First JGB at the Keystone: October 11-12, 1975

The JERRY GARCIA Band

Prior to fall of 1975, Garcia’s side bands had mostly a) been relatively loose aggregations and/or b) not had his name on the marquee. All of this preserved a kind of informal quality, maybe some plausible deniability, a little bit little less spotlight to go with his insatiable appetite for gigging. “More music [than the Dead afforded him the opportunity to play], less bullshit [than naturally went along with the Dead, and especially with being Jerry Garcia Of The Grateful Dead]” summarizes the Garcia On The Side formula.

Putting his name on the band may have been necessary to sell more tickets, but it implied some kind of ownership / leadership / responsibility, which can all be a hassle, and also killed any shot at anonymity. With the advent of the JGB, every regular band he would ever play in again would bear his name, with the sole exception of 1979’s Reconstruction. Now, Garcia being Garcia, he attenuated his ownership by forming JGB as a DBA partnership with bassist and old pal John Kahn and drummer Ronnie Tutt, eschewed leadership by making piano man Nicky Hopkins talk to the audience, and presumably shirked as much “responsibility” as possible by, well, being Jerry.
The Jerry Garcia Band existed in many permutations from 1975-1995, but just about all of them played their first live gigs off the beaten path, on non-weekend nights, or both. JGB #1 established the pattern, debuting Thursday September 18, 1975 in Palo Alto, repeatedly playing tiny River City in Fairfax (including a Sunday and Thursday, as well as a Saturday), and hitting Crabshaw Corner in distant Sacramento, and snagging one bigger payday at a local community college on Friday, October 10th before a Saturday-Sunday debut at homebase, Fred Herrera’s Keystone Berkeley. It wasn’t big, official capacity of 476, but the audience was the core one that’d keep Garcia in Camels for almost another decade. JGB would play Keystone Berkeley 100 times, according to Jerrybase, which through m0thra’s programming wizardry now lets you create a short URL for this kind of search result. (As currently configured, we cannot filter out cancellations. So there are 106 results, and I hand-counted six cancellations. A nice, perfect, pleasing, round 100 results.)

