Thursday October 19 11:45 PM EDT
Persuasions Bring Dead To Life
dailynews.yahoo.com
By Contributing Editor Richard B. Simon reports
SAN FRANCISCO — Veteran a cappella group the
Persuasions and Celtic combo Wake the Dead treated
fans to an eclectic night of gospel, doo-wop, reels and
jigs, all united by one common theme — the songs of
the Grateful Dead.
The two groups convened at the swank Bimbo's 365 club to celebrate in
performance the Oct. 10 release of two collections of Grateful Dead songs —
Wake the Dead and Might As Well: The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead.
Each group had help from Joe Craven (David Grisman Quintet, Psychograss)
on percussion. The Persuasions were visited by all the guest collaborators from
Might As Well, including the album's producer, David Gans, San Francisco a
cappella quartet Mary Schmary, bluegrass innovator Peter Rowan and
ex-Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick.
"This marks the beginning of an era of music that I think is the most important,
wonderfullest thing to happen to Grateful Dead music since Jerry [Garcia]
died," an ebullient Welnick said after the show, as musicians greeted fans in the
club's lobby. "I haven't heard anything that portrays the spirit — not even coming
from the Grateful Dead members — that came close to realizing the kindness of
Jerry Garcia and the spirit of the Grateful Dead."
Gaelic And Soulful
Wake the Dead opened, using traditional Celtic folk songs to launch into Dead
tunes. The seven-piece band had an earthy acoustic sound reminiscent of the
David Grisman Quintet, taking the 1987 Dead hit "Touch of Grey" out into jig
territory. Fiddler Kevin Carr bowed traditional melodies, while Cindy Browne
plucked standup bass. Frontman Danny Carnahan sang and played octave
mandolin.
Carr switched to woodwinds, accompanying harpist Maureen Brennan on
"Lord Inchiquin," a 300-year-old tune that segued into "Sugaree."
The audience took to their feet — and stayed there — as the Persuasions took
the stage in tuxedos. The group's lead singer, baritone Jerry Lawson, paced the
front of the stage and led the group — Jimmy Hayes (bass), "Sweet Joe"
Russell (second tenor), Raymond Sanders (first tenor, soprano) and Jayotis
Washington (tenor, baritone) — through an R&B stomp, then into the Oak
Ridge Boys' "Elvira."
Lawson introduced the four-woman a cappella group Mary Schmary to sing
backups on "Might As Well" ( RealAudio excerpt). Russell, Sanders and
Washington sang tight, punchy harmonies, dancing in place while Lawson sang
lead and Hayes provided the bassline. Schmary Alyn Kelley pursed her lips for a
"mouth trumpet" solo.
For "Ripple," the group was joined by Eric Thompson (mandolin) and Pete
Grant (Dobro), as Lawson urged the crowd to sing along. Between songs, he
worked the crowd like a Baptist minister, shouting out lyrics while the other
Persuasions answered, "Yeah!"
After a medley of '50s doo-wop, on which each Persuasions member took a turn
up front, the group sang "Lazy River Road" ( RealAudio excerpt), another
latter-day Dead tune. Lawson sang a few verses, then Hayes stepped up to repeat
a verse in a deep, deep bass.
"I'm not a Deadhead — I came for the Persuasions," Cathy Bargman, 54, of San
Francisco, said. "I loved every song. I was the only person that didn't know all
the words to the songs, except when they did their medley from 1952. Their
interpretation is just — I loved it."
In April, the Persuasions released Frankly A Cappella, an album of Frank
Zappa songs. At Bimbo's they gave Zappa's ironic spiritual "The Meek Shall
Inherit Nothing" ( RealAudio excerpt) another twist, with a true gospel rendition.
Then they introduced Rowan, who added his otherworldly bluegrass yodel to the
vocal mix as Gans picked guitar on an entrancing "Sugaree" ( RealAudio excerpt).
The group left the stage, leaving Hayes to sing a subdued "Ship of Fools" with
Welnick on baby grand piano.
Then the Persuasions returned in tie-dyed T-shirts for "It Must Have Been the
Roses." Craven and House Jacks "vocal percussionist" Andrew Chaykin joined
for "One More Saturday Night" ( RealAudio excerpt) and "Bertha."
Spiritual Connections
Lawson told the audience that the Persuasions got their name from the Bible,
and that, like Jesus, they would have to do a lot of persuading if they were going
to sing without a band. An amused Gans looked on as Lawson then related the
folktale from which the Grateful Dead got their name and explained the spiritual
connection between the two groups.
"I do know my name is Jerry," Lawson said, acknowledging his link in name to
the late Dead guitarist. "Well — just maybe — somebody is passing the spirit
along."
Then the entire cast, including Wake the Dead, returned for a powerful take on
the traditional "I Bid You Goodnight," a rare Dead concert favorite.
Before the show, a 46-year-old fan from Santa Cruz, Calif., who identified
himself only as Arrow, said he was concerned that the Persuasions' take on Dead
tunes might be "schmaltzy." But when the lights came up, he was converted.
"Jerry [Garcia] was in the room tonight," Arrow said. "The Ratdog tour is going
to be absolutely phenomenal. It's gonna blow people's minds. They're not even
ready for this. It's gonna catch them way off guard."
The Persuasions open for Ratdog, ex-Dead guitarist Bob Weir's band, through
early December. |
