In the spring of 1971, Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, along with the band Touchstone, produced and performed the music for an off-broadway show at the Circle in the Square in New York City.

The performance was called Tarot and the music was later recorded and released in 1972 on United Artists. The performance and resulting album both fell into obscurity and is now highly sought-after by collectors of rare prog and psychedelia.

On April 28th, 1971, Tom Constanten sat in with his former bandmates at the Fillmore East, and afterwards, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart joined T.C. at Electric Ladyland Studios and recorded the following tracks. Called The Tarot Outtakes by tape collectors of yore , they are a true curiosity in the world of Grateful Dead tape collecting.

The pieces are all instrumental and feature baroque string and violin arrangements (performed presumably by Touchstone’s Art Fayer), and some interesting playing by Garcia, Lesh and Hart. A few of the passages skirt themes that resemble “Unbroken Chain” and “Morning Dew” and, according to the Deadhead’s Taping Compendium, some of these pieces would later appear again on Mickey Hart’s lost album The Silent Flute. Phil’s own compositional ideas here (inspired by his old friend Constanten) would later mature into his “Warp Ten” collaborations with Ned Lagin and the Seastones album.

Tarot Outtakes Part One
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7
Track 8
Track 9
Tarot Outtakes Part Two
Track 1

Tom Constanten brought a versatile influence to the band during their primal years. He brought in avant garde prepared piano on Anthem of the Sun, but applied a classical flourish to many of the songs on Aoxomoxoa — especially his harpischord work on “Mountains of the Moon.”

T.C. has kept busy, releasing a string of albums through the ’90s and working with other bands such as Terrapin Flyer, Dark Star Orchestra, and his collaboration with Dead digital sound designer Bob Bralove, Dose Hermanos.

Also, here is Touchstone’s 1972 Tarot – Original Cast Recording LP for your listening pleasure.

Enjoy the tunes, and I’ll meet you back here in a couple weeks.

A little over a year ago, the possibility of a Phish reunion was the stuff of parking lot rumor and message board postings. When they took the stage at Hampton back in March and played those opening notes to “Fluffhead,” 2009 officially became the year of Phish.

Somehow, between jamming with Bruce Springsteen at Bonnaroo and playing consistently sold-out nights, they managed to record a new album with old friend Steve Lilywhite. Joy is their first studio outing since the weary Undermind back in 2004.

Phish’s studio track record has been fairly strong and Joy could be the best of them yet. It’s a concise collection of tunes that finds the band working without obligation or expectation. Most of all, they genuinely sound like they’re having fun on new rockers like “Backwards Down the Number Line” and Mike Gordon’s tropical-jam “Sugar Shack.” There’s also a prevalent nostalgia and wistful quality to songs like “Joy,” where the band seems to address the fans directly with the line, “this is your song too…”

Phish are hosting their first festival since Coventry – three days over the Halloween weekend in Indio, California. There has been a lot of speculation as to what the “Musical Costume” will be for their first post-hiatus Halloween.

In the past, Phish have covered Remain in Light, The White Album, Dark Side of the Moon, Quadrophenia, and The Velvet Underground’s Loaded. A lot of folks are expecting a Grateful Dead set for their first California Halloween, or possibly a Doors record, but I put together a list of five albums that I would like to see Phish perform…

1. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
It’s easy for me to imagine a barber shop quartet rendition of “Big Black Car” and a jammed-out “Kanga Roo,” but the thought of Paige bringing down the house with a solo reading of “Holocaust” gives me goosebumps.
Why they probably won’t do it: It’s a little too straightforward a collection of songs. Also, a bazillion Phish fans could swarm the upcoming Big Star reunion shows and turn it into a patchouli-scented riot of unprecedented proportion.

2. Pink Floyd – Meddle
Just how sick would that funky-ass bass jam part in the middle of “Echoes” be?! Also “San Tropez” is an absolute given.
Why they probably won’t do it: Too easy. They’ve done a Floyd album already, and besides, it would be too damn obvious.

3. Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street or Sticky Fingers
“Loving Cup” has been in Phish’s sets for years. Either album would be a fine candidate. They could bring out The Giant Country Horns for “Bitch” and I can only imagine what the boys could do with “Rocks Off.”
Why they probably won’t do it: I actually think either album could be a possibility.

4. Grateful Dead – Blues for Allah
While there has been a lot of talk about Phish covering a Dead album (and according to some people, Bobby and Phil will be guesting), I can’t really see them doing it. However, if the boys did a Grateful Dead album, their 1975 concept album Blues for Allah would be a sound choice. It’s a brief album of fan favorites, instrumental interludes, and bouncy jazzy jams.
Why they probably won’t do it: It’s just too over the top. While members of Phish have collaborated with members of the Dead in various side projects, Phish were dogged by Grateful Dead comparisons for years.

5. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Rust Never Sleeps
Phish would get to show off their acoustic chops with “Thrasher” and “Powderfinger” and kick out the jams with “Sedan Delivery” which could end up into a furious reprise of “Tweezer” or something. Think about it; it could be brilliant. I would have picked Zuma, but no one needs to cover “Cortez the Killer” again.
Why they probably won’t do it: It’s actually a pretty short album and Mike Gordon singing “Welfare Mothers”…it might be better to put on a list of why they shouldn’t do it.

Other albums I wrote down…

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Monks – Black Monk Time
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Kiss – Dynasty
Black Sabbath – Sabotage

“But there was something else tugging at Garcia as 1964 turned into 1965. For one thing, like half of America under the age of 25, Jerry had been seduced by the Beatles, especially their film, A Hard Day’s Night, which depicted life in a rock and roll band as just about the most fun that could be had on planet earth. the Beatles were deliciously irreverent and in-your-face anarchic; untamable gadabouts on an endless lark, always living in a completely different universe than the pitiable straight forces that were constantly trying to control, or at the very least, restrain them…” –from Garcia: An American Life by Blair Jackson

Grateful Dead – Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?” 4/7/85 Philly Spectrum

Grateful Dead – “Day Tripper” 12/28/84 SF Civic Auditorium

Grateful Dead – “I Want to Tell You” 10/15/94 Madison Square Garden

Phil Lesh and Friends – “She Said, She Said” 11/30/04 Tower Theater

Deadheads for Obama – “Come Together” 2/4/08 The Warfield
Phil, Bobby and Mickey were joined by Jackie Greene, John Molo, and Steve Molitz.

The Valentines – “Tomorrow Never Knows” 8/27/94 Fukuoka Dome
The Valentines were a short-lived group consisting of Bob Weir, Vince Welnick, guitarist Henry Kaiser, Prairie Prince and Bobby Vega. They played a couple nights in Japan and then one more show at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

Grateful Dead – “Rain” 4/1/94 Nassau Colliseum

Grateful Dead – “Revolution” 4/8/85 Philly Spectrum

Grateful Dead – “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” 5/23/93 Shoreline

Jerry Garcia Band – “Eleanor Rigby Jam” 2/28/80

Jerry Garcia Band – “Dear Prudence” Spring 1990 The Warfield

Grateful Dead – “It’s All Too Much” 3/26/95 The Omni

Grateful Dead – “Hey Jude” 2/11/69 Fillmore East

Bonus Tracks

Phil Lesh and Friends – “Imagine” 12/19/04 The Warfield
featuring Gloria Jones and Jackie La Branch

Grateful Dead – “That Would Be Something” 4/1/94 Nassau Colliseum
Garcia would occasionally insert this brief Paul McCartney tune into jams coming in and out of space…

Somewhere between Burlington and Denver, Asheville and Brooklyn. In a Between the Rainbow bus, the disco van, and the drum circle. Beyond the hula hooping sistas and the guy with the didgeridoo. Just past the hemp jewelry, the h3tty crystal wraps, the miracle seekers, the dreadies with the ice cold sammies and kind veggie burritos, you might find intrepid writer J.J. Colagrande. He’s been on the road for a long time and he’s taken his experiences on Phish tours, at the music festies, and in the vibrant culture and community that goes along with it into his first novel, Headz.

Headz is a rambling, ambling read – told through the point of view of different characters – “Heads” themselves from all over the country. Their collective paths all leading to Soldier Field for “Oracledang” — and what’s “Oracledang,” you ask? Why, it’s only the biggest festie of them all.

It’s no coincidence that Soldier Field was the site of the last Grateful Dead concert in 1995. During that shitty, yet bittersweet summer, a legion of people who had followed the psychedelic stalwarts suddenly realized that the road ended there. A lot of them turned their nomadic compasses towards the traveling carnival that was Phish and the rest of the bands on that bleary “jam” horizon, but others  found and founded new scenes – indie, hip hop, turntablism, whatever.

