Someone plays a guitar that sounds like a clarinet and I ain’t ready to go to bed…so check out Melvin Seals and JGB performing at the Central City Jazz Festival!
As the second day of the Jazz Festival rolled-in, it was time to get out of the casino and into the beautiful streets of Central City. Main Street was bustling with deadheads making the trek out to the mountain town to enjoy one of the things Colorado does best: live music. After an hour-long delay caused by some technical issues, which didn’t seem to thin out the crowd in the least, Melvin Seals & JGB took the stage to make their mark on the festival.
The set opened with the prolific “Cats Under The Stars”, the title track off of JGB’s only attributed album. Melvin’s deep and raspy vocals harmonized with the saliently clean tones from his back-up singers, and guitarist Zach Nugent’s smooth guitar work settled the song into its groove—a groove that would end up being the longest of the set. Next up the band performed the Garica / Saunders number “Money Honey”, which brought a bluesy romp to the crowd, keeping everyone swaying to the rhythm, and it also featured some of Melvin’s fiercest keys work of the set. The band then followed-up with a Grateful Dead classic “Cumberland Blues”, which delighted the crowd packed to the brim with deadheads young and old, and had an intro featuring some bluegrass-esque licks from Zach, setting the rhythm for the rest of the tune.
The band then performed the Eric Clapton favorite “After Midnight”, a staple of the jamband scene raised from the Grateful Dead’s live catalogue. The number featured a mid-section breakdown that contained a re-worked take on The Beatles’ “Elanor Rigby” that landed somewhere between bluesy and reggae. Melvin’s back-up singers handled this number with a beautiful two-part harmony that breathed new personality into the well-known classic. The singers then got another chance to spread their vocal wings with a cover of The Staples’ R&B staple “I’ll Take You There”, which contained a mashed-up verse/chorus of the Simon and Garfunkel tune “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”, which soared over the crowd with a triumphant beat. This eventually segued into a cover of Donny Hathaway’s “Magnificent Sanctuary Band”, a great deep-cut selection as the tune was originally recorded by JGB to be included on “Cats Under The Stars” however was cut and wouldn’t make an appearance until the Jerry Garcia box set “All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions”, which was released decades later.
The set then closed with the strongest segment of the show. Starting with another Grateful Dead classic and crowd-favorite, “Help On The Way”, the band set fans up for one final venture into exploratory territory, showing off Zach Nugent‘s penchant for Garcia’s nuanced playing style. The tune was briefly paired with its kindred song-spirit , “Slipknot”, before seguing into a quick tease of the breakdown in the coveted Grateful Dead tune “Terrapin Station”. This would then transition into the final tune of the set, a take on a tune often covered by Grateful Dead, “Dancing In The Streets”. The song’s upbeat rhythm and the fact that we were all quite literally dancing in the street, cast the take in the most positive of lights and sent the band off with the perfect “bon voyage”.
Melvin Seals & JGB are a force to be reckoned with. The interplay between Melvin’s keys work and Zach Nugent’s guitar leads is incredibly fluid, as if they had been playing with each other for years. Zach’s tone and play-style pay a respectful tribute to the legacy of one of the most celebrated guitarists of the last 50 years. It is no small role to fill, yet Zach manages it effortlessly. We’ll never get Jerry back, but it’s good to know his musical legacy has left us in good hands.
Melvin Seals & JGB | 2019-06-08 | The Frenchman Stage On Main Street, Central City, CO
-= One Set =-
01. Cats Under The Stars
02. Money Honey
03. Cumberland Blues
04. After Midnight (Eric Clapton cover) ->
05. Elanor Rigby (The Beatles cover) ->
06. After Midnight (Eric Clapton cover
07. (Technical Issue Break)
08. I’ll Take You There (The Staples cover)[1] ->
09. Magnificent Sanctuary Band (Donny Hathaway cover)
10. Help On The Way ->
11. Slipknot ->
12. Terrapin Station ->
13. Dancing In The Street (Jackson 5 cover)[2]
Show Notes: This set was performed as a part of the annual Central City Jazz Festival. It was performed on the Frenchman Stage right at the start of Main Street. The band’s set was originally slated to start at 1:30pm however due to technical issues, it did not start until closer to 2:30pm.
[1] “I’ll Take You There” contained a verse and chorus from “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” (Simon & Garfunkel).
[2] “Dancin’ In The Streets” contained “Rock Steady” (Arehta Franklin) quotes.
Taper Notes: DFC Mics raised around 6′ PAS. Soundboard was to the right of the stage. Thanks to Remmy and Max for running sound!
Thank you to Melvin Seals and JGB and Central City Jazz Festival for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes
ARCHIVE LINK: https://archive.org/details/MelvinSeals2019-06-08.AKG.P170.AUD.flac16
Pingback: Arie Baisch