This morning was full of excitement in our household. Our two year old was starting a new session of swim lessons and he was really pumped for it. It has probably been almost 6 months since we were last enrolled and every time we drive by the local rec center where the pool is he says he wants to go swimming. Since kiddo #2 arrived we’re able to settle into a schedule and swim lessons help to occupy kiddo #1 for an hour or so on a Saturday morning when we don’t have any other plans.
That sense of child-like enthusiasm led to today’s selection. Part of this choice is related to the fact that I haven’t given any Pigpen songs the nod yet. While I’m a big Pigpen fan time on the weekends for listening is limited so this shorter tune was a good bet. When I decided on a Pig tune I knew I wanted to get something from his last hurrah - the Europe ’72 tour. Despite his failing health you can tell he really put everything he had into this tour, which I’m sure was no easy task. There weren’t a lot of extended Pig raps like in years previous, but when it was his turn to take center stage he made it count. Pig was the Dead’s REAL front man, Jerry himself said as much. The reason for this particular version is also related to that fact that some video of this show circulates and it’s the only video I’ve ever seen of Pigpen in action. Every time I listen to this song I think of him there in his cowboy hat giving the blues hell.
Pig was the bluesman of the group and I really like his blues songs. I think this is why it grates on me a bit when Bobby tackled blues songs. There are a handful of Bobby blues songs that are consistent skips for me (Little Red Rooster, C. C. Rider, etc). Garcia didn’t lead as many straight blues tunes over the years, Big Railroad Blues is the primary exception that immediately comes to mind, and that one is a rocker blues number so I almost always enjoy it. Some of that is probably my natural Jerry bias, but at least I can admit it!
The Nash strat (given to Jerry by Graham Nash, hence the name) was in full effect on the Europe ’72 tour, and Jerry conjures some classic blues licks out of it. This Pigpen number starts off the normal way with that sweet, syrupy guitar tone. Phil swings away at the bottom and Jerry adds some nice chord based licks under the first verse. Pay attention to Billy’s snare drum throughout the song. It’s got a mellow crack to it and he sense of rhythm is just on point. The first solo section starts with Pigpen on harmonica. A real treasure this is, and Pig blows a mean harp on this number. Garcia immediately follows with a go-round of his own embellishing the melody with down home blues licks. Keith energetically swipes his hand across his piano to end the section and send it rollicking back into the next verse. The band is really cooking now and Keith hits the piano with a ferocity that did not frequently emerge from him. Of course, several measures later he’s using a deft touch, which really displays his sense of dynamics in the course of a chorus. That’s pretty cool when you think about it. Jerry spins a few more choice licks out of his strat and he and Pigpen finish this quick powerhouse with a flourish of guitar and harp.