What makes the festival scene thrive and vibe isn’t that neo-hippy devotionism, it’s not that longing to connect with a rose-colored view of the sixties that our parents (grandparents) and media have dangled in front of us. While the music industry continues to pump out manufactured musical product and suffers amid middling sales, the draw of the music festival is irresistible for someone who wants something real, a feeling that you don’t get peeling the plastic wrap off a CD bought at some box store or downloaded into a portable device. They want illumination and transcendence and that sense of community, but enough of my yakkin’ – Thelonius Horowitz says it better -

“Getting down on the get down. I hate having to explain it. The music’s all sorts of sorts of music too. Don’t make me put a label on it. Besides, music festivals are so much more than the music. It’s the journey it takes getting to the music fest. It’s the parking lot outside the music fest. The parking lot is like a Mecca, the ends to a pilgrimage. It’s our holy place, our Zion, our home. Rainbow style, son. By the time we get inside the music festival our heads are in a different place. It’s the couple of hours in the parking lot that really matter. That’s where the real story lies. I totally hate having to explain it, even to Teflon. It’s like you’re on the bus or you’re off the bus, but no matter what, this thing is continuing, whether you like it or not…”

J.J. Colagrande himself sends me emails from the road.

“I’m in Denver,” he writes, “lurking around the VIP tent, dropping off books on tables, sneak attack style. (I’m a firm believer a book will find a person when the person is ready to find the book)…It’s funny how the Universe delivers.”

“Here’s the thing. It could be argued that a hip hop act, or a rock act, defies the jamband mentality of a festie, but on the contrary, their presence stand as a testament to its evolution. Music festivals have opened up to all genres, possibly helping to bridge what could be defined as America’s culture wars. There have always been too many labels, genres, cliques, and crews. Hip-hop, hippie jamband, electronica, rock, reggae, indie, punk, ska. The one thing all these cliques have in common is an independent spirit. This spirit represents the soul of the festival. It carries tens of thousands of people half way around the country. The organizers are well aware of this spirit when they choose their bands. I’d like to think they are aware that this is evolution, and not just a means to draw more people. For I really believe that music can bring people together, and the more different the people, the more we realize that we are all the same people, and that’s evolution.”

I had the chance to send J.J. a few questions by email and we also collaborated on a mix of tunes. I would much rather have had the opportunity to sit down with him and talk at length about tour stories, favorite shows, set lists, mix tapes, all over cold Magic Hat Number Nines – that apricot perfumed ale that was the hallmark of the closing stretch of my life-changing road trip last summer and is also pictured on the cover of the Headz.

How long did it take you to write Headz?

The composition of Headz took me five years, working four to six hours a day, pretty much every day. Sometimes I wrote for 12 hours in a single day. I would eat, of course, and take my dog Irie out for walks, or swim or ride bike to the beach for a break, but mainly life was all about Headz. And then it took two more years to find a publisher. So, all in all, seven years.

Talk a little bit about your creative process.

On one hand, I see writing as this mystical, spiritual process where you let go, surrendering to a force that allows you to open up to these divine energies that move through you as if you were an oracle. Some call this the muse. I’ve heard Joanne Kyger (a great writer and ex-wife of Gary Snyder, another great writer) call it the flow. It’s a cool part of the creative process, whatever you call it, because you do indeed become disconnected from time and space as you immerse yourself in the world you create, and it does flow. Now, on the other hand, I also see writing as a craft. This means that there is no process other than a strict regimented disciplined work ethic. Writing is a constant act of re-writing and revision, and therefore it is merely work. And hard work at that!!

What was harder to do? Starting the book or ending it?

The book was harder to start because I have a lot of characters and my challenge was to keep them moving forward towards the show, Oracledang, and not get sidetracked in their respective histories and dramas. The majority of my revision was spent on that laborious task.

What are you working on now?

I’m teaching six classes this fall. Four at Miami Dade College, and two at Barry University. I’m also promoting, marketing, and distributing Headz all by little old self, so most of my creative energy is going to that, but I do have a collection of stories ready to publish, and an outline for another novel. I may even write a sequel to Headz because there is room, and more story to tell. My goal is to sell a couple of thousand copies of Headz, then go to NYC and say look what I did, look what I have, there is an interest in this culture and world, now take it off my hands so I can go back to the creative stuff. But, it’s all good. Writing, like life, has always been about the journey, not the destination; that is actually a major theme of the novel .

Talk a little bit about each character.

Thelonious Horowitz is a cross between the Beastie Boys and Holden Caulfield. He speaks in a colloquial NYC hip- hop tongue. He’s musically talented  cocky, popular, bipolar, and the story’s central character, more by necessity than my personal authorial choice.

The Beastie Boys – “So Whatcha Want?”

The Beastie Boys – “Shambhala”

Teflon Jones is one of Thelonious’s best friends, and he’s called Teflon cuz nothing sticks to him. He’s as smooth as butter. I love Teflon.

Gang Starr – “You Know My Steez”

Soundtribe Sector Nine featuring Mr. Lif – “Possibilities”

KC McGovern is a beautiful young writer who believes in dreaming, no matter what. I, as the author, personally have a crush on her.

