Garcia: An American Life

by Blair Jackson

  Grayfolded (1996, Swell)

  For those who can’t get enough of “Dark Star” from conventional tape and CD releases, here’s a two-CD set that is nothing but “Dark Star” (OK, there are portions of “The Other One” and a few other themes worked in here.) This bizarre effort is the work of John Oswald, who is noted for his ingenious guerrilla deconstructions/ reconstructions of songs by everyone from The Doors to Michael Jackson, usually without the artist’s permission. He snips tape, combines, repeats and deletes different elements to create “new” compositions—sort of an audio Robert Rauschenberg. Here, the Dead let Oswald go wild with dozens of versions of “Dark Star” from their tape vault, which he molded into a two-hour “Super Dark Star” that incorporates shows from 1968–1992. Frankly, it’s a bit much for me, but I appreciate the effort and spirit of the attempt, and the liner notes by Rob Bowman are insightful.

  The Arista Years (1996, Arista)1⁄2

  Rare indeed is the “hits” package that actually reflects the best of a group’s output for a label, but this two-CD set really does contain almost every track worth owning from the Dead’s Arista studio albums (as well as a few from the three live Arista releases). The only conspicuous omissions are “Lost Sailor” and “Althea.”

  Fallout From the Phil Zone (1997, GDR)

  Phil chose these eleven unrelated live tracks, which range from a remarkable, at times hilarious, thirty-two-minute workout on “Midnight Hour” from 1967 (with Pigpen in peak form, trying to play matchmaker to members of the audience and even attempting to get Weir paired up— “C’mon, Bobby!” Pig chides), to “Visions of Johanna” in 1995. There’s also a phenomenal “Dancing in the Streets” from 1970, the justly famous Hollywood Palladium “Hard to Handle” from ’71, a twenty-minute, completely psychedelicized “Viola Lee Blues” from ’69, and a very different-sounding “Jack-A-Roe” from 1977. A bit disjointed, but it contains some spectacular peaks. How ’bout more, Phil?

  So Many Roads (1965–1995) (1999, GDR) 1⁄2

  As co-producer of this five-CD box (with David Gans and Steve Silberman) I should probably disqualify myself from any sort of critique, but it’s a strong package that deserves mention. The set contains more than six hours of music spanning the Dead’s entire career, from their first studio demos (including Garcia’s Dylanesque “I Can’t Come Down”) to the group’s final show in Chicago in July 1995 (the deeply moving title cut). The box effectively demonstrates the broad spectrum of styles the band was capable of. Among my favorites are the punky Weir rarity “You Don’t Have to Ask” (’66); a sultry version of “The Same Thing” (’67); a beautifully-sung studio version of “Mason’s Children,” originally intended for Workingman’s Dead (’69); a trippy “That’s It for the Other One” (’69); a passionate live take of Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home” (’72); the adventurous “Soundcheck jam” from Watkins Glen (’73); a classic “Eyes of the World” from the Dead’s Winterland “retirement” shows (’74); a volcanic “Playing in the Band” (’88); an unfinished studio version of “Believe It or Not” (’89) and a joyous “Scarlet” > “Fire” from ’90. Disc five contains powerful and intimate rehearsal versions of several of the Dead’s later unrecorded tunes, including “Days Between,” “Eternity” and “Lazy River Road,” plus a song the band never played live—the old Irish folk tune “Whiskey in the Jar,” charmingly rendered by Garcia. There’s plenty here for every taste. You might not love it all, but much of it is first-rate, and it tells quite a musical story. Also, it comes packaged with a book containing a number of fine essays about the Dead, as well as many previously unpublished photos of the band.

  SOLO ALBUMS, SPLINTER GROUPS AND OFFSHOOTS

  Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions (1964 performance, released 1999, GDR)

  During its brief existence, the jug band’s membership was fluid, though the core of Garcia, Weir, Pigpen, and Dave Parker was a constant; here, they’re joined by Tom Stone and Mike Garbett. The repertoire is largely lifted from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band (the reigning juggers of the day) with a few additions—a couple of Pigpen-sung numbers and two tunes from the Bay Area’s eclectic folk-bluesman Jesse Fuller, “The Monkey and the Engineer” and “Beat It on Down the Line,” both of which were later played by the Dead. Garcia is the clear leader of the group, though lead vocals get passed around liberally. It’s interesting to note that Tom Stone, rather than Weir, sings “Beat It on Down the Line.” There’s little instrumental virtuosity on display here; quite a change from Garcia’s forays into bluegrass. Still, it’s a rollicking good time from beginning to end. And the disc closes with a wonderful backstage interview with the band that shows how little Garcia’s and Weir’s personalities changed through the years. A must for GD history buffs and fans of fun music.

