As with any great event, the quality of the sound is as important as the musical talent; you can't have the one without the other. At May Daze, the sound will be as good as you've heard in a very long time. For that you'll be able to thank sound legend Betty Cantor-Jackson, who started with the Grateful Dead in late '67. In the world of the Grateful Dead, and especially among those that have traded or collected tapes over the years, Betty's work is immortal. Rest assured - she'll have everything just exactly right!
The equipment you'll see - everything from the stage to the soundboard, will be under her watchful eye, as well as that of our good friend, Armando Tobriner. It's their job to make sure that everything between the 220 volt power supply and your ears is the best equipment money can rent. Anything short of that would deprive the musicians of what their talent demands, and what your music appreciation deserves.
Overseeing the production department is Mark Topazio, aka Captain Toast. Wendy and I first became acquainted with the good Captain on Jam Cruise-I (www.jamcruise.com), in January 2004. His production expertise helped make the constantly changing music venues on the ship flow smoothly and without interruption. This past January, we were fortunate enough to attend the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (www.bluescruise.com), and once again ran into Captain Toast on deck. Having recognized him from the previous year, we enjoyed talking music and reminiscing about last year's cruise. Talk about a small world, Mark is also the new manager for our good friends, Stir Fried (www.stirfried.com). It didn't take long for us to make the connection that this Mark Topazio was also the one and only, Captain Toast. We're delighted Mark's on board, and at the time of this writing, he's on an Italian cruise ship likely to be the floating venue of Jam Cruise 2006. His skills will keep things moving smoothly, while equipment and band changes will be accomplished with polished and experienced simplicity.
The musical philosophy and intent of this event is certainly one of a festive good time, and kind nature, that's why you're coming. More importantly, we wanted to provide an array of exceptional East and West coast musicians you typically don't see together on the same bill, certainly not in this area. We also wanted the event to have a strong Grateful Dead influence, exemplifying the roots of where the San Francisco sound originated in the 60's. Make no mistake, personally that's what I wanted, having loved and listened to the Dead for 30 years and collecting tapes since the 70's. It just seemed logical that this combination would put this event over the top.
This is a lineup that you'll rarely, if ever, see together. The improvisational potential of the all star jams are sure to cause sleepless nights for many of us between now and then. We also wanted to create an environment where the musicians themselves were able to comfortably relax and enjoy themselves, surrounded by old friends they've played with over the years. We think you'll find the music nothing short of outstanding, and hopefully will have fond memories of the experience for years to come.
Countless thanks to all the crazy cats in Stir Fried - we believed - and helped ourselves by helping each other; and my dear friend Buddy Cage - who always believed in what I wanted to do, and more importantly, why I wanted to do it.
Let's get this show on the road!
-MT
