Grateful Dead - "Blues Ruffs" (this is the name on the reel boxes)
Bob Weir's Studio - Recorded by Dan Healy
Mill Valley, Ca
xx-xx-1975 (various dates)

SBD MR > R > Rs > CD * > EAC > WAV > FLAC

SBD MR (Vault Reel) > R (Jerry Garcia's copy given to him by Kidd Candelario) ** > R (Will Boswell) > CD --- Rs dubbed at 3 3/4 ips & 7 1/2 ips using an Akai GX625 *** --- mastered to CD by Matt Smith --- Rs > Apogee Mini Me (24/96) > Apogee Mini DAC (monitoring) > Wavelab 5.0 (dithered to 20/4 4) > CD > EAC > WAV (shntool confirms no sbes) > FLAC (TLH)

**********************************************

disc 1 ( 46.55 ) of 4

June 7, 1975

1.  (x) Crazy Fingers (instr.) (ends with long reverb
    and then faint studio talk in background (6.56)
2.  Crazy Fingers (instr.) (6.57)
3.  J. Garcia:  "(x) zhuuum, ah 1, 2, 3, 4..." >
    Franklin's Tower (with vocals) >
    J. Garcia: "Huh?" (6.44)
4.  Lazy Lightning (instr.) (5.03)
5.  (x) The Music Never Stopped (instr.) (x) (6.08)
6.  (x) Jam (funky stylish?) (fadeout) (6.46)
7.  drum intro > Help On The Way (instr., one
    drummer, played fast) (7.27) >
8.  Slipknot (x) (0.56)


notes:

1 has also been listed as from june 3, 1975 06-03-75 060375: 2, 3, 4, and 5 have also been listed as from july 10, 1975 07-10-75 071075 6, 7 and 8 have also been listed as from june 5, 1975 06-05-75 060575

**********************************************

disc 2 ( 64.59 ) of 4

1.  (x) Slipknot (x) (overlap with ending of track 8 on
    disc 1 of 4 above) (0.17)
2.  Spacely Noodling jam (23.01) >
3.  Staccato jam (x) (7.25)
4.  (x) Stronger Than Dirt jam (1.15) >
5.  drummers (BK:  "Mick!  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.") >
    Stronger Than Dirt jam (with J. Garcia playing
    Stronger Than Dirt riff) (3.41) >
6.  Stronger Than Dirt jam (with J. Garcia soloing
    over jam) (4.46) >
7.  Stronger Than Dirt riff (only J. Garcia) (0.25)
8.  (x) J. Garcia playing Stronger Than Dirt riff >
    drummers > J. Garcia playing short Stronger
    Than Dirt riffs (1.03)
9.  Stronger Than Dirt (riffs by J. Garcia with band
    joining in randomly) jam (5.21)

Blues For Allah rehearsal - March xx 1975

10. J. Garcia soloing > "Yeah, that's where I meant that
    to be in relations to the nine." > "Nines" jam (x) (1.11) 
11. tape rewind (0.08) 
12. (x) "Nines" jam (8.36) > 
13. Spacely jam (2.12) > 
14. "Nines" jam (1.50) > 
15. Space and Out jam > faint cheers in studio (3.54)


notes:

1 to 9 have also been listed as from June 3, 1975 06-03-75 060375

**********************************************

disc 3 ( 66.58 ) of 4

Blues For Allah rehearsals - March xx 1975

1.  (x) Blues For Allah intro-like jam  (3.03)  >
2.  Jam (0.43) >
3.  Stronger Than Dirt Jam  (0.42)  >
4.  Slipknot! Jam  (4.06)  >
5.  Jam  (3.20)  >
6.  Jam  (0.45)  >
7.  Jam  (4.47)  >
8.  Blues For Allah outro  (2.42)
9.  (x) Staccato Jam (6.16)  >
10.  Jam  (4.52)  >
11.  Jam  (5.38)  (total = )
12.  JG:  "1, 2, ah, 1, 2, 3, 4." >
     Help On The Way  >  Slipknot  (8.25)
13.  (slight 60Hz hum in L channel at start)
     Help On The Way  >  Slipknot  (6.11)
14.  (x) noodling > Help On The Way > Slipknot  (7.20)  >
15.  Franklin's Tower (v)  > JG: "Stunning."  (8.13)


