Check out this Jerry show from 72′ with an all-star cast featuring the late great organist Merl Saunders, bass-man extraordinaire John Kahn, and drum-master Billy K. from the Grateful Dead. This show is overflowing with energy, soul, funk, and straight top-notch playing. The setlist features classic cuts from The Beatles, Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye as well as rare Jerry Band tunes ‘Save Mother Earth’ and ‘Lonely Avenue’. This bootleg is raw but crisp and really captures this performance intimately and nicely. Without further ado:
Jerry and Merl
Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders, John Kahn, and Bill Kreutzman
2/06/72
Pacific High Studio
San Fransisco, CA
Set 1
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Expressway
That’s The Touch
Save Mother Earth>
Imagine
Set 2
That’s All Right Mama
Who’s Loving You Tonight
When I Paint My Masterpiece
I Was Made To Love Her
Lonely Avenue
How Sweet It Is
In June of 73′, the Dead and the Allman Brothers teamed up at RFK Stadium in the nation’s capital for what is widely regarded as one of the top Dead shows ever. The Dead delivered a monster 3 set show, with the third set featuring Merl Saunders, Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks. This show is truly a blast from the past, a looking glass into a past time when the Dead, the Brothers, and 30,000 fans could get together on a Sunday and enjoy a sunshine daydream freakout like it was still 1968.
Dig it:
The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band
6/10/73 ~ RFK Stadium ~ Washington, DC
Set 1:
Morning Dew
Beat It On Down The Line
Ramble On Rose
Jack Straw
Wave That Flag
Looks Like Rain
Box Of Rain
They Love Each Other
The Race Is On
Row Jimmy
El Paso
Bird Song
Playing In The Band
Set 2:
Eyes Of The World ->
Stella Blue
Big River
Here Comes Sunshine
Around And Around
Dark Star ->
He’s Gone ->
Wharf Rat ->
Truckin’
Sugar Magnolia
Set 3:
It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry
That’s All Right, Mama
The Promised Land
Not Fade Away ->
Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad ->
Drums ->
Not Fade Away
Johnny B. Goode
Back up a few years to 1970 – The Filmore East – where we find The Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage playing two shows (early and late show) with an intimate Dead Acoustic Set -> New Riders set -> Dead electric set format for both shows. This is A LOT of music. This is early, stripped-down, raw Dead, not to be messed with. Exhibit A: Phil’s bombing entrance into The Other followed by a break-neck rendition. Exhibit B: Bobby’s growls and yells in Minglewood – this is good shit:
The Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage
5/15/70 ~ The Filmore East ~ New York, NY
Early Show – Dead Acoustic Set
Don’t Ease Me In
I Know You Rider
The Rub
Friend Of The Devil
Long Black Limousine
Candyman/Equipment problems
Cumberland Blues
New Speedway Boogie
Cold Jordan
Early Show – New Riders of the Purple Sage
Bill Graham Introduction/Six Days On The Road
Whatcha Gonna Do?
I Don’t Know You
Henry
Portland Woman
Fair Chance To Know
Last Lonely Eagle
Early Show – The Grateful Dead (Electric)
Casey Jones
Easy Wind
Attics Of My Life
St. Stephen >
Cryptical Envelopment >
Drums >
The Other One >
Cryptical Reprise >
Cosmic Charlie
New Minglewood Blues
The Dead @ Filmore East 1970
Late Show – Dead Acoustic Set
Ballad Of Casey Jones
Silver Threads And Golden Needles
Black Peter
Friend Of The Devil
Uncle John’s Band
Candyman
She’s Mine
Katie Mae
I Hear A Voice Callin’
Late Show – New Riders of the Purple Sage
Bill Graham Introduction/Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
Louisiana Lady
Can’t Pay The Price
Truck Drivin’ Man
All I Ever Wanted
Workin’ Man Blues
Henry/Broken String
I Don’t Know You
Lodi
Last Lonely Eagle
Mama Tried
Sawmill
Me And My Uncle
Connection
Late Show – The Grateful Dead (Electric)
Here Comes The Sun/Stage Preparations
The Sun King/Stage Preparations/Marines’ Hymn
Bill Graham Introduction/China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider
Cumberland Blues
Hard To Handle/Broken String
Beat It On Down The Line
Morning Dew
Good Lovin’
Dire Wolf
Next Time You See Me
Dark Star >
St Stephen >
Not Fade Away >
Turn On Your Lovelight
Cold Jordan
Let’s mix it up a bit with some recent news tidbits, some bootlegs, and some video. As they say, “variety is the spice of life”:
First, the All Good Festival announced their Daily Lineup which looks like a lot of fun, though admittedly a bit cheesy and poppy. For some reason, they seemed to have packed a lot of the best acts into Sunday’s lineup. Why they wouldn’t give DSO, BK3, or Tea Leaf Green main day or late night shows is beyond me. In any case, check it out, July 9-12 at Marvin’s Moutaintop in Masontown, West Virginia.
In Dead news, Jambase put out this review of The Dead’s 5/02/09 final performance at the Philadelphia Spectrum. They’re got some nice pics, but I don’t think this review holds up to the one offered up here. Also, The Dead released a series of new videos from their 09′ tour. They picked some choice moments for the musical segments of these vids, definitely worth a watch. One of the 2 most recent videos feature Branford Marsalis offering up a fresh perspective on the Dead, their approach to the music, and the repetoire while the other has Bob Weir embarrassing himself with an attempt at human speech. The mindless dribble that comes out of his mouth these days is only second to his “rhythm guitar”. The dead kick off the closing west coast leg of their 09 tour today with a stop in Colorado. Rider, anyone?
Elsewhere this week, Phish’s Trey Anastasio was on Capitol Hill lobbying for drug courts… His choice of words was a bit cryptic: “I’m a recovering alcoholic and a proud graduate of the Washington drug court program”. Let me translate for you: I’m a recovering alcoholic who still loves oxy and blow! To read between the lines yet one layer further, I think what the frontman is really trying to say is ‘Don’t do drugs… Except of course on the upcoming sold out Phish tour!’
Moving on to something we really dig over here – let’s check out some bootlegs from the 70’s when, according to Branford, ‘Things were just easy’.
First, some Peter Tosh from the nation’s capital in 79:
Peter Tosh
Washington D.C.
3/13/79
1 400 Years/Steppin Razor
2 Pick Myself Up/African
3 Burial
4 Soon Come
5 I’m The Toughest/Bush Doctor
6 Don’t Look Back
7 Get Up Stand Up
8 Legalize It
Second, dig this show from Jerry and the late, great Merl Saunders in Palo Alto in 73′:
Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
5/04/73
Homer’s Warehouse
Palo Alto, CA
Set 1:
That’s The Touch I Like
Expressway
instrumental>
AfterMidnight>
It’s No Use
That’s All Right Mama
Set 2:
It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry
Honey Chile
Lonely Avenue
instrumental
Georgia On My Mind
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
How Sweet It Is
For a second encore, and one well worth it, check this Jerry and friends vid featuring Baba Olatunji, Carlos Santana, Hamza el-Din, Bobby Vega, Sikiru Adepoju, and others in California, 1987. Santana rips the shit out of this Fire and the rhythm secion is not to be messed with:
Also, The Dead released 
Elsewhere this week, Phish’s Trey Anastasio 
Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
Welcome To Now 