Wolfgang's Vault updates: Neil Young, Quicksilver, Hot Tuna, John Fogerty with The Grateful Dead...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

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Neil Young - vocals, guitar, harmonica
Nils Lofgren- guitar
Spooner Oldham - piano
Ben Keith- steel guitar, dobro
Tim Drummond - bass
Kenny Buttrey - drums
Nicolette Larson - vocals

The annual Bridge School Benefit has become a highlight of the Bay Area's concert schedule since in began in 1986. Founded by Pegi Young (married to Neil Young), Jim Forderer, and Marilyn Bozolich, the Bridge School developed educational programs to service the special needs of Bay Area children with severe speech disabilities and physical impairments and has been serving the community for well over two decades now. The annual fundraiser concert has gained support from many of the biggest names in the music industry, with artists performing special acoustic-based sets in the outdoor setting of the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

The fifth annual Bridge School Benefit took place on November 2, 1991 and featured performances by Larry Keegan, John Lee Hooker, Don Henley, Nils Lofgren, Tracy Chapman, Sonic Youth, Willie Nelson, and of course, Neil Young. On this night, Young would perform with a reunited Stray Gators, the musicians who played on his blockbuster Harvest album and would soon be featured again on his forthcoming album, Harvest Moon. It was an emotional time in general for the Bay Area, as the legendary concert promoter Bill Graham had recently been killed in a helicopter accident and his public memorial service and concert was to be held the following afternoon in Golden Gate Park.

So it was, when Neil Young, accompanied by singer Nicollette Larson and the Stray Gators, took the stage to close the fifth annual Bridge School Benefit. The set begins in humorous form with Young experiencing feedback problems on his wireless acoustic guitar, causing a false start on the opening number. However, this is quickly remedied and the group begin a sweet sounding "take two" of "Long May You Run." Young next dips way back in his catalogue with "Birds," a rarely played song from his 1970 album, After The Gold Rush. Unlike the piano-based studio recording, here Young performs it on his Martin D45 acoustic and with the Stray Gators support, he delivers a lovely rendition that many attendees considered the musical highlight of the entire event.

Next up, Young unveils two new songs in their debut performances. First up is the lovely title track to his forthcoming album at the time, Harvest Moon, followed by a reading of "From Hank To Hendrix," giving listeners a sneak preview of these not-yet-released songs. Bringing the night toward a close, Young and friends next perform, "Comes A Time." All three of these songs receive tasteful accompaniment from the Stray Gators, and Nicollette Larson provides lovely harmony vocals throughout the set.

For the final song of the night, Young invites everyone back out to the stage. With Willie Nelson, Tracy Chapman, and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo (among others) joining in, Young leads everyone through a touching take of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young," a song he would perform with the Grateful Dead on the following day to close the Bill Graham Memorial concert.

Dino Valenti - guitar, vocals
Gary Duncan - guitar, vocals
David Frieberg - bass, vocals
Dale Ockerman - keyboards
Greg Elmore - drums
unknown - congas, percussion

From 1965 to 1971, Bill Graham closely observed the San Francisco music scene develop from young aspiring bands playing at dances to seasoned recording and touring vets known around the world. For the closing week at Fillmore West, Graham presented a week of festivities celebrating the San Francisco bands, featuring many of the musicians that established the original Fillmore Auditorium and Graham's earliest forays into live concert production and promotion. Every night was special and featured an impressive triple bill. As the week progressed, each night became more extraordinary than the night before and by the time closing weekend rolled around, expectations were extremely high. On Friday night, July 2nd, Jerry Garcia embarked on one of the most monumental nights of his career, performing on nearly every song by all three bands on the bill, the Rowan Brothers, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, and of course the Grateful Dead, in their farewell performance to Fillmore West. By Saturday night, July 3rd, the Fillmore West ticket holders were anticipating another legendary night. Bill Graham didn't disappoint, with another triple bill that featured openers Yogi Phlegm (a scaled down version of Sons Of Champlin) followed by Hot Tuna and one of the most legendary of all the San Francisco bands closing, Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Originally formed in 1965 in San Francisco, Quicksilver Messenger Service, although not as commercially successful as Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, or Big Brother & the Holding Co, are just as responsible for establishing the "San Francisco Sound." The group's first two albums are widely considered to be two of the finest examples of this sound in its purest form, especially their second album, Happy Trails, which emphasized extended arrangements and the fluid twin-guitar improvisations of guitarists John Cipollina and Gary Duncan. Much like their contemporaries, Quicksilver's root sound was based on folk and blues, but by mixing in jazz and classical elements, they created a distinctive individual sound that was both innovative and distinctively different. Unlike the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, bands that also thrived on improvisation and heavy amplification, QMS featured two highly distinctive guitar players. Duncan's unparalleled melodic sensibilities and penetrating lead style combined with Cipollina's finger picking, slide technique, and individualistic twang bar infused leads to create a clear biting sound that would literally define what it meant to be a "psychedelic jam band."

