Customer Reviews

Bb Kings Blues Club Ny 2000

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For Quite awhile now Paul Kantner, has piloted: Jefferson Starship, around our planet. This 3 CD set, features highlights from four shows performed at B.B. Kings Blues Club, in New York City, NY on October 30 & 31, 2000.

These are almost acoustic performances {Slick Aguilar, is on lead electric guitar and Chris Smith, is featured on keyboards.} The frontline features: Paul Kantner: vocals & 12 string acoustic guitars, Marty Balin: vocals & acoustic guitars & Diana Mangano: vocals.

This music is a combination of folk & rock music, with lot's of great singing and spot-on vocal harmonies. A bunch of classic Jefferson Airplane songs are included herein. Diana, does a wonderful job filling-in for the retired: Ms. Grace Slick, the former Queen of San Francisco. And she is spotlighted many times over, on this Three hours-plus set. Marty Balin, still has the vocal chops to hit all the notes on: "Miracles" and even on that almost forgotten, first Airplane single of 33 years ago: "It's No Secret". Paul, doesn't have a great voice, but he does possess a interesting one, that is more in the old folk style of pre-Rock 'N' Roll.

With: "Volunteers", "Caroline", "Martha", "Greasy Heart", "Triad", "Comin' Back To Me", "Plastic Fantastic Lover", 'Eskimo Blue Day", "Lather" & "Today" many, hit songs and many memories are touched upon here. These performers are seasoned veterans, and these tapes are the proof that Marty & Paul, still can entertain audiences with great voices and great playing. Mark "Slick" Aguilar, adds some wonderful colors and textures with his lead guitar. On the rockers, "Slick" drives the band with style, he is an excellent choice to capture that classic SF guitar sound of the late sixties. On the newer material, he propels the music up to greater heights. Slick, can also be; "spacey" when needed.

In the days of: "Manufactured" music, this 3 CD set of live performances of real musicans playing in a small club, direct to tape WITHOUT thousands of over-dubs and processing {sweetning} added on...is quite refreshing to hear. Yes, the vocals are ragged in spots, and some notes are flubbed. what was performed in this club, is what you are gonna hear on these discs, warts an all.

Paul Kantner, is indeed keeping something alive with this music. On this first: "Mick's Picks" he has thrown the clocks out the window. Songs of today and yesteryear, are all together on this set of timeless music. This is a real enjoyable three hours of music. The Jefferson Starship, is doing fine, and on the road with four decades of music that still sounds great today.
Four Stars !!!

I first saw the Jefferson Airplane in 1968 at a Peace March. They were always better live, although most of the live material has only been released in the past few years. I re-discovered the new Jefferson Starship, and the new and old musicians continue to make good music. To be clear, this is not the pureed crap of the 80's. Some have complained about "poor sound quality" or "they missed a note." It's live, and exciting. Fly, Jefferson Family.

This is a wonderful, spaced out and intense semi-acoustic 3 h concert, containing a bunch of the finest songs ever written. Jefferson Airplane classics, Jefferson Starship hits, Paul Kantner's galactic hymns, amongst them an intense "Your Mind Has Left Your Body", Marty Balin's smooth lovesongs. In fact this highly diverse setlist is every Airplane/Starship fan's dream come true.

And while Diana Mangano isn't a vocalist of the same calliber as Grace Slick, well very few are, she does a fine job with keeping the gorgous music of Grace alive, delivering her own personal versions of "Eskimo Blue Day", "Hey Frederick", "Lather". She also has a brilliant take on David Crosby's "Triad", with some stellar lead by the underrated, always soaring and inspired, Slick Aguilar, a fine technical guitarist with a finely developed psychedelic sensibility.

And let's not forget the rather discreet Chris Smith on keys and (synth)bass, keeping it all together. And without drums you can really hear what a fabulous guitarplayer Paul Kantner really is. The vocal harmonies - often the weak link at later days Starship shows - really benefits from the acoustic setting.

Nice to hear rock legends going out to small clubs, playing true, honest and intense music. And kudo's to Michael Gaiman and Voiceprint for sharing it with the rest of us.