Personnel
This being JGB #1, Nicky Hopkins forms a special point of focus, but of additional interest about October 11-12, 1975 (about which Corry has written) is the presence of a second keyboard player, with Muscle Shoals session man Tim Henson on electric. Henson had already broken in on October 8th for two shows [early | late] in Santa Cruz and played another show on the 9th in Fairfax, skipping Friday the 10th for reasons unknown, so these Berkeley gigs represent his fourth and fifth (and, it seems final) appearances with the Garcia Band, ending what Selvin referred to as a tryout. At times he produces organ sounds, I think I also hear some synth (10/11/75 “No Time”, about 1:30 in), but others with better ears should weigh in. Further information is patchy (see herehere, and here for some), but I think Henson would return to Alabama before either ending his own life or being murdered on Christmas Eve, 1977.
A second guest shows up a Saturday night, a guitarist whom Nicky introduces as Mike Godman. I can’t really hear him distinctly, and it’s possible I am not hearing him at all, as the electric keys deliver a range of sounds. And we can’t even be sure that Mike Godman is his name, recalling that Nicky misnamed Tim as “Hensley”. I have worked my Google-fu around various permutations of Mikes and Michaels with a variety of proximate family names such as Godwin, Goodwin, Goodman, but I have come up completely dry.
So, on these guests, two request of my faithful readers.
1. Can you please tell me what Tim Henson is playing? Is there electric piano, organ and synth?
2. If you learn anything about Mike Godman, please post in comments.
Randomalia
The band noodles around a few interesting nuggets, such as “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and “Waltzing Matilda”.
Introducing “Crazy Arms” on the first night, Nicky credits some of his boogie-woogie piano influences: Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, and Big Maceo Merriweather.
“Edward” is an awesome tune. It would stretch out more over the next few months, and often segue into “Let’s Spend The Night Together”, but here it stands alone as the show-closer.
Nicky is slurring some here, though not as much as he would in November and December. I have noted that the Garcia Band contract rider included a pint of Cuervo Especial dark tequila in this timeframe, snarking that it probably lasted him through soundcheck.
Nicky mentions his giant mirror, about which Corry has written.
Nicky is a stone-cold piano virtuoso, laying down golden licks all weekend. His composition “Pig’s Boogie“, written for his orange tabby and which on 10/11 features some awesome boogy bass walking by John Kahn, is a keeper, as is the solo instrumental ballad “Lady Sleeps“. His other original, “No Time”, suffers from Hopkins’s vocal limitations and maudlin lyrics, which nevertheless combine to affect me, actually. Nicky was enduring a difficult period here – not only with his overall health and his heavy drinking and drugging, but also financially. His record label (Mercury) was hassling him, something which he mentions from stage with JGB at Concord Pavilion on October 17, 1975, and perhaps not unrelated, the night before this Saturday gig, on Friday October 10th, he and Dolly went into default on their Mill Valley home. So hearing the man earnestly sing these lyrics (credited to Dolly) with his fragile voice, in a kind of session man’s lament, actually really works for me.
No Time
Lyrics: Dolly Hopkins
Music: Nicky Hopkins
Got no time to waste my life
Got no time to play the game
Life can be such a tragedy
And to you all players are the same
Got no time to live in dreams
That’s all you’ve left me with it seems
Wasted too much time in doing things for you
I don’t believe you know lies from truth
Now that it’s gone
Just how long
Until I find
A place in life
Where I can find myself
And rest my weary mind
You know that music says it all
Some hasty climbers have to fall
In admiring greatness we can rise again
The world can’t see its greatest man
Can’t play alone
Been too long
Now I must find
Another key
To help me say the things I feel
And hope it helps someone to see
This time the band should get it on
We’ve played in shadows far too long
It’s time for us to believe in what we do
If we want anyone else to
Consider every day as [bluest] day of life
Admiring greatness there’s the chance to rise
Anyway, below the fold, you will find raw listening notes for several filesets, with lots more tiny bits and pieces.
LN jg1975-10-11.jgb.all.sbd-minches.31213.flac1644
LN jg1975-10-11.jgb.all.mtx-motb-0113.105413.flac1644
LN jg1975-10-12.jgb.all.aud-menke-falanga.7669.shn2flac
LN jg1975-10-12.jgb.s1-1.sbd-menke-smith.134658.flac1644

Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 11, 1975 (Saturday)
156 min sbd flac1644 shnid-31213
–set I (11 tracks, 89:29)–
s1t01. ambience [1:22]
s1t02. All By Myself [8:39] [2:53]
s1t03. Catfish John [11:41][1:47]
s1t04. That’s What Love Will Make You Do [10:07] [1:29]
s1t05. It’s Too Late [7:40] [0:03]
s1t06. ambience [0:25] %
s1t07. Teddy Bear’s Picnic [2:03] (1) [2:58]
s1t08. Pig’s Boogie [6:55] [1:00]
s1t09. Crazy Arms [5:53] [2:07]
s1t10. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down [9:41] [1:54]
s1t11. (I’m A) Road Runner [10:36] [0:12]
–set II (8 tracks, 66:32)–
s2t01. tuning [2:16]
s2t02. Let It Rock [11:11] [1:09]
s2t03. Tore Up Over You  [7:17] [1:13]
s2t04. Mission In The Rain [6:02] [1:44]
s2t05. Lady Sleeps [4:32] ->
s2t06. No Time [5:03] [0:28]
s2t07. Mystery Train [11:52] (1) [4:36]
s2t08. Edward [8:32] [0:34]
! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – electric guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Nicky Hopkins – piano, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – electric bass;
! lineup: Ron Tutt – drums, vocals;
! lineup: Tim Henson – electric keyboard;
! lineup: Mike Godman – electric guitar.
JGMF:
! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [m:ss] = 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 [m:ss] 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/19751011-01
! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/4472 (unknown cource shnf); http://etreedb.org/shn/8658 (Menke-Falanga shnf, deprecated); http://etreedb.org/shn/105413 (Menke-Falanga MOTB113 flac1644); http://etreedb.org/shn/105413 (mtx MOTB114 flac1644); http://etreedb.org/shn/31213 (this fileset).
! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43
! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html
! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html. Tim Henson, a Muscle Shoals session guy (URL http://www.alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/h/1015-henson-tim.html; URL http://allmusic.com/artist/tim-henson-p86079; URL https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/singer-songwriter/henson-henson-ua-1974/), was apparently being tried out this weekend. Mike Godman remains a complete mystery.
! mention: Berkeley Gazette, New Vistas section, October 4, 1975, p. 3
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook, October 5, 1975, p. 35
! listing: Berkeley Barb, October 10-16, 1975, p. 16
! mention: Foghorn, October 10, 1975, p. 9
! mention: San Francisco Examiner, October 10, 1975, p. 41
! Corry: “October 11-12, 1975 Keystone Berkeley Jerry Garcia Band w/Nicky Hopkins–Tim Hensley [sic], electric piano,” Lost Live Dead, January xx, 2010, URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/october-11-12-1975-keystone-berkeley.html.
! tags: JGB, 1975, Keystone, Berkeley, CA, Tim Henson, Mike Godman, JG-host, songs-W
! historical: Paul Pena opened. First JGB gig at Keystone Berkeley, which it would play 100+ times.
! R: MSR @ 15 ips > 1 reel @ 7.5 ips > Sony PCM 501 > unknown PCM/Beta gens > Sony SL-HF450 playback > Sony PCM-601 > Digital Domain VSP-P > Digital Audio Labs Card Deluxe soundcard > Cool Edit 2000 > Shntool > FLAC.  Patching on d3t05 was done via TLH decode to wav > Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 7.0 > shntool. Transfer and FLAC encoding by David Minches, patch and info by jjoops. Seder note: “Thanks to Marcus Buick for the source beta”.
! R: seeder note: The Jerry Site listed this and a complete MSR > PCM > DAT copy, but I don’t recall having seen the latter.  It also listed a splice in TWLWMYD, but I don’t hear one here.
! R: There is some oversaturation throughout the recording, especially in the electric keyboard.
! s1t07 (1) NH: “Sorry ’bout that.” [inaudible cross-talk] Band guys calling for Pig’s Boogie. Nicky noodles a tune. “Never on Sunday. I dunno. Where’s that at, man? I don’t think this one’s worth it.” Asking for more volume on one of the mics. Over the PA at 3:20 he requests more on his vocal mic. Right at 4:20 or so, band again calls for PB. Nicky: “OK. Here we go with the, uhhh, this number, it really should serve … I mean, uhh, [inaudible] because I been throug … I been through so many people, man … this number’s [inaudible, mumbling] … happened to have heard of these things — Fuck it!  It’s a 12-bar boogie, and [mumbling] … courtesy of Ammons, Louis and Johnson, and Big Maceo and all the rest of them great guys.” Albert Ammons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Ammons), Meade Lux Lewis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meade_Lux_Lewis), and Pete Johnson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Johnson) were all boogie-woogie pianists.
! R: s1t09 Crazy Arms some light fuzzy static toward the end of the song
