Side
Trips review
Side
Trips is
the second release of the Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia
collaboration. The first was a studio release while this one is
captured live; the exact dates are not known. They were probably
taken from their Monday evening Matrix jam sessions from 1970.
Compared
to their first CD Hooteroll, this release is much freeform
and improvisational based. The jams are much longer ranging from
just under ten minutes to about 25 minutes in length. The studio
release had nine songs compared to Side
Trips four. It is
easy to imagine how performing with Wales helped Garcia develop
techniques he would incorporate into his playing throughout his
career. I would speculate that 1972 - '74 Grateful Dead would be
vastly different if it wasn't for sessions such as these.
If
you are a Jerry Garcia fan you’ll find plenty of moments to enjoy
hearing Garcia, Wales, and company explore different boundaries. by Barry
Small
Grade
B
