Grateful Dead Improvisation 1972-1974

One of the most common inquiries I get is where to look for improv-only 1972-1974 Dead mixes on the Save Your Face mixtape blog. Here’s the shortest answer: There are lots of SYF mixes that focus on the jammy side of ’72-’74 Dead, but the mixes below focus on zones of pure, spontaneous creation, largely detached from any particular song.

This is improvisational music of the highest order, full of indelible moments of delicate intricacy, collective synchronicity, individual virtuosity, melodic forward-motion, and complete narrative arcs... in real time. To me, this is where the Grateful Dead planted a flag that no one in the rock and jazz categories can dispute or directly compete with.

Bookmark this page, and you'll have instant access to hours and hours of that kind of music.

Dark Starlets: Europe ’72

This mix offers two hours of non-spacey listening from all the Europe ’72 tour “Dark Stars.” It is not every cool passage from those performances, but it is an ongoing melodic adventure that highlights the earliest signs of the improvisational Dead that would follow Pigpen’s departure. While the Dark Star theme returns many times, there are also numerous pure improvisations beyond that theme.

Original post/download

Streaming


Improvisation Vol. 1: 1973-1974

The original SYF “jazz years” improv mix, isolating 10 passages/74 minutes that are among the most revered “out of nowhere” playing from the era. Bits you surely know well, but carved out as stand-alone tracks that reveal the GD’s ability to create something amazing from nothing. Henry Kaiser approved this mix at some point. 

Original post/download

Streaming


Improvisation Vol. 2: 1972-1974

Nine passages/96 minutes more of improvisation that has little or no relation to song-themes - while coming across as wholly-formed ideas. This mix compiles the best open passages I discovered over a year or so of listening to unreleased shows from the era. 

Original post/download

Streaming


Theme from Summer of ’73 (The Phil Jazz Jam)

Sixteen tracks/67 minutes of Summer ’73 improv that slightly overlap the 72-74 mix above - again avoiding song themes for pure improv. Summer bliss circling around multiple takes of “The Phil Jazz Jam.”

Original post/download

Streaming


Pouring Light into Jazzes: Drifty Dark Stars (1973-1974)

Nine passages/two hours focused on some of the most diffuse and open Dark Star zones of the era. It’s Dark Star, but it’s also infinity. A perfect sequel to the more structured, era-beginning “Dark Starlets” mix, above. 

Original post/download

Streaming


The Mind Left Body Jam

The first "disc" of this multi-decade anthology complies the 1972-1974 performances of the theme.

Original post/download

Streaming


The Spanish Jam

The second “disc” of this multi-decade anthology compiles the 1973-1974 performances of the theme.

Original post/download

Streaming


Cover art: Luigi Serafini - detail from a page of "Pulcinellopaedia Seraphiniana"



