(From Press Release) In the summer of 1965, the Jefferson Airplane would emerge from the San Francisco folk scene to pioneer a massive psychedelic rock movement. The Airplane featured three exceptional musicians: Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, Jack Cassidy on bass and Spencer Dryden on drums. The band also featured three great vocalists: Marty Balin, Grace Slick and Paul Kantner on vocals and guitar. Through the late 60’s and early 70’s they would release 8 studio albums, 1969’s Bless It’s Pointed Little Head was live.
Fortunately for many fans, there are vast reserves of never-released live material by Jefferson Airplane capturing key moments in their history. On October 26, 2010, Collectors’ Choice Music Live will release four previously unreleased live albums:
Live at the Fillmore Auditorium 10/15/66 Late Show – Signe’s Farewell
Before Grace Slick there was vocalist Signe Anderson. When she gave birth to her daughter in May 1966, the following October she announced her departure from the band. Her final gig with the Airplane took place at the Fillmore on 15 October 1966. This peformance marks the first appearance on CD of a live recording featuring Signe Anderson with the band.
Live at the Fillmore Auditorium 10/16/66 Early & Late Shows – Grace’s Debut
The following night, Grace Slick made her first appearance. Slick was already known to the band—she had attended the Airplane’s debut gig at the Matrix in 1965 and her previous group, The Great Society, had often supported the Airplane in concert. The band has yet to add the material Slick brought to the band (“Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit) to the set list, but Grace’s harmony work with Marty and Paul is impressive, and you can literally hear her confidence growing from the first set to the second. The album contains “The Other Side of This Life,” “Let Me In,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Run Around” and “High Flying Bird,” plus versions of “3/5ths of a Mile in 10 Seconds” and “Tobacco Road” with the new line-up, and Leiber & Stoller’s “Kansas City,” which has never appeared on any Airplane studio or live album.
Live at the Fillmore Auditorium 11/25/66 & 11/27/66 – We Have Ignition
With Grace Slick on vocals and old drummer Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence replaced by Spencer Dryden the most popular band line up was now in tact. From here The Airplane would go on to perform their trademark fusion of folk rock, blues and psychedelic rock during their spectacular live sets. Not only has the band (particularly guitarist Jorma Kaukonen) progressed as musicians, but the infusion of Surrealistic Pillow material some four months before the album hit the stores shifts the focus of this folk-rock band to rock. Included are “Plastic Fantastic Lover,” “High Flyin’ Bird,” “Bringing Me Down,” “ D.C.B.A-25,” “My Best Friend,” “Go to Her,” “She Has Funny Cars,” “3/5ths of a Mile in 10 Seconds,” “Skip Spence’s “J.P.P. McStep B Blues,” “White Rabbit,” “Today” and more. Two rarities are a mind blowing, 9:45-minute version of “The Other Side of Life.”
Return to the Matrix 2/1/68
After recording three successful albums; Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, Surrealistic Pillow and After Bathing at Baxter’s , touring throughout the U.S. and Europe and appearing on several different television shows, The Airplane return at their peek to perform an incendiary set in the first club they ever played.
Hand-picked by a team of enthusiasts, these concerts distill and express the dream and promise of the Haight-Ashbury psychedelic movement.
