Playlist Week of 2013-02-09

* Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings (d.4-5) (Savoy/Atlantic 8CD)

* Miles Davis: The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (d.2-4) (selections) (Columbia/Legacy 4CD)

* Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (d.5-6) (Columbia/Legacy 6CD)

* Miles Davis: The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (d.1-2) (Columbia/Legacy 5CD)

* Sun Ra: Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Saturn LP>CDR)

* Sun Ra: The Soul Vibrations of Man (Saturn LP>CDR)

* Sun Ra: Taking A Chance On Chances (Saturn LP>CDR)

* Wayne Shorter: Night Dreamer (Blue Note CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Juju (Blue Note CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Adam’s Apple (Blue Note CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Footprints Live (Verve CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Beyond The Sound Barrier (Verve CD)

* Wayne Shorter: Without A Net (Blue Note CD)

* John Abercrombie Quartet: Class Trip (ECM CD)

* Rock Candy Funk Party: We Want Groove (J&R Adventures CD/DVD)3DHDCDCD33 cbnsjkjklc

* George Clinton: Computer Games (Capitol LP)

* D’Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin/Light in the Attic 2LP)

* Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (Island/Def Jam CD)

* Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol.5: Pauley Pavillion, UCLA 11/17/73 (GDP/Rhino 3HDCD)

* Jerry Garcia Band: Garcia Live Vol.1: Capitol Theatre March 1, 1980 (Round/ATO 3HDCD)

* Richard Thompson: Electric (Deluxe Edition) (New West MP3)†

* Fleetwood Mac: Then Play On (Reprise/Pioneer LP)

* Fleetwood Mac: Fleetwood Mac (Reprise 2-45RPM LP)

* Black Sabbath: Masters Of Reality (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Yo La Tengo: Fade (Matador CD)

* Guided By Voices: Down By The Racetrack (GBV, Inc. 7”EP)

* Guided By Voices: “Flunky Minnows” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Trash Can Full Of Nails” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Xeno Pariah” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Noble Insect” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Brokeback: Field Recordings From The Cook County Water Table (Thrill Jockey MP3)†

* Brokeback: Morse Code In The Modern Age: Across The Americas (Thrill Jockey MP3)†

* Brokeback: Looks At The Bird (Thrill Jockey MP3)†

* Brokeback: Brokeback And The Black Rock (Thrill Jockey MP3)†

* Lambchop: Nixon (Merge CD)

* Lambchop: Is A Woman (Merge CD)

* Lambchop: Aw Come On (Merge CD)

* Lambchop: No You Come On (Merge CD)

* Steven Wilson: Grace For Drowning (KScope BD)

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner CD/DVD)

* Agalloch: Pale Folklore (The End CD)†/‡

* Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Pelican: The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw (Hydra Head CD)†

* Pelican: What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord CD)†

* Broken Bells: Broken Bells (Columbia CD)†/‡

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

While I was rather nonplussed by last year’s offerings of Dave’s Picks, I decided to re-subscribe again for 2013. What can I say? I’m an unrepentant Deadhead! Well, it looks like this year’s selections are going to be a little bit more interesting. Volume 5 arrived this week and it’s just killer, containing the complete show from the Pauley Pavilion at UCLA on November 17, 1973. Everybody knows Fall ‘73 was a peak period (maybe the peak period) in the Grateful Dead’s history, and is well-represented by a slew of “official” releases which have come out over the years, including Dick’s Picks Vols.1, 14 and 19; Road Trips Vol.4 No.3; and, of course, the Winterland 1973 box set. So, do we really need another one? Hells, yeah! Especially if it’s a significant upgrade over the circulating tapes, which this one, thankfully, is. This SoCal show is on the mellow side—no barn-burning “Other One” or “Dark Star” freak outs here—but the playing and singing is at such a high caliber it hardly matters. The highlight is a forty-eight minute “Playing in the Band” palindrome that goes like this: “Playing>Uncle John’s band>Morning Dew>Uncle John’s Band>Playing.” It doesn’t get any better than this, folks. Numbered and limited to only 13,000 copies, Dave’s Picks Vol.5 is sure to sell out if it hasn’t already. Only available from Dead.net.

Also out this week is the long-delayed first volume of the Garcia Live series, featuring the Jerry Garcia Band’s complete performance at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey on March 1, 1980. The early show was broadcast on WNEW-FM but this release contains both sets, taken from the original 24-track reels and the sound quality is fantastic. Garcia’s solo band was an opportunity to relax and stretch out; playing covers from a variety of sources, from Irving Berlin to Motown to Jimmy Cliff to Bob Dylan, as well a few old-timey originals, like “Sugaree” and “Deal.” He was still in reasonably good health in 1980 and his voice still retains a youthful sweetness, his guitar playing as sharp as ever. If you have the 2004 release, After Midnight: Kean College 2/28/80, you might want to complain about the repetitious set-list. But these are terrific performances, containing the sorts of subtle nuances of interpretation that made folks like me want to follow Garcia around to hear him play these songs over and over. Plus you get other JGB staples like “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Russian Lullaby,” and “Dear Prudence,” which were not played at Kean College. Altogether, they present a full picture of the Jerry Garcia Band circa. 1980. Seeing as After Midnight is now out of print, Garcia Live Volume One gets my highest recommendation.