Spiral System – “Elephant”

Kurtis is this dreadie trickster from Miami, also a good friend of Thelonious from seeing shows together over the years.

Phish – “Run Like an Antelope” (4/16/92)

Phish – “Fee > Maze” (4/16/92)

Geri (I named her after Jerry Garcia) is Kurtis’s girlfriend and a sewing diva. Geri can create amazing crafts with a needle.

Rachel Goodrich – “Light Bulb”

Kate Gaffney – “Soul Shine”

Sky Tyler is a tree-hugging, save-the-world activist from San Francisco who sort of falls in with a bad crowd.

Massive Attack – “Angel”

Melody Rain is Sky’s girlfriend, and also Thelonious’s ex. She has a dark side that is ugly as fuck, if you explore it.

Grateful Dead – “Let it Grow” (3/14/90)

Keith Lipsiznowaz is a bumbling yoga instructor from SF who is as grounded as can be, except in the face of love, where he becomes a bit of an emotional invalid.

Bjork – “All Is Full of Love”

Mediski, Martin & Wood – “Dracula” (Remix)

Shore Morris is the older, more seasoned veteran of the scene. He serves as a conveyor of information, and a positive role model, although he is a bit of an Anarchist. (I named him after George Bernard Shaw and William Morris, two influential Socialists in the U.K. during the 1890’s).

Grateful Dead – “St. Stephen > Not Fade Away > St. Stephen” (5/8/77)

Thanks, J.J. Anything else you’d like to add?

There is one more thing I’d like to emphasize, and that is the website, headzthenovel.com. The website is a full-feature addendum to the book, complete with 100 extra pages of text, and soon to be released features. I plan to record some of Thelonious’s music, as well as create Myspace and Facebook accounts for two or three of the fictional characters. I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing, but my intuition says the website is a key to doing something that hasn’t been done in literature, and that’s a very exciting thing…

How long did it take you to write Headz?
The composition of Headz took me 5 years, working 4 to 6 hours a day,
pretty much every day. Sometimes I wrote for 12 hours in a single day.
I would eat, of course, and take my dog Irie out for walks, or swim or
ride bike to the beach for a break, but mainly life was all about
Headz. And then it took two more years to find a publisher. So, all in
all, 7 years.

Talk a little bit about your creative process
This is a tricky question. On one hand, I see writing as this
mystical, spiritual process where you let go, surrendering to a force
that allows you to open up to these divine energies that move through you
as if you were an oracle. Some call this the muse. I've heard Joanne Kyger (a great
writer and ex-wife of Gary Snyder, another great writer) call it the flow.
It's a cool part of the creative process, whatever you call it, because
you do indeed become disconnected from time and space as you immerse
yourself in the world you create, and it does flow. Now, on the other hand,
I also see writing as a craft. This means that there is no process other than a
strict regimented disciplined work ethic. Writing is a constant act of
re-writing and revision, and therefore it is merely work. And hard work at that!! 

What was harder to do? Starting the book or ending it?
The book was harder to start because I have a lot of characters and my
challenge was to keep them moving forward towards the show,
Oracledang, and not get sidetracked in their respective histories and
dramas. The majority of my revision was spent on that laborious task.

What are you working on now?
I'm teaching 6 classes this Fall. Four at Miami Dade College, and two
at Barry University. I'm also promoting, marketing, and distributing
Headz all by little old self, so most of my creative energy is going
to that, but I do have a collection of stories ready to publish, and
an outline for another novel. I may even write a sequel to Headz
because there is room, and more story to tell. My goal is to sell a couple
of thousand copies of Headz, then go to NYC and say look what I did, look what I have,
there is an interest in this culture and world, now take it off my
hands so I  can go back to the creative stuff. But, it's all good.
Writing, like life, has always been about the journey, not the destination; that is
actually a major theme of the novel Headz.

Who is your favorite character in the book?
I love them all, but for different reasons. If you
put a gun to my head I'd have to say Keith, I think he's the most human . . .

Talk a little bit about each character
Thelonious Horowitz is a cross between the Beastie Boys and Holden
Caulfield. He speaks in a colloquial NYC hip- hop tongue. He's musically talented
cocky, popular, bipolar, and the story's central character,
more by necessity than my personal authorial choice.

Teflon Jones is one of Thelonious's best friends, and he's called
Teflon cuz nothing sticks to him. He's as smooth as butter. I love Teflon.

KC McGovern is a beautiful young writer who believes in dreaming, no
matter what. I, as the author, personally have a crush on her.

Kurtis is this dreadie trickster from Miami, also a good friend of
Thelonious from seeing shows together over the years.

Geri (I named her after Jerry Garcia) is Kurtis's girlfriend and a sewing
diva. Geri can create amazing crafts with a needle.

