The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 2: Jerry Garcia Band, Keystone Berkeley '75
Jerry and Nicky Let It Rock at Keystone Berkeley!
The latest release to come from the Garcia vault is Let It Rock: Jerry Garcia Band 1975 a 2-CD
set recorded November 17 and 18, 1975 at the Keystone Berkeley, featuring the very first
version of the Jerry Garcia Band, with the magnificent British pianist Nicky Hopkins, drummer Ron Tutt and ol’
reliable—bassist John Kahn. This marks the first-ever full release of material from the brief but fruitful
Garcia-Hopkins union (August through December ’75), and it shows the group at its best, rolling though a broad
range of styles, from the churning opener, “Let It Rock,” to Dead favorites like “Sugaree,” “They Love Each
Other” and a lively “Friend of the Devil,” to boppin’ R&B—“Tore Up Over You,” “Roadrunner”—a 19-minute workout
(!) on the Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and Nicky’s exceptional instrumental track “Edward.”
The sound on these discs is impeccable: They were mixed from 16-track master tapes by Jeffrey Norman, who has
mixed and mastered countless Dead-related projects through the years. The clarity of the vocals and instruments
is absolutely stunning—it’s practically like being at the legendary Keystone Berkeley, except without
that distinctive smell of beer and popcorn, and the clacking of the foosball table in the back room. The icing on
this particular slice of psychedelic cake is a fine essay by David Gans which probes the Jerry-Nicky dynamic and
offers some needed historical context. In short, this one is a must for Jerry freaks (and doesn’t that include
all of us?)! To order your copy today, click here.
—Blair Jackson
Track List
CD 1
1. LET IT ROCK
2. TORE UP OVER YOU
3. FRIEND OF THE DEVIL*
4. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER
5. IT’S TOO LATE
6. PIG’S BOOGIE>
7. BAND INTRODUCTIONS>
8. SITTING IN LIMBO
9. (I’M A) ROAD RUNNER
CD 2
1. SUGAREE
2. I’LL TAKE A MELODY
3. THAT’S WHAT LOVE WILL MAKE YOU DO*
4. LADY SLEEPS*
5. AIN’T NO USE
6. LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER*
7. EDWARD, THE MAD SHIRT GRINDER
Recorded live at KEYSTONE BERKELEY, 11/18/75 and *11/17/75
Wow. That's amazing. What a top-notch release. Really nice to hear JGB with only piano as keyboard, and if you like piano, players don't come much better than Nicky. As well as being a great performance, the sound quality is also superb.
Ditto-absolutely GREAT STUFF. PS: Miles Davis fans-check out Sirius channel 72-all Miles Davis for several days.
Agreed about the Nicky/Jerry interplay on Limbo. I was listening to it the other night in that sort of "twilight" mode... y'know.... and it occured to me that their instruments were getting so intimate with each other it was nearly scandalous! Like, do their wives know they're making this music?! In, y'know, the non-dirtiest way possible....
The Nicky/Jerry interplay on 'Limbo' is absolutely beautiful. Check it out. It's stunning. It's something that I'm really having a hard time getting over...I think this disc is gonna be in my regular rotation for months to come.
I never ceased to be amazed by synchronous chemistry that Garcia established for decades AT THE VERY SAME TIME with John Kahn and Phil Lesh, two very different stylist with a bass guitar.
The Khan chemistry is sublime supreme. I am so pleased that more of the earlier Garcia performances are being released.
The faster we go the rounder we get!
Got my Road Trips/Let it Rock bundle today. What a nice way to start the weekend! I second what others are saying about this incredible release. "I'll Take a Melody" is sweetly trickling out of my speakers as I type this. Too bad that this incarnation of the JGB lasted for so short a time, because these four guys have got a serious groove on.
Jeff VanderVeen
"May the 4 winds blow you safely home."
Thanks for the info. Do you know of a source on-line that says this definitively? I'd always wondered if that was Peter that night.
"When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest!" - Bullwinkle Moose
The three Rowans were working together in '75, for sure. I remember very well the set that played at El Camino Park on 6/8/75 w/ Garcia-Saunders and Kingfish.
Michael (Meeko), I was at the late show on 10/24/75 too. However, I recall that the Rowan Brothers did a short acoustic set before Jerry and Nicky came out. This was a group comprised of Peter Rowan's two brothers, Chris and Lorin. Peter might have been on the October '75 date we both went to (I seem to remember that there were three guitarists playing). However, it's not necessarily a sure thing. The Rowan Brothers had toured for several years prior to '75, but Peter was not a regular member. He did eventually become part of the group though and they released an album together in 1976 called The Rowans (which was the band name they adopted at that time), followed by Sibling Rivalry (1977), and Jubilation (1978).
"When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest!" - Bullwinkle Moose
Locations
Ordered both RT and Let it Rock. The package came yesterday, and it was never sealed!! The RT trips was still in there, but no Jerry! Bummer! I called and some nice man in India said it would be sent in 2 business days. Man I sure hope so, because I'm really wanting to hear this.
Michael