Like many, I assume, the first time I heard Katie Mae was on the Bear’s Choice album. To be honest, it’s a song that I never paid much mind to because I found it difficult to listen to. Not because it’s a bad song, but because the playing is so soft.
Well the playing on this Road Trips release is still soft, but there more to this version than the one of Bear’s Choice, in my opinion – a little more room for Pigpen to stretch out. This track came from the late show on 5/15/70 and both shows included an acoustic set. Those 1970 acoustic sets are something I can’t get enough of so it’s a damn shame that large swaths of 1970 weren’t recorded.
Any other neat Pigpen solo blues numbers that warrant attention here? Let me know in the comments.
Complete Setlist 5/15/70
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MORE PIG….PLEASE
Message received! I’ll see what I can do.
More Pig? More Cowbell !!!!!
A perfect two-fer from the Pig gets the crowd going here. This version is every bit the equal of the earlier-played one heard on Bear’s Choice. It is eaten up by those in attendance. It also has a slightly different arrangement from that other version. Dig this, because you are not likely to find more of it in the future. After a confident finish, Pigpen shouts a mighty “Thank ya!” to lead back into the ensemble playing.