The Princess is our fish-out-water character. A suburban , spoiled
typically American beauty who is used to getting her way.

Sky Tyler is a tree-hugging, save-the-world activist from San Francisco
who sort of falls in with a bad crowd.

Melody Rain is Sky's girlfriend, and also Thelonious's ex. She has a
dark side that is ugly as fuck, if you explore it.

Keith Lipsiznowaz is a bumbling yoga instructor from SF who is as
grounded as can be, except in the face of love, where he becomes a bit
of an emotional invalid.

Shore Morris is the older, more seasoned veteran of the scene. He
serves as a conveyor of information, and a positive role model,
although he is a bit of an Anarchist. (I named him after George Bernard Shaw
and William Morris, two influential Socialists in the U.K. during the 1890's).

There is one more thing I'd like to emphasize, and that is the
website, headzthenovel.com   The website is a full-feature addendum to
the book, complete with 100 extra pages of text, and soon to be
released features. I plan to record some of Thelonious's music, as well
as create Myspace, and FB accounts for 2-3 of the fictional characters.
I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing but my
intuition says the website is a key to doing something that hasn't been
done in literature, and that's a very exciting thing ...

As people gather to celebrate the life of Jerry Garcia during the first week of August, I wanted to share a mix of tunes. Instead of the usual suspects like “Eyes of the World” or “Ripple,” I dug a little deeper and found some stuff that was a little off the beaten path.

You can read my “Jerry Post” from last summer here.

Enjoy the tunes and I’ll meet you back here next week.

““You need music, I dont know why. It’s probably one of those Joseph Campbell questions, why we need ritual. We need magic and bliss, and power and myth, and celebration and religion in our lives and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it.” - Jerry Garcia

The Grateful Dead – “Mountains of the Moon” from Aoxomoxoa original vinyl pressing
Jerry and Sara Garcia – “Deep Elem Blues” 5/4/63 The Tangent, Palo Alto
The Grateful Dead – “I Second That Emotion” 4/25/71 Fillmore East, New York
Jerry Garcia Band – “Shining Star” unknown date and venue 1993
Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions – “Shake That Thing” 7/?/64 The Tangent, Palo Alto
Legion of Mary – “The Wicked Messenger” 4/19/75 Oriental Theater, Milwaukee
The Grateful Dead – “Morning Dew” 9/21/74 Palais Des Sports, Paris
Jerry Garcia and John Kahn – “Ruben and Cherise” 5/5/82 Oregon State Prison, Salem
The Grateful Dead – “Whiskey in the Jar” soundcheck 2/?/93

bonus track

Jerry’s Acid Test Commentary ca. 1967 (?)

The double album turns 30 this year. In upcoming installments of Test of the Boomerang, ‘ll be taking a look at the album’s creation, live spectacle, aftermath and legacy. In this first installment we’ll be looking at the long-storied origins of the album and sharing the band’s original demo recordings.

I. Origins

It’s one of the most repugnant tales in rock history: The final show of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh” tour, July 6th, 1977 in Montreal. Roger Waters had had quite enough. Floyd was performing in a stadium, fans were setting off fireworks during the quiet numbers, the sound was lousy, and finally, out of the roiling sea of people, a fan, imploring the band to play “Careful With That Axe Eugene,” clambered onto the stage, only to have Waters spit in his face.

Pink Floyd had come a long way from the spirited whimsy of “See Emily Play” just 10 years prior. 1977 saw the release of Animals – a visceral and venomous five-song diatribe on class and culture. After the worldwide success of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, the grislier Animals showed Roger Waters exerting himself more and more as band leader and the weightier themes on their new album suggested a pretension that was very unlike the zen parable simplicity of Dark Side’s best moments or Wish You Were Here’s built-in nostalgia.

Of course, after that summer day in Montreal, Roger Waters went home, horrified by his own behavior, picked up a guitar and began to write. He envisioned the alienation that he felt onstage as a wall separating the audience from the performers. Along with his burned-out rock star neuroses, Waters also added in a laundry list of other angst – his father’s death in World War II, his lonely childhood, his divorce from his wife, and some themes recalling Syd Barrett, again the missing muse.

Madness in all its forms has always been lyrical fodder for Pink Floyd. Even before it became the chief undercurrent of Dark Side of the Moon, Syd Barrett mused on his own dualism (and his leaving the band) on “Jugband Blues” back in 1968 (”…I’m wondering who could be writing this song…”), and Waters’ mournful “If” from 1970’s Atom Heart Mother featured the awkward confession, “If I go insane, please don’t put your wires in my brain.”

