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| The cover to Cats Under The Stars, the Jerry Garcia Band | 's 1978 album |
This list is focused on actual members of the Jerry Garcia Band, or substitutions for those members. I have not attempted to include any guests, such as times when Maria Muldaur may have made guest appearances prior to 'officially' joining the band, or some Clarence Clemons appearances in September 1989, and so on. I am concerned about 'first' and 'last' shows for each lineup, but I am not trying to create a thread for discussing shows that are in and of themselves disputed.
The numbering system for each lineup is arbitrary, and only exists in order to facilitate discussing the lineups in the Comments. Anyone with additions, corrections, insights or speculation is encouraged to chime in. I am conceiving of this post as a permanent installation, and I will make changes to the list as new information comes to light.
KEITH AND DONNA with JERRY GARCIA
First show-August 5, 1975 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-August 30, 1975 The Orphanage, SF
Donna Godchaux-vocalsNotes; in the period between the end of Legion Of Mary and the beginning of the Jerry Garcia Band with Nicky Hopkins (JGB #1), Garcia played a few dates with the Keith and Donna Band. A few of them were billed as "The Jerry Garcia Band." Whether this was a result of confusion on the club owner's part or because the dates were booked before Hopkins was ready is unclear. Since some dates were booked as Jerry Garcia Band, I am including this lineup on my list.
Jerry Garcia-lead guitar, vocals
Ray Scott-guitar
Steve Schuster-tenor sax, flute, congas
Keith Godchaux-electric pianos, vocals
Mike Larsheid-bass
Bill Kreutzmann-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #1
First show-September 18, 1975 Sophie's, Palo Alto
Last show-December 31, 1975 Keystone Berkeley
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: This lineup was usually billed as "The Jerry Garcia Band with Nicky Hopkins." The lineup also recorded part of Reflections, although Larry Knechtel played many of the piano parts instead of Hopkins. Gregg Errico played the final show because Ron Tutt was playing with Elvis Presley.
Nicky Hopkins-piano, vocals
John Kahn-bass
Ron Tutt-drums
>Greg Errico-drums (December 17&31, 1975 Keystone Berkeley only)
JERRY GARCIA BAND #2
First show-January 9, 1976 Sophie's, Palo Alto
Last show-January 10, 1976 Sophie's, Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: I have a lot to say about this, but you'll just have to trust me for now. I do not actually know yet how the Sophie's shows were billed (update: I finally got around to it. An eyewitness also reports that the shows were billed as The Jerry Garcia Band).
James Booker-piano, organ, vocals
John Kahn-bass
Ron Tutt-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #3
First show-January 26, 1976 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-August 7, 1977 Keystone Berkeley
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Donna Godchaux-vocals
Keith Godchaux-piano
John Kahn-bass
Ron Tutt-drums
Notes: this lineup recorded Cats Under The Stars, with some help from Maria Muldaur, Merl Saunders and Stephen Schuster.
JERRY GARCIA BAND #3a
First show-July 8, 1977 Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY
Last show-July 9, 1977 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Keith Godchaux-piano
John Kahn-bass
Greg Ericco-drums, vocals
Notes: The JGB played a few shows without a female singer, for reasons unknown.
During the life of JGB #3, there were a variety of different configurations. JGMF has created a list. These were not continuous, and are noted by date of the first appearance (links to Jerrybase.com)
3b: #3 + Maria - e.g., 9/12/76
3c: #3 + second guitarist - e.g., 11/20/76
3d: #3 + John Rich - e.g., 12/21/76
#3e: #3 + Maria + second guitarist - e.g., 2/5/77
3f: #3 - Tutt repl by Errico - e.g., 6/23/77
3g: #3 - Donna + Maria (e.g., 7/3/77)
3h: #3 - Donna (e.g., 7/8/77)
3i: #3 - Tutt repl by Kreutzmann - e.g., 8/12/77
JERRY GARCIA BAND #4
First show-November 15, 1977 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-February 18, 1978 Marin Veterans, San Rafael
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Donna Godchaux-vocals
Keith Godchaux-piano
John Kahn-bass
Buzz Buchanan-drums
Note: Maria Muldaur appears with this lineup from November 23-December 2, and possibly some other Bay Area shows. I am not marking here as a full-time member until February 17, 1978 (JGB 4a, below)
JERRY GARCIA BAND #4a
First show-February 19, 1978 Santa Cruz Civic
Last show-November 3, 1978 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Donna Godchaux-vocals
Maria Muldaur-vocals
Keith Godchaux-piano
John Kahn-bass
Buzz Buchanan-drums
Note: This lineup may have been billed as 'Jerry Garcia and The Mystery Cats" for a few East Coast
shows, but the name never caught on, if it was even intended to.
