In this recorded concert, Quicksilver Messenger Service plays together like an improvisational jazz band, as the instruments flow so well into one another. Freiberg and Duncan are joined by vocalist Linda Imperial, keyboardist Chris Smith, bassist Bobby Vega and drummer Prairie Prince. Quicksilver Messenger Service 'Reunion' is a 2 CD set recorded live at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley, California on June 7th, 2006. In 2006 founding members David Freiberg, on rhythm guitar and vocals, and lead guitarist/ singer Gary Duncan went out on the road to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary. The band came together in 1965 and over the next seven years released a number of albums and played shows across America.Īfter the band split, there were a number of short lived reunions. Their reputation is as a strong live act. Quicksilver Messenger service is a jam band, known for their long extended jamming numbers as well as some otherwise solid material. The music coming from the Bay Area of California was rich in creativity and Quicksilver was one of the most popular draws there. Psychedelic poster art from this period often features Quicksilver on the playbill below bands like the Airplane, the Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company. However, enthusiasts of those albums will find much more to revisit on Shady Grove than those who favored the first two records.Quicksilver Messenger Service was one of the most prominent bands to come out of the San Francisco music scene in the 1960s the same scene that produced the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. This somewhat uneven effort would sadly foreshadow QMS's journey from psychedelia and into a much more pop-oriented sound on their follow-up, Just for Love (1970). However, the down-home cowboy waltz 'Word's Can't Say' never gets out of the stable, unfortunately. Additionally, QMS try their hand at the same country & western-flavored sound that was making the rounds with their San Fran contemporaries the Jefferson Airplane ('The Farm') and the Grateful Dead ('Dire Wolf'). The slow and dark 'Flute Song' is a trippy minor chord masterpiece that is augmented by the shimmering effect of Hopkins' airy piano lines which mingle throughout the light orchestration. Kicking off the disc is an up-tempo rocking version of the traditional Appalachian folk song 'Shady Grove.' The QMS reading is highlighted by John Cipollina's trademark fluid fretwork and a familiar 'Bo Diddley' backbeat - reminiscent of both 'Who Do You Love' and 'Mona' from the live ensemble LP Happy Trails.

The band incorporate a number of different styles on the album.

Another possible reason for the shift in style as well as personnel is the conspicuous absence of Gary Duncan (guitar) - who is rumored to have been a 'guest' of Bay Area law enforcement at the time.

Ironically, the one stretched-out instrumental is courtesy of their latest acquisition - Brit recording session guru Nicky Hopkins (keyboards). Shady Grove (1969) is comprised mostly of shorter and self-contained pieces as opposed to the long and extended jams that were so prevalent on their self-titled debut (1967) and Happy Trails (1969). The third long-player from San Francisco psychedelic icons Quicksilver Messenger Service (QMS) is a direct contrast from their previous discs.

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