Jazz Is Dead
The Bottom Line
New York, NY
2/7/1998
Late Show

Original master recording: Neumann TLM170(cardoids) -> Sonosax SX-M2 -> Tascam DAP1 (16/44.1)

Transfer: Sony R500->Sound Devices 722

Mastered: Soundforge Pro 10.0b - *All file manipulation in Soundforge done at 24 bits*. Volume normalization then dithered back to 16 bits using using iZotope MBIT+ with Ultra noise shaping, High dither settings. Tracked in CDWav.

1. King Solomon's Marbles
2. banter - 4th and final show at Bottom Line
3. Unbroken Chain
4. Scarlet Begonias ->
5. Drums ->
6. Scarlet Begonias
7. Dark Star ->
8. Help On The Way ->
9. Slipknot! ->
10. Franklin's Tower
11. banter / encore break / Merl Saunders intro
12. Dark Star *
13. crowd/goodnights

T. Lavitz - keys
Alphonso Johnson - bass
Billy Cobham - drums
Jimmy Herring - guitar

* = w/Merl Saunders on keys

Recorded by Scott Bernstein & Jason Greenberg
Transfer, mastering, and tracking by Scott Bernstein July 2010

Merl Saunders opened, but I wasn't set up in time to record.

Taper notes:
Just a few weeks ago I hit the Widespread Panic show here at Radio City Music Hall....and it got me thinking about Jimmy Herring and how amazing he is......which got me thinking about this Jazz Is Dead show from a 2 night/4 show run at The Bottom Line. I remember that I decided to head down for this at the very last minute (Bottom Line was not a particularly friendly venue, but it was really intimate, and if I recall this ticket was somewhat expensive). Anyway I got in during Merl Saunders' opening set and hooked up with Jason, who was already set up. We removed his mics from his stand (Neumann KM184s, I believe) and put mine up instead.

I'm so glad I did get into the show because this band just blew the roof off of the place. Let's talk about the members who where in this original lineup of the band -- all MONSTER players: Billy Cobham -- kickass jazz drummer and alumnus of one of Miles Davis' bands as well as legendary the jazz fusion Mahavishnu Orchestra, and basically worth the price of admission on his own. Just one listen to his solo (track 5) on this recording will shake the foundations of what you believe a drummer can do! Alphonso Johnson -- former bassist from another legendary jazz fusion act -- Weather Report, one of the first Chapman Stick players, former member of one of Bob Weir's solo projects (the Midnights) and just a few years after this show was hired as (as far as I'm aware) the only bassist to ever take Phil's place in a post-Grateful Dead incarnation (when Phil and Bobby were fighting, I believe) in their tour as The Other Ones in 2000. He definitely brings the funk (if not as much of the subtlety as Phil Lesh would contribute) and heavy heavy grooves to this band -- just listen to the groove he lays down in Scarlet Begonias. T. Lavitz, who I'm less familar with, was the keyboardist for The Dixie Dregs and an early incarnation of Widespread Panic.

And onto the reason I pulled this recording out -- Jimmy Herring, who, even among these world-reknowned musicians, more than holds his own -- his style could not be more different than Jerry Garcia's....but just one listen to his take on Help On The Way and Slipknot, will show you the fireworks that emit from his fretboard. Wow! No wonder he got drafted into Phil's Friends for a while!!!

Subsequent tours of this band had vaied members, but none of them could beat this lineup.

So I present to you BARN59, a short-but sweet show from a classic venue that is really worth your effort to listen to. Hope you enjoy!

