Of course it's all just opinion. I've had the Betty Board of Cornell for years, and I do love the concert--wish I'd been there in the snow. It's just hard to pick the all time best when you like a particular period--I'm biased on that account. And 1977 has such an embarassment of riches that it's hard to say that one concert looms heavily over all the others. I agree that the upstate swing does stand as a peak series of gigs. Buffalo gets lost in the shadow of Cornell. That's why I don't laud the D.P.'s as "better," just as tasty, and I'm glad they were released as crispy D.P.s. But, if I were on a desert island with just ten Dead tapes, I might choose Cornell as an excellent example of the mellow mid 70's dead. I think that period showcases the best of the post retirement years. Then again, there's Feb 14 1969, Feb 28, 1969, Feb 13-14 1970, the Fillmore run of '71, and the Academy of Music run plus Europe '72 to consider if I were marooned--hopefully with a lot of batteries.

I am streaming it right now and I certainly can't say anything bad about set one. Not that I would want to.

I just bought Jerry's guitar after winning the ebay auction for the toilet seat. Now I can strum along while sitting. Pictures to follow.

It's official, Jerry just rolled over in his grave.

I don't know. . . rolling over? Probably too much effort!

I believe that--if we're talking about the fat Elvis and not the old one, that the expression would be "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down."

notes from a david murray show i was downloading earlier today. i did not write this but it is from the seeder...

This recording dates from the period where Murray was divorcing himself from a brief
flirtation with the music of the Grateful Dead. At the early show, one particularly
lame-brained wookie shouted out for 'Shakedown Street' and an obviously frustrated
Murray replied "I ain't playing that cracker shit no more'. The opening banter of this
late show recording ("anybody wanna shoot me", "they all left") is a reference to
that episode

This isn't very surprising. David has always been an opportunist and a bit of back stabber. I first met David in 1976 when he moved to Manhattan and lived with Stanley Crouch, his mentor from California. David burst upon the scene as a young lion and hooked up with Sunny Murray and anyone else who would have him. He played the game as magnificently as he did the tenor. His hook up with the Dead had less to do with his musical inclinations than his desire to get their fans to buy his records. After all, it worked well for Branford Marsalis--though he played with the Dead because he liked to. David used to pull of all sorts of bullshit. He once got Dan Serro to tape him for an LP and then took the tapes and sent them top Europe as samples for Black Lion. Dan never got his tapes back, nor was he reimbursed. The list goes on and on. The Dead, pure and simple, were a use. As it is, I don't think he ever got "that cracker shit" down.

not having heard any of the murray dead stuff or the brandford dead stuff (well i heard that many years ago but 90s dead isn't my thing) i can't really comment but it is funny that some jazz musicians have embraced this particular culture of music listeners and have probably became all the wealthier for it (medeski, martin and wood and john scofield as two examples). though i guess i can see how someone in murray's shoes-that kind of following would definitely ruin his credibility in certain circles whereas the musicians i just mentioned weren't trying to be in those circles or couldn't gain admittance for obvious reasons.

I don't mean to doubt Murray's abilities (though I've read some vigorous debates)--I used to love to see him in the seventies--always blew the house down--I also know that his eyes have always been on the gold ring. First, he's released more albums than McDonalds has served burgers. Second: I remember his stating within a few years of arriving that he wouldn't play for less than 10,000 dollars. I don't think he always got it, but he tried. Not that there's anything wrong with earning a good living playing music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's just always been a bit brash and often careless with his words. I, too, don't like the 90's dead, but of all the guest saxophonists, I like Murray the least. His "Dark Star" release is one of the weakest in his canon, though it's still available at dead.net.

there was discussion of a satchel paige project or something weir was supposed to be helping murray on which didn't pan out which might have added to the issue? i don't know what this is about....

Monkeys see, monkeys do. Jerry played on an Ornette Coleman disc. It wouldn't surprise me to see Bobby and David try to do the same. David Murray playing "Me and My Uncle"? Hmmmm.

The Satchel Paige project had a tortured history. I think Murray started it with a then-girlfriend. Their breakup derailed it. The attempt to finish it off with Weir came later. I don't know that it was ever finished. Murray did perform one song from it, "When the Monarchs Come to Town," in Kansas City on two different occasions in the mid-90s. He dedicated it to Buck O'Neil, who was in the audience.

I'm looking forward to an upcoming Bob Weir cd. . .

"Weir Plays Weil" . . . .

I hear the first single will be "Me and My Uncle Mack the Knife."

Interesting that this person who seeded the late show, and presumedly was at both shows, didn't seed a tape of this exchange but does remember it verbatim. I mean what happened after he allegedly said that?? I can't see anyone saying "cracker shit" at a show and not get called out on it.

I'd file this story under Apocryphal.

[quote

Interesting that this person who seeded the late show, and presumedly was at both shows, didn't seed a tape of this exchange but does remember it verbatim. I mean what happened after he allegedly said that?? I can't see anyone saying "cracker shit" at a show and not get called out on it.

I'd file this story under Apocryphal.
[/quote]


I tend to agree. I can see David stating that he didn't want to play that "shit" anymore (the dark star cd pleased neither his jazz audience nor his dead audience. But the bulk of Murray's audiences are made up of "crackers," and he's way too smart to vocally bite the hand that feeds him.

But I'm glad he's not playing that "cracker shit" anymore. Get back to that "Murray shit."

Wonder if Ornette or Branford feel the same way.

oh come on....
any "crackers" there love that shit. they would not have minded being called "crackers" i bet.
they would have been amused and possibly felt more legit even being there at the time.

I'm a cracker and I'm proud.