At the tail end of the 1960s, Gary Duncan was in poor health and temporarily left the group. They recorded a third album, Shady Grove, that incorporated pianist Nicky Hopkins into the mix. Despite some memorable material, this was clearly a transitional time and when Duncan returned, the group would temporarily relocate to Hawaii and overhaul their sound. By the dawn of the 1970s, singer/songwriter Dino Valenti, who had been peripherally involved since the band's inception, had become the de facto leader of the group. Valenti's leadership had an immediate impact, radically changing the sound of Quicksilver. With his nasal tenor voice that was both distinctive and expressive, Valenti was also a prolific songwriter and over the course of the group's next two albums, he would begin dominating their repertoire. Valenti was responsible for the group's radio hits "Fresh Air" and "What About Me," which headed in a more pop/folk oriented direction and would provide the group its greatest commercial success to date. Recorded during the 1970 sessions in Hawaii, these albums featured a much more laid back sound that was more generally accessible. These two albums (What About Me and Just For Love) would become the group's most commercially successful, eventually outselling all others in the group's catalogue. Growing increasingly frustrated with this new direction, John Cipollina departed soon after the two Hawaii albums, leaving the core band of Valenti, Duncan, Frieberg, and Elmore. Soldiering on, QMS began augmenting their live performances by bringing in former Butterfield Blues Band keyboard player Mark Naftalin (soon replaced by Chuck Steaks, who plays keyboards here) and a percussionist to flesh out the new sound. For fans of the charismatic Valenti, the QMS concerts of this era were increasingly satisfying, but John Cipollina's departure eliminated the possibility of QMS' trademark dual intertwining lead guitar sound.

By 1971, Valenti was in firm control of the group and was providing the majority of their material. Original members, Gary Duncan, David Frieberg (off and on) and Greg Elmore were still on board, maintaining a strong link to their past. Despite the absence of Cipollina, the group was still quite capable of riveting live performances, which now featured FM radio friendly songs as well as the trademark jamming that initially defined the band. This lengthy set, recorded on the night before closing night at Fillmore West, captures the group at this point in time. Although uneven, the recording captures QMS in relatively good form and highlights both the strengths and weaknesses that they were dealing with under Valenti's control. Fans of Valenti's unique voice and songwriting will undoubtedly love this show, while fans of the earlier Happy Trails era will find the moments of sheer intensity few and far between.

That said, QMS still has plenty of creativity and performs several of the most memorable tracks from their two Hawaiian albums as well as choice material from Happy Trails and Shady Grove. Although Gary Duncan was often ill during this era, on this historic night he rises to the occasion and his distinctive guitar playing is full of fire. On many of these songs (not just the obvious jam vehicles of "Mona" and "Who Do You Love"), Duncan's melodically sophisticated guitar playing is quite captivating, bringing a balance of old and new approaches to the groups more song oriented sound. As expected, Duncan sizzles on "Mona" and "Who Do You Love," his vocal and biting leads every bit as captivating as they were in 1968, but he is also the most compelling reason to listen to much of the newer material, such as "Mojo," "Call On Me," and "The Hat," which are all superb here. While Valenti's ballads tend toward weaker arrangements, one notable exception is "The Hat" from the 1970 Just For Love album. This is a phenomenal performance featuring an infectious groove from Duncan in the jam. Listeners will immediately recognize Duncan's chord structures as they later resurfaced on several mid-'70s hits by other artists.

Strong versions of the most popular Valenti-penned songs are here, including the set opening "Fresh Air" and the staples "Subway" and "What About Me," which were all in heavy FM radio rotation at the time of this performance. The newest material that they were just beginning to introduce to audiences often suffers in comparison. However, fans of the later QMS era will be delighted to discover a wealth of rarely performed material here, some songs destined for their next two albums and some that would never be officially released. This includes a remarkable reading of "The Truth," a Valenti-penned number that would soon be recorded for their next album and fresh live versions of "Doing Time In The USA" and "Mojo," neither of which would see the light of day until their 1972 album, Comin' Through. Many of these songs ("Dr. Feelgood," "Roadrunner," "Much To Say," "Ain't That A Shame," and the encore, "Motorcycle Blues") would never be officially released on their studio albums and several are unique to this performance. Even on the weaker songs, Valenti often has the ability to induce a hypnotic effect and Duncan's lead guitar playing consistently provides rich colorful textures to the music.

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Jorma Kaukonen - guitar, vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Papa John Creach - violin
Sammy Piazza - drums

From 1965 to 1971, Bill Graham closely observed the San Francisco music scene develop from young aspiring bands playing at dances to seasoned recording and touring vets known around the world. For the closing week at Fillmore West, Graham presented a week of festivities celebrating the San Francisco bands, featuring many of the musicians that established the original Fillmore Auditorium and Graham's earliest forays into live concert production and promotion. Every night was special and featured an impressive triple bill. As the week progressed, each night became more extraordinary than the night before and by the time closing weekend rolled around, expectations were extremely high. On Friday night, July 2nd, Jerry Garcia embarked on one of the most monumental nights of his career, performing on nearly every song by all three bands on the bill, the Rowan Brothers, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, and of course the Grateful Dead in their farewell performance to Fillmore West. By Saturday night, July 3rd, ticket holders were anticipating another monumental night and Bill Graham didn't disappoint, presenting yet another triple bill that featured openers Yogi Phlegm (a scaled down version of Sons Of Champlin) opening and one of the most legendary of all San Francisco bands closing, Quicksilver Messenger Service. Performing in between these two sets was Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady's side project, Hot Tuna, representing the Jefferson Airplane faction during the closing week festivities.

