Thanksgiving Gravy From Sir Doug
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Just a quick one: a tradition of mine every year is to listen to the Doug Sahm Thanksgiving show while I am sweating it up in the kitchen. This year I am making stuffing (which I am nervous about) and pumpkin pie both with the kids while my wife is making Sweet Potato Soufflé. But regardless of what is on the stove, the point here is that what is simultaneously going through the air is a recording done in Austin, TX on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23 1972, when Doug Sahm seized the opportunity of throwing together a band which included visiting Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia & Phil Lesh, Leon Russell and original 13th Floor Elevator bassist Benny Thurman. The one-time-only supergroup hit the stage at the legendary Amarillo and blasted through a 2+ hour set of covers ranging from classic songs by Dylan, Jimmy Reed, Kris Kristofferson, T-Bone Walker and on and on and on. And on (but not On and On and On, the song my son loves by the increasingly strange Oliver Tree).
For years the only way to get the recordings was to know someone who could make you a tape…later burn you a CD…later send you a zip file. Aquarium Drunkard makes it easy, posting the show annually (they get the tradition as well). I recommend downloading it, just to make sure you always have access as you start to cook for your yearly sit-down feast.
Enjoy the music, and have a great holiday!
For a deep dive into the story behind the concert, I recommend Michael Corcoran’s substack newsletter write-up. That Texan knows the details, that is for sure.
**COMING SOON TO THE SIGNAL: An interview with Swamp Pop icon Tommy McLain and a deep dive into the legendary San Francisco band, The Ophelias