Jerry Garcia & the Grateful Dead

Jerry Garcia

Source: Awaken

The Grateful Dead

Source: 21 Hours a Day

Born in San Francisco on 1 August 1942, guitar, banjo and mandarin player, Jerry Garcia, had been inspired by bluegrass music since a youth. Though associated with acid rock, Garcia was essentially a bluegrass musician who also rocked, and the Grateful Dead was a folk band that also rocked, one among the New Folk delineated from the Old upon Bob Dylan going electric in 1965, about the time that folk began to merge with pop and rock. Garcia switched from art to pursue music professionally upon meeting future Grateful Dead lyricist, John Hunter. Though a nonperforming member of the Grateful Dead, Hunter and Garcia first recorded together as Bob & Jerry on 26 May 1961 in Menlo Park, California, Garcia on guitar with both at vocals. Those were numerous traditional folk songs beginning with 'Santy Anno' and 'I Got a Home In That Rock' performed on the sixteenth birthday of one Brigid Meier. Hunter and Garcia followed that as a trio in July of 1961 with the addition of Marshall Leicester at banjo at the Boar's Head Coffeehouse in the Carlos Book Stall in San Carlos, California. Hunter assumed the bass on those. Garcia and Hunter held one more recording session that year on an unknown date with an unknown musician, again at the Boar's Head.

'All My Trials'  Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia as Bob & Jerry

Recorded 26 May 1961 in Menlo Park CA and Jerry Garcia as Bob & Jerry

Composition: traditional

In 1962 Marshall Leicester and Garcia formed the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers with Dick Arnold at fiddle, that trio recording a performance at the Boar's Head on 11 June. In autumn of 1962 future bass player for the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, recorded Garcia at a gathering in Palo Alto, which tape consisting of 'Matty Groves' and 'Long Black Veil' found its way to KZSU Radio at Stanford University, affecting Garcia's debut on the airwaves. Garcia then joined Hunter in putting together a band called the Hart Valley Drifters which put down numerous titles that autumn during Garcia's first studio session which was held in Studio A of KZSU. Those saw release in 2016 on the CD titled 'Folk Time' on ATO Records JGFRR1011.

'Roving Gambler'  Jerry Garcia w the Hart Valley Drifters

Recorded fall of 1962 at KZNU Radio, Stanfrod University, Stanford CA

Composition: traditional

'Think of What You've Done'  Jerry Garcia w the Hart Valley Drifters

Recorded fall of 1962 at KZNU Radio, Stanfrod University, Stanford CA

Composition: Carter Stanley

'Sitting On Top of the World  Jerry Garcia w the Hart Valley Drifters

Recorded fall of 1962 at KZNU Radio, Stanfrod University, Stanford CA

Composition: Walter Vinson / Lonnie Carter

'Man of Constant Sorrow'  Jerry Garcia   A capella

Recorded 10 Nov 1962 at College of San Mateo Folk Festival, San Mateo CA

Composition: traditional

It was 23 February when Hunter and Garcia put together the Wildwood Boys. Garcia now at banjo and Hunter on mandolin, they were joined by David Nelson on guitar and Norm Van Maastricht at bass for such as 'Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms' and 'Jerry's Breakdown'. Having married his first of three wives in 1963, Garcia recorded several duets on 4 May with his partner, Sara Ruppenthal Garcia, he at banjo, she at guitar. He and Hunter then put together the Black Mountain Boys with David Nelson at mandolin and Eric Thompson at guitar (Hunter back on bass) which put down titles in the fall of 1963 and 10 January of 1964. Personnel shifted about for future sessions on 8 March and in spring.

Jerry Garcia & the Wildwood Boys

Recorded 23 Feb 1963 at the Top of The Tangent in Palo Alto CA

'Rosa Lee McFall' Jerry Garcia & the Black Mountain Boys

Recorded 10 Jan 1964 at the Top of The Tangent in Palo Alto CA

Composition: Charlie Monroe

Come the Asphalt Jungle Boys in summer of 1964 with Thompson again at guitar and Jody Stecher at mandolin. Later that year Garcia formed the Warlocks with Ron "Pigpen" McKernan at keyboards and harmonica, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar, Dana Morgan Jr. on bass and Bill Kreutzmann at drums. The Warlocks recorded several demo titles as Emergency Crew on 3 November 1965 in San Francisco:

'Early Morning Rain' Jerry Garcia w the Warlocks as Emergency Crew

Recorded 3 Nov 1965 at Golden Gate Recorders in San Francisco

Composition: Gordon Lightfoot

'I Know You Rider' Jerry Garcia w the Warlocks as Emergency Crew

Recorded 3 Nov 1965 at Golden Gate Recorders in San Francisco

Composition: traditional

'Mind Bender' ('Confusion's Prince')   Jerry Garcia w the Warlocks as Emergency Crew

Recorded 3 Nov 1965 at Golden Gate Recorders in San Francisco

Composition: Jerry Garcia / Phil Lesh

Come a major transition for Garcia when he and the Warlocks attended the first "acid test" of Ken Kesey on 27 November 1965 at a party in Soquel, California. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) was legal at the time in California, albeit not for long, getting criminalized on 24 October 1968 for recreational use. Until then, Kesey, author of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest' in 1962, was free to put his mind's integrity to trial with acid (LSD) throughout an itinerary of parties held in various locations in California in 1966 and 1967. He named them acid tests after the practice of testing for true gold per its resistance to corrosion. Though the Warlocks were just visiting at the first acid test, not performing, they emerged as the Grateful Dead with a jam at the second acid test on 4 December in San Jose. The Grateful Dead was essentially the Warlocks with Phil Lesh replacing Dana Morgan Jr..

Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Pico Acid Test (Test 14)

Recorded 19 March 1966 at Cathay Studios in Los Angeles

The Grateful Dead recorded its first vinyl on 29 May 1966 [Discogs] toward limited issue in June on Scorpio 201. Scorpio 201 was pulled before the intended release of 200 copies, so not many are around. If you happen to have one bearing 'Stealin' with 'Don't Ease Me In' it is currently valued at above $3,300. Garcia recorded 'Stealin' on multiple occasions. The original had gone down at Buena Vista Studios in San Francisco; the sample below was later recorded at The Matrix in San Francisco in November of 1966 following Kesey's numerous acid test events of 1966. Though Garcia is credited on the rare Scorpio 201 label with composing both titles, the Memphis Jug Band recorded the similar 'Stealin' Stealin'' on 15 September 1928 written by Gus Cannon.

'Stealin'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 29 Nov 1966 at The Matrix in San Francisco

Composition: Gus Cannon

'Betty and Dupree'  Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 1 Dec 1966 at The Matrix in San Francisco

Composition: Chuck Willis from Ma Rainey's 'See See Rider' of 1924

Jerry Garcia   Concert w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 1 Dec 1966 at The Matrix in San Francisco

'Morning Dew'  Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 14 Jan 1967 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Composition: Bonnie Dobson / Tim Rose

The naming of the Grateful Dead was perhaps a random occurrence. It is said that Garcia opened a dictionary to a page on which "grateful dead" was defined as "a dead person, or his angel, showing gratitude to someone who, as an act of charity, arranged their burial" [Wikipedia]. Howsoever thankful for this view of life, it had been January of 1967 when the Dead recorded its debut album, 'The Grateful Dead'. Their next album, 'Anthem of the Sun' was released in July of 1968 with Mickey Hart at drums and percussion (as well as Kreutzmann), and Tom Constanten at piano, prepared piano and electronic tape. In 1969 Garcia picked up the pedal steel guitar and formed the New Riders Of The Purple Sage (NRPS) with John Dawson and David Nelson.

Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Debut LP: 'The Grateful Dead'

Recorded 17 March 1967 in Los Angeles

'Smokestack Lightning'  Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 18 March 1967 at Winter Park in San Francisco

Composition: Howlin' Wolf

'New Potato Caboose'  Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 11 Nov 1967 at the Shrine Exhibition Hall in Los Angeles

Composition: Phil Lesh / Robert Petersen

'Silver Threads and Golden Needles'  Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded 26 April 1969 at the Electric Theater Chicago

Composition: Jack Rhodes / Dick Reynolds

Advancing through a couple more albums, it was 'Workingman's Dead', their fifth, gone down in February of 1970 that brought the Dead to solid national recognition, reinforced that year with 'Vintage Dead' and 'American Beauty'. In the thirty odd years that the Dead toured they drew an entourage of Dead Heads (fans) who made a gypsy lifestyle of traveling from one concert to the next. 'Truckin'' on 'American Beauty' is a classic in American New Folk which addresses the "homeless" way of life amidst the greater backdrop of a nation built on mobility with trains, highways, big trucks and fast cars. I say "homeless" because one didn't join a Dead caravan except on vacation if one had to work. In latter 1970 into 1971 the NRPS recorded 'NRPS' w Dave Tolbert at bass and Spencer Dryden on drums. In July of 1971 Garcia laid tracks to his first solo album, 'Garcia'.

Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Fifth LP: 'Workingman's Dead'

Recorded Feb 1970 in San Francisco

Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Seventh LP: 'American Beauty'

Recorded Aug-Sep 1970 in San Francisco

'Box of Rain'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Album: 'American Beauty'   1970

Album recorded Aug-Sep 1970 in San Francisco

Composition: Phil Lesh / Robert Hunter

'Ripple'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Album: 'American Beauty'   1970

Album recorded Aug-Sep 1970 in San Francisco

Composition: Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter

'Truckin''   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead   Album: 'American Beauty'   1970

