NYS Music 202​2

Category: Regions

  • Flashback: The Beatles Perform on The Ed Sullivan Show

    58 years ago, on February 9, 1964, The Beatles played on The Ed Sullivan show in NYC, creating one of the most seminal moments in television history. A record-setting 73 million tuned in to watch the Fab Four perform “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

    The Beatles with Ed Sullivan.

    Consisting of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, The Beatles are one of the most influential bands to have ever existed. The group was formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England. They spent the first couple years playing small clubs in Europe and perfected their craft after playing eight-hour days in Hamburg, Germany. It wasn’t until their performance on “Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium” and the release of their first LP Please Please Me that Beatlemania truly began.

    https://vimeo.com/385906665
    Please Please Me by The Beatles full album.

    Urban legend says Ed Sullivan first heard about the group when he and his wife were at an airport in London returning to NYC and witnessed 1,500 screaming fans welcoming The Beatles back from a successful tour in Sweden.

    Actually, Sullivan found out about The Beatles before that, through his Talent Booker Jack Babb, and London-based agent Peter Prichard. Sullivan was eager to book the group but needed a selling point. Prichard said they had just performed in the Royal Variety Show where they were the first “long-haired boys” to be invited to appear before Queen Elizabeth II.

    The Beatles meeting Queen Elizabeth II

    On November 11, 1963, Beatles manager Brian Epstein met Sullivan in the Delmonico Hotel in NYC, and the deal was done with a handshake. The Beatles were booked for three performances, two live and one a taped rehearsal.

    Before the debut performance on the Sullivan show, the group’s record “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was leaked before its planned US release. The record label was unable to stop the radio from playing it, so they released the LP earlier than expected, and it went to the number one spot on the Billboard charts before the month was over.

    The Flight

    The Beatles flew to America on February 7, 1964. When they arrived at the airport, they were surprised at the number of people there to see them. Paul McCartney commented on it during the Anthology sessions in the 90s.

    There were millions of kids at the airport, which nobody had expected. We heard about it in mid-air. There were journalists on the plane, and the pilot had rang ahead and said, ‘Tell the boys there’s a big crowd waiting for them.’ We thought, ‘Wow! God, we have really made it.’

    5,000 fans, mostly young girls, were crowded on the balcony of one of the buildings at JFK, waving banners and screaming at the top of their lungs.

    They were able to get so many people there because the group’s American record company promised that every person who showed up at the airport would get a dollar bill and a t-shirt. The receptionists at Capitol Records would answer the phone, “Capitol Records – The Beatles are coming.” Every radio station was talking about it too.

    The Beatles arriving at JFK.

    The Ed Sullivan Show

    Paul McCartney spoke about their appearance on the show also during the Anthology sessions.

    It was very important. We came out of nowhere with funny hair, looking like marionettes or something. That was very influential. I think that was really one of the big things that broke us – the hairdo more than the music, originally. A lot of people’s fathers had wanted to turn us off. They told their kids, ‘Don’t be fooled, they’re wearing wigs.’

    The band rehearsed the day before, and George Harrison was feeling ill, and their road manager Neil Aspinall stood in for him to mark where everyone would stand.

    Neil Aspinall standing in for George Harrison during the rehearsals.

    Their live debut broke record for television viewing figures, as a record 73 million people tuned into the show. The group even got a telegram from Elvis Presley and his manager Colonel Tom Parker, wishing the group luck. Harrison made a witty remark about the show, during the Anthology sessions.

    We were aware that Ed Sullivan was the big one because we got a telegram from Elvis and the Colonel. And I’ve heard that while the show was on there were no reported crimes, or very few. When The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, even the criminals had a rest for ten minutes.

    The band came on and played “All My Loving” to an audience full of ear-splitting screeching from teenage girls. Then they played “Til There Was You,” and while the song was playing, a camera cut to each member of the band to introduce them, and when the camera cut to John Lennon, the caption said “SORRY GIRLS. HE’S MARRIED.”

    The band played three more songs, “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and their number one hit “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” After the show, The Beatles were whisked away to the Playboy Club with a police escort.

    The Beatles’ success on The Ed Sullivan show paved the way for the British Invasion, for groups like The Rolling Stones and The Animals. The group have also inspired the works of many bands, like the Ramones song “You’re Gonna Kill That Girl,” a parody of the tune “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” by The Beatles.

