Live At Ebbets Field: June 3 & 4, 1974 (Remastered) [Live]

Album Review

During his tragically short career, Tommy Bolin played with many different musicians and bands. In early June 1974, Bolin was still a member of the about-to-splinter James Gang, and decided to book a couple of nights at the Denver club Ebbets Field to try out some new material he'd written. He called upon his old band Energy to back him up, and the show (finally officially released on CD) is a guitar player's dream, especially for those into the classic sounds of Jeff Beck, Santana, and Hendrix. And even though the five songs that contain vocals (courtesy of Jeff Cook) are quite good, it's the other five instrumental tracks that make this disc a fine testament to the Tommy Bolin legacy. Bolin lends his touch to such raging rockers as the opening "You Know, You Know" and "Homeward Strut," while fans of the Allman Brothers should definitely check out "Shakin' All Night," with its fluid slide guitar work. Also included are nasty renditions of the blues-rock standards "Born Under a Bad Sign" and "Ain't No Sunshine," combined as a medley. Even though some of these tracks ("San Francisco River," "Stratus," etc.) have been issued on some of the other releases from the Tommy Bolin Archives record label, they are all versions from different recording dates. This is an excellent live document showing what Bolin could accomplish while jamming for fun, in the company of some good friends.