Andy Breckman lived across the street from me growing up in Haddonfield, NJ. He was a few years older, and was always a kind of quirky kid, always joking around. But then we had an interesting block - Bernard Garfield, the principal bassoonist for the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, lived around the corner, and the then coach of the University of Pennsylvania, later GM of the Philadelphia Eagles, Harry Gamble, was a few houses down from us. It never seemed like a big deal as a kid. The Garfield and Gamble kids were just part of the neighborhood. Different times.
I am listening again to the Shining Star this morning from the latest release. What a fine version. You have to love the backing vocals from Gloria and Jackie!!! As my brother-in-law in France likes to say: Tres sympathetique. Nice recording quality on this release also. Very clear, good separation, detail, warmth.
Gloria and Jackie were a big part of what made that band so good. Their vocals on songs like "Senor" and "Tangled Up ..." are chill inducing. Took him a while, but Jerry finally struck b/g vocal gold with these two ladies.
A few weeks ago I took advantage of a now rare opportunity (for me at least) to go in person to one of the local Newbury Comics, and I found a copy of the latest JGB release, 31 October 1992. So I’ve had it in the car for the past week, and enjoyed it — though I can’t honestly say I was bowled over by it. I kind of agree with Posnera’s take above. But my overriding impression is also a mirror to these other quoted comments, about the band, and how great they'd become as a unit. I don’t think you can overstate the importance of the contributions from Melvin, Gloria, and Jackie. Even with this particular night being Jerry’s return from a health episode, the show really feels like it’s about the band and not him.
The bolded sentence speaks for much of the JGB over the last five, even 7-8 years of its existence - consistently enjoyable, but generally not earthshaking like some of the Merl, Nicky, and Ozzie era shows could be. I can name favorite shows from those three eras easily, but the later JGB tends to blend together into a very solid, enjoyable whole for the most part. Not that there's anything wrong with that!
To me there's a baseline show from that last era, and then there are shows that stand out and are some of the best stuff JGB ever did. But the baseline is really good.
I would agree with that. The 'floor' was very high with that band, and while the 'ceiling' might not have reached the heights of some earlier iterations, it could often be pretty damn good. Essentially saying the same thing as you in different words. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here and your families.
I had a copy of that a few months after it was broadcast courtesy of my brother who lived in the bay area. Still among my favorites. I saw them in December of that year for two nights at the lions share that I've mentioned before.
There's a few released versions of that including one of the saunders collection called keepers. I believe it's from the same shows used for the various Keystone releases but not included on any of those. That collection has some interesting songs including Vassar Clements who was with old and in the way at the time.
Have been neglecting the Jerry side of things, so I got down to the Live at Keystone albums vol 1 and 2 + Keystone Encores throughout the day yesterday. Outstanding music throughout all 3 volumes. I'm an even bigger noob with Jerry's work outside of the GD, there is a lot I haven't heard. This set however, is just as good as any Dead show I can think of.
Some of y'all may want to know that Monster Music has the deluxe boxset of the Jerry Garcia Band live album for $50 at the moment: Jerry Garcia Band - Jerry Garcia Band: 30th Anniversary [Limited Edition Deluxe Edition 5LP] | Monster Music & Movies
Pretty amazed that a supposed 'limited edition' box of a release as highly thought of as this one is not only still available but at a discount price. I wonder how 'limited' it was.
American Beauty and Workingman's Dead will always be the very best of The Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia only Blues For Allah exceeds his solo work for me...
No it isn't and Reconstruction sounded very different from Legion of Mary even doing the same material. I prefer Legion on the whole, but it would be nice to get a Reconstruction release.
yeah, I just finally got around to getting (it was very cheap on amazon) that oct 31 1992 latest garcia live thing-- havent heard the whole thing but what i heard sounds very good-- and I love that they do the great louis armstrong (he didn't write it but its associated with him) song 'what a wonderful world'. Along those lines, I really wish Jerry had done more jazz standards with that band, hearing him dig into the chord changes (and lyrics and melodies) of things like 'all the things your are', or 'they can't take that away from me' or 'stormy weather' would have been really magical. (There is that late period JGB version , from the movie soundtrack to 'smoke' , of 'smoke gets in your eyes' by the way- which is really wonderful!
I had almost forgotten about Jerry's version of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Just wonderful. Also, Ashley Judd.