  • WHEDco Receives $2.5 Million to Construct Bronx Music Hall

    The South Bronx non profit Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation, has recently received a $2.5 million grant to finish construction of the Bronx Music Hall. The grant was awarded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

    Bronx Music Hall

    The state of the art facility is 14,000 sq. ft. and will be the first music venue built in the borough in more than half a century. It is located on 438 East 163rd Street within WHEDco’s newest affordable housing development, Bronx Commons. The venue is currently capable of 250 occupants, and also contains a green room, studio, classroom and a lobby to host additional events. The Bronx Music Hall is capable of serving 20,000 in person audience members, post pandemic.

    Davon Russell, president of WHEDco, cites the new venue as a “community cultural asset” that will respond to historic inequities that the borough has experienced through the decades. It will also help to bring funds to the borough, and greater NYC area to assist in its economic recovery.

    Historians documented each wave of immigrants who settled in the Bronx spanning more than a century. The traditions and rhythms they carried have endured and inspired new generations and new forms of music. Inside and out, the Bronx Music Hall was designed to reflect and showcase today’s diverse contemporary culture

    Nancy Biberman, WHEDco Founder and President Emerita.

    The Mellon Foundation funding will allow for completion of the main elements within the music hall, including back end lighting, rigging and audio control, as well as cosmetic additions and necessary audience seating. 

    The Bronx Music Hall is scheduled to open later this year. For more information, visit the Bronx Music website. More information about the WHEDco organization can be found here.

  • Brooklyn Band SAVAK Announce New Album And Tour, Several NY Metro Dates

    Brooklyn punk band SAVAK announce their new album Human Error / Human Delight, and a Spring tour, with multiple dates in the NY Metro area.

    savak
    SAVAK, photo by Taylor Sesselman.

    The band is led by Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski, and Matt Shulz on drums. Jaworski and Habibion have both been doing singing and songwriting together since the band was created in 2015.

    All the members played in bands in the 90s, which helps them reform their sound, as touches of the scene are heard in their music.

    The album art for SAVAK’s Human Error/Human Delight.

    SAVAK have released a number of singles ahead of the album’s release, which is set to come out April 15. The title of the album comes from the fascination of just existing as a human. The newest release, “No Blues No Jazz,” speaks of what life would be if genres didn’t exist. The album was written over Zoom, and grapples with the idea of creating an album during a pandemic, and if it is justified.

    The group have also announced a Spring tour, with many NY metro dates, and tickets to that can be found here.

    SAVAK LIVE 2022
    Fri. Mar. 4 – Providence, RI – TBD

    Sat. Mar. 5 – Northampton, MA – Bishop’s Lounge*

    Wed. Mar. 16 – Austin, TX – SXSW*

    Thu. Mar. 17 – Austin, TX – SXSW*

    Fri. Mar. 18 – Austin, TX – SXSW*

    Sat. Mar. 19 – Austin, TX – SXSW*

    Thu. Apr. 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Littlefield #+

    Fri. Apr. 8 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s #

    Sat. Apr. 9 – Lowell, MA – The Town and the City Festival (early show)

    Sat. Apr. 9 – Boston, MA – Midway Cafe #

    Fri. May 13 – Philadelphia, PA – TBD +

    Sat. May 14 – Washington, DC – TBD +

    Fri. Oct. 21 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge !

    * w/Pays P.
    # w/Chris Brokaw
    + w/Upper Wilds
    ! w/June of 44

  • In Focus: Tom Rush and Matt Nakoa at Caffe Lena

    On Sunday, February 6, Tom Rush made his way down from Vermont to Saratoga Springs to perform at Caffe Lena with Matt Nakoa. The relatively warm weather brought out a packed crowd for the duo’s first of two shows on Sunday. Tom took the stage by himself to open the show with “Best of a Bad Situation’, and he set the tone for what was to come. The show was filled with masterful finger-picking on guitar, witty lyrics, and personal storytelling. And all of that was seamlessly accompanied by Matt Nakoa on the piano.

    tom rush matt nakoa

    Rush and Nakoa were operating at exactly the same wavelength all night long. Intricate finger-picking on guitar was combined with beautifully delicate runs on piano. Neither musician stepped on the other’s toes, instead their parts danced in perfect unison. This chemistry was nothing new though, as was pointed out by Tom when he told a story about one of their first shows together. In the story, Tom and Matt arrived at a venue much later than anticipated, and were left with no time to rehearse. Despite this, Matt took the stage and accompanied Tom as though he had been playing his songs for years.

