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JGB @ THE CAT'S CRADLE 7/25/00
by Dennis Humphries (August, 2000)

On a dreary Tuesday night, I came in out of the mist to witness the continuation of a legend. JGB, formerly known as the Jerry Garcia Band, is still very much alive and kicking, delivering a performance that kept the crowd on their toes from start to finish.

The band started things off with a "Stop That Train, I'm Leaving," a slow churning reggae tune that had the crowd dancing from the first beat. The tune progressed into a 15-minute jam, with lots of sweet solos from the two guitarists, Gail Muldrow and Bob Coons. Keyboardist Melvin Seals, the only member of the actual
Garcia Band in the current lineup, is the clear leader of the band, and his gospel-influenced organ sound at once propels the band and gives it its structure. The main lead guitarist, Gail Muldrow, presented a striking figure. Looking more Jimi than Jerry in a loose tie-dye top, brown leather pants and a black hat ringed with white fur, the petite Muldrow held a sparkling gold Telecaster, which she proceeded to play the hell out of!

Next up was the first of two Bob Dylan covers, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", which Seals sang in his rich and powerful voice. Alternating between slow, straight-four verses and faster, bouncy reggae choruses, this tune first built, then released tension; my only word for Seals' organ solo was "majestic". Muldrow sang the next tune, "Scarlet Begonias", trading off Stones-y to Santana-esque solos with Coons, whose gentler, more fluid style and fast arpeggios evoked fond memories of Garcia. "Bertha" followed, perfect timing in the set for a simple upbeat rocker. This one brought visions of Jerry, too, but through the vocals of bassist Martin Holland, who is not a ringer, but through tone, timbre and phrasing managed to capture a number of Jerry moments.

"Fire on the Mountain" appeared next in an unusual arrangement-entirely instrumental for the bulk of the song. When the vocals did finally arrive, the verses were dispensed with and only a harmony chorus of "Fire, fire on the mountain" was sung. I would have to call this song the improvisational peak of the show. It went on for a LONG time, setting a wide range of moods. Long, exploratory jams occasionally veered off unrecognizably into something approaching the "Space" jams of the Dead. Very, very nice stuff.

"Me and Bobby McGee" seemed somewhat out of place, with Muldrow's vocals sounding as if she'd been locked in a room with a copy of Pearl. She's got a great voice of her own; she doesn't need to be imitating anyone, not even Janis. Next, a bit of funk called "That's What Love'll Make You Do" led into a rousing "Not Fade Away", and then into "Don't Let Go" featuring a blistering solo from Seals. Holland sang "Ripple", again occasionally echoing the Fat Man to an eerie degree. The other Dylan cover ("Tangled Up In Blue", wouldn't ya know it?), in the classic JGB arrangement, built up to a climax, only to start over with "China/Rider" to end the set after yet another climax. After giving us a moment to catch our breath, the band returned with an encore of the gospel-reggae "Promised Land", followed by an upbeat "Midnight Moonlight" to close.

A lot of people I talked to were still surprised to hear that Jerry's band was still out and performing. Well, at this point it's really Melvin's band, but Seals is doing his "Dead"-level best to see that the unique sound of the Jerry Garcia Band remains alive. And if the riveting, jumping Cradle show was any indication, alive is how it will stay for a long time to come.