Here is the latest news from David Gans, producer and host of the Grateful Dead Hour.
Robert Hunter and Betty Cantor-Jackson
I just got a CD full of images from a friend who’s been scanning my negatives, and I’ve posted a few at flickr.com/photos/dgans
In addition to this photo of Hunter and Betty, you’ll find couple of shots of Kingfish 6/8/75; one of Weir from the Keystone Berkeley from around the same time; the first tapers’ section, BCT 10/84; and a very young DG, possibly shot in the fall of 1970.
“Three from the Vault” is available!
From DeadNet:
Fifteen Years Later, right on time…
Three From The Vault
A magnificent gem from the band’s historic February ’71, Port Chester, run that closes the loop on the seminal From The Vault series — the series that spawned all Grateful Dead vault releases. A glowing tribute to one of the band’s most prolific chapters, abundant with classics, lovingly captured in stellar HDCD audio.
Also from DeadNet:
EXCLUSIVE GIFT – All customers that order “Three From The Vault” in the month of June will receive a free copy of Dick’s ‘Dex, a complete, comprehensive song and track index of Dick’s Picks Vol. 1 – 36. Amaze your friends, stump your rivals, and spend countless joy-filled hours with over 50 full-color pages of facts, figures, and fun. Order before July 1st to get your copy!
3 from the Vault preview on KPFA tonight
Rhino is taking pre-orders for Three from the Vault (2/19/71) on the new DeadNet. I’ll be offering a sneak preview of the 2-disc set tonight on Dead to the World (8-10pm PDT on 94.1 fm in northern California, and streaming online at kpfa.org and kfcf.org)
You’ll also hear, as promised, set 2 of 5/26/73 at Kezar Stadium, plus new music from Brett Dennen, Missy Raines and The New Hip, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. And something from Jim Page, who is playing at the Freight and Salvage on June 20.
And a salute to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, released 40 years ago this month.
Grateful Dead Hour #976
Week of June 4, 2007
Part 1 43:48
Grateful Dead 12/26/81 Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland CA
SPACE->
TRUCKIN’->
BLACK PETER->
AROUND AND AROUND->
ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT
Part 2 12:37
Grateful Dead 12/26/81 Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland CA
DON’T EASE ME IN
The Waybacks 2/3/07 KPFA Performance Studio
DUPREE’S DIAMOND BLUES
Support for the Grateful Dead Hour comes this week from:
Camp Zoe in Southeastern Missouri, presenting the Schwagstock festivals, headlined by the Grateful Dead tribute act The Schwag, and the Big Summer Classic Festival August 3-5 featuring The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Wailers, MOFRO, and dozens more.
Dead Symphony, an orchestral tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead. Performed by the Russian National Orchestra and conducted by composer Lee Johnson, ‘Dead Symphony’ is available now via download at digital music service providers around the globe. Audio samples and mroe information at deadsymphony.com
The All Good Music Festival and Campout July 12-15 in Masontown, West Virginia featuring Bob Weir and Ratdog, moe., Leftover Salmon, Dark Star Orchestra, Keller Williams, Les Claypool, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Soulive, and dozens more, with no overlapping sets. Tickets, directions, and camping information are available at allgoodfestival.com
“Acoustic” and electric” guitars converge
I ran into Rick Turner at the Van Morrison show in SF 12/29/06. We were schmoozing before the show, and I mentioned that I was thinking how cool it would be to have a magnetic pickup on my Renaissance (“ampli-coustic”) guitar. In my solo work, I do a lot of looping, and playing that rich “acoustic” sound through overdrives and other stomp boxes doesn’t really get me where I want to go.
Rick informed me he was already on the case, trying to design a magnetic pickup what would do what we want it to do on a nominally acoustic instrument.
Yesterday I delivered my Renaissance RS-6 to Rick, who will install the electric pickup (with a separate output) – can’t wait!
While I was visiting his shop, I played a number of cool instruments, including a mandocello that sounded just awesome. And I picked up a Turner Model One, similar to the one I bought from Rick when he introduced them 25 years ago. The one I played yesterday has a piezo pickup under the saddle and a blend knob to combine that signal with the magnetic pickup.
The electrics and the acoustics are beginning to converge, and that common ground is right where I live as a performer. When I play solo I build on “acoustic” guitar sounds and want to solo and improvise with “electric” sounds, and with the Honky Tonk Hippies I want to play mostly “electric” but it will be nice to have access to the “acoustic” flavors I can get with that piezo pickup played through a Mama Bear preamp.
So next week when I go to get my RS-6, I’m going to drop off my Model One for a piezo upgrade. This is exciting!