    After a few songs, including covers of songs by Joni Mitchell and Sleepy John Estes, Tom left the stage while Matt took over for a few songs by himself. The lefty picked up a guitar and showcased his ability to play and sing beyond his role on piano. Nakoa, standing somewhere well above 6’3″, was exceptionally dexterous, fretting chords using all five fingers with total ease, a task which would cripple most guitarists.

    tom rush matt nakoa

    Shortly after leaving the stage, Tom returned and performed his “big hit on YouTube” as he put it: ‘Remember Song.’ As the set drew to a close, the energy rose while Tom and Matt lost themselves in the music. The duo would end the night with songs including ‘Train Song’ by Murray Mclauchlan and Rush’s ‘River Song.’ ‘River Song’ was played as a part of the show’s encore, an encore which was not preceded by a stage exit. Only when you have been performing over the span of seven decades like Tom Rush has, do you get to decide whether or not an encore break is necessary. As the encore drew to a close, and the musicians’ final notes rang out, the crowd rose to their feet to applaud in a standing ovation.

    tom rush matt nakoa

    Both Tom and Matt will be traveling the country and performing live in the coming months. You can find Tom’s upcoming shows, accompanied by Matt, on his website here. For Matt’s solo shows, you can find them listed on his own site. The two will be all over the Northeast mostly, with a two show trip out west to California. Be sure to check out their websites to stay up-to-date on all their happenings. And for future shows at Caffe Lena, check out the their website.

  • William “Tragedy” Yager – Businessman Preserving an Iconic Scene for the Next Generation

    So many have already interviewed William “Tragedy” Yager about his purchase of Albany’s legendary night club Fuze Box (formerly the QE2) but I waited for all the other formal interviews to be over with so I could just have a nice conversation with the man. Rob Smittix from RadioRadioX met Yager in his office area at his Howard Street location of Patsy’s Barber Shop and had a nice chat.

    RRX: The day we received the call that you bought the Fuze Box, I was speaking with a friend and I said, “man I wish someone would buy it”. It honestly hurt my heart to see the building just sitting there with a for sale sign on it. What was it that made you go ahead and make it official? 

    WTY: I thought I was saving it from the wrecking ball or a Starbucks or something of that nature. I know the developers that were looking at it, were actually looking at maybe even having to move it because it’s on the National Historic Registry as one of the last five White Tower Hamburger buildings in the country. My formative years were there. I’d like to say I grew up in there but I didn’t grow up anywhere, I haven’t grown up yet. I feel like as soon as you grow up God’s like, ‘good, you’ve grown up, get the f**k up here and play a harp or something’. I wanted other kids to have what I was able to have from (previous owners) Charlene and David Shortsleeve and from what they have built. They orchestrated such an amazing vibe and this is way before the Internet. Char had given us her blessing, which is amazing! 

    I built the Fuze Box in the back of The Power Company (across the way from the current location), that was mine, so I felt like it came full circle. And I don’t know if being back at the beginning of the circle you started at is a good thing or not but I positioned myself (I guess) to probably be the only person that could do it. 

    This is the building part. This is supposed to be the fun part getting the calendar together and what the nights are going to be. Wednesday night we want to do industry night, kind of like the old Alibi’s. Thursdays I want it to be emo night, because emo is huge right now. Friday is going to be the normal QE2ian/Fuze Box Goth night. Hex is the first Friday of the month and the third Friday of the month is Resist The Club. Now we’re structuring where other DJ nights might fall in. So, my vision now is kind of like the original QE2, where it’s live music until 10 P.M. and club night from 10 P.M. on. A smooth transition of music, so people can stay as late as they want as new people come through the door. That’s the vision. Saturdays will be house, EDM and all those different genres of an electronic DJ style. These things are for the young folks, so they can be the new us!

    It’s not just about us remembering when this was the QE2. We can’t do that, we’re old. (Laughs) We’re going to make a cool viable space for the new generation.

    RRX: I had so many great memories there as a young adult. Of course, we’d love to relive those days but making it a place for the next generation, I think that’s a great way to put it. 

    WTY: That’s what the goal is. The Fuze Box/QE2, the Q Z Box 2 or whatever the f*** it is, has to remain a safe place for everybody in our community. When I say community, I’m talking about punk, gay, trans and everybody down the line. A comfortable place for them to be them and us to be us. 

