Move Me Brightly – A Documentary Concert Film Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday

In general I have avoided too much Jerry-ana. I loved Jerry's singing and playing, and found him an endlessly compelling thinker and talker, but I have a problem with the cult of personality that has grown up around him. Many are incapable of seeing the feet of clay on their heroes. Either way, his body of work stands as its own judgment. Move Me Brightly is a heartfelt and musically rewarding tribute to that body of work, and to a lesser extent a nod to the personality as well.

Led by Garcia's loyal sidekick, Bob Weir, Move Me Brightly finds a revolving cast of Garcia contemporaries paired with a tasteful group of younger players immersing themselves in some of Garcia's best songs. Weir, Donna-Jean Godchaux, Phil Lesh and Mike Gordon are joined by Jonathan Wilson, Cass Mccombs, Harper Simon (Paul's son) and members of The Hold Steady, Vampire Weekend, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, Black Crowes, Yellowbirds and others for a hypnotizing couple of hours of truly great music.

Weir comports himself with dignity and generosity as he lets each guest shine on vocals or their respective instrument. Many times he guides the assembled into an ensemble wall-of-sound utilizing up to five guitarists on stage at the same time. Because of the careful rehearsal that went into this event, along with the beautiful sound achieved, there is almost no stepping on other people's solo, and each instrument is beautifully clear and adding to the whole. And the whole is an emotionally and musically satisfying event. There are many highlights, including Jonathan Wilson's haunting version of “Mission In The Rain,” and Neil Casal's overwhelmingly emotional reading of “Ship Of Fools.” Weir tackles “The Days Between” and “Shakedown Street” with just the right blend of ownership and borrowing, a balance he has increasingly struck with authority.

 

I kept waiting to be let down, but I never was. The playing was phenomenal throughout, and the taped interviews with four of Jerry's daughters, ex-wife and brother are illuminating as well as humanizing. Other musicians like David Hidalgo, Carlos Santana, both Dead drummers, Perry Farrell, Dave Schools and Mike Campbell all spill their love for Jerry without getting sappy, and the overall feeling one is left with is profound dignity. It is hard to imagine that a movie without an actual appearance by Jerry Garcia could say so much about his music and legacy, but Move Me Brightly does just that. Not to be missed!

- Paul Epstein

Jerry Garcia Band with Nicky Hopkins- Let It Rock

With the possible exception of his work with David Grisman, this first iteration of The Jerry Garcia Band was totally unique because it is the only time he had a musical foil who matched his own peerless skill; That person was Nicky Hopkins. Garcia, like all stars, tended to play with people less accomplished than himself. This is not by design, but rather the natural reality that few were as good as him. In Nicky Hopkins he found another world-class player with whom to share the burden of soloing. Hopkins proved to be a short-lived (less than a year in the band) but potent dueling partner for Garcia. The shows Jerry did with Nicky Hopkins don’t sound like any other in his career due to the slow, baroque deliberateness of Hopkins’ playing. On each song Garcia generously opens the door widely for Hopkins to solo. Like Garcia’s own playing, Hopkins shows a wealth of influences and stylistic ability that at times is hilariously anglophile in comparison with Jerry’s more Americana leanings. The result is a concert where the musician’s sheer enjoyment of each other’s playing is clearly audible. For his part, Garcia is in fine voice, singing sweet and high on songs like “It’s Too Late,” a gorgeous “I’ll Take A Melody” and an extended “Ain’t No Use.” The highlight is the 19 minute version of The Rolling Stones' “Let’s Spend The Night Together” that takes a bunch of detours before landing and giving way to Hopkins' signature song “Edward The Mad Shirt Grinder” which he originally recorded as a member of Quicksilver Messenger Service. As Garcia plays a slide guitar part that is totally unlike his usual style, one can hear not only why this pairing was so interesting, but why it was doomed as well. There just wasn’t enough room for two stars of such definitive yet divergent styles of playing. -- Paul Epstein