I wouldn't have been happy to hear that. . . but that's me.

hey, check out this Playboy After Dark video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_fullscreen?vi...l%20Dead%20live

Hell of a find Jazzbo. I've been wanting to see this again for years. I couldn't believe it when a friend told me they were going to be on Playboy After Dark. I was sure it was a prank. What a hoot! And they say the boys dosed the bunnies. Too bad St. Stephen is so heavily edited. But all in all, what a snapshot. Thanks!

You're welcome.

I was surprised to see this available as well. . . was looking at the Steve Hoffman forum that gets talked up here and saw this link in a thread.

Too bad they didn't play "Me and My Uncle."

Probably the only time they didn't play Me and My Uncle. Of course, the royalties kept Papa John Philips
alive and sniffing all those years.

Come here. . .
(Me and my) Uncle John's band. . . .

Didn't Papa John take the royalties and go into the pizza biz with his uncle?

They threw him out of the pizza biz because he kept stealing the flour, I think.

But seriously, folks. Search around on the Web a little and you can find a couple of Bit Torrents of that Playboy After Dark video. (TC gets more screen time than Pigpen!)

Reminds me of that old SNL skit with the Greek restaurant with the famous line "no Coke, Pepsi"... but in Papa John's case it would be "no Pepsi, Coke."

Speaking of Playboy. Have any of you watched that reality show on "E" that shows life in the Playboy mansion. It's Grandpa Hef and his young girlfriends. Weird stuff! It was strange when the grandmother of one of Hef's girlfriends visited. She looked younger than Hef...

I must say I do love that version of Mountains Of The Moon on Playboy After Dark.

I was delighted to see that little Martin guitar. You most often see and hear the dreadnaughts. I had one of those. . .great guitar. . . but those smaller Martins just have such a mellow warm sound.

More videos, same site:

http://www.youtube.com/results.php?search=...l%20Dead&page=1

Oh, my! Thanks, Lon!

Love the Copenhagen '72 clips, even if the sound isn't synched. (Note that on Jack Straw, Bobby sings lead all the way.)

Bobby sang the whole lead for about a year. Then they realized that the song was a dialogue. I like it much better with Jerry splitting the vocals.

There aren't many clips of the dead from the early days. These are great. They should be releasing "Sunshine Daydream"--from the famous Field Trip show-any decade now. Of note is that the New Riders of the Purple Sage's set from that concert has been released for a while. BTW., Sugarmegs.org and Nugs.net are both streaming that show. Sugarmegs is still hosting almost all of Europe '72--most of the stuff removed from the archives.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Dead web site to order Dick's Picks #36. Like many of you, my preferences tend towards earlier iterations of The Dead and this one is said to be a pretty good representation of that place in time. At any rate, I thought as long as I was getting one DP, I might as well look for another, you know, why get just one when you can have two. To make a long story short, I wound up adding #27 to my order. This is the first of the DP series to feature Vince Welnick. It's from a 12/16/92 concert at the Oakland Coliseum. I must say, I've warmed up big time to this iteration of the band. I know Jerry was having health problems around this time, but the band is just bang on. They do some tunes you don't normally associate with The Dead as well as a terrific reading of "Playin' In The Band", but I think as much as anything, it's Welnick who carries the day. His backing vocals just seem to kick Garcia's and Weir's up a notch. He takes the high harmony parts and, I don't know, it all just sounds real good to me. In addition, Garcia is starting to fool around with various guitar effects and I think that adds some pop to his lines as well. This is one I would highly recommend if you haven't heard it before. Wish there were more DP's out with Welnick. Not only can he sing, but he's no slouch on the keybords.

Up over and out.

You might well enjoy some of the stuff with both Welnick and Bruce Hornsby. The double keyboard pushed Jerry into some very nice "cracker shit." His vocals did blend the band a bit--especially on the reincarnation of Here Comes Sunshine. Even though I'm one of those die hard early days fanatics, great music is great music.

By the way: a confession. The last time I saw the band was Fall 1980 at the Fabulous Fox here in Atlanta. Frankly, I thought they sucked big time. Yesterday, I streamed the show from the Archives, and it blew me away. Better than the Reckoning stuff by a mile. Dead on playing, from start to finish. What was I smoking?

Indeed -- much better-suited to fingerpicking, and easier to wrestle!

OD,

Any specific recommendations with regard to the double keyboard band? Don't think there are any DP's, but I'd definitely check out any other material you think is worthwhile. Thanks.

Up over and out.

Plus, that SG whith tremolo ain't too shabby either...

There are 2 Vince + Bruce DPs.

#9 9-16-90 Madison Square Garden

#17 9-25-91 Boston Garden

Haven't heard either. Some complaints about #9 mainly because some wanted a different night of the run chosen. Same complaints about Boston too. That a common complaint it seems.

Everyone has their favorites. Most of 91 is comprised of shows that are up and down; but I'd recommend 4/1; 6/17; 9/10 with Branford Marsalis. 9/20/90 also smokes. (The whole of that MSG run--9/14,15,16,18, and 20 is considered to be their last great run).

Of course DPs are not the best shows; just ask any deadhead The next night was always better! The two Dps are good choices. The only down side here is Jerry's smoked out voice.

Inches away from a Jerry beard. . . .

Casting call for the part of "Cousin It". . . .

I think, somewhere in this picture, is a guy who's in a rock band. . . somewhere. . . .

It was that close. . . Ron McKernan. . . or Clint Eastwood. . . spaghetti Westerns. . . .

Clint got the parts and Ron was never the same. . . .

Pigpen's organ at a rehearsal.

Gosh, them fellers wuz cuties, huh?

Here's a cutie for sure!

I'm guessing that's Bobby?

Actually the webpage I got that from says it was RON McKERNAN!

They had one of a very young Billy Kreutzman in cowboy gitup as well.