    RRX: I respect that, safety is key. Now, I’m sure you saw as soon as the news broke that you purchased the club how happy the community was.

    WTY: That’s great to have all of that support but getting them out of their houses is another thing. We own barber shops, tattoo shops, laundromats and The Bull and Bee Meadery. The nature of business and how business is conducted has changed. It used to be consistency is everything and location, location, location, it’s not like that anymore. Now it really depends on social media, marketing and branding. As long as your cyber presence is there, that’s what the new location is. 

    RRX: In the heyday of the club there wasn’t social media at all back then. Times sure have changed.

    WTY: We own fuzeboxalbany.com but it’s as much the QE2 as it is the Fuze Box to me. Although the Fuze Box is my thing, the QE2 is what I see when I walk in there. It’s even hard for me to call it the Fuze Box, I’m still that old guy. I bought the Q, I mean the Fuze Box, I mean… what do I own? 

    (Both laugh)

    RRX: Yeah, I think we, “the older generation” all call it the Q. 

    WTY: Generation Q.  

    So, we’re trying to book local acts mostly, we want to support the local scene but also want the local scene to support itself. 

    Things are different. Lucky for me, I’m very open-minded and very malleable. This is how it is now, fine let’s make it work the best we can. It’s a build, so now we’re building the business that was already there. We have a good foundation and a good reputation and a lot of support from the community. Now to get them to turn that support into showing up. I’ve got a lot of great press; it hasn’t always been that way for me in my life. You’re only one step away from being a sh**heel again so… I keep that in mind. Everybody’s like you’re a hometown hero. I’m like, ‘uhhh, no don’t do that to me, you’re setting me up to fall’. So, we’ll support the people that support us and everybody else whether they like it or not. We’re hoping on having a nice symbiotic relationship with Lark Hall, Empire Live and all the venues. Kip from Pauly’s reached out, that was nice of him. It has to be an all for one, one for all situation, otherwise you won’t get that scene back. 

    Originally published in The Xperience Monthly, written by Rob Smittix

  • The Mommyheads Give 1991 Fan-favorite Bootleg a Proper Release

    The Mommyheads’ Swiss Army Knife has never had a proper release. Trapped in obscurity, the long-awaited album will be out February 11th, 2022, for fans to enjoy. 

    Photo of The Mommyheads’ band members.

    The Mommyheads (Adam Elk, Michael Holt, Dan Fisherman, Jason McNair) are an indie pop band from Brooklyn, who played from around 1987 through 1998. They disbanded for a decade, and then reformed in 2008. After the death of original drummer, Jan Kotik, The Mommyheads re-united for a tribute show in New York City. Shortly after, they decided to reform and record a new album, “You’re Not A Dream.” In 2021, Big Takeover Magazine dubbed Adam Elk and Michael Holt, “two of the best songwriters currently active.” 

    “Four decades later and the Mommyheads are still undisputed godfathers of Baroque Prog Pop.”

    Relix

    Swiss Army Knife displays vocals from the wild creativity of Mommyheads songwriter, Adam Elk, who independently recorded these tunes on four-track during his teen years in Brooklyn. The album is striking in it’s eccentricity: schizophrenic wordplay, mind-bending chord structures, acoustic mayhem, and DIY experimentalism all meld together within these colorful song fragments.

    The Mommyheads’ new album Swiss Army Knife is coming out February 11th, 2022.
    Swiss Army Knife, The Mommyheads

    When listening to the album, the manic creative energy is infectious throughout. There is an unrelenting playfulness to this set that makes it so enjoyable to listen to. Tracks such as “They Call it Accident,” have a playful, plucking bassline paired with sublime vocals that overall make the track a fun one to listen to.  

    “If you wanna do music, you have to have a really thick skin. You have to really wanna take the abuse of not making money for years and years.”

    says Adam Elk

    That most unique aspects of this album are its use of unusual use of instruments and vocals that make the album feel so raw featured in songs like “Freak Out Jam,” “I Won’t Eat Anymore,” and “They’ve Finally Landed.” Other tracks like “Lemon Merengue People” have fun melodies of guitar and vocals that pair with each other. 

    Photo of The Mommyheads’ band members.

    Another song, “We Are Intertwined,” can be described as having a waltz, up-beat and psychedelic sound. “Canoe Driver” is also another gorgeous piece of baroque pop with glorious melody. The Mommyheads Swiss Army Knife is a masterpiece of 90s-sounding baroque progressive pop.  

