Buddy Rich at Fillmore West '73 (17pc big band Buddy kicked A. Ten Years After was on the bill with openers Seatrain. The story goes that Bill Graham didn't like Ric Lee's long drum solos, so he booked Buddy knowing Ric wouldn't want to follow Buddy, who went on second. This didn't stop Alvin from taking a solo guitar dump so long that I fell asleep before the band came back in)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Sun Ra at Keystone Korner, SF '73( Roland at full strength and Sun Ra put on an incredible show they led the whole place around in a huge conga line at one point)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk at The Frangipani Room 1977 Bloomington, IN (Had tickets for the first show, snuck in for the second. He died the next morning. At one point the mic fed back and Kirk stopped playing and berated the soundman "just turn it on and leave it alone" saying that he knew how to play to a mic and named contemporaries that did too. The band kept a dirge-like free form going while Kirk discussed the state of music "disco, duh-duh duh-duh' why you wanna play that?" He then said "IT IS THE MIDNIGHT HOUR AND SOMEBODY HAS TO GO!!" A baby girl in the band entourage, seated in front of us, let out a blood-curdling scream. They finished the show. I was shocked the next day to learn the sad news, on my birthday)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Sun Ra at Keystone Korner, SF '73( Roland at full strength and Sun Ra put on an incredible show they led the whole place around in a huge conga line at one point)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk at The Frangipani Room 1977 Bloomington, IN (Had tickets for the first show, snuck in for the second. He died the next morning. At one point the mic fed back and Kirk stopped playing and berated the soundman "just turn it on and leave it alone" saying that he knew how to play to a mic and named contemporaries that did too. The band kept a dirge-like free form going while Kirk discussed the state of music "disco, duh-duh duh-duh' why you wanna play that?" He then said "IT IS THE MIDNIGHT HOUR AND SOMEBODY HAS TO GO!!" A baby girl in the band entourage, seated in front of us, let out a blood-curdling scream. They finished the show. I was shocked the next day to learn the sad news, on my birthday)