High Country w/Jerry Garcia & David Nelson
February 19, 1969
The Matrix
San Francisco, CA

SBD : MSR > ? > DAT > CD

01. Instrumental
02. On and on
03. Walls of time
04. High country
05. Teardrops in my eyes
06. Big river
07. Working on a building
08. Breaking in a brand new pair of shoes
09. Soldier's joy
10. Swing low (sweet chariot)
11. Blue and lonesome
12. Bluegrass stomp
13. I wonder (where you are tonight)
14. Bluegrass breakdown
15. Don't say goodbye if you love me
16. Foggy mountain breakdown

Corry Arnold: "This show is Jerry sitting in with Bay Area  bluegrass band High Country: Butch Waller (mandolin, vocals), David Nelson (guitar, vocals) and Rich Wilbur (bass, vocals). The confusion surrounding this tape was cleared up by a Usenet  posting from David Nelson,now buried in my wife's deceased hard drive. Nelson was a sometime member of High Country and Jerry sat in. Since  all Matrix shows were taped (hallelujah) this artifact survives. The  numbers are such standards that it was easy for naive listeners (including  me in the past) to assume that Grisman, Wakefield, Peter Rowan or others  were involved, since all bluegrass singers imitate Bill Monroe.  According to another posting, the band listed at the Matrix that night  was "Weird Herald". For various reasons I think that is a bluegrass joke  (there is a well-known bluegrass singer named John Herald, and some other facts).  High Country was unlisted, or they actually were Weird Herald.  Butch Waller sings and plays a lot like Frank Wakefield so Wakefield is often  mistakenly listed as appearing on the tape (I'm sure Waller would be complimented).  Butch Waller and High Country still reform every New Years to play the  Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. Jerry hasn't shown up yet, but you never know."

Textfile last edited by Jim Perricone jimperricone@comcast.net
