October 2, 2008

Back in 2007, auctioneers Bonhams and Butterfields sold more than $1.1 million worth of former Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully’s memorabilia from his days with the band. On Sunday, Bonhams will auction off More Skeletons From The Closet from not only Scully, but also from the collections of Dead keyboardists Vince Welnick and Ron “Pig Pen” McKernan.

There are some incredible gems among the 174 lots that B&B plans to auction, and if we had won the lottery we’d have a big list of stuff we’d want. So, let’s play pretend. For this week’s B List we look at the ten items we’d most want from Sunday’s auction if we had an unlimited budget.

1.1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air

This gorgeous old beauty was used by the band to transport none other than Captain Trips, Jerry Garcia.

2. Rock Scully’s Attache Case

Here’s a chance to own the case that transported Jerry Garcia’s drugs! Okay, we’ve got no proof whatsoever, but we’d just assume this badass attache housed the good stuff.

READ ON for seven more artifacts we’d buy if we had a million dollars…

Just before Hampton came alive again, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell hit the road for a four-night jaunt with Porter, Batiste and Stoltz. On Friday night, the quartet brought the MOODOO to NYC’s B.B. King’s. Andrew DeRosa kindly contributed a full report which we’ve teamed up with Jeremy Gordon’s typically stunning photographs. Let’s take a look…

“Good funk, real funk, is not played by four white guys from Vermont.” However, good real funk comes out the pores of George Porter Jr. and Russell Batiste. George Porter is a living legend. He’s up there with Larry Graham– except George Porter never got cheesy. He left that to Art Neville. With Art Neville out of the line up, the other members of the Funky Meters are unhinged. With the addition of cow-funker Page McConnell we’ve got some shit yo.

The first few tunes the band was warming up and I could barely hear Page in the mix. I wondered if this would be the case all night– a shy Page playing some back-up all night. As Brent Mydland once described his roll in the Grateful Dead, Page was “adding color”. He played a nice version of Jealous Guy, which sounded closer to the Donny Hathaway version with such a solid rhythm section behind him. It was weird hearing Page play clean piano from a Yamaha rather than the Baby Grand. After Jealous Guy, the rest of the set saw the band warmed up, locked in and inspired. Brian Stoltz can really take off on guitar and has the ability to dial in his tone. However, sometimes he just sounds like a talented New Orleans bar band guitarist– good, not great. I can’t say enough good things about Porter and Batiste. They are motherfuckers. The real deal.

READ ON for more from Page McConnell and PBS at B.B. King’s…

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