July 25-26, 1972. Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR.

These two Grateful Dead performances from the summer ‘72 West Coast run rarely get much attention, given the obvious competition with the momentous shows from the end of August. That said, there are two jams—hidden inside the second Portland sets—that you really need to hear.

The 7/25 show has plenty of sweet moments, but it’s The Other One that emerges out of Truckin’ that is really special. It’s loaded with inventive ensemble work, twists and turns, and Garcialogues. Of note, there is a middle section when they bring it down to a hush and Phil begins playing something that sounds like the end of his bass solo in the 2-15-73 Dane Coliseum Dark Star; Jerry soon joins him, followed by Weir, and the unit soon shifts to a gorgeous thematic jam (that the folks at the excellent Grateful Dead Guide blog see as “something like a cross between the Spanish Jam and Goin' Down the Road,” a GD moment that “everyone should hear, like the ‘Beautiful Jam’ from 2-18-71.”)

The 7/26 performance is also full of riches, including a floating Bird Song, an ace Playing in the Band, and an otherworldly Stella Blue. The whole show is worth a listen, but it’s the 38-minute Dark Star > Comes a Time medley that I keep returning to. Don’t just take my word, check it out for yourself.

7/25 tape: archive.org/details/gd1…

7/26 tape: archive.org/details/gd1…