Garcia, Nash - when young

An early look at the new Grateful Dead DVD

I received an advance version of the new Rocking The Cradle CD and DVD set and am a little mystified by what I have seen and heard. I am well familiar with these shows, having listened and watched unofficial versions for years. I was hopeful for a massive upgrade in quality, or a complete version, or something. What I have says “Not Final Mixes” which is good because I had a few problems with the audio side of things. The quality was sub-par and the editing hard to understand. To me, the most interesting moments of these shows were the few numbers where Nubian musician Hamza El Din shared the stage with the band. There is one of these moments, but it cuts in just as El Din is about to leave the stage. Otherwise the audio portion confirms the Egypt shows’ reputation for being…ok. The video portion promises a much more compelling experience. The band looked great at this point (with the exception of Keith Godchaux who seems really out of it). Garcia is animated and wearing his hair in pigtails. Weir is deep in his L.A. phase and he looks like a movie star. Billy Kreutzman has one arm in a cast thus explaining some of the musical sluggishness. Donna Godchaux provides a wonderful visual counterpoint to the rest of the band which is something that is often forgotten about her tenure with the band - it kind of felt like a family. Unfortunately, the video sample I have is only four songs long, so it just gives a tantalizing glimpse into what looks like the ultimate vacation home-movie of the Grateful Dead. The visuals of the Sphinx in the distance while the band plays in front of a pyramid is pretty enticing stuff. Hopefully the full version will live up to the promise.


Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners Deluxe Edition

This album, released in the spring of 1971 really deserves the attention that Nash’s counterparts received in this heady era. Like Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name the album is loaded with the cream of players from the scene; Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, David Crosby, Dave Mason, David Lindley, Rita Coolidge and many others deliver warm and memorable performances on a great batch of songs. Many of them stand up today as some of Nash’s best. “Military Madness,” “Chicago,” and “We Can Change The World” seem weirdly relevant to our current political situation, while “Better Days,” “Simple Man,” “There’s Only One” and especially the magnificent “I Used To Be A King” with a soaring pedal steel solo by Garcia are classic hippie fare.
The thing that really excited me about this reissue is the addition of a DVD with the entire album in a three-dimensional 5.1 mix. It is a completely different experience to step inside this album and have all the instruments cascading around in a circle. This technology has improved greatly and albums that have been properly produced for the medium are a rewarding experience indeed. I would suggest this album and Crosby’s Only Remember My Name… discs as the perfect albums to explore the world of surround sound. It truly is a step forward.

The Jefferson Airplane Flies Again

There are two tremendous new releases of live Jefferson Airplane material that warrant your attention. They are both on the Charly label out of Europe. The first is At The Family Dog Ballroom. Recorded in September of 1969 in San Francisco, this recording showcases the band during what I consider their best period - following their landmark Volunteers album and before the rancor that split them up fully took hold. The band is unbelievably tight and the musical side of things just shine with Jorma and Jack at the height of their improv powers, and Grace, Paul and Marty singing their hearts out. The material is heavy on Volunteers including some rarely played songs like “The Farm” and “Good Shepherd” and a powerful “Wooden Ships.” For collectors the most interesting thing might be the 20 minute freeform jam that ends the CD and features Jerry Garcia wailing away with the band. The sound is crisp and the packaging is really nice with great liner notes. This is essential.

Slightly less essential, but still quite a nice addition for Airplane fanatics is Last Flight which captures the bands final concert at San Francisco’s Winterland on September 22, 1972. Taken from the same source material as the bands great 30 Seconds Over Winterland album, this 2 CD set includes the entire show featuring the post-Balin band with Papa John Creach on fiddle and a ton of material from their final albums. A very interesting setlist showcases some very strong playing by the entire band and great versions of “When The Earth Moves Again,” “Trial By Fire,” “Feels So Good” and many other never-heard songs. The Airplane remain one of the most sophisticated and politically charged bands of the 1960’s and their mystique seems to just grow with the years.