Gary Duncan 9/4/1946 - 6/29/2019
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They made hippie music, simple straight forward lyrics, mostly love songs and some social commentary thrown in (from the freak point of view).
Listen to Quicksilver, still jazzed after forty years and sounding fresher than ever. |
Quicksilver Messenger Service was one of the best bands to emerge from the 
Musically loose, plenty of rough edges, rarely over-produced, no slick singer, just a tough dual guitar attack always looking for a little open space to stretch it out as far as they could go. Their personnel sometimes changed based on who was busted on the latest pot possession rap. But the two guitar attack of 
Duncan, Freiberg and Lewis stretched Quicksilver into the Eighties with the the lost classic "Peace by Piece" where the band experimented with rap music and synthesized drums. Today, Gary Duncan's powerful Shape-Shifting Quicksilver pushes the live sound full circle, with long explorations of rock, jazz, pop and blues - touching back to the endless jams of the sixties at the Avalon and Fillmore.
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Don't miss this outstanding tribute site!
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We've all been wishing upon stars since we were little because we all know
wishes upon stars come true... a wishkitz is your opportunity to give the child
in your life their very own bit of a star to carry in their pocket... for those
moments when a wish would come in handy. Their magical and shiny star will
arrive in a one-of-a-kind colorfully hand painted and hand crafted celestial
box. And like snowflakes, no two boxes or stars are exactly alike. Pick from
four vibrant colors. It's a perfect gift for you or the star in your life... a
guaranteed authentic fragment of a real shooting star. This meteorite fell from
space between 4000 and 6000 years ago. The first record of its discovery was in
the 1570s by Spanish explorers in Argentina. The actual fall is believed to
have been witnessed by local Indians who originally named the area Campo del
Cielo, which means Field of Heaven, an appropriate name for the star strewn
region.
Put a star in the pocket of someone you love... so they can make a wish! A
unique gift for birthdays or just because!
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by John Barthel |
They said it couldn't be done!
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 In Memory of JOHN BIRD |
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Gary Duncan with Automatic Pilot
San Francisco's satiric / erotic jazz wave ensemble Unreleased demos from 1984! These songs were recorded at the Sammy Gene Music studio in San Rafael in 1984. Gary hung out there with engineer Bob Ohlsson and drummer Sammy Piazza, who did not play on these songs but did play on Dream A Lot. Gary also contributed to the arrangement and production of these songs. These songs also feature performances by percussionist Pete Escovedo, bassist Frank Zincavage (of Romeo Void), and Automatic Pilot. Click here for MP3s and streaming audio. |
The Jon Hammond Band
When I first started playing as a professional in 1960, that's 45
years ago, Hammond made a lot of Hammond B3 Organs.
There were a lot of B3 players in those days. Hammond also made an
option which attached to the legs of the organ and sat on the floor.
It had keys like a Piano but the keys were about three times the size
of the Piano.
It was made to play Bass. You played it with your feet.
Not everybody had one cause it was hard to play.............. like
riding a bicycle and flying a plane at the same time.
Back in those days when you were auditioning an Organist (and it was
always a B3.....never a Farfisa) the first question which was usually
asked by the Bass player was "Does he Kick Pedals, or....Can the Man
Dance".....meaning Can the B3 player play Bass with his feet which
meant the Bass Player was out of a Gig.
Not every B3 player could "Kick Bass"..............only the Great ones
Jon Hammond "KICKS PEDALS............and "THE MAN CAN DANCE!!"
Just listen
Gary Duncan
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 Nicky Hopkins Page "Hopkins was undoubtedly one of the most talented piano players to have graced British rock during this era."
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  The John Cipollina Memorial Photo Page by Michael Kirschner "From the time I arrived in San Francisco in 1982 until John's untimely demise in 1989, I attended many of his gigs ... These photos are from those gigs at The Fresno Saloon (later just "The Saloon"), Ms. Keiko's Chi Chi Club, The Keystone Berkeley, Wolfgang's, and other places I just don't remember..."
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The Quicksilver Concert Timeline |
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QUICKSILVER DISCOGRAPHYA great place for the new Quicksilver fan to start is with the outstanding Rhino collection! Almost all the essential music in a well-packaged two CD box set. The other purchase I would definitely recommend is Happy Trails, recorded mostly live at the Fillmores and one of the coolest live albums ever (IMHO). After that you can fill in according to your taste. Although Quicksilver always had solid musicianship and free spirit, there is a noticeable difference in style along the way as members came and went. Get the Rhino collection and go from there!
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BAND MEMBERS (1968-1998)
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Gary Duncan - guitar, vocals |
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John Cipollina - guitar, vocals |
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David Freiberg - bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals |
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Greg Elmore - drums, percussion, vocals |
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Dino Valenti - vocals, guitars |
and
Nicky Hopkins - keyboards
Jim Murray - vocals, harmonica (left group before first Capitol album)
Michael Lewis - keyboards
also
Mark Naftalin - keyboards
Chuck Steaks - keyboards
Mark Ryan - bass
plus
Greg Errico - drums
Bobby Vega - bass
Jim Guyett - bass
John Bird - guitar, vocals
Tony Menjivar - L/P percussion
The Shady Grove Visitor Register - (Closed to new entries due to spammers)
Fresh Air midi courtesy of Bruce Bundy
with Jim Allen
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