portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Great set from Big O over night and an interesting period in Bob Dylan's life if you are going to be a fan of the Trouble No More Gospel tour period. By November 1980 here he is back for a residency at the Warfield less than a year after the Gospel tour is widely agreed finished in May and we find Bob segueing in more traditional back catalogue songs and this is really worth a listen . . .



Not merely a celebration for the ‘Trouble No More’ bootleg which has little to no appeal to this listener. Yet by Nov ‘80 things are shifting. This is such an interesting period for Dylan fans and after the end of the so called gospel tour in May the previous year we have this set and another residency at the Fox Warfield Theatre in SF. The gospel songs being intermingled now with more Dylan classic back catalogue and his chatter here indicates he is on fine form. Jerry Garcia excels I reckon on ‘To Ramona’ where he is introduced as this “young man” who's band Bob has been 'following' and just be the first time they appeared on stage together I think! In less than a month John Lennon is shot dead in cold blood on his doorstep by Mark Chapman

setlist




Dylan - vocal & guitar
Fred Tackett - guitar & mandolin
Willie Smith - keyboards
Tim Drummond - bassJ
im Keltner - drums
Clydie King - harmony vocals
Carolyn Dennis - harmony vocals 
Regina Havis harmony vocals

noting that Jerry Garcia joins him on stage on 'To Ramona' and seems to stay for the rest of the set  with the band excepting the solo material which includes a delightful version of 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue' to round things off

Great quality and a welcome addition to the vaults . . . . . . 


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