Merry Aloha Friday,
On August 1st 2022, the incomparable Jerry Garcia would have turned 80! Jerry, the lead guitarist of the band the Grateful Dead is an enigma in many ways. Part Philosopher, part prankster, all musician: Garcia’s influence on music, all music, is undeniable. Though many know him for being the defacto leader of the Grateful Dead and an unfortunate victim of heroin addiction, Jerry’s influence goes way beyond Rock and Roll. A voracious student of his craft, to say Jerry loved playing music would be an understatement. When he wasn’t playing with the Dead, his side project the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) would be on tour, leaving very little time off stage for the virtuoso. In between the Dead and JGB, Jerry found himself in various other projects, including Legion of Mary and New Riders of the Purple Sage, as well as long time collaborations with David Grisman (Grisman and Garcia) and bassist John Kahn (Garcia and Kahn).
To learn a little more about him, check out Jerry Garcia | Fun Facts. Also, below are three tracks that I urge you to check out. The selections cover Jerry with the Dead, Jerry with his own band and his collaboration with David Grisman, which highlights the fusion style he created with Grisman called Grateful Dawg (a sort of bluegrass, country, rock, blues mash-up)! Enjoy!
Standing on the Moon | Grateful Dead