RECONSTRUCTION #1
First show-January 30, 1979 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-September 22, 1979 Keystone Berkeley
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: Reconstruction was really a different group than the Jerry Garcia Band, but they are included here for continuity. John Kahn had started Reconstruction as a contemporary jazz group, with the idea that Garcia would just be a guest. Shows were often billed as "Reconstruction with special guest Jerry Garcia."
Ron Stallings-tenor sax, vocals
Ed Neumeister-trombone
Merl Saunders-organ, keyboards, vocals
John Kahn-bass
Gaylord Birch-drums
RECONSTRUCTION #2
First show-August 4, 1979 Keystone Palo Alto
Last show-September 29, 1979 Keystone Palo Alto
Carl Lockett-guitarNotes: As Garcia's participation started to wind down, Reconstruction played a few shows without him, but there was very little traction and the group faded away. I have included the later Reconstruction lineup here for continuity. It's possible that the last date was actually September 4 in Bolinas, but I am not pursuing that subject in this post.
>Jerry Miller-guitar, vocals (for a few shows, presumably in place of Lockett)
Ron Stallings-tenor sax, vocals
Ed Neumeister-trombone
Merl Saunders-organ, keyboards, vocals
John Kahn-bass
Gaylord Birch-drums
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| A newspaper ad for The Keystones in October 1979 (probably from the SF Chronicle Sep 30 '79) |
First show-October 7, 1979 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-March 27, 1980 Keystone Berkeley
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNote: Originally, it appears this lineup was designed to co-exist with Reconstruction, but Reconstruction tailed off before the new Garcia Band got started.
Ozzie Ahlers-electric piano, synthesizer
John Kahn-bass
Johnny d'Fonseca-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #11b
First show-July 16, 1980 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-August 9, 1980 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNote: Greg Errico was brought in as a substitute for a brief tour.
Ozzie Ahlers-electric piano, synthesizer
John Kahn-bass
Greg Errico-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #12a
First show-January 22, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Last show- January 23, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: This lineup seems to have originally been conceived of as a quartet, although they only played two shows in that format.
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Daoud Shaw-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #12b
First show-January 27, 1981 Old Waldorf
Last show-June 1, 1981 The Stone
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: Jimmy Warren joined the band on their third date, at Garcia's request.
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
Daoud Shaw-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #13a
First show-June 25, 1981 Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Last show- June 26, 1981 Fox-Warfield
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Essra Mohawk-vocals
Liz Stires-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
Phil Lesh-bass
Daoud Shaw-drums
Note: There may have been a warmup show at Keystone Palo Alto on June 24, and Phil was likely on bass (as Kahn was apparently vacationing in Europe)
JERRY GARCIA BAND #13b
First show-July 23, 1981 The Stone
Last show-August 23, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: This lineup seems to have been the first iteration of the permanent structure of the Jerry Garcia Band, with Melvin Seals and two female vocalists. Essra Mohawk was Daoud Shaw's wife, and Liz Stires was Jimmy Warren's girlfriend, so the JGB replicated its previous vocal team, using the wife and girlfriend of two band members. Mohawk was a successful songwriter and vocalist in her own right, and may have only planned to be part of the band for a brief time in any case. Phil Lesh filled in for another show in Fairfax, some sort of Benefit that was booked at the last minute.
Essra Mohawk-vocals
Liz Stires-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
>Phil Lesh-bass (August 22, 1981 Fairfax Pavilion only)
Daoud Shaw-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #14a
First show-September 7, 1981 Concord Pavilion
Last show-September 20, 1981 The Stone
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Julie Stafford-vocals
Liz Stires-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
Bill Kreutzmann-drums
Notes: Local singer Julie Stafford replaced Mohawk on a more permanent basis. Shaw left also, and both of them returned to Philadelphia. Bill Kreutzmann filled in for a few shows, for the first time since the days of the Garcia/Saunders band. I saw the September 7 show, so I am certain about Kreutzmann's presence. I am just guessing about the trio of shows at the Keystones that followed (September 18-20). It's not impossible that Tutt played those shows.
