DAVID CROSBY : LIVE AT THE MATRIX, DECEMBER 1970

1. Drop Down Mama
2. Cowboy Movie
3. Triad
4. The Wall Song
5. Bertha (Jerry Garcia)
6. Deep Elem Blues (Jerry Garcia)
7. Motherless Children
8. Laughing

Label : Keyhole

Length : 62:49

Venue : The Matrix, San Francisco, California, USA

Recording Date : December 15, 16 & 17, 1970

Release Date : September 22, 2014

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A-)

Review : During the rehearsals and recording sessions for "If I Could Only Remember My Name", David Crosby and three members of the Grateful Dead - Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart - played three dates at San Francisco's Matrix club, December 15th, 16th & 17th, 1970. These rare recordings, from an afternoon rehearsal and an evening live show, capture this unique configuration performing a variety of Dead, Byrds and Crosby material with pretty good sound considering the casual nature of the get-together. The afternoon session is a great, fly-on-the-wall band rehearsal, as Crosby leads the Dead core through arrangements of "Eight Miles High" and "Cowboy Movie." While there are instances of overloaded mics and sloppy exploration, once the band gets into a groove, and Garcia starts to take off, it's a joyous sound indeed. The fusion of Crosby's and Garcia's styles is more pronounced than what would eventually be heard on If I Could Only Remember My Name. and is all the better for it. Blissed out expansions of DC's "Triad" and "The Wall Song" are a delight. The live show has circulated as the Dec. 15th show since it first surfaced, though the rehearsal is thought to be from the 16th, based on some of Crosby's dialog during the tapings. The band alternately called themselves David & The Dorks, David & The Ding-A-Lings and Jerry & The Jets, but were originally billed at the Matrix as Jerry Garcia & Friends. There's more Crosby in the archives.

Review (Forced Exposure) : David Crosby, live at the Matrix, San Francisco, December 15th, 1970. Recorded for broadcast on KSAN-FM, before a small San Francisco audience as Crosby completed his classic solo debut (issued in February 1971), this superb set finds the former Byrd moonlighting from CSNY and collaborating with three members of the Grateful Dead on a mixture of standards and more recent compositions. The singing and guitar playing are outstanding throughout, and this release is sure to delight his many fans. Includes background notes, with an interview with David Crosby from Rolling Stone Magazine July 23rd, 1970, and photos.

Review (Ameridana UK) : This CD is from a much earlier period - there's some tape hiss here which can be quite intrusive in places but on the whole it's not too bad. The actual recording is quite.relaxed, with songs extending out beyond nine minutes. Cowboy Movie is suitably loose, punctuated with some shining electric guitar. Triad is taken slow and serious, the Dead standard Bertha appears as does the traditional Motherless Children making for a varied set.