The 50th anniversary of the shows that contributed to 1969’s “Live Dead” challenged me to see how stupendous a jam-centric mix I could make out of performances from the very late years (that have appeared on my Save Your Face mixes).
So, this is a crème de la crème compilation from September 1993 to March 1995 – an often-amazing 18-month period.
Nothing is included from my all-Space mixes. It’s more of an improvisational dance party, with surprises around every corner. All recordings are still unreleased as of now. If you’re not already a convert to late Dead, give this a try.
2-hour, 10-track mp3 mix zipped up here
Bird Song (October 3, 1994) 13:08
I recently posted a mix that included an instrumental edit of the 1973 Watkins Glenn “Bird Song,” and it’s a transcendent, jazzy event that is hardly distinguishable from “Dark Star,” refracted through the emerging sensibilities that would produce “Eyes of the World.” In October 1994, it’s a very different song, descended from the acoustic 1980 revival, through the intensity of the late Brent period, and now, in late 1994 fully owned by the mature Welnick unit. This performance is complex and intense – beautiful, jazzy, and dancing on the edge of chaos at various points. From the mix, “October ’94.”
Three Night Jam (March 17-19, 1995) 17:55
This edit is comprised of five or six segments plucked from three consecutive nights of “Drums/Space,” and edited into a continuous, far-out suite. At the heart of it is a long, funky, collective jam that Garcia joins a few minutes late, as if he’s just realized that he’s missing out on something special. Other episodes include Adrian Belew-era King Crimson, Brian Eno/Harold Budd soundtracks, and other strange things. 1995. Not a year to categorically ignore. From the mix, "Shortlist: 1995-03-17/18/19 Philadelphia, PA.”
Shakedown Street (October 14, 1994) 16:33
Over the entire history of recorded versions of this song, it’s hard to find very many on which all the parts come together, start to finish, into an unrelenting, funky steamroller, ready for a general-audience dance party mixtape. This one makes the cut. The only flaw is Garcia being creaky and uncertain on the vocals of a couple of verses, but the heft of the music and the excellence of the group backing vocals make this a pretty minor issue. From the mix, “October ’94.”
Hornsby/Weir Jam (March 23, 1995) 4:23
This show also included an intense Hornsby/drummers jam ahead of the Drums segment. On the other end, Weir and Hornsby played this. Hornsby hadn’t performed on piano with the band in two years, and the second set is a fantastic reunion. From the mix, “Shortlist: 1995-03-23 Charlotte, NC.”
The Other One (March 18, 1994) 10:17
The first four minutes of this version, at least, would go on my all-time “Other One” reel. It’s a slow-build out of “Space” that is also one of the most subtle “Other One” investigations I’ve heard, with some exquisite details. The rest of the song doesn’t disappoint, with the band fully exploiting the loud/quiet dynamics that they honed once Hornsby departed. From the mix, “Dark Star Flashes (March 1994).”
Playin’ Jam > Terrapin instrumental > Terraplayin’ Jam (September 21, 1993) 14:37
I don’t know when the Dead added their extra jam to “Terrapin Station,” but I love it. It launches out of the traditional, repeated riff that follows the final chorus of the song, but it is also, to greater and lesser degrees on any given night, a “Playin’” jam. This is one of a number of late-years performances where “Playin’” actually preceded “Terrapin,” and while “Terrapin Station,” the song itself, wasn’t very good that night, the overarching jam trajectory was. Thus, the edit. From the mix, “Shortlist: 1993-09-21 MSG, NYC.”
Uncle John’s Band > Supplication Jam > Uncle John’s Band (February 27, 1994) 14:24
From Garcia’s extended lyrical playing on the melody, to a fully-integrated, intense dance with “Supplication,” to a complete vocal landing of “Uncle John’s,” this performance is a thrill. I removed the first UJB verse/chorus sequence due to significant singer malfunction, but that creates an UJB experience that you didn’t know you always wanted. From the mix, “Shortlist: 1994-02-27 Oakland, CA.”
Estimated Prophet > Dark Star (instrumental) (w/David Murray, September 22, 1993) 15:28
I posted a compilation of late-years Dead performing with guest jazz musicians. They all performed great spaces with the Dead, but in terms of classic improvisational songs, David Murray seems to have been the best fit. A lot of pressure is put on individual “Dark Star” performances, always compared to some version(s) that you love more than life itself. This one is the third-from-last ever played, and I’d urge you to experience it as if “Dark Star” was always popping up in Dead shows, as an exploratory platform, rather than as a monument. If you're looking for a follow-up to that transcendent 1973 Watkins Glenn "Bird Song," this might be it. From the mix, “Dead is Jazz (1993-1994).”
Tomorrow Never Knows (8-version edit, 1992-1993) 9:16
I previously posted this edit along with two complete, intact performances of the song that I particularly like – a GD TNK EP. I like how this maxi-mix version creates another example of the Dead working again and again through/around a simple repetitive theme/pattern, kind of like something from the “Blues for Allah” rehearsals. “Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.” From the mix “Tomorrow Never Knows (versions).”