Ron Tutt replaced Kreutzmann (14b-below), and then Bill re-appeared. It's unknown whether Tutt's departure was anticipated. Lineup 14a had another run:
First show-December 17, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Last show-June 22, 1982 The Mosque, Richmond, VA
Stires left the band two days before the tour ended, for
unknown reasons.
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| The cover of the Jerry Garcia Band's 1982 album Run For The Roses |
First show-October 25, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Last Show-November 19, 1981 Rainbow Theater, Denver, CO
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: The voice of Steve Marcus on the Grateful Dead Hotline announced this tour as "The Return Of Ron Tutt." Run For The Roses was also recorded during this period, with Tutt playing the drums, and that would not at all have been by chance. Although Roses was not a satisfying album, it was a sign of Garcia's seriousness that the tracks were recorded when Tutt was available.
Julie Stafford-vocals
Liz Stires-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
Ron Tutt-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #14d
First show-June 23, 1982 Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
Last show-June 24, 1982 Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ late show
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsJERRY GARCIA BAND #15a
Julie Stafford-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
Bill Kreutzmann-drums
First show-October 13, 1982 The Catalyst
Last show- October 23, 1982 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Greg Errico-drums
Notes: Jimmy Warren left and was not replaced. It appears that there were plans for new vocalists, but for some reason a few shows were played as a quartet. Greg Errico returned on the drums.
JERRY GARCIA BAND #15b
First show-October 23, 1982 River Theater, Guerneville, CA
Last show-November 15, 1982 Wilkins Theater, Kean College, Union, NJ
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Elisecia Wright-vocals
Shirley Faulkner-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Greg Errico-drums
Note: DeeDee Dickerson and Jaclyn LaBranch did not join until later.
JERRY GARCIA BAND #15c
First show-January 13, 1983 Keystone Berkeley
Last show-June 5, 1983 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: My understanding has been that DeeDee Dickerson and Jaclyn LaBranch were singers in the choir for which Melvin Seals was the musical director.
DeeDee Dickerson-vocals
Jacklyn LaBranch-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Greg Errico-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #21a
First show-July 20, 1983 Keystone Palo Alto, CA
Last show-May 20, 1984 Country Club, Reseda, CA
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: David Kemper began his long run as drummer for the Jerry Garcia Band in July of 1983. Nobody in the band had met him beforehand--Kahn had simply called a producer friend in Los Angeles and asked him who was good. Kemper, who had been a studio musician since 1966, was good alright--really good. He stayed for 10 years.
DeeDee Dickerson-vocals
Jacklyn LaBranch-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
David Kemper-drums
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| The cover of the Jerry Garcia Band's 1991 live album, recorded 1990 |
First show-July 10, 1984 Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Last show-November 19, 1993 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: Gloria Jones, another choir member, replaced Dickerson. This configuration of the Jerry Garcia Band played more shows than any other lineup, probably more than all the others put together. Update: esteemed scholar JGMF says that Gloria Jones replaced DeeDee Dickersron a little later than I originally thought, so I changed the dates.
Gloria Jones-vocals
Jacklyn LaBranch-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
David Kemper-drums
>(Gaylord Birch-drums: Oct 7 '85>Feb 2 '86 see JGB #22)
JERRY GARCIA BAND #22
First show-October 7, 1985 Keystone Palo Alto
Last show-February 21, 1986The Stone
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: Gaylord Birch played 10 JGB gigs during this stretch, all in the Bay Area. I presume that Kemper had another commitment, and since Birch was an established quantity from his time in Reconstruction, he was a comfortable choice as a sub.
Gloria Jones-vocals
Jacklyn LaBranch-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Gaylord Birch-drums
JERRY GARCIA BAND #23
First show-February 4, 1994 The Warfield
Last show-April 23, 1995 The Warfield
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocalsNotes: For reasons unknown, Kemper was replaced after 10 years by Don Baldwin. Baldwin had played with Melvin Seals and Mickey Thomas in the Elvin Bishop Group in the 70s, and then had joined Thomas in the Starship in the 1980s. Presumably Seals recommended him for the Garcia Band, although Garcia and Kahn would have been familiar with his drumming from the past.
Gloria Jones-vocals
Jacklyn LaBranch-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
John Kahn-bass
Don Baldwin-drums
WOW. Foundational. Much to say, a few little tweaks to add. But I am offline for the next couple of days.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Now you can see why I was fixated elsewhere on the idea that JGB #21B was an outlier as such a long-running configuration.
