10/7/1996

Notes: Let's try to start this jam review off right and not pour salt on old wounds. Credit should be given where credit is due and who should it go to? Johnny, for breaking out some of the best dancing we have seen out of him for a long time. Spinning and twirling with childish enthusiasm was a refreshing site.

We played Monday this week because of my Tuesday MCMUA Board Meeting. God bless the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority and help us provide cost effective and environmentally sound solid waste management for the citizens of Morris County, N.J. Had to get that little plug in.

This was the official six year anniversary jam. The first jam was on Tuesday, 10/9/90. If you look, Kevin cleverly crafted that first three set jam into two sets. Unfortunately, as could have been expected, we didn't have time to play the entire set list, we had food to eat and it just wouldn't make sense. But we did the best we could with the limited time. In respect to the anniversary jam Kevin wrote the following on the set list:

Congratulations gentlemen! Six years, many marriages don't even make it that long. It's an accomplishment to be proud of, and envied. As with anything worthwhile, it was not easy, but boy it was fun. Kindness, friendship, comedy, music . . . . . Next year in 60 Gansvoort!

While lovely sentiments, I have to disagree with Kevin with respect to the fact that, "Boy, it was easy," and boy was it and is it even though I drive from "What Exit." I could only imagine if I was a NYC drummer how easy it would get.

Of course just a little fuel on a smoldering fire. It really does sound good when it does. The Bertha, Scarlet all the way in the middle of Fire were beautiful and a pleasure to play with. All of our belly-aching is long over due and is helping is. Look at it, 6 year without an tummy-ache. We should all get into a little constructive friction, it was getting ridiculous how cool everyone was. All joking aside, we definitely keep improving week in and week out, year in and year out and I look forward to many more great ones ahead.

Remember, we play on Monday the Week of November 22, 1996

First Set: Jack Straw, Birdsong and Mama Tried was settling in time for us because after that we were settle when we played the Bertha. I think it was the best music of the night, Scarlet Fire was close, but the Bertha really showed out maturity from six years ago. Actually, I am sure every song showed a great deal of maturity. Stranger Franklin's was very good. I think we had a different type of Stranger jam that was closer to the model than we usually go for. It was good. Franklin's started nicely and had a boppy sound and while the tempo wasn't fast, it was adequate and sustained through the song. The ending of the Franklin's was right on. Scarlet was well played, the little F# break in the middle had some interesting didlies. The jam was real together, not spacey, but just very scarlet, tempo was right on again and it was enjoyably airy. The transition in Fire was perfect and we sustain a true Fire groove through the first half of the song but by the third verse it digressed and lost the true feel. In deciding how to chop the first set we chose the Shakedown over the proposed Playing or Let it Grow. It was ordinary at best but the jam had a good ending into the closing.

Second Set: After big eating and a trip to the east side for some quality deli and appetizers the second set wasn't going to be easy but the grease on my finger form the pastrami really helped me slide along the guitar neck. We started with the Playing, originally proposed for the first set. It was good. The song was good and the jam was true playing, spacey in Playing time and was a lot of fun. That is what playing in the band is all about isn't it? The Playing went right into the China/Rider just like a Swiss watch, perfect timing. The China Rider didn't thrill me. The morning Dew was pretty good up to the final jam which droned a bit, but is probably pretty good on tape. Sugar Mag was poorly done. Out of a place and in hindsight, a bad choice.