Updated LN jg1973-04-16.oaitw.a.fm-nfagdtrfb.100404.flac1644

Man, I have been busy.

Anyway, some time ago I did a half-assed “listening notes” on the circulating set (set I) of OAITW 4/16/73. This is one of the “Four Nights at the Boarding House” that seem so incredibly, richly evocative of what a relatively healthy, happy, loose and jamming Garcia wanted out of his side projects. It’s an important moment, too, the first known recording with Richard Greene (unless I am right in my speculations, initial and more elaborate, about a 4/12/73 show in Santa Barbara). [update: yes, indeed!] As we have witnessed time and time again, Garcia liked to work in “new members” of his bands on off-nights and/or off-the-beaten path. I don’t think the Boarding House qualifies in the latter sense, but this Monday show surely does in the former.

So, I have revisited the tape and I have a slightly more detailed set of notes. Still not super-detailed — maybe I’ll make a third post on it someday.

One other point: the chatter transcribed as note 2 really interests me. Rowan (I think) says Garcia should introduce the band, and Garcia pretty clearly doesn’t want to. The Burden Of Being Jerry: Man can’t go down to the club on a Monday night, pick some banjo without some kind of star trip imposing itself on him.

Old And In The Way
Boarding House
960 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
April 16, 1973 (Monday) – A (set I or Early Show)
Rex reels > RE > WBAI-FM > DAT > flac1644 shnid-100404

–set I or early show (14 tracks, 49:35)–
a-t01. (1) [0:06] Goin’ To The Races [2:24] [0:17]
a-t02. Tragic Romance [3:40] [0:12]
a-t03. Katie Hill [3:27] [0:09]
a-t04. The Willow Garden [4:57] [0:34]
a-t05. ‘Til The End Of The World Rolls ‘Round [2:25] [0:11]
a-t06. band introductions (2) [1:19]
a-t07. Pig In A Pen [2:36] [0:05]
a-t08. Panama Red [2:17] (3) [1:43]
a-t09. Lonesome L.A. Cowboy [4:25] [0:36]
a-t10. Hard Hearted [2:30] [0:51] (4)
a-t11. Wild Horses [4:37] [0:27]
a-t12. Lost [3:22] (5) [0:15]
a-t13. stage banter (6) -> Blue Mule false start [1:22]
a-t14. Blue Mule [4:36] (7) [0:12]

! ACT1: Old And In The Way
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – banjo, vocals;
! lineup: Richard Greene – fiddle.
! lineup: David Grisman – mandolin, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – bass;
! lineup: Peter Rowan – guitar, vocals.

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.

! TJS: http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/931.

! JGC:

! map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=960+Bush+Street,+San+FRancisco,+CA&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8085808d89ff49b9:0xebab856481e4d520,960+Bush+St,+San+Francisco,+CA+94109&gl=us&ei=f2SUTsn3I-zEsQLXpNDvAQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA

! venue: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/09/boarding-house-960-bush-st-san.html

! db: shnid 18422 (runs slow, deprecated); shnid 100404 (this source).

! “Source: SBD > ? > WBAI-FM Broadcast > SAE-2 Receiver > Sony DTC-670.”

! “Transfer: MFD > Sony D10P > Coax SPDIF > Audiophile 2496 > Wavelab > R8Brain > CD-Wave > TLH > FLAC 1644. Transfer by Andrew F. 08/2009”

! R: seeder Note: “The DAT was recorded from the WBAI Morning Dew radio program on 07/31/1999 during their JG birthday special. Pitch is correct on this recording (ID-18422 is approx 90 cents slow). There’s some low end fuzziness, and other minor FM artifacts in the recording.”

! R: I suspect that Rex recorded this, not Betty.

! Personnel: This is the earliest OAITW tape with Richard Greene. The Santa Barbara show on 4/12/73 was probably his debut. Otherwise, this is, since he is not present on 4/15/73.

! R: I love that you can hear the band talking things over between tunes, though wish we could hear just a little bit better!

! a-t01 (1) DG: “We’re gonna go to the races, folks.”

! a-t05 DG sings a few verses of Til the End of the World Rolls Around

! a-t06 (2) Richard Greene: “Thank you very much.” Grisman: “I’m gonna introduce the members of the band.” [cross-talk] Unknown speaker: “Jerry gets to do that.” Grisman: “Uh, all right.” RG: “Why don’t you do it?” Grisman: “Why don’t you do it?” Unknown speaker: “I don’t know, man.” Garcia: “Fuck you, man.” Grisman: “Well, neither does he.” [cross-talk] DG: “This here is Peter Rowan on the gi-tar. Over on the big fiddle, John Kahn. Fiddlin’ Richard Greene. And on the five-string banjo, Jerry Garcia.” Band cross-talk: “Jerry Garcia … Jerry Garcia!” [NB JGMF] RG: “Who’s on the mandolin there?” Garcia: “That’s Dave Grisman playin’ the mandolin.”

! a-t08 JG is singing echo refrain of “Panama Red” during chorus … I don’t remember hearing this.

! a-t08 (3) DG: “That was one of Peter’s songs, and here’s another one.” Crowd gives a cheer. DG: “You folks sound like you’re havin’ a good time tonight.”

! a-t08 During this tuning after Panama Red there’s a lot of stage talk, but it’s inaudible to me. Note also the room size here: it doesn’t sound tiny.

! a-t09 JG’s solo @ 2:15 of Lonesome LA Cowboy is just not very good.

! a-t10 (4) DG: “Here’s a tune that may be familiar to most of you.”

! a-t11 P: This is a pretty nice workup of Wild Horses.

! a-t12 (5) stage stalk, JG: “Maybe we should just play a long set.” RG: “Or take a break.”

! a-t13 (6) DG: “We’re gonna have a big gospel portion on our second set. That’s what we’re deciding right now. So stick around and get your r’l’gion. … We’re gonna take a short leave of absence … right after this next song.”

! a-t13 Blue Mule false start is funny. They are off-key. Lady in the crowd says “Do it again!” and they do.

! a-t14 (7) PR: “Thank you.” RG: “Thank you, we’ll be back.”