ReplyDeleteThis might not be the correct place to ask, but why didn't Jerry and Merl play together after Reconstruction? The Jerry bands with Merl in them were by far my favorite Jerry bands.
ReplyDeleteI think he may have found someone with better chops, plus Merl was one of his best friends. They say never mix friends and business and by this time the scene had become a big business. He would have also had to give Merl equal billing which could have created friction. Who knows. Look at what happened with Bobby Vega and Steve Kimock. Bobby thought they should all get equal pay and Steve wanted to pay the guys as side men. Bobby walked in 2001 but they mended fences. Music business does weird things to people.
DeleteProbably because I got tired of hearing Merle name dropping ''with a fellow named 'Jerry' " during shows that'd NOTHING TO DO W/EITHER JGB OR GD but STILL, OVER A DECADE LATER & AFTER PLAYIN' COVER TUNES W/ Merle- IT WAS PATHETICALLY SAD & NECESSARY FOR THE 10-17% OF GD-relatd SEATS FILLED BY Merle's presence to have some connection. Here it came a-gain: 'remember Me from '73?' No? Look up: Wax Museum- 'NICKSILVER'- DC '83 (eg, YT). Sadly, he got a louder welcome as those guys would not put in the time to build their audiences by 2-3×/year & they: Gravenites-Cipollina aka Thunder+Lightning, Melton, DINOSAURS, & Merle's OWN thing, etc would've ALL been SERIOUS DRAWS FROM The Birchmere- Alex,VA- UPSTATE NY/Northern MASS. Why Not?
DeleteIt's probably a great place to ask!
ReplyDeleteThis has never been explained. There were various studio crossings, and the occasional one-off live gig (Merl sat in with JGB in June of '81, and with the GD in March of '85), but nothing systematic. Presumably it's a lot of things, not all of them complicated.
Jerry and Merl did play together after Reconstruction, on the 'Twilight Zone' soundtrack, a Merl solo album, and the occasional sit-in. So they were still friends. However, Jerry's pattern with his own bands seems to have simply been to move forward and have change for the sake of change. I think Jerry enjoyed changing drummers and so on (even if the drummers didn't), because it made for a new experience.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed Merl on KZFR-FM in 1999. I asked him when he last played with Jerry and he said he couldn't remember when they last performed onstage together, but that they played music in private quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was Merl who Garcia played with to get his chops back after his coma, so they certainly were not estranged.
ReplyDelete"Jerry's pattern with his own bands seems to have simply been to move forward and have change for the sake of change"
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to you elaborating on this, Corry, because ex ante I don't think I agree.
One of the functions of this post was to act as an ongoing footnote to that sort of discussion. My current opinion was that the Garcia Band, in contrast to the date, was designed to change. As the band became more static, it became less exciting.
ReplyDelete"Jerry and Merl did play together after Reconstruction, on the 'Twilight Zone' soundtrack"
ReplyDeleteI saw Merl a bunch of times in the late 90's and early 00's, and at one of the shows during the between song banter he mentioned that most (if not all, I can't remember) of "Jerry's" playing on the 'Twilight Zone' soundtrack was Michael Hinton. I think that he said it during his show that he played on the one year anniversary of Jerry's death, and that Jerry had allowed Merl to use his name to get the contract with CBS. He told a lot of stories during that show, including how nobody would tell him what hospital Jerry was in during his coma, and how he had to find him on his own. I'll have to listen to it again tonight to refresh my memory.
Jeremy, that's a very interesting little tidbit about the Twilight Zone soundtrack. I find it completely believable. Jerry was a generous guy, but I always wondered where he found the time to do all those little musical vignettes. Maybe he just didn't, but was more than willing to let Merl use his name.
ReplyDeleteI hope it was actually Jerry on the "neener-neener" theme, though, just for the sake of history.
I saw a JGB show at the Warfield sometime in the late 80's or early 90's where there was a drummer who looked like a deadhead they pulled out of the crowd. He wasn't very good. It might have been around the time that Birch played with them. Any ideas about who/when this was? I saw a bunch of shows 84-86 and then a few in the 90-94 era. Sorry I can't be more specific.
ReplyDeleteThis interview with David Kemper gives some insight into the band during his tenure: http://www.well.com/user/shmo/kemper.html Judging by what he says, I think it would be hard to make any statement about what Garcia's patterns for his band were.
