Happy Aloha Friday,
Jerry Garcia, in the later stages of his life, fell in love with Scuba Diving. For the last decade of his life, vacation meant slipping into a wet suit and going diving. And his favorite place to Scuba: Hawaii. In fact, standing on the back of a dive boat in Kona, he made a promise to fellow bandmate, Bill Kreutzmann, that when the band ended, they would permanently move to Kauai. Unfortunately, Garcia died before that happened, but Bill made good on his word and settled on the island of Kauai just after Garcia’s passing in 1995.
We are smack dab in the middle of the “Days Between.” An 8 day period between Garcia’s birthday (8/1) and the day he died (8/9). While Jerry is most well known for his role as lead guitarist in the Grateful Dead, Jerry was a consummate and unrelenting musician. Whether it was the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and In the Way, Legion of Mary, New Riders of the Purple Sage, or Grisman and Garcia (just to name a few), he was constantly in creation mode. Here are some tracks that show the breadth and depth of his musical prowess. Enjoy!
Grateful Dead Intro>Help on the Way->Slipknot->Franklins Tower (One from the Vault) (check out the 6 minute mark for some inspired playing and then 8:40 for the silky smooth transition)
New Speedway Boogie (Festival Express)
Standing on the Moon (Phila 7/7//89)
Jerry Garcia Band Reuben and Cherise (Capitol Theater 4/10/82)
Tangled Up in Blue (Bob Dylan Cover)
Grisman and Garcia Off to Sea Once More (12/7/91)