! R: s2t05 cut in Lady Sleeps (from 1:25.843-3:36.917) butt-patched with Menke/Falanga aud (shnid 8658).
! s2t07  (1) band introductions.  Note too that Nicky announces the next tune as “Edward”, not “Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder.” FWIW.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 11, 1975 (Saturday)
MOTB mtx shnid-105413
–set I (9 tracks, 89:29)–
s1t01. [1:23] All By Myself [8:38] (1) [2:54]
s1t02. Catfish John [11:41] [1:47]
s1t03. That’s What Love Will Make You Do [10:07] [1:30]
s1t04. It’s Too Late [7:40] [0:24]
s1t05. Teddy Bear’s Picnic [2:08] (2) [2:17]
s1t06. [0:40] (3) Pig’s Boogie [6:57] (4) [0:55]
s1t07. Crazy Arms [5:55] [1:53]
s1t08. [0:12] The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down [9:42] [1:52]
s1t09. (I’m A) Roadrunner [10:36] (5) [0:14]
–set II (8 tracks, 7 tunes, 66:32)–
s2t01. [2:15] Let It Rock [11:11] [1:10]
s2t02. Tore Up Over You [7:16] [1:13]
s2t03. Mission In The Rain [6:04] (6) [1:23]
s2t04. [0:19] Lady Sleeps [4:33] ->
s2t05. No Time [5:03] [0:30]
s2t06. Mystery Train [11:51] [0:53]
s2t07. ambience (7) [3:40]
s2t08. Edward [8:34] (8) [0:36]
! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – electric guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Nicky Hopkins – piano, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – electric bass;
! lineup: Ron Tutt – drums, vocals;
! guest: Tim Henson – electric keyboard;
! guest: Mike Godman – electric guitar.
JGMF:
! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [x:xx] = 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/19751011-01
! db: http://db.etree.org/shn/4472 (unknown cource shnf); http://db.etree.org/shn/8658 (Menke-Falanga shnf, deprecated); http://db.etree.org/shn/105413 (Menke-Falanga MOTB113 flac1644); http://db.etree.org/shn/105413 (mtx MOTB114 flac1644); http://db.etree.org/shn/31213 (this fileset).
! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43
! JGBP: URL http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html
! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html. Tim Henson, a Muscle Shoals session guy (URL http://www.alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/h/1015-henson-tim.html; URL http://allmusic.com/artist/tim-henson-p86079; URL https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/singer-songwriter/henson-henson-ua-1974/), was apparently being tried out this weekend. Mike Godman remains a complete mystery.
! mention: Berkeley Gazette, New Vistas section, October 4, 1975, p. 3;
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751005p35;
! listing: Berkeley Barb, October 10-16, 1975, p. 16;
! mention: Foghorn, October 10, 1975, p. 9;
! mention: San Francisco Examiner, October 10, 1975, p. 41;
! Corry: “October 11-12, 1975 Keystone Berkeley Jerry Garcia Band w/Nicky Hopkins–Tim Hensley [sic], electric piano,” URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/october-11-12-1975-keystone-berkeley.html.
! tags: JGB, 1975, Keystone, Berkeley, CA, Tim Henson, Mike Godman, JG-host, songs-W
! historical: Paul Pena opened. First JGB gig at Keystone Berkeley, which it would play 106 times (URL https://bit.ly/3lOArAm).
! R: matrix of Menke-Falanga aud and minches sbd, MOTB 0113 16/44.1, released 20100105. AUD xfer by Bob Menke (Nakamichi CR7a > Korg MR-1000 > DSF [1-bit 5.6448 MHz Stereo] > Korg MR-1000 > Korg AudioGate > WAV [24/96]), mtx mastering by Derek McCabe.
! R: sbd source (shnid-31213): MSR @ 15 ips > 1 reel @ 7.5 ips > Sony PCM 501 > unknown PCM/Beta gens > Sony SL-HF450 playback > Sony PCM-601 > Digital Domain VSP-P > Digital Audio Labs Card Deluxe soundcard > Cool Edit 2000 > Shntool > FLAC.
! R: field recordists: Bob Menke and Louis Falanga
! R: field recording gear: Sony ECM 250 + ECM 270 > Sony TC 152SD
! R: field recording location: onstage mics
! R: field recording media: 2x Maxell UD C90
! R: pure sbd first 3 tracks of set 1 and 20 sec gap in Mystery Train
! setlist: this fileset identified the banter and Edward as an encore, but I don’t think that’s right.
! s1t01 (1) NH: “Thank God it’s Northern California instead of bloody Los Angeles, that’s all I can say.”
! P: s1t02 CJ I like the addition of the second keyboards here. Good color.
! s1t05 (2) NH: “Sorry ’bout that. Here we go with the, uhh, fifth number … I really should say, I mean, bloody hell, because I’ve been through … I’ve been influenced by so many people … courtesy of Ammons Louis and Johnson …” [inaudible] Nicky noodles a tune. “Never on Sunday. I dunno. Where’s that at, man? I don’t think this one’s worth it.” Asking for more volume on one of the mics. Over the PA at 3:23 he requests more on his vocal mic over the PA. NH: “1-2-3-4. Can you ‘ear me?” [crowd guy] Nicky: “All right, Jerry’s doing good, mate.”