  Garcia (1971, WB) 1⁄2

  Garcia plays all the instruments except drums (Billy K.) on this maiden solo effort. It contains superb early versions of “Bird Song,” “Sugaree,” “Deal,” “The Wheel,” “Loser,” and “To Lay Me Down,” plus several minutes of cool sonic collages/ weirdness. A classic.

  New Riders of the Purple Sage (1971, Columbia)

  The only New Riders album recorded when Garcia was in the group is mostly a showcase for the songs and singing of John Dawson (aka Marmaduke), but Garcia’s pedal steel is the dominant instrumental coloring. Whether he was a classically great steel player or not, Garcia definitely had his own sound on the instrument, and this record shows his versatility. “Dirty Business,” with Jerry on fuzzed steel, is worth the price of the CD, but there are several other outstanding songs, too, including “Henry” and “Last Lonely Eagle.”

  Side Trips, Vol. 1: Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia Live (1970 performance, released 1998, GDR)

  What a nice out-of-the-blue surprise this was when it was released in 1998—a previously unknown performance by the all-instrumental quartet of Garcia, jazz keyboardist Howard Wales, bassist John Kahn, and drummer Bill Vitt. There’s no documentation about when or where the performance was, but we can presume that this is the sort of music the foursome made week after week at the Matrix club in San Francisco during much of 1970—when Garcia wasn’t on tour. (The following year, Wales dropped out and Merl Saunders came into the group.) It’s easy to understand why Garcia enjoyed playing in this unit. Wales’s compositions, such as they were, were open-ended enough to allow for almost endless improvisation, and the keyboardist was an inventive player himself with serious jazz and rock chops. The shortest of the four tunes on this CD is a little over nine minutes, the longest is twenty-four-and-a-half, so there’s oodles of noodling—much of it purposeful and inspired, some of it clearly just messing around in hopes of stumbling onto some thread or idea. Like all the Wales-Garcia music that’s surfaced, a lot of this is pretty dense stuff, but there are moments of tremendous inspiration and clarity that show the magic of this short-lived but important collaboration. And it sounds great.

  Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia: Hooteroll? (1971, Douglas, CD: Ryko)

  This all-instrumental album is more Wales’s show than Garcia’s, though Jerry plays tasteful leads throughout. Each piece captures a different mood, ranging from quiet spaces that recall Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, to percolating funk. I would have liked to hear these players stretch out more. John Kahn and Bill Vitt played bass and drums respectively, marking their first appearances on record with Garcia. It was also the first time Garcia played with Martin Fierro.

  Saunders/Garcia/Kahn/Vitt: Live at Keystone Vol. 1 (1973 performances, Fantasy)

  Most of what’s on this disc and Vol. 2 were part of a double-album released in 1973. In 1988, Fantasy Records split the album in half, added an unreleased track from the same shows at the Keystone Berkeley to each, and also put together a third disc called Keystone Encores. Unfortunately the three are sold separately, rather than as a box. Vol. 1 contains several gems, most notably an extended jam called “Merl’s Tune,” a rousing take on Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come,” an
d Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street,” which is augmented by David Grisman on mandolin.

  Saunders/Garcia/Kahn/Vitt: Live at Keystone Vol. 2 (1973 performances, Fantasy) 1⁄2

  My favorite of the three Keystone CDs, this one shows the Saunders-Garcia band at its best, with a pair of rockabilly numbers —“That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train”—a long, leisurely and very spacy romp through the standard “My Funny Valentine,” the funky “Someday Baby,” and, best of all, “Like A Road,” which is dripping with feeling.

  Keystone Encores (1973 Performances, released 1988, Fantasy) 1⁄2

  This one doesn’t hang together as well as the other two discs, but there’s still plenty of good jamming here. I particularly like the confident versions of two Motown classics, “I Second That Emotion” and “How Sweet It Is,” and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s bluesy “One Kind Favor.” Today, many bands tip their hats to Motown, but in the early and mid-’70s relatively few groups did, or did it as imaginatively as Saunders and Garcia.

