Ace of Cups

Reviewed: 2020—02-20
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: In ‘60s San Francisco, the AOC was the only all-female band, now they have reformed 50 years later. This is a set of mostly upbeat infectious songs. Several musicians from that era sit in.
If You Like: Joy of Cooking, Stoneground, Mother Earth
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Introduction – spoken intro
**2/ Feel Good (with Jack Casady & Pete Sears) – vocal starts> bouncy uptempo song> fade on vocal
3/ Pretty Boy - keyboards start> midtempo song> fade on vocal
*4/ Fantasy 1 & 4 (with Jack Casady) – drums start> uptempo song> fade
**5/ Circles – guitar starts> uptempo song> guitar solo> fade on vocal
6/ We Can’t Go Back Again – guitar starts> slow tempo song> fade
*7/ The Well (feat. Bob Weir) – guitar starts> midtempo song> slow fade on vocal
8/ Taste Of One – organ starts> slow tempo song with beautiful shared vocals> fade
*9/ Mama’s Love (with Jorma Kaukonen & Charlie Musselwhite) – drums/harmonica start> midtempo blues> guitar/harmonica duet to fade
**10/ Simplicity (with Jorms Kaukonen & Pete Sears) – guitar starts> slow tempo song swings to fast tempo> crescendo end
**11/ Feel It In The Air -synth starts> slow tempo song builds in volume> fade
Disc 2
12/ Interlude: Transistor – like a radio switching channels
13/ Stones – guitar starts> rocking uptempo song> guitar solo> uptempo song> slow fade
Red House Stories
14/ Interlude: Baby from the Forest of Knolls – (vocal intro)
*15/ Life In Your Hands (feat. Taj Mahal) - vocal starts> slow acapella gospel song with shared vocals> quick stop
16/ Macushia – Irish pipes start> midtempo song with Irish vibe > fade
17/ Thelina – percussion starts> midtempo song with chorus> fade n vocal
*18/ As The Rain (feat. Peter Coyote & Sid Page) – guitar starts> midtempo song builds in volume> fade
19/ Interlude (feat. Taj Mahal) – banjo starts> slow song>ick fade & some spoken word
**20/ On The Road (with Sid Page & Jack Casady) – banjo starts> uptempo song> slow fade
**21/ Pepper In The Pot (feat, Buffy St. Marie & Steve Kimock) – guitar starts> midtempo song> fade
23/ Interlude: Breath – slow synth solo
*24/ Indian Summer – slide guitar starts> midtempo song builds in volume> slow fade
*25/ Grandma’s Hands (feat. Taj Mahal & Buffy St. Marie) – guitar starts> midtempo song> slow fade
**26/ Medley: The Hermit (with David Frieberg), The Flame Still burns (with Terry Haggerty), Gold & Green, Living In The Country – guitar starts> midtempo jam with Irish vibe morphs into uptempo song> slows into slow song, then swings back up> crescendo & slow fade on vocal
27/ Outroduction: It’s Always Safe… - spoken word
28/ Music – acapella vocal starts> midtempo song> fade