    Photo of The Mommyheads’ band members.

    Swiss Army Knife is available to listen to on Soundcloud.  

  • Filled To The Brim To Perform at Stanley Theatre this month

    Filled to the Brim, a rock band consisting of high schoolers from Utica, will be performing at The Stanley Theatre on Friday, February 25th.

    Filled To The Brim

    The band consists of Victoria Haggerty on lead vocals, Alyssa Tomassi on drums, Owen Paz on bass, Jack Towns on keyboards and Johnny Mudge on lead guitar and was first formed in 2018, where the young talents met at Jim O’Mahony’s Rock Camp in Marcy, New York. During those two weeks, the band composed their first song, “Turn Back The Time,” and released a music video for the song less than a year later. 

    In March 2019, the band recorded a music video for their single, “Turn Back the Time” with Lisa Baron from Upstate Studios, now known as Baroness Films in Utica, NY. Over the course of 2019, they played shows and continued collaborating until they found that they had created enough songs for a full album.
    They headed back to the studio in December 2019 and recorded their 11 track self-titled with Andrew Greacen from MoreSounds Studios.

    Since then, Filled To The Brim has continued writing songs and playing shows. In 2020, the band released their self-titled album and in 2021, the band released their single “Only U.” Both are available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

    The Stanley Theatre will be hosting the band on Friday, February 25th. The theatre operates as a non-profit organization run by the Central New York Community Arts Council. Since 1928, the theatre has hosted movie screenings, plays, concerts, and more.

    Tickets start at $10 can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

  • Club d’Elf Announces shows with John Medeski, Release New Single “Dervish Dance”

    Club d’Elf will release their third studio full-length album, You Never Know, on April 1. They’ll team up with John Medeski that night at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock to celebrate the release of You Never Know, and perform with the band the next night at DROM in the East Village on April 2.

    You Never Know is a double album with 10 tracks with the sound of musicians in full improvisational flight. For Mike Rivard, head Elf and sole constant member over the collective’s 24 year run, the meaning of You Never Know runs deeper than just the chase of an alchemic group-mind.

    A few years back, while tracking spiritual insight in the deep-Amazon, Rivard began experiencing terrifying heart palpitations, breathing difficulties and paralyzing anxiety. Initially, he assumed the symptoms were part of his awakening process, but it quickly became clear something else was at work. Back home in Boston, Rivard was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, likely caused by a blood clot which developed during one of his long flights to Peru. A lifelong devotee of Eastern and holistic medicine, Rivard found himself mired in the sterility and sluggishness of the American healthcare system, struggling with PTSD and cloaked in a severe depression. His life skidded to a halt. 

    A lot of people find out about having a pulmonary embolism by dying. After the trauma in the jungle as I slipped further and further into the darkness, one of the scariest parts was how things I loved lost all meaning, the pleasure just drained away. It was this sense of sliding into an alternate universe of shadow.

    Mike Rivard

    As the depression parted, Rivard (playing bass and sintir) gathered fellow Club d’Elf collaborators Dean Johnston (drums), DJ Mister Rourke (turntables), Paul Schultheis and John Medeski (vintage analog keyboards), Casablanca-native Brahim Fribgane (oud, vocals and percussion) and guitarists Duke Levine, David Fiuczynski and Kevin Barry, and began recording the album to analog tape with minimal overdubs.

    Half of the album consists of originals inspired by Rivard’s experience and the sounds that saved him, and half covers of influences which have shaped the band’s musical universe: Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Joe Zawinul, Nass El Ghiwane, as well as gnawa, a North African trance music known for causing time to melt as players and listeners enter into a liminal space of eternity and possibility, and Sufi folk songs.

    It’s kind of like driving a tour bus and stopping at various interesting destinations, pulling the bus over and letting everyone off, and then it’s up to them, the musicians, to find their way into the experience, to create the music together, in the moment. Every voice is heard, is equally important, and can drive the music into places that I never would have envisioned of on my own. That’s what really excites me—when I let go of the reins and the collective energy of the ensemble reaches a sort of hive mind state, and the spirits guide us.

    Mike Rivard

    In the studio, Rivard ceded the spotlight to the collective, allowing for free-play and improvisational dexterity. Through it all rides the trance, pulsing, calming, poking open the mystic truths which may just offer us all the hope of brighter days ahead. A Sufi traditional “Dervish Dance” features pools of deep bass and psychedelic crackle beneath Fribgane’s oud soloing, and is the first single from the album, the video of which can be seen below.

