Before The Dead brings together a rare collection of the earliest known performances by Jerry Garcia. From an informal and intimate 1961 performance of simple folk songs at a birthday party with future songwriting partner Robert Hunter to more polished coffeehouse gigs with old-timey and bluegrass bands through 1964, this collection showcases Garcia’s deep study of the folk music tradition and it’s influence on his musical journey leading to the formation of the Grateful Dead.
Before The Dead is produced and curated by longtime Grateful Dead publicist and author Dennis McNally and documentarian Brian Miksis who also contributed extensive liner notes to the collection bringing historical context for each performance and the carefully researched lineage of each recording. The liner notes, along with the track by track essays and listening notes by musicologist & bluegrass historian Neil V. Rosenberg, essays from Sara Ruppenthal Katz (Garcia’s first wife) and Stu Goldstein (former owner of The Tangent) and rare photos and memorabilia comprise the 32-page book included with the collection.
Before The Dead will be released in two physical configurations – a limited edition 5-LP boxed set and a 4-CD edition. The 5-LP boxed set is pressed to 180-gram vinyl in a limited edition of 2,500 by Quality Record Pressings from lacquers cut by Ron McMaster at Capitol Records. The recordings contained within Before The Dead were restored and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Both configurations are now available for pre-order at GarciaFamilyProvisions.com in advance of their May 11th release date.
Dear Jerry: Let’s Play 2two epic concert events honoring the diverse musical talents of Jerry Garcia. Set to take place Friday, October 14, 2016 and Saturday, October 15, 2016 in the MD/DC/VA metropolitan area, the milestone events pay tribute to the iconic musician with two-nights of unprecedented performances by an extraordinary lineup of musicians. Dear Jerry: Let’s Play 2 follows Blackbird Presents’ and the Jerry Garcia family’s acclaimed 2015 concert, Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia, set for release on Friday, October 14, 2016 and currently available for pre-order.
Dear Jerry: Let’s Play 2 – kicks off October 14th at Washington D.C.’s DAR Constitution Hall with “Jerry Uncovered: Exploring Jerry Garcia through the JGB Songbook,”. Featuring performances by Warren Haynes (on lead guitar and vocals), Alison Krauss, John Medeski, Don Was, Jamey Johnson, Raymond Weber and more.
The following night, at Fairfax, Virginia’s EagleBank Arena, Haynes, the Avett Brothers and other special guests will lead “This Is 30!,” a performance that recreates a classic Jerry Garcia Band show from October 1986, a gig that marked the Grateful Dead singer’s return to the stage.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale, today, Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 12PM via ticketmaster.com. Use code: JERRY to purchase pre-sale tickets.
Pre-order “Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia” today!
Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music Of Jerry Garcia was recorded live at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia Maryland on Thursday, May 14, 2015. This historic one-night concert event honored the music of Jerry Garcia, one of the most influential musicians and cultural icons of our time.
The two and half hour concert film and available audio recordings feature over 20 once-in-a-lifetime performances from this momentous event by Phil Lesh & Communion, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy & the Kids, Mickey Hart, Eric Church, Jimmy Cliff, The Disco Biscuits, Peter Frampton, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Los Lobos, Buddy Miller, Moe., O.A.R., Grace Potter, Allen Toussaint, Trampled By Turtles, Widespread Panic, and Yonder Mountain String Band.
Captured and presented in stunning HD with true Dolby 5.1 surround stereo, the full length concert film and available audio records include some of Garcia classics, like ‘Touch of Grey’, ‘Friend of The Devil’, ‘The Wheel’ and more.
GarciaLive Volume Four: March 22nd, 1978 Veteran’s Hallhighlights an oft-requested Jerry Garcia Band line-up featuring Jerry, John Kahn, Buzz Buchanan, Maria Muldaur and Keith & Donna Godchaux. Falling just days after the conclusion of the Garcia band’s tour and days before the release of Cats Under The Stars, this intimate performance in Sebastopol, CA showcases a particularly relaxed, vibrant and soulful Garcia Band evident on moving versions of “Mission in the Rain,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and the gospel standard “I’ll Be With Thee.” Rocking takes on “Mystery Train,” “I Second That Emotion” and “Midnight Moonlight” bring the surging tempos that offer beautiful balance to the performance and showcase the band’s tremendous musical range. The performance also marks the first guest appearance from future Jerry Garcia Band keyboardist Ozzie Ahlers.