He brought two projects to the band – one would later become his 1984 solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, and the other would become The Wall. The band more or less agreed on The Wall and set about expanding on the project. This is The Wall in its infantile stages. Enjoy.

Pink Floyd – “The Wall” 1978 Demos

Disc One

In the Flesh, The Thin Ice, Another Brick in the Wall Part I, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall Part II, Mother, Goodbye Blue Sky, Empty Spaces Part I, Young Lust, One of My Turns. Don’t Leave Me Now, Empty Spaces Part II/What Shall We Do Now?, Another Brick in the Wall Part III

Disc Two

Is There Anybody Out There? Part I, Vera, Bring the Boys Back Home, Is There Anybody Out There? Part II, Is There Anybody Out There? Part III, Comfortably Numb, Hey You, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh, Run Like Hell, Waiting for the Worms, Stop, The Trial, Outside the Wall

(files are zipped into .rar format)

The 2009 Dead made their last stand on July 4th at Rothbury. The second year of the Michigan festival was a rousing success and the Dead’s solid show was a definite highlight. While the band got off to a shaky start on their spring tour, they proved their mettle beneath the Independence Day sky rockets.

Now if there was only a fall tour to start getting fired up about.

You can get the boards of the Rothbury show at dead.net and you find several excellent audience recordings on Etree.

Today we’re looking at some rehearsals and soundchecks from the ’90s, but I do have some pretty remarkable recordings of Jerry Garcia in the studio from 1969 for your downloading pleasure. Enjoy.

Sherman, set the wayback machine for September 1990.

Club Front Rehearsal with Bruce Hornsby, September 28, 1990

Bruce Hornsby made his live debut with the Grateful Dead on September 15th, 1990 at Madison Square Garden. He and Vince Welnick gave the band a multi-layered four-handed keyboard attack that was sometimes chaotic, but always sublime. Hornsby’s piano glissandos were the perfect counterpoint to Jerry Garcia’s crystalline leads.  The MSG September run was a solid showcase for the new players, and it helped ease the pain of Brent Mydland’s passing.

Before heading off to Europe in October, the band took some time off to rehearse with Bruce and Vince. This recording comes from a rehearsal session at the band’s San Rafael studio – Club Front.

They take on three songs – Bob Weir’s vigorous “Saint of Circumstance” and two of Bruce Hornsby’s songs, “Stander on the Mountain” and “The Valley Road.” The two Bruce songs were performed a few times before the end of the year, but unfortunately vanished from sight.

Listening to this intricate breakdown of “Saint” gets a whole new appreciation for it from me. “I need to write some easier songs,” Bob complains as he illustrates the myriad chord changes. There’s whole lot of fun going down as Bruce leads the boys through his tunes. The harmonies on “Valley Road” are pretty ragged, but great. Unfortunately the chatter in the studio is very low in the mix, but Bruce would “like one of those turkey sandwiches, you know, like Phil had yesterday.”

(Check out the killer version of “Valley Road” from October 30th, 1990 at Wembley Arena. It’s comes out of a Bruce-driven jam out of a killer “Let It Grow.”)

Miami Arena Soundcheck, April 6, 1994

The sound quality of this recording starts very hissy, but soon cleans up beautifully. The band rehearses “Comes a Time” – a rarely played gem of a tune, and “Easy Answers,” a much derided Bob Weir tune. The version of “Comes a Time” is gorgeous, but all too brief. The Florida weather must have been good for Jerry, he sounds great here. But what’s really intriguing about this recording comes at the end of “Comes a Time” – Jerry attempts to find a way to bridge the song with his newer composition, the darkly majestic “Days Between.”

“There might be something there!” Jerry says excitedly. “It’s an awful lot of that mood. It might be too much of a good thing.” He muses on the conjoining of the reflective “Comes a Time” with the shadowy landscape of  “Days Between.”

Even rarer than “Dark Star” or “Morning Dew,” “Comes a Time” would be played once or twice a year, sometimes missing for years at a time. In 1994, the band only performed it once outside of rehearsal. On a crisp October night in Landover, Maryland, “Comes a Time” appeared in the second set for the last time.

Jerry Garcia 1969 Studio Session

Last up, here is a recording from 1969 of Jerry Garcia working out his songs for Workingman’s Dead. There’s a second guitar present and I’m not sure if its just another track of Jerry or if Robert Hunter is present. I haven’t heard these sessions before and I’d like to thank whoever put these into circulation. I got them as a set of mp3s, but I’m sure a lossless version will surface. Check out Jer’s sweet falsetto on some of those early takes of “High Time.”