    Club d’Elf have tour dates this April with keyboardist John Medeski, in support of You Never Know, set for release on April 1 via Face Pelt Records. After two stops in New York State, the band makes stops in Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with a finale at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, Massachusetts on April 15.

    Club d’Elf Spring 2022 Tour Dates

    4/1 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios
    4/2 – New York, NY – Drom
    4/8 – Portland, ME – Bayside Bowl
    4/9  – Providence, RI – Columbus Theater
    4/10 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall
    4/14 – Northampton, MA – Bombyx
    4/15 – Pembroke, MA – Soundcheck Studios

    club d'elf

  • Anaïs Mitchell and Bonny Light Horseman Will Entertain Kingston This February

    Tony and Grammy award-winning creator of the Broadway musical Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell will head back on stage with folklore music group Bonny Light Horseman, on February 20th at Old Dutch Church in Kingston.

    Anaïs Mitchell & Bonny Light Horseman

    Bonny Light Horseman is a trio group consisting of singer and songwriter, Anaïs Mitchell; Eric D. Johnson who is best known for his project Fruit Bats and stints with The Shins, and Josh Kaufman an instrumentalist and producer known for his work with Hiss Golden Messenger, Bob Weir, The National. This trio centers their focus on blending traditional folklore music with more contemporary melodies. Their two time Grammy nominated album Bonny Light Horseman, is suitable for a vast audience.

    When the three met and decided to sketch musical ideas together, they formed an instant artistic bond. While they experimented for the upcoming 2018 Eaux Claires festival at the time, the trio seized the opportunity to form a band.

    “The conversation about starting the group and figuring out the type of music we’d play happened very quickly. It’s like a love story: a really big fire, and the shared ideas of what we wanted the music to feel like. We wanted openness and for it to feel emotional and personal.”

    Josh Kaufman

    During their live performance later this month, the trio will perform songs from Bonny Light Horseman. Subsequently, Mitchell will take to the stage to share her new 10 track solo album named after herself, in addition to some more fan favorites. This album represents her resilience to music after producing her previous solo album almost a decade ago, to focus on other music related commitments on Broadway and within her band. NPR, supports Mitchell as “one of the greatest songwriters of her generation.”

    Anaïs Mitchell is a personal album from real life events, in which she exposes a variety of emotions of hers, not daring to hold back using metaphors, but is rather blunt about her feelings. Ultimately, this album is intimate, real and relatable.

    For Anaïs Mitchell’s & Bonny Light Horseman’s upcoming performance, general admission seats are $34 and for Gold Circle seats, within the first 5 rows, tickets are $48. To buy tickets for February’s show visit ticketmaster.

  • First Ever JGB show at MSG Captured on GarciaLive Volume 16

    Garcia Family Provisions has declared GarciaLive Volume 16 as its album of the month for February. This three-CD album features a three set show from Jerry Garcia Band’s inaugural show at Madison Square Garden from November 15,1991, a show that takes place right in the middle of one Garcia’s most heralded solo tours.

    The Grateful Dead had recently finished a nine-show residency at The Garden just two months, but this show marks the first ever JGB at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The show opens with a buoyant cover of How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) and features a host of other memorable covers like Van Morrison’s “He Ain’t Give You None” and “Bright Side Of The Road,” Smokey Robinson’s “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate.”

    And there’s also other Jerry Garcia Band staples like “Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox” and an extended take of “Don’t Let Go” included on this release, as well as a sterling rendition of “Shining Star” included as well. And the show ends on an emotional high with a cover of “(What A) Wonderful World.”

    The JGB lineup at this time includes Melvin Seals on keys, John Kahn on bass, David Kemper on drums and Jaclyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones handling backup vocals. In Glide Magazine Doug Collette wrote, “Garcia Live Volume 16 may be the ideal entry in this ongoing archive series to provide the curious music lover eager to comprehend the virtues of the Jerry Garcia Band…. [Garcia] is equally expressive through the selection of tunes by his favorite composers plus an eclectic range of other song choices, consistently vigorous vocals… and, last but not least, versatile and inventive guitar work.”

    This GarciaLive album was officially released in June of last year and is available for purchase directly from Garcia Family Provisions here.