Old & In the Way: Live at Sonoma State—11/4/73
First, a caveat: This reviewer was not only in attendance at this northern California gig more than 50 years ago, but his Tandberg reel-to-reel tape recorder also was used by the renowned music photographer Ed Perlstein to capture the gig for posterity. But that’s another story for another time. What’s important is that this music has finally—after having been shared by collectors all this time—been released officially, albeit (as of this writing) only as a download. It is a good thing too because it may be the most stunning, uplifting performance ever given by this short-lived all-star bluegrass quintet, which featured David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), Peter Rowan (acoustic guitar, vocals), Jerry Garcia (banjo, vocals), Vassar Clements (fiddle) and John Kahn (acoustic bass). Old & In the Way straddled a fine line between traditionalism and “newgrass” experimentation, its repertoire drawing from the standard bluegrass canon (“Pig in a Pen,” “Orange Blossom Special”), choice covers (Jimmie Rodgers’ “Waiting for a Train”) and original songs by the group members, mostly Rowan (“Panama Red,” “Midnight Moonlight”). The set kicks in with a speedy “Goin’ to the Races,” written by Carter Stanley of The Stanley Brothers, and makes its way through ballads featuring pristine vocal harmonies (“White Dove”), flashy breakneck instrumentals (“Old & in the Way Breakdown”) and stunners that defy category. (The group’s take on Jagger/ Richards’ “Wild Horses” puts the song in a different light than either the Stones or the Flying Burrito Brothers brought to it, a performance that still astounds today.) It’s safe to presume that most of the audiences that came to see this group were there for Garcia; it’s also a good guess that they left as fans of bluegrass music in general.