1. Dire Wolf I (2:15)
2. Dire Wolf II (5:30)
3. Casey Jones (2:58)
4. High Time I (4:17)
5. High Time II (5:17)
6. Untitled Blues (8:29)
7. “That’s probably what’s causing all the rumble” (0:09)
8. Dire Wolf III (fast) (2:20)
9. Dire Wolf IV (slower version) (1:18)
10. Dire Wolf V (1:18)
11. Dire Wolf VI (11:22)
12. High Time III (0:39)
13. High Time IV (0:10)
14. High Time V (3:56)

That’s all for this week, kids. Thanks for reading, enjoy the tunes and stay in touch…

Columbia/Legacy has just released a glorious two-disc edition of Babatunde Olatunji’s 1959 masterwork, Drums of Passion, one of the most profoundly influential records ever. Before Passion there was no such thing as “world” music, just the industry of “exotica” records from guys like Les Baxter and Martin Denny, who created the music and ambience of “faraway lands” in an air-conditioned recording studio. There were scholarly field recordings for anthropological purposes, but when John Hammond signed Olatunji, a Nigerian drummer, it opened a portal to an entire world of beat, rhythm, passion, spirituality, and movement.

Babatunde Olatunji – “Baba Jinde (Flirtation Dance)”

Babatunde Olatunji – “Shango (Chant to the God of Thunder)”

Olatunji made a string of albums for Columbia through the ’60s; the Legacy edition includes 1966’s More Drums of Passion and a slew of bonus tracks. He became an ambassador of African drumming and culture, and his acolytes include everyone from Cannonball Adderley to Afrika Bambaataa, Carlos Santana to Mickey Hart.

I had the honor of meeting Olatunji shortly after Hart and he took home the Grammy for Planet Drum in 1992. He was leading a drumming workshop in Santa Cruz, California. Rumors of “MICKEY’S GONNA BE THERE!” among Deadheads caused a much greater turnout than expected. Since we hadn’t registered (whoops) and they could only fit so many people in the classroom, we were turned away, but Olatunji told us to wait outside. After the class he came out and led us in a drum circle. We drummed and sang and chanted and danced for almost two hours. We didn’t even notice that Hart wasn’t there after all. It was truly a beautiful day.

While the albums in and of themselves, especially the Columbia stuff, were fairly slick and heavily produced, in my opinion the best expression of Olatunji’s music and spirit is when he’s leading others on his djembé. Just hands on drums, sharing soul and spirit.

Railroad Earth at DelFest, May 23rd. Allegany County Fairgrounds, Cumberland, MD.

Warhead Boogie>New Jam, Saddle of the Sun, Little Bit O’ Me, Fisherman’s Blues, 1759, Long Way to Go
encore: Railroad Earth

You may have heard about the terrible storm that tore into DelFest on Saturday, May 23rd. It destroyed the stage area and Railroad Earth’s late-night set was moved into a indoor multi-purpose room. The band delivered one solid set the previous day, but after the terrible events of the 23rd, the band played one of their most intimate and heartfelt sets ever.

Highlights include a 25-minute suite of “Warhead Boogie” into “New Jam,” guest appearances by Jason Carter and Ronnie McCoury, and a sweet “Railroad Earth” encore. Tim Carbone wrote over at his blog:

“That night when we encored with Railroad Earth at the late night show, I never meant it more when I sang…. Oh Mama, ain’t it good to be alive! It surely is… it surely is.”

Go check it out HERE. Also here’s some goodness from 5/29/09  — a good chunk of that night’s way cool version of “Like a Buddha.” Enjoy!

BK3 (Bill Kreutzmann, Scott Murawski, and James “Hutch” Hutchinson with Special Guest Tara Nevins (of Donna the Buffalo) at Mountain Jam, May 31st, Hunter Mountain, Hunter, New York

Louisiana Sun>Scarlet Begonias, If You Only Could, Thunder>He’s Gone>Bertha

After the Dead’s spring tour, Bill Kreutzmann couldn’t wait to get back to his new side band. Now officially called “BK3″ (nee’ Three, Bill Kreutzmann Trio and others), their incendiary set with surprise guest Tara Nevins was one of the most talked about sets at Mountain Jam.

Tara Nevins is the leader of Donna the Buffalo, an eclectic roots-rock band from New York. She really showed the crowd the business end of her bourbon-smooth voice (and a washboard). They tore through a blend of originals, old Dead chestnuts, and “Thunder” a new Robert Hunter-penned tune.

So far, none of the BK3 stuff is up at the Live Music Archive, which means you guys are gonna have to fire up the torrents. But trust me, you’ll be so, so glad you did. Go check it out (and other BK3 shows) over at bt.etree.org

Here’s a video from the previous night at Toad’s Place in New Haven. Listen to that crowd sing along. Great stuff.