Jerry Garcia‘s Rosebud guitar is pictured inside the magazine. An American beauty of a guitar that Don Irwin, guitar luthier custom-built for him. Jerry Garcia considered Rosebud Don Irwin’s masterpiece. One look will tell you why.
(The photos below and above are from Guitar Aficionado, Copyright 2014. If you love guitars I urge you to pick up a copy of the May/June 2014 issue or any of their other fantastic back issues here. They do guitars total justice)
Rolling Stone Magazine posed the weekend question yesterday, What is your favorite double album? My answer was The Beatles (album), a.k.a. The White Album.
I have added thoughts about other favorite double albums in my collection. The album Manassasfrom Stephen Still‘s band in the early 70s plays strongly in the music of our heart.
I’ve always found Manassas to be a pleasurable, well-flowing recording. What I love the most about Manassas is how the music gels as the four sides play out. The assembled musicians follow each other in a natural groove that builds into polyrhythms that envelop the listener.
Manassashas been relegated over time to the status of an overlooked and forgotten album in the annals of rock. The band was an intuitive, collaborative nucleus who knitted together cohesive sound. Along with the band members listed on the début album cover above, added people included Byron Berline (fiddle), Bill Wyman (bass) and Jerry Garcia (pedal steel guitar). Bill Wyman was reported as saying that he would have left the Stones to join Manassas.
I found an interesting video segment of Manassas on YouTube. Like many of the 70’s videos I have watched it was filmed and broadcast on Beat-Club for German television. It has held up well over time capturing the band live before Manassas was released in April 1972. I like witnessing Chris Hillman playing guitar and sharing vocals with Stephen Stills. There is a magic between that works effectively. My favorite song by Manassas is, “It Doesn’t Matter” which appears on the video.
On August 27, 1972, fresh off their now-legendary European tour, the Grateful Dead traveled to Veneta, OR and reunited with the Merry Pranksters for a common cause – to throw a benefit concert for the Kesey family’s Springfield Creamery. A stage was erected under the hot Oregon sun at the Olde Renaissance Fairgrounds, tickets were printed on the fronts of the Creamery’s yogurt labels, and the rest is history…
The Dead in collaboration with Rolling Stone Magazine are featuring a video clip (click on image of Jerry Garcia below to view). from the Sunshine Daydream movie that was shown this past Wednesday August 1st at select movie theaters in celebration of Jerry Garcia’s 71st birthday. This was the 3rd annual Grateful Dead Meet Up at The Movies.
I have to tell you I watched this clip and I was immediately transported back in time to the early 70’s when I first experienced the Grateful Dead live in concert (November 7, 1970 The Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY and July 31, 1971 at Yale Bowl in New Haven). The movie captures The Grateful Dead just as I recalled seeing them live.
I was hooked when I saw that RS/Dead “Jack Straw” clip I pre-ordered right then and there. It has everything I want, The Grateful Dead live outdoors, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (who filmed the movie) and Deadheads dancing and twirling in the hot sun.
The version of “Jack Straw” that they perform is beautifully done. I’ve never heard that song sound as sweet as this rendition.
The opening scene with the baby and the dog is cute and touching.
Grateful Dead Play ‘Jack Straw’ in Veneta, Oregon, in 1972
The first place I ever caught the Grateful Dead live was at The Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY on November 7, 1970. The New Riders of the Purple Sage opened the show that evening with Jerry Garcia playing pedal steel guitar. I recall my brother-in-law Paco telling us that he had drinks next door to The Capitol at Vassons with Jerry Garcia and Pigpen prior to the show. So this announcement is very àpropos.
The Capitol Theatre has christened its lobby bar as “Garcia’s” in honor of the legendary Grateful Dead guitarist and singer, who considered the venue was of his favorite in the country. The bar, which formally opens May 16-18, will operate seven days a week and will host live music. The opening ceremony will feature three night’s of performances by Reid Genauer and Friends.