ReplyDeleteDr.Jeff, The Jerry Garcia Band didn't play the Warfield until late 1987 (save for a single show on Jun 26 '81, which I saw, with Daoud Shaw on drums). David Kemper might look like a Deadhead from some angles (as opposed to the African American Gaylord Birch). He was a great drummer, but he could have just been having an off night. Do you think the drummer wasn't Kemper?
ReplyDeleteTwilight Zone soundtrack:
ReplyDeleteWhile introducing Michael Hinton on 8/9/1996: "We did the Twilight Zone. Back in the 80's, '83 and '84 I was the musical director. When Jerome couldn't come in--and CBS didn't know, they were just tickled to death we were doin' it--and pretty soon Jerry wasn't into it sometimes, you know. He'd say, "Merl, it's cloudy today. Do I have to come in?" I'd say, uh that's okay, and I'd call up Michael Hinton, and he would play his parts, you know. So a lot of those parts that'cha heard, some of 'em were Jer some of 'em were Michael Hinton, ya know. [laughs] We can tell CBS now, ten years later, ya know."
I saw Kemper a dozen times at least, Birch once, and this guy wasn't either of them. It was an amateur, I'm telling you. A review (on rec.music.gdead) said he was using a lot of drummer cliches if that makes sense. Maybe it was the Stone?
ReplyDeleteI would love to know if you ever pin this down!
DeleteDr. Jeff, one of the maddening things about the Garcia Band was that they performed in a weird vacuum. No press releases, no interviews, no reviews, no stage announcements. It's fascinating but not surprising to find out about a substitute drummer whose presence was never identified. Kemper was a busy guy, and must have had a conflict.
ReplyDeleteIn defense of whoever the guy was, it had to be hard to sit in with a band in front of a few thousand people with little or no rehearsal. Kemper accurately described the JGB style with the immortal phrase "one foot on the gas and the other on the brake" and that had to be hard to step into cold.
Yes, it's true. I don't mean to slander the guy publicly, and it clearly doesn't count as a version of the band. I just thought it was strange that a guy of Jerry's caliber couldn't pull in someone better if he needed a sub on short notice.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things we tend to lose sight of was how deceptively difficult the Jerry Garcia Band would have been to play with. I can imagine a lot of pretty good rock drummers would find themselves completely thrown for a loop trying to play with Garcia and Kahn, particularly since those two and Melvin were together for 15 years.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing we lose sight of was what great drummers Garcia actually used. Guys like Paul Humphrey, Ron Tutt and David Kemper weren't just "pretty good," they were among the finest drummers in the music industry.
I'm still interested in who that sub might have been, just to trace out the various connections.
On February 4, 1994 Garcia introduces Donnie Baldwin. On the amazing Chuck Vasseur recording (shnid 15602), during d1t04 (I don't know where in the track), Garcia says "The new guy is Donnie Baldwin, playing drums."
ReplyDeleteOK for the record, it was Baldwin, and it was his 3rd show with JGB (2/6/94) that I saw him. And I had never seen him before, having mainly seen Kemper (and a couple of Birch shows). There you have it.
ReplyDeleteOh, I see we did pin this down!
DeleteWas Donnie Baldwin drumming with Elvin Bishop's Group on June 4, 1978, I guess I am asking Corry?
Almost certainly Baldwin was drumming with Elvin in SB. He was the regular drummer. Unless there was a sub, he was there, so both Melvin and Baldwin would have been jamming with Jerry.
DeleteWe need JGB 14d. You mention it in comments of 14c, but if we are going to do it we might as well do it right! I like this system, to use a base number and variations.
ReplyDeleteJerry Garcia - el-g, vocals;
John Kahn - el-bass;
Melvin Seals - organ;
Jimmy Warren - electric piano;
Bill Kreutzmann - drums;
Julie Stafford - backing vocals.
Liz Stires is definitely not present on 6/23/82. I'll be checking out 6/24/82 soonish. But we she's probably gone and #14d is probably this sextet for these two dates (three shows, since there were early/late shows on 6/24).
I concur, so I made a JGB 14d listing.
ReplyDeleteI believe 15b should begin on 10/27/82, not 10/28.
ReplyDeletehttp://jgmf.blogspot.com/2010/05/jgb-october-27-1982-rismillers-club.html
http://jgmf.blogspot.com/2012/12/ln-jg1982-10-27jgbs1s2paud.html
Agreed. Done.
DeleteThanks. I have put a sticky link to this post at JGMF, and have been trying to anchor bands back to it in listening notes and such.
