[sarraqum]

I know it is a hard choice to make but here is my top 3 favourite live jams (thanks to Archive.org):

3: 1977.05.08 - Dancing in the streets starting at 10m 55s - this riff just makes me smile and groove like mad...

2: 1973.06.10 - Not Fade Away at 6m.00s - This one always gets me going...

1: 1980.11.30 - Scarlet Begonias>Fire at the end of Scarlet>Fire transition, 11m. 00s - this jam is just beyond words, great Great GREAT!

[Kenny]

red

[strumminsix]

Hmmm, the top 2 are easy as can be:
#1 Hard to Handle circa 68/69 with the BIG and Building jam.
#2 Here comes sunshine cireca 73 where the launch into another BIG and building jam.

To me that's what gets me hooked on a jam is a big launch into an abyss and then they build up energy and then BAM! back into the main riff.

#3 Shakedown circa 77-79, it was good that the GD brought in some funk!

[Isaacsmonkeywrench]

I won't argue that these are even close to the "best" jams ever, but some of my personal favorites include

Eyes of the World from Kezar Stadium 3/24/73
- especially beginning with verse "There comes a redeemer..." until the transition into the ending jam

Turn on your Lovelight featured on Live Dead
- this is imo the climax of pigpen-era grateful dead

[deadybear]

Mine would be 23 March 1975
blues for allah>stronger than dirt>drumz>stronger than dirt>blues for allah

[Guest]

3/24/73 was the 1st of many great Spectrum shows in Philly.

The Kezar show of 1973 was May 26.

And of course there can never be a "top 3" of jams, just our own individual top lists of synapse explosions.

[tigerstrat]

Actually I think what I am hearing right now- 9/21/72- was the first of the always-awesome Spectrums.

[qiuniu]

There's lots of good jams out there, but my favorites are:

Grateful Dead (aka Mickey and the Hartbeats)
Monday December 16th, 1968
The Matrix
San Francisco, CA

source: SBD>Rm>Reel>CD (May Be SBD>Rm>Reel>Reel>CD)
thanks to c.miller for seeds.

Disc One
01 Jam

Disc Two
01 Jam > Jam

gotta love this setlist.

AND

Grateful Dead
Saturday March 19th, 1977
Winterland
San Francisco, CA

SBD>MR>DAT>DAT>Sonic Solutions>CDR


Disc One Set I

1 Bertha [6:39]
2 Mama Tried [2:51]
3 Loser [7:59]
4 Big River [6:40]
5 They Love Each Other [7:12]
6 Looks Like Rain [8:15]
7 Tennessee Jed [8:18]
8 Estimated Prophet [8:31]

Disc Two

1 Terrapin Station [10:25]->
2 Playing in the Band [12:25]->
3 Samson & Delilah [7:04]->
4 Playing in the Band [11:22]

Disc Three Set II

1 Eyes of the World [15:08]->
2 Dancin' in the Streets [10:28]->
3 Wharf Rat [9:55]->
4 Franklin's Tower [12:42]->
5 Sugar Magnolia [9:23]

Encore

6 One More Saturday Night [5:41]
7 Uncle John's Band [9:05]

Eyes->Dancin' RIPS


Both these shows are must haves IMHO!