Finders Keepers: JGMS with Jim Nelson on Drums, Keystone, October 5, 1974

LN jg1974-10-05.jgms.all.aud-falanga.8665.shn2flac

I have no idea who Jim Nelson, the drummer, might be. There are some tempo issues all night long.

I really like this period for JGMS. “La-La” and “Freedom Jazz Dance” are standouts to me. “Finders Keepers” is also pretty good.

When these tapes came into the light, back before 9/11, they were such a revelation. We had never heard much Jerry stuff between the Rheem show (2/9/74) and the show in the Park on 9/2/74 (confusing, yes!).

Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 5, 1974 (Saturday)
Falanga-Menke shnid-8665 shn2flac

–set I (6 tracks, 71:51)–
s1t01. The Harder They Come [15:53] (1) [1:23]
s1t02. Finders Keepers [10:51] [1:42]
s1t03. He Ain’t Give You None [11:29] [0:10] % (2) [2:48]
s1t04. La-La [14:42] ->
s1t05. space [1:57] ->
s1t06. Mystery Train [10:45] (3) [0:09]

–set II (6 tracks, 60:02)–
s2t01. tuning [0:42]
s2t02. Freedom Jazz Dance [12:47] [1:19]
s2t03. Neighbor Neighbor [8:28] [1:19]
s2t04. Sitting In Limbo [11:30] [0:06] % [0:43]
s2t05. Someday Baby [8:28] [0:46]
s2t06. I Second That Emotion [13:25] (4) [0:06]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – el-g, vocals;
! lineup: Merl Saunders – keyboards;
! lineup: Martin Fierro – flute, sax, percussion;
! lineup: John Kahn – el-b;
! lineup: Jim Nelson – drums.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [ ] = recorded event time. The recorded event time immediately after the song or item name is an attempt at getting the “real” time of the event. So, a timing of [x:xx] right after a song title is an attempt to say how long the song really was, as represented on this recording.

! Jerrybase: https://jerrybase.com/events/19741005-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/8665 (this fileset)

! venue: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html; http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/12/2119-university-avenue-berkeley-ca.html

! personnel: Jim Nelson on drums. Real snazzy. There are certainly some tempo issues, e.g., in Mystery Train, suggestive of a drummer who’s trying to find his way with The Group.

! seealso: JGMF, “Jim Nelson on the Drums and Several Great Rarities: JGMS at Keystone, October 4, 1974.”

! R: field recordist: Louis Falanga and Bob Menke

! R: field recording gear: Sony ECM-270 + Sony ECM-250 > Sony TC-152

! R: field recording location: onstage mics, one directly in front of Jerry’s amp, the other pointed stage center to catch the rest of the band;

! R: lineage: Menke transfer, cassette > DAT? > CD to Jim Powell; Jim Powell CD to jack Warner; EAC > shn, by jjoops; shn2flac, rename to sets, etc. 3/16/2014 by JGMF.

! R: mic placement said to be onstage, with the Falanga setup (one mic into Jerry’s amp, the other pointed center stage), but his guitar is not very prominent here, which deviates from one of the key characteristics of the onstage Falanga tapes. Also, after FK it sounded like a bigger hall than Keystone. Is this GAMH?

! s1t01 (1) a couple of knowledgeable audience members request “Expressway”, which is a great call. “Keepers” will have to do.

! P: s1t02 FK I really like how the drummer is hitting and how they are letting the song open up right from the get-go, like after the first time through the main melody, some nice breathing in the break, then Jerry comes back sounding really nice. It doesn’t sound to me like the mic is in his monitor, or else he’s turned way down. They are really putting the drummer to it, making him hold the whole break. Now Merl takes a turn, drummer is killing. John sounds pretty good. Jerry staying way back. Merl is on electric piano with synth. They open up another space @ 5:30, Martin steps up. He’s a pro – he had signaled himself stepping forward with the ten note declension that’s the key progression of the song. Now he steps up. The band listens to each other, and they are playing well this night. Martin has found a nice little riff first half of 10 min mark, which he uses well to finish off the song. Wow, right on the ‘1’ to finish! Nice.

! P: s1t03 HAGYN starts off powerfully, but it feels a little draggy in the 6-minute mark. There’s not enough power coming from stage. Merl’s organ solo isn’t very loud, Kahn isn’t particularly audible. It all sounds a little hollow. Could be mix and mic’ing as much as what they are playing, for sure. 7:10ish JG steps up and he’s playing some very nice melodic stuff. Drummer needs to be more in the bass drum or something. This is not totally happening. Drummer needs to fill it more, IMO.

! s1t03 (2) JG: “Hey Martin. Let’s do that [he’s strumming the La-La chords]”. Chick talking sounds really hot and really sweet. She can be heard talking about Great American String Band, I think. She recognizes La-La coming up, and she hums the melody, and she yells with pleasure when the song starts. She called it, she loves it, and it’s good.

! s1t05 I label “space”, GD style. It’s open collective improvisation, but it’s rather dissonant, very much in a “free” feel. Martin has got his effects up to ’11’, and they bring it down to total silence. Nice!

! P: s1t06 MT drummer is a little off. Jerry has to do a little improvising, Jerry starts vox, trying to get the drummer in line, and he gets there about 1:08. Still a little off. They never really get it together, even to end. Oh well.

! s1t06 (3) JG “Thank you. We’re gonna take a break for a little while. We’ll be back a little bit later.”

! s2t06 (4) JG: “Thanks a lot. We’ll see y’all later.”