! s1t06 (3) NH: “OK. Here we go with the, uhhh, this number, I really should say … I mean, bloody hell, because I been through, I been influenced by so many people, man. This comes back from … whoever’s happened to have heard of these things — Fuck it! It’s a 12-bar boogie, and [mumbling] … courtesy of Ammons, Louis and Johnson, and Big Maceo and all the rest of them great guys.” Albert Ammons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Ammons), Meade Lux Lewis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meade_Lux_Lewis), Pete Johnson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Johnson) and Big Maceo Merriweather (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Maceo_Merriweather) were all boogie-woogie pianists.
! R: s1t05-06 there may be a repeated section here, since some of Nicky’s banter appears twice, though it’s possible he just repeated himself quite precisely.
! s1t06 (4) NH: “All right. You seem to be enjoyin’ yourselves tonight. We’re gonna do another number. This is, uhh, a little but slower, but, uhhh, it’s the first – actually, it was the very first recording Jerry Lee Lewis ever made: ‘Crazy Arms’.”
! P: s1t08 TNTDODD Tutt supplies harmony vocals. Another tuning ditty after the tune.
! P: s1t09 IARR paced a little sluggishly for my taste.
! s1t09 (5) JG: “We’re gonna take a break for a little while, we’ll be back in a little bit. Thank you.”
! P: s2t01 LIR Henson is noodling on a synthesizer before the tune, then takes a big synth lead after 10.
! P: s2t02 TUOY huge synth 3:23ff. Very Ozzie-esque.
! P: s2t03 MITR brings lots of power. It’s not perfectly tight, but it packs a punch.
! s2t03 (6) NH: “All right, sounds like you’re all enjoying yourselves, anyway. Which is the main thing, as long as you’re all havin’ a good time. Hang on a minute, we’ll tune up.” [lady in crowd asks for Harder They Come – I never noticed before now that JGB #1 never played it!]
! s2t04 Lady Sleeps @ 4:02 he plays a piece I don’t remember hearing in this tune before. Pretty. Afterward, Nicky sounds sincerely touched. “Thank you. God bless ya. You’re a beautiful crowd.”
! P: s2t05 No Time, another big synth entry 1:35. Some might cringe a little at Nicky’s singing, but I find this rendition totally endearing. “Played in shadows far too long” is a good line, and then he sings the next line harder.
! P: s2t06 MT I think the extra keys are making Garcia play harder. He’s digging in nicely.
! s2t07 (7) “Well, I don’t know what we can all say to you but just thanks for bein’ a bloody great audience tonight. Jesus. I’m sorry that we have to stop so soon, but … [crowd] well … unfortunately the outside world still carries on, believe it or not. I don’t believe it at times, but there we are. Anyway, we’ve got one more to go, one more number. But before I do it, I really feel that the band should be introduced to you – especially [crowd sort of groans] OK, we’re starting from left to right anyway, and our newest member Mike Godman has done good – it’s his first night with us. Tim Hensley [sic] on electronic keyboards. Incredible. And, um, on Tim’s right we have on drums Mr. Ron Tutt. On bass guitar, with his back toward you, which is very rude, we have Mr. John Kahn. C’mon John, turn ’round. And last but not least of course, JG, Jerry Garcia. Let’s hear it for him.” JG plays “Waltzing Matilda”. JG: “Nicky Hopkins on piano.” NH: “Well, I don’t know how ‘Waltzing Matilda’ got in there, anyway but still it did. There we go. I’m not bloody Australian, I’m bleedin’ English. Fuck it. Ooops. Sorry about that, any FBI in the audience. You didn’t hear nothing. All right I’ll give you a Dunhill cigarette afterwards, a real English one. Anyway, it’s come time to say goodnight. But the last number [crowd objects] — I’m sorry, but if the laws weren’t the way they were we could play till bleedin’ Tuesday. But we have to go on. We have one more that we need to do, which is called ‘Edward’.”
! R: s2t08 Edward staticky
! P: s2t08 Edward loud synth 3:33 I love it!
! s2t08 (8) JG: “Thank you. See ya later on.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 12, 1975 (Sunday)
Menke-Falanga MAC shnid-7669 shn2flac
–set I (10 tracks, 8 tunes, 76:45)–
s1t01. ambience [0:13]
s1t02. How// Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [8:#51] [0:21]
s1t03. Catfish John [9:57] (1) [1:12]
s1t04. That’s What Love Will Make You Do [9:47] [1:37]
s1t05. You Win Again [4:18] [0:20]
s1t06. Pig’s Boogie [6:40] (2) [0:43]
s1t07. ambience (3) [1:53]
s1t08. Mississippi Moon [8:43] [1:12]
s1t09. Money Honey [8:13] [1:42]
s1t10. (4) [0:11] % pre-set II (5) [0:29]
–set II (8 tracks, :10+70:06)–
s2t01. Mission In The Rain [5:59] (6) [0:42]
s2t02. All By Myself [12:40] [0:18] % [0:16]
s2t03. Tough Mama [9:00] (7) [1:19]
s2t04. Lady Sleeps [3:59] ->
s2t05. No Time [4:40] [0:23] %
s2t06. Mystery Train [10:11] (8) [2:13]
s2t07. I’ll Take A Melody [10:37] (9) [0:44]