The news came yesterday, at the end of the final night of Furthur’s nine-show run at The Capitol Theatre. Garcia’s daughter Trixie was on-hand for the announcement. “We chose to launch this idea at the Capitol because of its long and illustrious history with the Grateful Dead and the jam scene,” said Trixie. “We hope that it becomes a hub for the community to share stories and continue to build lifelong memories and friendships. Pete Shapiro and the Capitol Theatre staff were the appropriate partners to do this with because of our shared goals and his continued love and support of the Grateful Dead community. Just as important to note is the fact that Jerry’s parents supported our family by owning and operating a bar in San Francisco in the 1940’s and so it seemed right to reconnect with our family tradition.”
Garcia’s will be the first bar to be officially associated with Jerry Garcia’s family.
Garcia’s will include rare photos, artwork and equipment, including vintage never-before-seen shots from famed music/fashion photographer Roberto Robanne, who met Garcia in 1966 and had unlimited access to the band. The bar will also have a 18” bronze sculpture of Garcia’s hand, which has been loaned to the establishment by noted philanthropist and Grateful Dead fan Scott Brittingham. Garcia’s will offer craft beers, as well as wines and spirits, with a focus on local producers. The bar will also host concerts from emerging artists on nights when the theatre is closed.
Take a journey over to the just launched Jerry Garcia Web site . You’ll find it more than a long strange trip its been 😉
The Jerry Garcia Web site accomplishes two main objectives on behalf of its visitors, 1) Rich content about Jerry Garcia’s life, friends and accomplishments, 2) A creative, engaging shopping experience.
The site is designed by Third Door, Inc. I am surprised to learn how many popular music artist sites have been designed by Third Door’s David Maier. David’s choice of tools as a graphics and Web designer map to the Web software I plan to become more skilled in using in 2013 and beyond. The site was constructed with WordPress for content management, Adobe PhotoShop for images and Adobe Dreamweaver for HTML/HTML5 coding.
The Web site has a product tie-in promotion with the first release from the newly launched Garcia Live series which features a recording from the historic Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey on March 1, 1980.
My first assessment of the jerrygarcia.com Web site is based upon the following viewpoint/criteria.
Fan Viewpoint
Shopping Experience – A+
The Jerry Garcia Store is a standout section. It is tightly coupled with the Garcia official merchandise offered through their exclusive arrangement with MusicToday for ordering/fulfillment. Products were easy to view with the Zoom feature available for closer articulation.
Fan level information – B+
The Timeline section has 97 posts but lacks an evolutionary dated timeline for context and correlation (suggestion…). The content offers in depth reading and visual images that drive the reading experience well.
My favorite image is the black and white photograph of Jerry Garcia playing the pedal steel guitar. The Bio is nicely summarized. I would have liked to have seen a Web link to Wikipedia or another more substantive biography about Jerry.
The News section is very initial with just 4 posts. But it is only Day 1 for the site ;).
Multimedia content – A+
The Music, Artwork and Video sections meld together in cohesive fashion. The Music section offers a cover art jump point to a second page with music vendors, song listings and just the right level of social network icons for now.
The Artwork area is a gem and it is a good first level representation of an evolving Gallery area. I suggest an Amazon link on this page to the coffee table book, Jerry Garcia: The Collected Artwork for visitors (I just love leafing through that book!)
The Video section knocked me out. The highlight for me was Jerry Garcia’s 70th Birthday. I was unable to watch Move Me Brightly on TRIStudios this past August. I am pumped to see the 17:47 video highlight featured on the Video page.
Technology Viewpoint
Usability – A
The Web site fully leverages responsive design and WordPress content management effortlessly. The images are compelling and never oversized or stretched. Navigation is straight forward and relaxing. It represents a landscape book with a menu as table of contents off to the left side, unobtrusive but accessible.
Design- A+
The page design varies between various postings or single Photoshop images of Jerry that are warm testimonies of him.
Responsive design is available throughout the Web site, which makes this a technology appealing visual, audio, video experience.
I have anticipated the Jerry Garcia Web site for sometime now and I wasn’t disappointed one iota!
Great work team! I look forward to the content evolution from here on out.
Take a journey over to the just launched 
musicofourheart.blog 
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