  Old & in the Way (1973 performance, released on LP in 1975, CD in 1986, Ryko) 1⁄2

  The original live album from this brilliant, short-lived bluegrass group. Peter Rowan handles most of the lead vocals and he wrote three of the best songs—“Midnight Moonlight,” “Panama Red” and “Land of the Navajo.” Garcia plays perky banjo and adds to the vocal harmonies throughout, but Vassar Clements is the group’s strongest soloist. Their version of the Stones’ “Wild Horses” alone makes it worth owning. Great fun.

  Old & in the Way: That High Lonesome Sound (1973 performance, released 1996, Acoustic Disc) 1⁄2

  Another forty-eight minutes of first-rate music from the same October ’73 shows that yielded the group’s first disc. (There are no repeats between the two.) This one leans more toward classic bluegrass repertoire, but also contains a pair of strong Rowan tunes, as well as a version of “Catfish John” (which soon after became part of Garcia’s electric songbook) and an inspired reworking of the ’50s rock ‘n’ roll song “The Great Pretender.”

  Old & in the Way: Breakdown (1973 performance, released 1997, Acoustic Disc) 1⁄2

  With nearly seventy minutes of music, this disc may be the best buy of the group’s three live albums. It features alternate versions of six cuts from the first album, but the rest are previously unreleased tunes, including more numbers from Bill Monroe and other bluegrass greats, and a pair of Garcia-penned instrumentals, “Old & in the Way Breakdown” and “Jerry’s Breakdown.” This set and That High Lonesome Sound contain informative liner notes about the band and the songs, as well as rare photos.

  Compliments (1974, Round/GDR) 1⁄2

  Garcia’s second solo album finds him singing a wide variety of R&B-flavored tunes backed up by L.A. session players and a few Bay Area friends. Some of John Kahn’s arrangements are interesting, but Garcia rarely cuts loose on guitar, and his vocal style isn’t really suited to a few of the songs. A curiosity with some highpoints (I’ve always loved Peter Rowan’s “Mississippi Moon”), but hardly essential listening.

  Reflections (1976, Round/GDR) 1⁄2

  I play this album more than any Grateful Dead studio albums. Half of the disc is Garcia fronting the Dead; the other half is dominated by players from his mid-’70s solo group, with Nicky Hopkins shining on piano. “Comes a Time” and “Might As Well” are the strongest of the Dead tunes, but my favorite cuts are with the solo band—“Mission in the Rain” and Allen Toussaint’s beautiful “I’ll Take a Melody.”

  Jerry Garcia Band: Cats Under the Stars (1978, Arista) 1⁄2

  Several strong Hunter-Garcia originals debuted here, including “Reuben and Cherise,” the title track and “Gomorrah.” “Palm Sunday” is a little jewel, and Donna Godchaux’s “Rain” builds powerfully. This was Garcia’s favorite solo record. It’s a tad laid-back, but it has an agreeable and cohesive feel and it’s worn well.

  Run for the Roses (1983, Arista) 1⁄2

  An uneven selection of tunes performed without much passion. The title cut, “Valerie” and “Midnight Getaway” are all well-written songs, but there’s something slightly bloodless about the performances. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is a snooze, and the reggae-ized “I Saw Her Standing There” is just a bad idea.

  Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band: Almost Acoustic (1987 performances, released 1988, GDR)

  A bounty of acoustic folk, blues and old-timey tunes served up engagingly by Garcia, Sandy Rothman, David Nelson, John Kahn, Kenny Koseks and David Kemper. From Mississippi John Hurt songs to numbers popularized by the Blue Sky Boys and Elizabeth Cotten, there’s plenty of variety on this disc. Highlights include Jimmie Rodgers’s “Blue Yodel #9,” a harmony-filled take of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Oh, the Wind and Rain,” and a sweet version of “Ripple” to close. I’d love to hear a Vol. 2 with all the songs the group performed that didn’t make it onto this disc.

  Jerry Garcia/David Grisman (1992, Acoustic Disc)

  An eclectic acoustic masterpiece. It’s all over the map stylistically, with timeless folk ballads alongside tunes written by Hoagy Carmichael, Grisman, Hunter/ Garcia, and others, but it sounds remarkably unified. “Grateful Dawg” is a playful instrumental romp written by Garcia and Grisman, and Grisman’s moody and mysterious seventeen-minute “Arabia” is a stirring blend of Spanish and Middle Eastern textures. The rhythm section of Jim Kerwin (bass) and Joe Craven (percussion) adds immeasurably to the music. You’ve never heard “The Thrill Is Gone” played like this! Not to be missed.