s2t08. Edward [6:44] [0:19]
! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – electric guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Nicky Hopkins – piano, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – electric bass;
! lineup: Ron Tutt – drums, vocals;
! guest: Tim Henson – electric keyboard.
JGMF:
! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [x:xx] = 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/19751012-01
! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/7669 (this fileset); https://etreedb.org/shn/134658 (sbd s1 flac1644); https://etreedb.org/shn/134659 (sbd s1 flac 2496).
! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43
! JGBP: URL http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html
! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html. Tim Henson, a Muscle Shoals session guy (URL http://www.alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/h/1015-henson-tim.html; URL http://allmusic.com/artist/tim-henson-p86079; URL https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/singer-songwriter/henson-henson-ua-1974/), was apparently being tried out this weekend.
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751005p35
! listing: Berkeley Barb, October 10-16, 1975, p. 16
! mention: Foghorn, October 10, 1975, p. 9
! mention: San Francisco Examiner, October 10, 1975, p. 41
! listing: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751012p06
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751012p33
! review: [positive] Selvin 19751014
! Corry: “October 11-12, 1975 Keystone Berkeley Jerry Garcia Band w/Nicky Hopkins–Tim Hensley [sic], electric piano,” URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/october-11-12-1975-keystone-berkeley.html.
! tags: JGB, 1975, Keystone, Berkeley, CA, Tim Henson, JG-host, songs-W
! historical: Paul Pena opened. Second JGB gig at Keystone Berkeley, which it would play 106 times (URL https://bit.ly/3lOArAm).
! R: field recordists: Bob Menke and Louis Falanga
! R: field recording gear: Sony ECM-270 + Sony ECM-250 > Sony TC-152
! R: field recording location: mics onstage, one mic directly in front of Jerry’s amp, the other pointed stage center to catch the rest of the band
! R: lineage: MAC > ? DATx1 > CD > EAC > CD > EAC > SHN. Cassette transfer by Menke, I believe. DAT >  CD by Jack Warner. Extraction and compression using EAC and mkwACT by [email protected].
! R: s1t01 HSII cut/splice @ 0:10, light pop @ 0:11
! s1t03 (1) NH: “A’right. Good. We seem to have a full crowd again tonight. Good. All right. I hope you’re all having a good time. [crowd guy yells something] That’s the whole reason we’re here for mate. Just dig it. I hope you do.”
! s1t06 (2) JG: “Nicky Hopkins on piano.”
! s1t07 (3) NH: “I think it’s time to introduce the band to you. From left to right, on keyboards we have Tim Hensley [sic]. [inaudible] And next to Tim we have Ronnie Tutt on drums. And on bass we have John Kahn. And on guitar, vocals and whatever, JG, Jerry G., Jerry Garcia.” Teddy Bear’s Picnic starts right at 0:52 as the intros end.
! s1t10 (4) JG: “Thanks a lot. We’re gonna take a break for awhile. We’ll be back a little bit later on.”
! s1t10 (5) NH “//starting off with a number called ‘Mission In The Rain’. Tune up before we do it so it sounds better.”
! P: s2t01 MITR very compact early version.
! s2t01 (6) NH: “Welcome back to the second set. What are we doing next – ‘All By Meself’. [crowd guy: “rock n roll!”] Well, this is actually rock n roll, believe it or not – an old Fats Domino number, ‘All By Meself’.” JG: “All By MYself.” NH: “Blow the ashes off the keys.”
! s2t03 (7) NH: “What’s … Heheh. Sounds like we got a good crowd tonight. All right, you’re all doin’ very well. God bless ya. Or rather, I should rephrase that, the Gods bless you. Whoever understands that, pass it on to the next one, you know what I’m on about. Cause there’s many, there ain’t just one. Anyway, all right, to continue. Uh, do a slow one now. But it ain’t too slow.”
! P: s2t06 MT @ 2:55, did I hear a second guitar? Or was that the electric keys? Probably keys. @ 5:35 Henson takes a little feature.
! s2t06 (8) NH: “Ah right. I have one ack … knowledgement [slurred] to make to the man who invented the mirror. Because without it I’d be turning me bleeding neck around all night long. Fortunately, a good many of you probably think I’m sort of looking into outer space all the time. But when I look up, I’ve got a mirror set up about three feet in front of me so I can see the entire band. Thank God for it. [?This is a lot of work]” I hear a harmonica in the tuning just before start of ITAM?, and Nicky is chattering with someone.
! s2t08 (9) JG (?) says “Let’s do ‘Edward’, Nicky.”
! P: s2t08 Edward – Henson takes some big forward stuff late 3 over 4.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone
2119 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
October 12, 1975 (Sunday)
s1-1 sbd shnid-134658
-set I (9 tracks, missing 1 tune, 61:59)–
s1t01. [0:09] How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [8:45] [0:50]
s1t02. Catfish John [9:50] (1) [1:10]
s1t03. That’s What Love Will Make You Do [9:39] [0:06]
s1t04. tuning [2:36]
s1t05. You Win Again [4:16] (2) [0:55]
s1t06. Pig’s Boogie [6:32] [0:04]
s1t07. ambience (3) [1:29], Teddy Bear’s Picnic [0:51] [0:15]
s1t08. Mississippi Moon [8:16] [0:41]
s1t09. Money Honey// [5:26#]
[MISSING: (I’m A) Roadrunner]
! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – electric guitar, vocals;
! lineup: Nicky Hopkins – piano, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – electric bass;
! lineup: Ron Tutt – drums, vocals;
! guest: Tim Henson – electric keyboard.
JGMF:
! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [x:xx] = 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/19751012-01
! db: https://etreedb.org/shn/7669 (this fileset); https://etreedb.org/shn/134658 (sbd s1 flac1644); https://etreedb.org/shn/134659 (sbd s1 flac 2496).
! map: https://goo.gl/maps/LDc43
! JGBP: URL http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/keystone-2119-university-avenue.html
! band: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html. Tim Henson, a Muscle Shoals session guy (URL http://www.alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/h/1015-henson-tim.html; URL http://allmusic.com/artist/tim-henson-p86079; URL https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/singer-songwriter/henson-henson-ua-1974/), was apparently being tried out this weekend.
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751005p35
! listing: Berkeley Barb, October 10-16, 1975, p. 16
! mention: Foghorn, October 10, 1975, p. 9
! mention: San Francisco Examiner, October 10, 1975, p. 41
! listing: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751012p06
! ad: San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle Datebook 19751012p33
! review: [positive] Selvin 19751014
! Corry: “October 11-12, 1975 Keystone Berkeley Jerry Garcia Band w/Nicky Hopkins–Tim Hensley [sic], electric piano,” URL http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/october-11-12-1975-keystone-berkeley.html.
! tags: JGB, 1975, Keystone, Berkeley, CA, Tim Henson, JG-host, songs-W
! historical: Paul Pena opened. Second JGB gig at Keystone Berkeley, which it would play 106 times (URL https://bit.ly/3lOArAm).
! R: MSR > R (Bob Menke) > R (Pat Lee)
! R: Transfer Info: Technics 1506 w/Lamb Labs Dolby decoder > WAV (24bit/96k) > Apogee Mini Me 24/96  > Apogee Mini DAC monitoring and mastering  > FLAC
! R: Matt’s Comments: This is a straight transfer using my Technics 1506 reel to reel with a Lamb Labs Dolby decoder in the transfer chain since the reel was Dolby encoded. Thanks to Pat Lee for lending me the Dolby unit. Special thanks to Adam Aegart for the Technics RS1506. Periodic static.
! R: basically a very clean board, but plagued by some static.
! P: s1t01 JG flubs first verse. I thought at 2:49 I heard a guitar that didn’t sound like Jerry, but I dunno. And I do hear a second piano, distorting, at 6:14, while Nicky is soloing.
! R: s1t02 CJ second keyboard def audible @ 0:20. God, Nicky is playing so beautifully here, like in 6 min mark. Henson is very basic, but Hopkins is just magisterial.
! s1t02 (1) NH: “Right. Good. We seem to have a full crowd again tonight, gain. Good. All right. Hope you’re all havin’ a good time. [inaudible yell from crowd] That’s the whole reason we’re here for, mate. Just dig it.
! P: s1t03 TWLWMYD Jesus, Nicky starts the song off and it’s just incredible. Garcia playing a firey lead. Sounds great.
! s1t05 (2) NH: “All right. We’re gonna carry on with another number, called ‘Pig’s Boogie’, named after my orange-striped cat.”
! P: s1t06 Pig’s Boogie JG very nice tone 1:15 ff. John takes a feature 4:35-5:01, you can hear Nicky call Ron, and he features 5:02-5:34. This is such a great tune.
! s1t07 (3) JG: “Nicky Hopkins on the piano.” NH: “All right. OK that was ‘Pig’s Boogie’. And … hold on a minute, please. I think it’s time to introduce the band. From left to right, on keyboards, we have Tim Hensley [sic], let’s hear it for him. Next to Tim, we have Ronnie Tutt on drums. And on bass, we have John Kahn. And on guitar, vocals, whatever, JG, Jerry G., Jerry Garcia! [@ 1:30 JG starts “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” tuning, Nicky joins in, Ronnie joins in, even Tim 2:05 ish, goes to 2:21] 
! P: s1t09 Money Honey – interesting that Ronnie is not vocally backing on the title phrase, which he sometimes did. I don’t have the patterns of when he was doing that very well pinned down. Indeed, the whole premise could be mistaken.

