Barbara Mauritz - guitar, keyboards, lead vocals; Bob Swanson - guitar, vocals; Mark Springer - guitar; Tom Salisbury - piano; David Hayes - bass; Rick Schlosser - drums
Lamb is probably best remembered for the opening number of this set, recorded on the Fillmore: The Last Days album, but they were an interesting band in their own right, distinct from most of the Bay Area groups at the time. Their music was clearly in the mode of the early '70s singer-songwriter, but unlike most others who were clearly coming from a folk music background, Lamb blended elements of jazz, folk, pop, gospel, classical and even some avant-garde influences to their sound. Formed around the duo of Barbara Mauritz and Bob Swanson, the group, and moreover the diversity of their material, prevented them from being easily categorized. Bill Graham became the group's manager after hearing them open for CSNY at Winterland in 1969.
Other than their tendencies towards diverse musical influences and unique arrangements, the key contributing factor to Lamb's uniqueness was the singular, expressive voice of Barbara Mauritz. Her impressionistic lyrics and the band's approach make most of this set very enjoyable and it compares favorably with much of the "Lilith Fair" era of female songwriters three decades later. Highlights here include the sweet opening tune "Hello Old Friend" and the rollicking "River Boulevard."
In 1977, Barbara Mauritz suffered a broken neck and crushed spine after a truck collided broadside with a bus she was riding. She endured years of operations and was told she would never walk or play music again, but by the mid 1980s she did recover enough to play occasional local gigs and continued to compose music for commercials.
All in all, Lamb offers a more than memorable set on an inestimably historic occasion - an opening performance that is still well worth the listen.