DeleteHave been digging in to early 80s JGB with a fellow deadhead buddy of mine. Pretty sure that Jimmy Warren wasn't present on 7-26. Here is my write up for that show that I just sent my friend: Overall great show. Sound is great. If the masters were available I think it's actually release-worthy, (more on that later)
ReplyDeleteThe reported personnel is:
JERRY GARCIA BAND #13b
First show-July 23, 1981 The Stone
Last show-August 23, 1981 Keystone Palo Alto
Jerry Garcia-guitar, vocals
Essra Mohawk-vocals
Liz Stires-vocals
Melvin Seals-organ
Jimmy Warren-electric piano
John Kahn-bass
Daoud Shaw-drums
Here is a pic from a few nights later: http://www.minkindesign.com/photo/jgb/jgb_08-21-81-07a.html
Only pic I've seen of Liz and Essra.
After repeated listening I can't hear Jimmy Warren at all, so I'm pretty sure he wasn't around.
First few songs pretty standard. I must say though that the background vocalists aren't as good at Donna and Maria Muldaur were or later how Jackie and Gloria were. Tough Mama is definitely a different feel than the LOM versions, a bit faster, but pretty solid. Mississippi Moon is stellar - you can hear how Melvin really found his place after a few months. (earlier tracks prove this too) The real fun starts with the closer pairing of Don't Let Go>Tangled. I actually don't like the arrangement of Tangled up in Blue very much with the La-La-La's and all but this performance is really good. Makes me remember what an awesome song it is. Again Melvin really shines.
Second Set is really nice too. Not quite as jammed out as LOM or some of the previous incarnations of JGB were but certainly had more raw energy than the last few years with Keith. Midnight Moonlight is smoking.
I think this era really illustrates what JGB was about to become. Although there were some lineup changes the formula stayed the same. 2 chicks + Melvin, Kahn and drummer. This would be the way it was for the next 14 years.
This show is different from my stereotype of early 80s JGB, tight playing, solid vocals, didn't seem rushed or too up tempo, but was harder driving than the previous Garcia bands.
Sound of the tape is quite good, a bit hissy at quiet parts (Mississippi Moon for example) but well balanced with everyone clear in the mix. I hope that this and other masters are around somewhere and see the light of day.
Anthony Zembrodt / zembrodt@hotmail.com
Thank you very much for these comments and the photo link. I agree that this was the prototype for the subsequent history of the JGB, albeit with changing singers and drummers.
DeleteYes, thanks for analysis. Now I need to go listen for an electric piano on that tape!
Delete7-26-81 that is.
ReplyDeleteCorry, there are several shows in 1977 (e.g., 7/8/77, 7/9/77) without Donna Jean Godchaux or Maria Muldaur. Can you please create an entry for that configuration?
ReplyDeleteDone--Jerry Garcia Band 3a. Let me know if there were additional dates besides July 8 and 9, 1977.
DeleteWill do. I think there may be a variant with just Maria, too, but need to confirm.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am really confused about November-December '83 tour. All mentions of the names say it is Jaclyn LaBranch and DeeDee Dickerson, the latter instead of Gloria Jones. These include John Scher materials, and he was very tied-in with Garcia Band. Even more consequentially, I have a copy of the band's tour itinerary, and Dickerson's travel is laid out (she spent Thanksgiving, 11/24/83, in St. Louis, for example).
ReplyDeleteIt would throw our chronologies all akimbo to have her still there (or again) at that point.
I recall that I was pretty uncertain when the vocalists changed. I probably just guessed. I'm sure you are correct.
DeleteSo what I should change date of the last show of #21a and the first show of #21b. And did they change singers for #22 (the Gaylord Birch config)?
I don't know the proper starting date for Gloria Jones at this point, nor do I know about the #22 configuration. If the research gods smile on me, someday I might be able to access the relevant contracts, but that has not happened in 10+ years of chasing them.
ReplyDeleteI think in another decade or so we will have it nailed down pretty well. It's been 30-odd years, I can wait a little longer til we get everything.
Deletei thoroughly enjoyed this rabbit hole...thank you
DeleteCan you please correct spelling on Greg Errico's name, so we are all on the same page? I refer frequently to this page, and then I can never remember how it is spelled. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Johnny D's last name is d'Fonseca.
