Rode On Ahead

78 candles to blow out today today for the poet laureate of rock & roll. Many happy returns, Bob! In feverish anticipacion of next June's Rolling Thunder extravaganza - a Marty Scorcese Netflix documentary and a huge live '75 box set - we're celebrating things with a steaming soundboard recording of Isis from the Revue's stint in Lowell, a town in Massachusetts known for its motto 'art is the handmaid of human good'.
Bob Dylan - Isis (live Lowell '75)

Voice Woes

Please welcome John McGrath, an Irish solo guitarist residing in London. Not only capable of channeling Britfolk greats as Bert Jansch, John Renbourn or Michael Chapman, he can also pick like John Fahey and his fellow American primitives, as the hypnotic track below clearly shows. His all-instrumental Wake And Whisper is out the first of June on the Crooked Stem imprint.
John McGrath - Woes Of The Turtle

Come On In

Hey now, yet another Dave's Picks has hit the shelves. Installment #30 takes us back to the legendary Fillmore East of January 1970, just a few months before the masterful Workingman's Dead was released. Makes for essential listening of course. Need proof? Dig this crisp take on Robert Hunter's intriguing fable of the dire wolf. "An easy chorus, and you can even sing with it, it's fun..."
Grateful Dead - Dire Wolf (live New York City '70)

Way Back When

Just happily found out that David Berman will be making a comeback soon. The bearded Silver Jews singer officially retired from the music world back in 2009, but behold, under the name of Purple Mountains he has risen. The first sign of life from a forthcoming album, the lushly orchestrated All My Happiness Is Gone, certainly sounds interesting enough.
Purple Mountains - All My Happiness Is Gone

Some prime Joos, you ask? There you go.
Silver Jews - Rebel Jew
Silver Jews - Random Rules
Silver Jews - Friday Night Fever

Hot Stuff

Bobby Kalphat was just about the only guy who could give melodica master Augustus Pablo a run for his money. Producer Phil Pratt deliriously dubs him to the top here.
Bobby Kalphat & The Sunshot All Stars - Collie Collie

Suffer Some

Joaquín Jiménez Fernández, the flamenco vocalist better known as Salmonete de Jerez, started singing when he was 7, made one album when he was seventeen, only to disappear from the scene for fourty years. Long time no see indeed, but come back he did, his weathered voice accompanied by Domingo Rubichi on guitar, and the results are impressive to say the least.
Salmonete - Tanto Me Hiciste Sufrir

Wondrous Fair

Miss Waters goes all out on a centuries-old traditional folk song. Haunting as hell throughout and getting weirder by the minute, this is a masterly performance in a free jazz style. Phew. Even the incomparable John Jacob Niles, who set it to music back in 1941, or the mighty Nina Simone didn't manage to scale such dizzying heights.
Patty Waters - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
Nina Simone - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
John Jacob Niles - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair

Good Question That

With special thanks to Tinca for ten exquisite illustrations, we're gonna end our questioning mini series with an exclamation mark. Groep 1850 was a combo of longhairs from the Hague, Holland, who recorded this tour de force in 1969. As far as far out psychedelic farfisa freakouts go, it's the real deal alright.
Groep 1850 - ?!

Funky Scene

The Tulsa master's last will and testament. Curated by his widow and his manager, this collection of laid back leftovers is as warm, as groovy, and as seemingly effortless as any Cale album. Wish he could have stayed around a little longer.
J.J. Cale - Lights Down Low

Back To Frisco

Still got a craving for that early American punk sound? In that case, head over to the esteemed Jonderblog and help yourselves to a fine fine compilation of '76-'78 Bay Area groups. Their neighbours in LA had the zines, the labels, the venues and a sympathetic radio station and got more exposure that way, but San Francisco's scene sure was vital in its own right.
The Avengers - I Believe In Me
The Offs - Zero Degrees

Dead And Gone

The Dead woeing their audience in acoustic mode. Two complete unplugged sets here, recorded during their October series of shows in San Francisco's famous Warfield theatre back in 1980. Fingerlicking good sound quality, too. These are high times for deadheads everywhere, as there's a new volume of Dave's Picks on the way as well, in the form of a classic Fillmore East gig from 1970. Hey now!
Grateful Dead - I've Been All Around This World (live '80)
Grateful Dead - Jack-A-Roe (live '80)