20 responses
Thank you (again) for sharing. Appreciate having this resource all in one place. And also grateful for the new streaming resource you provide here. That’s huge 🙏🏻 Todd Carey Www.Twitter.Com/ToddCarey Www.Instagram.Com/ToddCarey Www.toddcareymusic.com > On Aug 15, 2022, at 9:09 PM, Posthaven Posts wrote: > > y to create something amazing from nothing. Henry Kaiser approved this mix at some point. > > Original post/download > > Streaming
Improvisation Vol. 1: 1973-1974 is Dead!
All are superb listening experiences and testament to John’s taste and skill. The perfect answer to anyone who asks where to look for improv-only 1972-1974 Dead mixes.
Yoshiki, thanks for letting me know. Link has been fixed.
This is fantastic. Thanks so much for compiling and sharing.
These mixes have long provided me with tremendous listening pleasure. They are all excellent and worthy of repeated listening. Pure gold. Thanks a million
Love this blog and all the work you put into it. I’m working on narrowing down that list of Diamond Seas for you, not an easy task. In the mean time here is a Spotify playlist of three(+) hybrid concepts which bleed together: songs which reference the Dead road crew names, songs with lyrics by Mitchell Parish (Big Steve’s grand-uncle), songs the Dead could have covered in an alternate timeline/mirror universe (considering ranges of influence 60 years backwards and forwards in time), songs Dead-inspired bands could add to their set lists to expand their repertoire a bit. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2feFUlwys24H3...
"Diamond Seas" person! This mix is cool! Thanks for sharing.
Hi John! Don't know if you'll see this comment on a somewhat old post but I wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed browsing your site recently. I'm a 15 year old music enthusiast who loves to dive super deep into researching the histories of bands I enjoy listening to, and my dad, who's a casual fan, helped make me into a voracious Deadhead (I've already far surpassed him on the knowledge front after just a couple years of listening, though he has more innate familiarity with their classic catalog). Anyway, I don't have Dropbox so I haven't really been able to listen to any of your mixes yet (I only just discovered the youtube channel you linked to above and haven't taken the time to check any of it out yet, but I probably will shortly start listening to all of them and eventually figure out how to actually download them) but I love reading all your posts and explanations for your various mixes. The shortlists are an excellent idea but the exploration of certain specific obscure angles is really what I love to dig into, and you've contributed immensely to my mental database over the past few weeks I've been reading this site. The mixes on the above post will probably be some of the first I dig into, as that era is probably my current favorite. When I acquire the knowledge and means in the future, I love the idea of creating mixes for the Dead and other bands and will probably start doing so. I'm a huge matrix enthusiast, whereas your mixes seem to be mostly based on soundboards (I understand, given that matrices aren't available for most pre-74 shows and even quite a lot after that, but it would be interesting to have mixes that are based on matrix recordings). You seem to be well connected in the Deadhead world, and have been for quite a long time, and I'd love to hear more about all your history with the band and the people you know. I'm a big prog rock fan, so I largely view the Dead through that lens, though I also tend to view other bands through the lens of a jam band fan, even all the weirdo electronic music I freak myself out with sometimes (I do have one recommendation: Squarepusher, try the album Hard Normal Daddy and thank me later). Anyway, I'd be interested in viewing certain songs from a compositional lens, nailing a fantasized "perfect take" (Terrapin would especially benefit from an amalgamation of great live performances and post-song jams with the extra sections that appear either on the Dead's studio recording or in Robert Hunter's versions of the song), and whatnot, and I love that a lot of the improvisational spaces you've captured could act like compositions. Other than Zappa, who I'm not that well acquainted with myself, you don't seem to be super familiar with prog, but I would highly encourage checking out bands like King Crimson, though most wouldn't be well-suited for mixes on your site, either due to a lack of recorded live material or variations in live material (Genesis, Yes to some degree although they'd be a little more interesting, Rush, etc) or are fiercely protective of their catalogs to where it would be impossible for a mix on a site like yours to survive (King Crimson, unfortunately because they're almost like a jazz or jam band in a live context, and most of their archival material is only available through paid downloads on their official site). Anyway, this may be a case of rambling on for far too long without that much to say, but I just wanted to get a bunch of thoughts out here while letting you know how much I like your site, want it to keep going, and will be not only browsing but actually figuring out how to listen to all of it in the future. Thanks!
Bartographer! I’m thrilled to hear your thoughts, and I appreciate your appreciation of my mixtape comments and personal Dead journey. If mp3s are a barrier to listening, you can stream nearly every mix online: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8yyM8q9... Internet Archive: https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22S... I do have a preference for soundboards. When the mix is good, I find SBDs more immersive and detailed than audience tapes or matrix combos. It’s my favorite way to listen to the Dead, but there is no right way to listen to the Dead. I am a prog fan up to a point. I’m a huge Crimson fan, and love early-mid 1970s Genesis. I am deeply into 1970s German music, which overlaps into prog. However, I’ve never gotten into most of the other big names, like Yes and ELP. I'd like to explore Hawkwind more, if they count. Lately I’ve been wondering how different late-period Duke Ellington really is from Frank Zappa and prog. I will check out that Squarepusher album! John
Thanks for the response! I agree, there are many fantastic ways to listen to the Dead, and I think mixes like yours are a really interesting and informative one. There are so many different angles to explore prog from, if you can't get into Yes (one of my favorites) or ELP (I like them but don't love them), there's many other great artists, as you know. If you like the weirder, jazzier side of things, I would hesitantly recommend the French band Magma, who created not only their own language but their own genre entirely to tell a mind-boggling science fiction epic over the course of over 20 albums. Try the studio albums Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh and Kohntarkosz, then experience how fantastic they are as a live act with packages like Retrospektiw 1-2. I haven't really explored a lot of 70s German music yet but I'd really like to; Kraftwerk's Autobahn is a big favorite of mine and everything I've heard about that scene fascinates me. Where should I start? Have a great day/week/month/year!
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