ReplyDeleteFixed all the spellings, thanks
DeleteI am going through the summer 77 shows, and noticed that only Maria is singing on the 7/2-7/3 Keystone Palo Alto gigs, not Donna -- which makes sense, given that Donna was ill and missed the east coast shows a few days later. I am pretty sure that Donna is the only backup singer on 6/23, 7/23, 7/29-30 (the official release), and the circulating fragment of 8/6. But on 8/7/77, it sounds like Maria joins Donna for the 2nd set: I hear two female singers on Tore Up and Harder They Come -- but I think that would count as a "guest appearance," since Maria does NOT sing on TLEO, a song she presumably hadn't learned yet. Maria & Donna are both singing in a pic of the 8/12/77 Greenpeace benefit show.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is some variability with the ladies during that period.
ReplyDeleteBacking vocals are definitely present on 10/24/82 in Guerneville. So the boundary between 15a and 15b should be moved, I think. Also NB "Jacklyn" rather than "Jaclyn".
ReplyDeletewhen was the last show Kreutzmann played with the garcia band?
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge, June 24 '82 in Passaic (lineup 14b).
DeleteI am feeling confident enough about this to urge a change (if I haven't in comments above already): DeeDee Dickerson definitely stays on through the late '83 east coast swing. I don't know exactly when Gloria Jones came in, but it makes sense to think it was the start of '84.
ReplyDeleteIf you agree, this would extent #21a and foreshorten #21b.
Hmmm, I do see DeeDee still on the handbills for the 1/84 shows in the Pacific Northwest, so maybe it's even later (though handbills aren't necessarily up to date on personnel matters).
ReplyDelete14b should end 11/19/81, as there's no evidence for a show on 11/20.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I found knowledgeable-sounding preview and review of Santa Barbara 5/19/84 show which list DDD rather than Gloria Jones. Could be legacy info, but it seems to me like DDD was around at that point, and GJ came in later. Best would be if someone with good ears would listen to backing vocals, short of one of these ladies coming forward with clear information.
We've got a problem here folks. 02/05/77. The late show. In the first few tunes, but especially noticeable on Dixie we have a second female vocalist. This is well before Maria M. joins the band. Doesn't really sound like her either even though I'm no MM expert. Anyone have a clue? It's not in the text file.
ReplyDeleteI know that Maria was traveling with the band on this date, so my strong hunch, without having revisited it, is that it is her.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know the two female vocalists that played with jgb at Keystone Berkeley but can't recollect the date or even the songs they played. One of the womem had blond, fairly straight hair and other brown or red or ? It was my first jgb show and I liked that that were funkier than the dead and the venues were smaller and more intimate. So intimate that on leaving the restroom i literally almost ran into JG in that long narrow hall way that you had to negotiate to use the facilities. I got all ginchy and when I veered right he went left and we almost collided. Extremely embarrassed, I tried going left but he went right. Finally i went right again and he just stopped. I mumbled a shy 'hi' and his reply was much the same. I looked up at last minute and he was still looking at the floor and suddenly I didn't feel as goofy as I usually did. Might be goofy but I had company so. . Didn't feel so bad. Cracked me up when i saw Carl Lockart played with jgb. He would accompany my friends Joan and James Levi when they would come down to scruze Mountains with his wife/girlfriend to stay at me and my girlfriend's tin shack. We were growing some kickass strains back then and they would leave the planet. Neither James (drummer for the Headhunters) nor Joan smoked at the time nor did my girlfriend and they found Carl and his girlfriend's predictiment quite amusing but i didn't. I warned them but they probably thought i was boasting. They recovered eventually but it ruined their night and i wasn't being a good host by letting it happen.
ReplyDeleteDidn’t Maria Muldaur start singing with JGB as early as summer 76’?
ReplyDeleteYes. I have documented her in August and September '76, and there are rumors that she came on w JGB as early as March. But I still think those were more like guest shots than her being a member of the band.
ReplyDeleteDo you know who the very occasional backup baritone vocalist was in the JGB #3 lineup, for example on Sisters & Brothers? Was it Keith as I assume, or Ron Tutt, as the #3a lineup suggests?
ReplyDeleteGood question, I would love to know for sure. I have always thought it was Keith, because I think Tutt's voice was a little higher.
DeleteAlso on Who Was John...
ReplyDeleteThank you to Corry324, JGMF, and everyone else who put so much time into this!
ReplyDeleteBest JGB lineup was around '73 or '74 Legion of Mary,Boston Music Hall. Horn player was in the band. Pousette Dart Band opened those shows.