  Jerry Garcia Band (1990 performances, released 1992, Arista) 1⁄2

  This live two-CD set brilliantly captures the latter day JGB and shows how they effortlessly moved from ballads to rockers to reggae to gospel to R&B rave-ups. With tunes by Dylan, The Band, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Smokey Robinson and others, the discs cover wide terrain, and Garcia gives his all on every track. I especially like “Dear Prudence,” “Waiting for a Miracle,” “Don’t Let Go” and “Tangled Up in Blue”; but it’s all great.

  Jerry Garcia Band: How Sweet It Is (1990 performances, released 1997, GDR) 1⁄2

  Though this single CD consists of performances that were passed over when the earlier JGB live album was made, it’s definitely on a par with that set. Besides the title track, it contains sterling versions of Dylan’s “Tough Mama,” “Cats Under the Stars,” Hank Ballard’s “Tore Up Over You,” the R&B chestnut “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” and, most affecting of all, “Like a Road.”

  Garcia/Grisman: Not For Kids Only (1994, Acoustic Disc) 1⁄2

  The spotlight here is on charming old folk tunes performed with children in mind. Garcia’s singing is warm, friendly, and at times wit-filled—I can picture him pickin’ these tunes on a porch in rural Virginia. Grisman effectively joins in on harmony vocals on a number of tracks, and his arrangements are imaginative throughout. “Jenny Jenkins,” “There Ain’t No Bugs on Me,” “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and “Hot Corn, Cold Corn” are delightful, and the disc-ending “Shenandoah Lullaby” is lovely and serene. I should note that my young children loved this CD; yours will, too.

  Garcia/Grisman: Shady Grove (1990–93 performances, released 1996, Acoustic Disc)1⁄2

  Taken from some of the forty sessions Garcia and Gisman recorded, this posthumous release collects fourteen folk cuts, including “Stealin’” (a tune both Mother McCree’s and the Dead also played), the affecting murder ballads “Louis Collins” and “Wind and Rain,” “Jackaroo” (the same song as “Jack-A-Roe”), and the catchy, spry “Whiskey In the Jar.” The duo are joined by various other players on several tracks, but even so it has a spare, bare-bones feel to it. The inclusion of some studio dialogue is a nice touch. Garcia’s vocals on a few tracks are a little rough and weary-sounding; otherwise it would earn a five-star rating. An attractive and informative booklet helps makes this a very appealing package.

  Garcia/Grisman: So What (1990–92 performances, released 1998, Acoustic Disc)

  Three years after
Garcia’s death, Grisman released this CD of their acoustic group (including Mssrs. Kerwin and Craven) excursions into the jazz world. The CD includes three studio takes of Miles Davis’s immortal “So What” (one each from 1990, ’91, and ’92) and all three are cool little cookers with different personalities. The tempos differ and the interior solos vary considerably, as befits a pair of musicians who never really “learned” the piece beyond the head and the basic structure, and didn’t play it enough to get in any ruts with it. I’m not always a fan of alternate takes on a CD, but these are all keepers. Likewise, Miles Davis’s “Milestones” and Milt Jackson’s “Bag’s Groove” (which was also in Miles’s repertoire for a while) are presented in two versions each; all are swinging. There’s just one take of Grisman’s “16/16,” but the group nails it. This is easy listening in the best sense of the term—it’s a light-hearted, groovelicious romp.

  Garcia/Grisman/Tony Rice: The Pizza Tapes (1993 performances, released 2000, Acoustic Disc)

  Six seconds into the first song, Garcia stops, laughs, and and says, “I done fucked it up already!” But then he, Grisman and guitar great Tony Rice ease into a chilling version of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” That’s the pattern throughout this fine seventy-four-minute trio CD—there’s great jocularity between songs, but when it gets down to pickin’ it’s serious business! Rice and Garcia mesh beautifully throughout; Rice’s silvery lines contrasting nicely with Garcia’s more rough-hewn approach. There’s wonderful improvisation on an instrumental “Summertime” (with just Rice and Garcia) and before “Shady Grove,” and their frolic through “So What” is a joy. “Amazing Grace” is surprisingly moving, even with Garcia’s creaky vocals. Some harmony vocals would have lifted the set even higher, but this is raw and unadorned—a fascinating glimpse at three master musicians at work . . . and play.