**********************************************

disc 4 ( 63.02 ) of 4

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10, 11/12/13/14/15/16, 17

March xx 1975

1.  (x) Slipknot-type jam (3.07) >
2.  Slipknot jam (4.14) >
3.  Slipknot jam (1.54) >
4.  Slipknot jam 0.53) >>
5.  Slipknot-spacely jam 1.21) >
6.  J. Garcia and drums (x) (1.32)
7.  (x) lazy lightning (fadeout) (0.16)
8.  J. Garcia:  "ah two, ah, one, two, three, four." >
    Franklin's Tower (v) > "Show (?)" and "A-ow! (?)
    at end while still playing > "Well, tha (x)." (4.52)>.
9.  (x) tape rewind > J. Garcia:  "two, three, four." >
     Franklin's Tower (V) > just guitars (x) (4.49) >
10.  (x) Franklin's Tower (v) > just guitars and talk (x) (4.48)

06-07-75

11.  (x) noodling > Help On The Way > Slipknot  (7.15)  >
12.  Franklin's Tower (v)  > JG: "Stunning."  (7.58)
13.  J. Garcia:  "one, two, ah one, two, three, four." >>
     Help On The Way  >  Slipknot  (8.00)
14.  Lazy Lightning (instr.) (4.50)
15. (x) The Music Never Stopped (instr.) (x) (5.56)
16. Jam (funky stylish?) (fadeout) (6.30)

March xx 1975

17. J. Garcia:  "ah two, ah, one, two, three, four." >
    Franklin's Tower (v) > "Show (?)" and "A-ow! (?)
    at end while still playing > "Well, tha (x)." (4.54)>


notes:

11 to 16. are same as on 06-07-75 Rehearsal at Bob Weir's Studio 17 is the same as 8.

**********************************************

notes:

Once again, I can't give enough thanks to Will Boswell and Matt Smith, plus Ihor W Slabicky, for this amazing compilation.  I've been blissfully lost in it for days :)


This is a wonderful companion for 2-28-75!!! 
Incredible jamming and wicked sound!!!
The music seems more exploratory and improvisational in general.


As Matt describes this collection: 

"This is a 4 CD set of something called, "Blues Ruffs." It's basically comprised of one long 3 3/4 ips. reel and one 7 1/2 ips. of various outtakes, alternate takes and 2 really spectacular jams (Blues for Allah!!  My oh my!!!)!!! (other jams as well like a few versions of 'Orpheus' AKA "The Nines') --- This was a joint effort between Ihor Slabicky (notes, documentation, track markers,etc.) and myself (transfer work, CD formatting) that mainly consisted of 3/75 and 6/75 material."


Moreover, Matt continues, " I'm not completely sure as to what circulates but a lot of this material I've never heard before.  All this stuff was in bits and pieces but now we have a compilation. "


This collection overlaps with some sources in circulation yet, in ALL cases, has a better lineage than what currently circulates (these are not from dats or cassettes, just reels masterfully transferred). Furthermore, there seems to be new material in this collection. It's been several years since I've closely studied the studio work from this year, and my sources are buried in storage (I'm in the middle of moving), but I also get the distinct impression that several significant parts of this collection are new to general circulation.


* track notes by Ihor W Slabicky (thanks Ihor!!!)

and another note of appreciation from Matt, "A very special thank you to my long time friend Ihor Slabicky.  Without his never ending expert research and knowledge of GD albums, offshoot projects, studio sessions (esp. 1975 material), it would never have been as good as I felt it turned out to be."


** as Taper Pat observes:

"The source for this set of music is from a stash of reels and cassettes of unknown lineage made for JG by Kidd Candelario for listening purposes in the early and mid '70's (how did we play, what did we play, etc..).  Kidd did not use archival material in the transfers (equipment, methodology or media) so the sound quality of the stash is variable. However, as time passes and analog sources decay or are MIA, some of the stash is proving to be great interest to the GD community. The stash is most likely copies of the master source, but in some cases (O&ITW 6/6/73 Passaic), most likely is the master."


*** The only portion of this that was a 7 1/2 ips. reel is on D4 where it starts with 6-7-75.  Everything else is 3 3/4 ips.  


enjoy!!!


 