Jackie Greene at Mountain Jam, May 30th, Hunter Mountain, Hunter, New York

Don’t Let the Devil Take Your Mind > Farewell So Long Goodbye, Uphill Mountain, Gone Wanderin’, Shakin’, I Don’t Live In a Dream, The Rusty Nail > New Speedway Boogie > I’m Waitin’ For My Man, Ball and Chain

Of course we all know Jackie Greene from his string of brilliant bluesy and folksy records and his inspired tenure with the latest incarnation of Phil Lesh and Friends. He’s constantly attracting new fans,who say “Hey, I’ve heard of this guy!”

Jackie brought the goods to Mountain Jam in the form of a watershed performance that included such Jackie faves as “Gone Wanderin’” and “Don’t Let the Devil Take Your Mind”, but the set climaxed with a double header of “New Speedway Boogie” and “Waiting For the Man.”

Go check it out at the Lama here!

Also here’s some fan-shot footage of “New Speedway.” Jackie is always on the road, folks. Go show him some love.

That’s it for this week, kids. Send me your scene reports, music, haiku — whatever to ben At popdose Dot com. Let me know what shows you wanna see featured!

Take good care, and stayyy in touch!

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Demos (Rhino)

In the wake of Graham Nash’s box earlier this year, and of course Neil Young’s behemoth Archives, Crosby, Stills & Nash (Neil Young appears only on one song) Demos is a pretty modest little disc. A cross-section of hits in their embryonic, home recorded states. It almost feels like a missing chunk of the old CSN box set. Almost. Nothing here feels too oblique, nothing too archaic or for-completists-only. Crosby’s early takes on “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Deja Vu” are especially interesting in their early arrangements. Graham Nash’s “Sleep Song” and Stephen Stills’ “My Love Is a Gentle Thing” crank up the intimacy factor on these recordings and “Be Yourself” and “Music is Love” retain their summery sing-along feel.

These songs are all classics that you’ve heard over and over again — their impact dulled by repetition on classic rock FM. The hallmark of CSN(Y) is those lush, layered harmonies, but hearing these songs all stripped down and bare still reveals that pointed reminder — music is love, let your freak flag fly.

David Crosby – “Almost Cut My Hair (demo)”

New Monsoon Live (New Monsoon)

New Monsoon are a consistently solid band whose new double live set (recorded over the course of several hot nights last fall in Texas) is a testimony to their powers as a live act. In the past New Monsoon have added didgeridoo and eastern percussion to their sound, but this is all straight-ahead rootsy jam rock at its finest.

Much has been written about how focused New Monsoon are. There are no wasted notes and no indulgent passages, even in the most furious jams. Jeff Miller’s lead guitar and Phil Ferlino’s keyboards chase each other down over tightly wound grooves courtesy of Marshall Harrell’s bass and Sean Hutchingson’s drums. Of course, Bo Carper on acoustic guitar and vocals provides the role of charismatic frontman — a fine vocalist and a deft instrumentalist in his own right.

From their lilting take on “Stagger Lee” to the epic “Alaska” (a sort of parental “Tangled Up in Blue”) to the fiery culmination of “Country Interlude” (and a mean cover of Hendrix’s “Freedom,” too), New Monsoon Live is the sort of supercharged live document that few bands manage to capture.

New Monsoon – “Alaska”

New Monsoon just tore it up last week at the Wakarusa Festival at Mulberry Mountain. An oh so crispy recording of their short but oh so sweet set can be found at the Live Music Archive.

New Monsoon at Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival on June 5, 2009

Sweet Brandywine->The Next Best Thing, Naked Truth, Romp, The Other Side, Modus Operandi->Greenhouse, Southern Dew, Bridge of the Gods

That “Modus>Greenhouse” is especially sick. Enjoy!

Audiobook; The Genesis Generation

The man behind MatrixMasters.com and the Palenque Norte camp and lecture series at Burning Man, Lorenzo Hagerty, has just completed his first novel. You can listen to him read the first chapter of  The Genesis Generation on the latest edition of  his “Psychedelic Salon” podcast. It’s an interesting narrative about a young professional falling into the sway of the psychedelic underground (along with such subversities as vegan pate’ and THC laced brownies!) It’s an interesting tale and I’m anxious to hear the rest of it. Lorenzo’s podcasts feature talks with everyone from Psychedelic legends like Terrence McKenna and Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams (Garcia) to present-day luminaries like Daniel Pinchbeck and Bruce Damer. Go check it out.

Bruce Damer & Lorenzo Hagerty (l-r)

Well, kids, that’s all I have for you this week. Meet me back here next week as we sample some kind goodies from the recent festivals, and stay in touch!

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