:05] % [0:15]
s1t04. Deal [7:00] [0:08] %
s1t05. After // Midnight [11:#06] [0:07] %
s1t06. I'll Take A Melody [12:11] (1) [0:23] %

--set II (4 tracks, 37:57, missing last two songs)--
s2t01. Money Honey [7:14] 0:12] % [0:40]
s2t02. Love In The Afternoon [8:33] [0:26]
s2t03. That's Alright Mama [7:09] [0:23] % [0:03]
s2t04. Russian Lullaby [13:10] [0:07] %
[MISSING: Positively 4th Street]
[MISSING: The Harder They Come]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #11a (First show-October 7, 1979 Keystone Berkeley | Last show-March 27, 1980 Keystone Berkeley)
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Ozzie Ahlers - keyboards, synthesizers;
! lineup: John d'Fonseca - drums;
! lineup: John Kahn - bass.

JGMF:

! R: 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/19791014-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/122979 (this fileset).

! venue: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/11/keystone-sophies-260-s-california-ave.html
 
! map: http://goo.gl/maps/Zx14m

! band: JGB #11a (http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html)

! personnel: understood third public show for Ozzie Ahlers (keyboards) and John d'Fonseca (drums) with the JGB (10/7/79 debut).

! historical: This is the third known performance of the Ozzie Ahlers Era Jerry Garcia Band, the JGB that ran from October 7, 1979 through March 26, 1980 with John d'Fonseca drumming. They did one very lucrative little east coast college and theater tour from February 12, 1980 through March 1, 1980, with a few more hometown gigs after that before Greg Errico comes in for a few lucrative dates out east in July. The birth of the band is rather mysterious. Jerry's last sustained live gigging fling with Merl was in Reconstruction, starting 1/30/79, last known show of 9/22/79, with an advertised show (not mentioning Garcia) for 9/29/79. Little more than a week after that, Garcia and Kahn have formed a new Jerry Garcia Band, a quartet, and are out playing the same clubs. The band debuted on a Sunday night (10/7/79), which is in keeping with Garcia/Kahn's pattern of breaking new guys in on off-nights. update: they played again the next night, an unadvertised Monday night show in Berkeley. A second piece of the pattern isn't in place: they usually kept the new guys away from the Keystone Berkeley (and, later, the Stone) for a few gigs, let 'em loosen up away from the super-knowledgeable regulars. This gig, by contrast, this 10/14/79 gig, a Sunday night in Palo Alto, looks more like  a classic JGB warmup show.

! historical: Jerry wisely invested in Betty Cantor Jackson's services for the last few road shows by this band in late winter 1980, resulting in FM broadcasts of at least two sets. It also means that there are geese laying golden eggs amongst the tour tapes, since they sound so good. There was a 2004 CD release of 2/28/80 (After Midnight: Kean College, 2/28/80, Rhino R2 76536), along with an associated bonus disc (Way After Midnight, JGBWAM-01, 2004) with material from 2/29/80 and 3/1/80. As of 12/24/2012, a release of of the complete 3/1/80 has been pushed back and is said to be forthcoming from 1/1/2013. Update: deaddisc says 2012, but, anyway, the 3/1/80 release happened.

! R: source: master audience cassette (unknown taper/location/gear) > 1st gen cassette > Jerry Moore's 2nd gen cassette (Maxell MX-110/Dolby B).

! R: transfer: Nakamichi Dragon (Dolby B) > Tascam hd-p2 24/96 > pc > Adobe Audition 2.0 > CD Wave > flac1644, transferred and seeded by Rob Berger Nov. 2012.

! R: I only know of one taper of this show, though that tape does not circulate and I don't have it. I know of one other person with access to that tape (presently and presumably "back in the day"), and it's possible that ol' Jerry Moore got a copy of it from that fellow, or via a separate friend of the taper, but I don't know. This could be a second master. It's a good, characteristic Keystone audience tape from late 1979. It's not like the historically good tapes made by John Angus and Scott Hart during this period (11/18/79, 2/1/80, 2/2/80, 3/7/80, 3/26/80), nor by Eldon Porray, Bob Menke, or others. It's got some wear and tear, but it's good.

! R: s1t01 Sugaree badly overloaded at start, comes down around 40 seconds in, still a little hot. What a great tape. Lots of crowd ambience, the room is there, a man (presumably) is standing with mics somewhere up-close. His girlfriend, or his friend's girlfriend, is talking to him @ 1:40, then his friend is, too. The Keystone freaking Palo Alto on an October night in 1979.

! P: s1t01 Sugaree: It's amazing how quickly this band's Sugaree became this band's Sugaree. Totally distinctive. If you like Sugaree, this version is worth checking out, as are many from the next couple of years. @ 3:00 Ozzie little synth run, but Jerry cuts him off for the next verse, "thought you was the cool fool", and all that. Ozzie takes anoher little run like late 4-min early 5-min range. They get together for a bit, then @ 5:30 Garcia is soloing. Build up to 6:40 is mighty mighty. Garcia's soloing in the 9-10 minute range, his fanning at 10:15 and thereabouts, I think really shows that Garcia intended this band to be a showcase for him playing his guitar. 10:46 he's still just blistering. @11:00 we hear that the October 1979 Garcia's voice is a little fragile, a little thin, reedier, less in the diaphragm than, say, 18 months earlier. CATS has flopped. The taxes are still due. Get a band together, play and work, but tear it up a little bit.

! song: Deal (s1t05): This is the understood public JGB debut of Deal. The crowd, appropriately, recognizes the occasion by clapping right along. A little vocal flub in the 2nd verse is OK, Jer. We have heard Deal so many times with a female backing vocalist that it's weird to hear the hole in the song where the harmonies go. Interesting to be attentive to Deal done by a quartet - quite a rarity.

! P: s1t05 AM another one that this particular configuration of Garcia really played hot, and evidently right from the get-go. The crowd is enjoying Jerry's pyrotechnics in the 3-minute mark. Ozzie's solo in 4-minute mark is totally fine. People don't like his sound because of the Fender Rhodes and the synthesizers, but Ozzie can play, IMO. And Jerry is digging in and tearing it up behind him. After Ozzie's solo, ca. 5:20 ish, Jerry wants to cruise around the melody again.

! R: s1t05 AM splice @ 8:59

! s1t06 (1) JG: "Thank you. We're gonna take a [inaudible]."

! P: s2t04 Russian Lullaby bass feature over the 8-minute mark.

! P: set II songs are good, but nothing jumps out at me.