Not since the halcyon days of the Pure Jerry archival series of the early 2000s has there been a release so expansive as the six-CD box of Jerry Garcia Band: Live at the Warfield – February 28, March 1st & 2nd, 1991.
It is a special pleasure indeed to hear the titular leader of the Grateful Dead in friendly confines such as this vaunted San Francisco venue. But as the ever erudite (and passionate) Blair Jackson writes in his liner notes, Garcia and company’s history lent itself to those rare moments of inspired intimacy that populated these three nights and six sets of music.
And sure enough, the increasingly intense momentum spanning the shows rivals that of previously released Grateful Dead archive titles, specifically complete boxes of performances from Winterland in San Francisco in 1973 and 1977, respectively.
To that end, just enough upbeat material appears in this 2/28 setlist to preclude lethargy. For instance, Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie)” effectively picks up the pace from an ever-so-mournful rendition of Garcia/Hunter’s collaboration, “Mission in the Rain.” Likewise, “Midnight Moonlight” is an artful contrast in its closing position on the first evening, particularly since it’s juxtaposed with a deeply elegiac take on “That Lucky Old Sun.”
The much peppier mood of the aforementioned conclusion presages the generally more upbeat March 1st performance. And the ebullient atmosphere of that night continues into the next, notwithstanding some noticeable repetition of material.
A tongue-in-cheek (?) tease of Argent’s FM radio staple “Hold Your Head Up” foreshadows Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally:” the funky little guitar workout that hints at the twenty minutes plus of “Don’t Let Go” near the homestretch of this second concert.
Dark, involved, and ever-so-slightly ambient, this interlude features keyboardist Melvin Seals mirroring the bandleader’s every move. And that is no small accomplishment, given the guitarist’s joyfully abandoned, unpredictable traversing of his fretboard, dexterity is all the more remarkable considering he had to relearn to play after suffering a near-fatal health issue in 1986.
Seals is most prominent on organ throughout the approximately six hours of playing time that is Warfield Theatre…1991, thereby lending a palpably churchy feel to the proceedings as on “Waiting For A Miracle.” But his playing piano and synthesiser–and the dancing around the vibes during “The Way You Do The Things You Do”–is no more or less integral to these proceedings than the backing vocals of Gloria Jones and Jacklyn LaBranch: have those two ever sounded more angelic than they do so appropriately on Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”?
Whether intentional or coincidental, this JGB release on Round Records stands as an illuminating companion piece to Dave’s Picks Volume 55, Grateful Dead recordings from a European tour later in 1991. To be sure, the titular leader of the iconic band is valiant in both settings, but more noticeably so at the forefront of his solo lineup, especially when the group takes flight at the very end of March 2nd for “Tangled Up In Blue” (the last of six selections here from the Nobel Laureate)
The clarity of sound mastered by Fred Kevorkian from John Cutler’s original recordings is emblematic of Garcia’s lucid (if often mournful) state of mind at this juncture of his career. At this time, perhaps Jerry could not help but envision the proverbial end of the line for himself–see the deceptively fanciful artwork of Evan M. Cohen–yet he was nevertheless making the most of his time.
Why else, near the end of this run in such a favored space, would he choose to offer his genuinely adoring and appreciative audience the gracious but decidedly raucous invitation of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ “Let’s Spend The Night Together”?
