Like many, I assume, the first time I heard Katie Mae was on the Bear’s Choice album. To be honest, it’s a song that I never paid much mind to because I found it difficult to listen to. Not because it’s a bad song, but because the playing is so soft.

Well the playing on this Road Trips release is still soft, but there more to this version than the one of Bear’s Choice, in my opinion – a little more room for Pigpen to stretch out. This track came from the late show on 5/15/70 and both shows included an acoustic set. Those 1970 acoustic sets are something I can’t get enough of so it’s a damn shame that large swaths of 1970 weren’t recorded.

Any other neat Pigpen solo blues numbers that warrant attention here? Let me know in the comments.

A solo Pigpen song. The guitar playing here is very delicate. I don’t know if that’s the way it was miked or a lack of confidence on the part of Pigpen? I somehow doubt it’s the latter as everything is well-played – no train wrecks here. Pig’s singing is a bit gruff in places, but that’s just his style. He gives himself a solo and it’s of the standard blues variety. Technically there’s not much special going on here, but the fact this is a longer version of the song any extra Pigpen I can get I like. It ends quickly, leaving a sense that things are not completely resolved.

Complete Setlist 5/15/70

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