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Comments

10 responses to “First JGB at the Keystone: October 11-12, 1975”

  1. Corry342 Avatar

    I saw Jerry Garcia and others many times at the Keystone Berkeley in the 1980s. There was a little printed sign near the door that said (paraphrase) "The Fire Department has declared that the capacity is limited to 476 patrons."

    One night one of my friends saw Garcia (hi Josh) and there was some uniformed Fire Dept guy at the door with a clicker, counting heads. The show became officially "sold out," meaning they were letting no one else in. This had never happened (to our knowledge) at an 80s JGB show at Keystone. However, my friend said that the Keystone was relatively roomy, suggesting that the club had been letting in far more than 476 patrons most nights that Garcia played there.

  2. Fate Music Avatar

    Not sure where I got 300 – thanks!

    Also, was there any sawdust on the floor?

  3. Corry342 Avatar

    My memory says there was sawdust on the floor, but honestly I can no longer recall whether I am imposing that on my recollection. It was the kind of place where you thought there ought to be sawdust on the floor, but I doubt I would have noticed either way.

  4. Fate Music Avatar

    LOL. That's the stuff that memories are made of.

  5. Jerry's Brokendown Palaces Avatar

    I attended quite a few Jerry shows at Keystone Berkeley 1977-1979. No recollection of sawdust on the floor!

  6. Nick Avatar

    Nicky may have said more during one gig than Jerry said onstage during his entire solo career.

  7. runonguinness Avatar

    I've not heard these shows but I'd bet Nicky Hopkins is name checking Big Maceo Merriweather along with the other pianists.

  8. Nick Avatar

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  9. Nick Avatar

    agreed. just listened and it sounds like Nicky says "Big Maceo."

  10. Fate Music Avatar

    Thanks, gents! Will update.

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