Scott

A rundown of my previous BARN archival releases (all can be found on archive.org except as noted):
BARN1 - Col Bruce Hampton and the Code Talkers at Bret & Joyce's wedding 9/17/2005
BARN2 - Col Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit (w/guest Warren Haynes for all of set 2) Wetlands 11/20/1993
BARN3 - moe. Wetlands 7/8/1995
BARN4 - Dan Bern Bottom Line 7/31/1998 (late show)
BARN5 - moe. Birch Hill 10/31/1996
BARN6 - moe. Maxwells 1/20/1996
BARN7 - Dan Bern Central Park Summerstage 9/19/1997
BARN8 - Dan Bern, Bottom Line 8/1/1998
BARN9 - moe. Bayou 4/5/1997
BARN10 - moe. Irving Plaza 4/4/1997
BARN11 - moe. AKA 9/7/1995
BARN12 - Yolk AKA 9/7/1995
BARN13 - Robert Walter/Johnny Vidacovich/James Singleton/Donald Harrison Preservation Hall 4/30/08
BARN14 - Phish Las Vegas, NV 10/31/1998 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN15 - Phish Great Went @ Loring AFB, Limestone, ME 8/16/1997 (on bt.etree.org) - by request
BARN16 - Phish Great Went @ Loring AFB, Limestone, ME 8/17/1997 (on bt.etree.org), includes orchestra set - by request
BARN17 - Phish Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, 8/4/1996 (on bt.etree.org) - by request
BARN18 - Phish Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, 8/6/1996 (on bt.etree.org) - by request
BARN19 - Phish Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, 8/7/1996 (on bt.etree.org) - by request
BARN20 - Phish Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, 8/5/1996 (on bt.etree.org) - by request
BARN21 - God Street Wine, Irving Plaza, NYC 6/24/1993
BARN22 - Leftover Salmon, Wetlands, NYC 10/1/1994
BARN23 - Anders Osborne, Manny's Carwash, NYC 11/5/1997
BARN24 - Anders Osborne, Manny's Carwash, NYC 11/6/1997
BARN25 - moe. Pool Party, Morganville, NJ 6/2/1996
BARN26 - Widespread Panic, Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ 11/7/1992 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN27 - Stew ["Passing Strange"], The Turning Point, Piermont, NY 4/6/2003 (on bt.etree.org. dimeadozen.org)
BARN28 - Stew ["Passing Strange"], Joe's Pub, New York, NY 5/22/2003 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN29 - Percy Hill, Lion's Den, NYC 3/16/1996
BARN30 - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Irving Plaza, 8/3/1995
BARN31 - Percy Hill, Wetlands, NYC 6/8/1996
BARN32 - Bad Livers, Mercury Lounge, NYC, 11/15/1999 (opening for Leftover Salmon)
BARN33 - Bad Livers, Mercury Lounge, NYC, 11/16/1999 (opening for Leftover Salmon)
BARN34 - G. Love And Special Sauce, Central Park Summerstage, NYC 6/18/1995
BARN35 - The Band, The Great Lawn, Central Park, NYC 5/16/1993 (on dimeadozen.org)
BARN36 - The Band, Mountain Stage Radio broadcast, Charleston, WV, recorded 4/4/1996 (on dimeadozen.org)
*** Start of New Orelans Jazzfest Appreciation mini-series (note that BARN13 technically belongs in this series) ***
BARN37 - Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Tipitina's, New Orleans, LA, 5/5/2008
BARN38 - Steve Kimock Band, Tipitina's, New Orleans, LA, 5/6/2001 (2AM show)
BARN39 - The Funky Meters, Tipitina's, New Orleans, LA, 5/6/2001 (11PM show) (on bt.etree.org)
BARN40 - Anders Osborne, Tower Records instore, New Orleans, LA, 5/7/2001 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN41 - Joe Krown Trio w/Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Russell Batiste + special guest Mike Gordon, Tipitina's, New Orleans, 5/5/2008
BARN42 - Russell Batiste and Friends, The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, 5/1/2008 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN43 - Global Noize, The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, 5/1/2008 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN44 - Deep Banana Blackout, The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, LA 5/6/2000
BARN45 - Bela Fleck And The Flecktones, The Saenger Theater, New Orleans, LA 5/5/2000
BARN46 - Medeski Martin And Wood, The Saenger Theater, New Orleans, LA 5/6/2000 (on bt.etree.org)
BARN47 - String Cheese Incident, The Saenger Theater, New Orleans, LA 5/5/2000
BARN48 - Soulive, House Of Blues Parish, New Orleans, LA 5/5/2001
BARN49 - String Cheese Incident, Cajun Queen Riverboat, New Orleans, LA 5/3/2000
BARN50 - New Mastersounds, House Of Blues Parish, New Orleans, LA 5/2/2008
BARN51 - Funky Meters, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN 6/13/2003
BARN52 - George Porter And The Runnin' Pardners, Village Underground, NYC, 5/19/2001
BARN53 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tramps, NYC 10/29/1993 late show
BARN54 - The Meters, Tramps, NYC 5/15/93 late show
BARN55 - The Meters, Tramps, NYC 10/29/93 late show
BARN56 - Wild Magnolias, Wetlands, NYC 2/10/2000
BARN57 - Blues Traveler, Livingston Gym @ Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 4/17/1993
BARN58 - Phish, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/29/1998
BARN59 - Jazz Is Dead, Bottom Line, NYC 2/7/1998 (late show only)