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grendel

Books and Music

+23524


Submissions

49
Playin' In The Band
Sept. 17, 1972
Baltimore Civic Center

DP #23 from Baltimore...yet another jazz exploration that winds and weaves and delights. More introspective than intense & quite worthy!
14
Scarlet Begonias
Aug. 4, 1976
Roosevelt Stadium

Fantastic 15+ minutes of standa-lone Scarlet featuring a very Phil-front bass section post-lyrics. Final jam section gets real jazzy, too.
2
Terrapin Station
Aug. 31, 1985
Manor Downs

From a hot steamy night in Texas an equally hot & steamy Terrapin, which melts into a great Estimated
4
Eyes Of The World
June 25, 1978
Autzen Stadium, U. of Oregon

Hidden gem! Jazzy mellow intro to fluid, energetic Garcia-led jamming. Cross-up on 'beaches & seasons" in 1st verse chorus- Phil yells "Get it right!"
8
Row Jimmy
Feb. 4, 1978
Milwaukee Auditorium

If a SBD of this version and show existed we'd all be talking it up. But the AUD is pretty good, & this RJ has tasty Garcia licks. Don't overlook it!

Comments

Eyes Of The World
Oct. 1, 1977
Paramount Theatre

More about this one. If you’re a fan of 11/4/77 & clearly there are many & for good reason you really should give this one a hard listen. Colgate is like a fire hose of Garcia notes and it’s blazing while still holding true to the song’s structural integrity. In this version Garcia is playing just as fast...maybe faster...but with an even more controlled and mellow jazz flow than 11-4. When Jerry plays this way he always brings to mind a Wes Montgomery performance...be-bop jazz notes at the Village Gate kind of feel, & to top it off the rest of the band is equal to the task. Weir’s rhythm is exceptionally disciplined in this version so as to keep up with Jerry but he adds color & just the right amount of counter at just the right times as well. Billy & Mickey deserve full accolades for the same reason, right up until Garcia’s second jam break where they let loose & provide some serious power to the end jam. Phil rolls along beautifully & while a Keith could be higher in the mix, he’s fully engaged as well. If you’re looking for a big board sleeper pick, you found it.
Dark Star
Feb. 22, 1973
Assembly Hall, University of Illinois

An oddity for its year--a compact, under 15-minute long beauty of a Dark Star. Playing around mostly with the main theme Garcia draws liquid lines with ease while the rest of the band coalesces & delivers a fully realized yet more streamlined rendition that still tantalizes the senses. The Eyes that follows is pretty sweet too.
Samba In The Rain
March 30, 1995
The Omni

^^^^^Needed that chuckle & you're right--a very 2020 activity. Thanks for doing it so we don't have to! (Not my favorite tune ;-)
Estimated Prophet
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

^^^^you ain’t wrong. That very thing (Weir’s interruption) keeps me from upvoting this otherwise fine version.
Eyes Of The World
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

What is it with the Dead crushing it in Charm City? The Ravenspace show in '82, the Dick's Picks from 9/17/72, & this oddly overlooked '77 masterpiece are just a few examples but this Eyes in particular should not be missed from this show, which contains many other gems. Full-powered jamming in this one that sounds more like the rowdier fall versions than the usual May suspects. Easy upvote.