Geary's Autumn Ale- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz- Poured in to Pub Glass- 5.8% ABV- Described as an English Brown Ale out of Geary's Brewery in Maine pours a deep brown reddish, translucent color. Thick foamy, yellowish head which receded quickly and left little lacing. Rich malty smell with maybe some molasses or spices associated with fall (nutmeg, brown sugar, etc.) Nice body, medium to light, and not very carbonated. I have not had to many brown, English ales but this is what I expect from them. A little to malty for my taste, maple syrupy elements? A slight funky aftertaste if you dwell on it but overall a good beer and definitely as advertised. A good beer for a night like tonight, cool early November. Tastes very fresh, since I bought today

On the turntable is In Concert- Derrick and the Dominos Recorded in October 1970 at The Fillmore East, NYC. From the looks of this record sleeve it appears it spent sometime in the cut-out bin but for the $1.00 it cost me it was worth it. Did Derrick get his groove back with the Dominos? Most would say yes. Following his success with Cream and arguably the first supergroup Blind Faith it has been written that Clapton was burnt out by both superstardom and the direction his music was moving in. Which explains why the next band he fronted was recorded in under an alias. But lets be real no alias was going to be able to keep Clapton out of the public eye in the early seventies. My relationship with Eric Clapton has been a mixed one. Growing up I had Cream tapes I was quite fond of but I didn't really listen to much more of his catalog. Tales of Brave Ullyesess and White Room among others were favorites of mine as a 15 year old. After college I discovered Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and his album with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, which I loved. My issue with Clapton is I always found his guitar playing to be a bit clinical for me following the "Layla" period. Now that said, I wish I had a fragment of his talent, but, as an artist I don't think he was ever able to get past his own god given talent on the guitar and the success and devotion he experienced at such an early age. At the same time I think Clapton realized this and did his best to seek out soulful players who could both elevate his playing and reign in the cult of his followers. He was also desperately seeking a "salt" of the earth vibe for his music. I don't know if Clapton feels like he ever met his musical match but I have read that he felt Duane Allman was the closest he got to a musical soul brother. The album I'm listening to is definitely a testament to Claptons' ability to swing and give us a good measure grittieness. Backed by Bobby Whitlock and Carl Radle of Delaney and Bonnie's backing band, who brought Clapton out on road with there Bonnie Delaney and Friends Tour. On the drumstool for the Fillmore dates and in the Dominos was Jim Gordon a member of the often incestuous lot of Los Angeles session players who graced hundreds of records from the sixties and seventies and who has been mentioned in other posts on this blog. Jim Gordon is a one of a kind of drummer we most likely won't see the likes of again. Just head on over to wikipedia if you want to learn more. The fact that he played the piano interlude on the classic "Layla" track, suffered from schizophrenia and ultimately was charged with the murder of his mother only adds chilling depth to what was already a unique place in musical culture. This album is tight musically from the get go. It has been re-released in CD form as Derrick and The Dominos Live at The Fillmore but the original Double LP was augmented by other tracks recorded at the Fillmore dates and some of the original tracks on the LP were left by the wayside. One thing that stands out for me on this album is Clapton's magnificent guitar tone and some nice passages where he tastefully employed a Wah-Wah pedal. If they could bottle that tone in a pedal and market it I would probably buy it. From the gatefold sleeve it looks like he was using his 1956 Fender Stratocaster "Brownie". Whatever he was playing and/or playing through that tone is wonderful.