Eyes Of The World
Nov. 5, 1979
The Spectrum
If you're a fan of Jerry noodles, this version is your big bowl of Ramen.He's playing notes between notes. He's finding space between notes where it seems impossible to find any. The song itself is almost irrelevant (& I mean this in a good way). It's as if the 20,000 or so fans crammed into a hockey arena are instead hearing what a tight jazz combo would be doing in an intimate jazz club in Greenwich Village. If you take the time to really explore what Garcia is laying down here, you're going to be treated to a master class in intricate jazz picking that offers shades of Wes Montgomery , Carl Perkins, & John Pizzarelli. There are no major peaks in this version, but there is an ocean of musical discovery to be plumbed in the depths of his playing here. Phil deserves kudos for keeping a steady foundation throughout the journey, even if no bombs are dropped or classic rumblings afoot, he's critical to maintaining the 20 plus minutes. The best sounding version I know has Weir very low in the mix and that's a shame, and my only other complaint would be half a point off for Brent's simply awful tinker toy Fisher Price piano sound that distracts here and there from what garcia is doing. Mind you, I think Brent is an outstanding keyboardist...it's not his playing I object to, but the terrible pop synth sound that I suppose was considered "nouveau" in 1979 but just was always a bad bad choice when he opted for it. The same lines he's playing here would sound 1,000x better on a good ol' acoustic as Keith used to play, & it's too bad we can't just dub that in, but in totality it's a nit to pick, and not enough of a deterrent to prevent adding my vote. a truly unique version here, for its length, tempo, and year played, and again, a must listen for any true jazz guitar fan.