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Post by mickthecactus on May 8, 2022 20:55:54 GMT
A group I’ve never taken much notice of but I’m watching a documentary about them in 1974 and I’m quite impressed.
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Post by casimira on May 9, 2022 13:38:46 GMT
They had such a huge cult like following. More than any band that I can recall; "Deadheads". I had many friends in college that would go to great lengths to see them when they toured. A network of mass proportions long before social media. They would find each other, swap "bootleg" recordings and more.
I went to a few of their concerts and always came away satisfied. No one show was like any other as they were very spontaneous each and every show.
One show in particular that I recall was in 1972 at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Many guest artists sat in with them. John Lennon, and Bo Diddly are the two I remember.
After the show was over, there was 2 hundred or more Hell's Angels (they served as security for the band) who lined up in perfect formation, one by one. In a ceremonial fashion they lined up, revved their engines in unison before taking off into the Manhattan sunset. Beautifully choreographed and organized.
I may have seen that documentary Mick. What is the title of it?
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Post by mickthecactus on May 9, 2022 13:58:10 GMT
They were doing a 5 day stint in San Francisco filmed by Jerry Garcia. It was obvious that they had a huge following but from here never caught my imagination.
Far more musically accomplished than I expected.
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Post by casimira on May 9, 2022 14:24:34 GMT
Jerry Garcia was a guitarist extraordinaire. Electric, acoustic, sometimes played the mandolin but his steel guitar performances went above and beyond and his range on each was pure genius.
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Post by fumobici on May 9, 2022 17:32:36 GMT
1974 was pretty near their musical peak, so good time to have a peek into their world.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 9, 2022 19:31:04 GMT
Here is a gold mine of information & music that I've been sitting on because I figured that, besides me, no one but Casimira would care about it. This thread gives me the perfect opportunity to fetch it forth. You music lovers & Jerry Garcia fans are in for a major treat, because this is all about James Booker and the Jerry Garcia band playing together in California in January of 1976. Here is the short, cute, but probably somewhat inaccurate story. But here is a much more considered, sensitive, and downright fascinating account of the pairing, along with some excellent history on the Jerry Garcia Band ~ lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/05/january-9-10-1976-sophies-palo-alto-ca.htmlBelow is a rehearsal for those shows. I've listened to it over & over again & just adore it. This youtube link will take you to several more of Jerry & James together. |
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Post by mickthecactus on May 9, 2022 20:53:38 GMT
I don’t know James Booker at all.
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Post by casimira on May 9, 2022 21:57:10 GMT
I don’t know James Booker at all. Likely one of the earliest threads on here is a thread dedicated to James Booker. The only two people who ever posted in that thread are Bixa and I. Just as many artists who have died and never gained any notoriety until he was long gone. James is a shining example of that particular phenomena. Thank you Bixa for highlighting those links. T. will be thrilled without a doubt.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2022 1:17:00 GMT
You are a million times welcome, Casimira (& T, too  ) Mick, the name of the thread is James Booker. Like many of the older threads, it has broken links, but pay particular attention to replies #10, 11, & 12 (2nd video on #12 works & is fantastic). If you get hooked, check out youtube. You might pay particular attention to the "live in Montreaux" ones, as Booker was considered by many to be at his peak then. They're all fabulous, though. |
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Post by casimira on May 10, 2022 14:48:18 GMT
Yes, the Live in Montreux recording is rich. Booker had a huge audience in Europe much like many American artists.
I had a vinyl album of that particular performance autographed by James.
I gave it to a gentleman who was/is a rabid fan of Booker and an aspiring pianist. He performs many of Booker's songs on Piano Night at The Leaf on Thursday evenings.
When I gave it to him, he had such a visceral response almost as though I was giving him a pot of gold.
Despite it likely fetching me some money by putting it on eBay or the like, it was worth every penny to elicit the response that the gentleman reacted to upon giving it to him.
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