Although Jorma and Jack had been exploring their collaboration both inside and outside the Airplane for several years, they had now developed what many consider to be the classic Hot Tuna lineup and were rapidly gaining popularity on their own. With Papa John Creach's electric violin now integrated into their sound and Texan Sammy Piazza in the drum seat, the group now had a special chemistry that was undeniable.

The seeds of Hot Tuna's sound can be heard as far back as 1966 Jefferson Airplane sets, but within the context of the Airplane they were often limited to one or two showcase songs a night. Now Jorma and Jack were free to explore the possibilities of their music to their hearts content. This particular lineup took Jorma and Jack's love of traditional acoustic blues (featured on the first self-titled Hot Tuna album) and further developed the music within a highly charged electric context. The group's second album displayed distinctive originality and a much more dynamic band, capable of inspired improvisational flights.

Despite not being the headliner, Hot Tuna get nearly two solid hours of stage time, packed with plenty of outstanding performances. Most of this material consists of songs featured on the band's first two albums, Hot Tuna and First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, the latter recorded three months prior to this performance. The telepathic interplay between Jorma and Jack is always fascinating and Papa John Creach's violin and Sammy Piazza's tasteful drumming adds a distinct new flavor to the proceedings.

Much of this material dates back to Jorma's pre-Airplane coffeehouse repertoire. His passion for the music of Reverend Gary Davis, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Blind Blake is very much in evidence here. Many of these numbers, like the openers "That'll Never Happen No More," "How Long," and "Candy Man," as well as several songs later in the set, feature Jorma's intricate blues finger picking translated to an electric Stratocaster with great effect. The audience is also treated to Papa John Creach's funky signature instrumental, "John's Other," and two of Jorma's most penetrating and poetic originals, "Been So Long" and "New Song For The Morning."

The remainder of the material showcases the groups gift for improvisation, with sizzling readings of Reverend Gary Davis' "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burnin'" and the traditional "Uncle Sam's Blues" and "I Know You Rider" among them. They also explore "Rock Me Baby," a staple of Jorma and Jack's Airplane repertoire. With Jack's incredibly dynamic and melodic bass playing and Papa John's soaring violin lead's augmenting Jorma's distinctive guitar arrangements, they often venture into surprising territory, which the Fillmore West audience thoroughly appreciates. Hot Tuna would eventually pursue the extremes of electric performances and return to acoustic duo performances, but for a brief time, with Creach and Piazza newly on board, they achieved a near perfect balance between acoustic and electric blues forms.

Everything on this show compares favorably to the released versions and many surpass those versions in both length and intensity. This is most evident on the last song of the set, Lightnin' Hopkins' "Come Back Baby," which burns for ten solid minutes and especially during the mind-melting jam during the encore. Released twice by the Airplane, in both studio and live permutations, both officially released recordings of "Feel So Good" pale in comparison to this truly spectacular performance, which clocks in at 22 minutes! A fitting farewell to Fillmore West, this leaves the audience in extremely high spirits, anticipating the set by Quicksilver Messenger Service still yet to come.

John Fogerty - vocals, guitar
Jerry Garcia - lead guitar, vocals
Bob Weir - rhythm guitar, vocals
Phil Lesh - bass, vocals
Vince Welnick - keyboards, vocals
Bill Kruetzman - drums
Mickey Hart - drums

From the first public Mime Troupe events in 1965 to his untimely death in 1991, Bill Graham set the standard for excellence in concert presentations and in doing so, redefined the art of communication for an entire generation. To honor Bill Graham, Steve Kahn and Melissa Gold, the BGP staff organized a free concert in Golden Gate Park for Sunday, November 3. Mother Nature cooperated and provided a comfortable and cloudless day as 300,000 people gathered in the Polo Field of Golden Gate Park.

Although the Grateful Dead were expected to make an appearance, the list of performers was kept well under wraps and few had any idea who exactly would be performing. It didn't seem to matter though, as the feeling that permeated the crowd was one of quiet reflection. This concert marked the end of an era, but also memorialized Bill Graham in a manner that was fitting - a free concert in the heart of where it all started. The sad circumstances aside, this was truly a celebration of Graham's life and as the poster for this event noted, it was to be a day filled with Laughter, Love and Music.

In the middle of the set by the Grateful Dead, the final full set of the day, the audience was surprised to see Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty take the stage. His showcase set, which featured four CCR classics backed by The Dead, should have been one of the peak musical moments of this memorable day. His set unquestionably delighted the audience and the band had some fun backing him on such classic hits as "Green River," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Proud Mary," but, unfortunately, his guitar was horribly out of tune and turned way down in the mix, reducing his set to less than it could have been. His distinctive vocals, however, sounded great and the joy of hearing Garcia noodle around on these particular songs was still a lot of fun for all concerned.

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