Obviously they had a 'falling out', but one of the most unique and bad-ass sounds to listen to (especially back in the 70s concerts and albums) was the Jimmy/Fingers duo. Seemed like a perfect compliment to each other. Anything from the main solo in Fins to instrumental harmonica beats between measures in Coast of Marseilles, Fingers was instrumental (ha) to making amazing songs even better.

All that being said, does anyone know out of the massive archive on Buffett Jokelben if there's any acoustic shows with just Jimmy and Fingers? Or a smaller band at the very least?

I mean, come on, who else could pull of awesomeness with just a guy with a guitar and a guy with a harmonica???

You're so right about that early stuff. Without Fingers it's just not the same.

I'm not sure about any shows with just the two of them. That would be awesome though. Maybe someone else know

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The 1980 fall Hot Dog And A Road Map tour was JB and Fingers.

The second closest thing that might be is the King Kong Trio tour in 1987 that was Michael Utley, Robert Greenidge, Sam Clayton, and Greg “Fingers” Taylor.

http://www.buffettworld.com/archives/

If my memory serves, The Cheap Vacation tour in support of the Hot Water album also featured a stripped down version of the Coral Reefer Band but it wasn't just Buffett and "Fingers". There was also Buffett's appearance on Texas Connection with "Fingers" when that show used to air on The Nashville Network with Jerry Jeff Walker hosting.

Here's one of the clips from that taping, I'm sure there's some others.

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Getting all excited finding nothing that was never there before is like bringing flowers to your Mama and tracking dog shit all over the floor
From "Cartoon Gold" by the Drive-By Truckers from the album Go-Go Boots

The Cheap Vacation tour was not in support of Hot Water actually, it happened before the LP came out, and the tour featured more than just Fingers on the tour. So it almost qualifies!

I agree. Fingers is my favorite Coral Reefer. He brought the most unique sound to Buffett's repertoire, and I think a lot of good qualities about Buffett's music are lost without the harmonica's presence. I recommend you listen to The Low Anthem's Oh My God, Charlie Darwin if you like Fingers' sound; they're an indie band from Rhode Island and the harmonica playing is especially similar to Finger Taylor's contribution on Banana Wind in particular.

Anyway, as for the Jimmy/Fingers show; if I remember correctly, the Florida State Penitentiary show was just them two and it was amazing: http://buffett.jokelben.us/1990.12.12%20-%20Florida%20State%20Penitentiary%20(Real%20Media%20Format%20&%20MP3)/

Agree in every sense! Without Fingers there is a gigantic hole that is left in the music that cannot be filled by anyone or anything else. It was a pure magic that he brought to the songs.

The last record that Fingers played on was actually "Take the Weather With You" where he appeared on "Everybody's on the Phone" and "Hula Girl at Heart."

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Yeah I kinda felt that a reunion was close to happening then but he hasn't appeared since.

I haven't seen any new info on Fingers since this article back in 2010. Too bad the story it links to is dead. I think he mentioned he was having some health issues. Seems like Jimmy could bring him back for a few years so he could go out on top instead of the stupid way he did leave.

http://www.buffettworld.com/2010/03/14/ ... rs-taylor/

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Lived longer than they thought we could do
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We learned to stay cool from you

As I said, "as memory serves". The part I did get right was that it was a stripped down version of the Coral Reefer Band. That was a lot of years ago so it's very difficult to remember every detail. It appears that Floridays was his newest album at the time of that tour. That was a cool show as it was the last time I would ever see Buffett in such an intimate setting (Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville, NC). I remember someone throwing a giant inflatable shark on stage that night which really pissed Buffett off. My, how times have changed as it seems like that's the very kind of behavior that's encouraged at his shows now.

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Getting all excited finding nothing that was never there before is like bringing flowers to your Mama and tracking dog shit all over the floor
From "Cartoon Gold" by the Drive-By Truckers from the album Go-Go Boots

Ahhh, I missed the 'memory serves' part!

He got mad at a inflatable shark. Huh. How Pre-Parrothead of him!

I've got a friend that stopped going to see Buffett after a show where he shushed the audience because they were trying to sing along. Could you imagine that happening now?

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Getting all excited finding nothing that was never there before is like bringing flowers to your Mama and tracking dog shit all over the floor
From "Cartoon Gold" by the Drive-By Truckers from the album Go-Go Boots

Nope. He doesn't have the balls to care that much about his art now. He's not gonna shush anyone when his show is one giant travelling commercial!

What! No way! That makes no sense to me! When was this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I'm not sure. I'm no longer in touch with the person that shared that story with me. I could see it happening though especially if it was back during Buffett's bar room days. I've gone to smaller, club shows where the audience sings along to the point of drowning out the person on stage. That is very irritating to me as an audience member and it has to be an annoyance to the performer on stage. The only thing more annoying than an audience that insists upon singing along to every word is one that talks through the entire performance. That was my experience at a recent Chris Knight show when he played in Raleigh. God forbid he would play a new song they didn't know the words to as then they would talk even louder. And it wasn't just talking, people were texting, talking on their cellphones and generally behaving as though no one was on stage at all. Made me wonder why they even paid the $15 to get in.

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Getting all excited finding nothing that was never there before is like bringing flowers to your Mama and tracking dog shit all over the floor
From "Cartoon Gold" by the Drive-By Truckers from the album Go-Go Boots