ReplyDeleteBest JGB lineup was around '73 or '74 Legion of Mary,Boston Music Hall. Horn player was in the band. Pousette Dart Band opened those shows.
ReplyDeleteLegion of Mary existed mostly in 1975, not those earlier years. And neither the Jerry and Merl band nor Legion played Boston Music Hall. Jerry first played that room outside the Dead on 3/14/78 with the JGB, w/o horns.
ReplyDeleteW/ horns, Jerry and Merl played Paul's Mall in Boston in November '74, and Legion played the Orpheum in April '75. I don't know about Poussette-Dart opening either of those shows, but if they were around in November '74 that seems likeliest.
I have updated the beginning/end dates of JGB #21b-22a.
ReplyDeleteJGB #21b properly ends May 20 '84 (Country Club, Reseda), and JGB #22b begins July 10 '84 (Keystone Palo Alto)
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhy does the numbering skip from #4 in 78 to #11 in 79?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how much or if the numbering would change, and if I added an "early" configuration, I didn't want to have to renumber every single entry and create an error.
Delete3a and 3b have gone wonky - same dates
ReplyDeleteLet me propose some edits to JGB #3
ReplyDeleteJGB #3 should end 8/7/77
If you really want to parse every configuration, here's my best attempt. I don't know the logical progression you might want to use, so I just do it by order of first appearance.
3b: #3 + Maria - e.g., 9/12/76
3c: #3 + second guitarist - e.g., 11/20/76
3d: #3 + John Rich - e.g., 12/21/76
#3e: #3 + Maria + second guitarist - e.g., 2/5/77
3f: #3 - Tutt + Errico - e.g., 6/23/77
3g: #3 - Donna + Maria (e.g., 7/3/77)
3h: #3 - Donna (e.g., 7/8/77)
3i: #3 - Tutt + Kreutzmann - e.g., 8/12/77
I updated the post, I like your construction of the history
DeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteCoupla things for today.
ReplyDelete"Jaclyn" should be spelled "Jacklyn"
We now know the #15b singers: Elisecia Wright and Shirley Faulkner
Both fixed, very good work.
Delete14a and 14c are the same. What's your lean on keeping c, given the general nonlinearities in all of this stuff?
ReplyDelete14a and 14c are not the same, since they have different time frames. I guess I could have done 14b as a sort of insert, but Tutt was really supposed to replace Kreutzmann. Then he left and was replaced by the best and most available drummer, who turned out to be...Billy K.
DeleteLet me float the alternative view. The keystone JGB #21b operates from '84 until the little Gaylord interregnum, then it comes back. Following the logic of your comment here, it should come back with a different variant number, because it's in a different timeframe, just interrupted. I would argue we should not have two band variants with identical personnel, i.e., that a variant is defined entirely by personnel, and is not defined by time except that its variant number reflects the understood order in which it first appeared.
ReplyDeleteEither way, this should be consistent.
Well, I sort of disagree, but I can't explain myself properly. I accept the need for consistency, so I removed 14C and put a note in on 14A.
DeleteYou are a gentleman and a scholar.
DeleteSince this comment thread is mostly about me picking nits, let me say that I have it on good authority that Maria Muldaur is not present on 2/17/78. So that night should be the last night for your JGB #4, and JGB #4a, with Maria as a formal member, should commence 2/18/78.
ReplyDeleteGaaah, silly me. She's not present on 2/18/78, either. Let me try to check 2/19!
DeleteSo MM is present on 2/19/78, but not on 2/15, 17 or 18.
ReplyDeleteOk, I made the change with last as Feb 18 (Marin) and first with Maria "joining" so to speak on Feb 19 (Santa Cruz)
DeleteThanks! Sorry for working it out piecemeal.
Deletereally interesting thread. I was listening to 3/4/95 today and noticed something different about the drums. I had not known until now that Kemper had been replaced after 93. I’m just really curious why Kemper would be replaced when I always felt like he was phenomenal with JGB. not sure if I’ve listened to any other shows with Donny on drums but honestly I could tell something was off pretty quickly listening to the 3/4/95 show and that is the reason I went looking to see if there was A drummer change or guest for that show. Would love to hear any information about the lineup change if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks for all the info here. Very cool
ReplyDeleteIt remains a mystery to everyone why David Kemper was replaced. That's not a knock on Don Baldwin, a solid drummer and a pal of Melvin Seals (they were in the Elvin Bishop Band together). But no one knows what inspired the change.
Delete