Album recorded Aug-Sep 1970 in San Francisco

Composition: Jerry Garcia / Phil Lesh / Bob Weir / Robert Hunter

'Dirty Business'   Jerry Garcia w the New Riders of the Purple Sage

Album: 'NRPS' ('New Riders of the Purple Sage')   1971

Album recorded Dec 1970-Jan 1971 in San Francisco

Main personnel: Guitars: John Dawson & David Nelson

Peddle steel: Garcia   Bass: Dave Tolbert   Drums: Spencer Dryden

Composition (all): John Dawson

'Southside Strut'   Jerry Garcia w Howard Wales   Album: 'Hooteroll?'   1971

Composition: Howard Wales / Martin Fierro

Jerry Garcia   Solo album: 'Garcia'   Recorded July 1971   Issued 20 Jan 1972

Advancing through a couple more Dead albums, it was 'Europe '72' that Keith Godchaux first recorded with the Dead at piano, he soon to replace McKernan for whom 'Europe '72' was his last album contribution, as he died on March 8 of 1973 of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Among Garcia's most important associates beyond the Dead was upright bassist, John Kahn, with whom he formed the bluegrass outfit, Old And In the Way, in 1973 with Peter Rowan (guitar), Vassar Clements (fiddle) and David Grisman (mandolin). The first of several albums, 'Old And In The Way', went down on 8 October of 1973 toward release in 1975.

'Pig In a Pen'   Jerry Garcia w Old And In The Way   Opening track to 'Old And In The Way'

Recorded 8 Oct 1973 at the Boarding House in San Francisco

Composition: traditional

'Old And In The Way'   Jerry Garcia w Old And In The Way   Album: 'Old And In The Way'

Recorded 8 Oct 1973 at the Boarding House in San Francisco

Composition: David Grisman

Jerry Garcia w Old And In The Way

Recorded 4 Nov 1973 at Sonoma State College in Cotati CA

John Kahn made himself useful as a composer as well, writing titles for Garcia like 'Let It Rock' and 'Midnight Town' in 1974. Kahn was an original member of the Jerry Garcia Band in 1975 until the group's abandonment upon Garcia's death in 1995. They formed Reconstruction in 1979.

'Dear Prudence'   Jerry Garcia Band

Filmed live 31 Oct 1986 at the Henry Kaiser Auditorium in Oakland CA

Guitar: Garcia   Keyboards: Melvin Seals   Bass: John Kahn   Drums: David Kemper

Backing vocals: Jacklyn LaBranch / Gloria Jones

Composition: John Lennon

'Tangled Up In Blue'   Jerry Garcia Band

Filmed live 31 Oct 1986 at the Henry Kaiser Auditorium in Oakland CA

Guitar: Garcia   Keyboards: Melvin Seals   Bass: John Kahn   Drums: David Kemper

Backing vocals: Jacklyn LaBranch / Gloria Jones

Composition: Bob Dylan

Kahn also performed in the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band formed in 1987. The Grateful Dead Family Discography (deaddisc) has Garcia performing above 60 concerts as a duo with Kahn between 1982 and 1989. Kahn had worked a bit with the Grateful Dead as a concert sound engineer as well. As for the Grateful Dead, some of the band's stronger titles were in their latter years with such as 'Touch of Grey' ('87), 'Hell in a Bucket' ('87) and 'Foolish Heart' ('89). Sad to say, Dead keyboardist, Brent Mydland, died of a drug overdose on 26 July of 1990, replaced by Vince Welnick until 1995 when the Dead closed shop upon Garcia's death. Bruce Hornsby was recruited for keyboards in 1990 as well, as Welnick wasn't quite ready for primetime. Hornsby worked with the Dead into 1992.

'Dark Hollow'   Jerry Garcia w Joan Baez & Bob Weir

Filmed live 17 Dec 1987 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco

Composition: Bill Browning

'I Need a Miracle'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Filmed live 27 March 1988 in Hampton VA

Composition: Bob Weir / John Perry Barlow

'Not Fade Away'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Filmed live 17 July 1989 at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy WI

Composition: Buddy Holly / Norman Petty

'All Along the Watchtower'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Filmed live 30 Sep 1989 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View CA

Composition: Bob Dylan

'We Bid You Goodnight'   Jerry Garcia w the Grateful Dead

Recorded live 14 July 1990 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro MA

Composition: traditional

'Long Black Veil'   Jerry Garcia w David Grisman

Recorded live 8 May 1992 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco

Composition: Danny Dill / Marijohn Wilkin

'Amazing Grace'   Jerry Garcia w David Grisman & Tony Rice   Album: 'The Pizza Tapes'

Album recorded 4-5 Feb 1993 at Grisman's Dawg Studios in Mill Valley CA

Composition: John Newton  1779

'Peggy O'   Jerry Garcia w David Grisman & Tony Rice   Album: 'The Pizza Tapes'

Filmed live 26 June 1994 at Sam Boyd Stadium, University of Nevada, Las Vegas NV

Composition: traditional

Garcia is thought to have made his last recordings with guitarist Sanjay Mishra in 1995, prior to his death of heart attack on August 9 that year in Forest Knolls, California [obit]:

'Clouds'   Jerry Garcia w Sanjay Mishra   Album: 'Blue Incantation'

Album recorded mostly Dec 1994-May 1995   Issued 1995  CA

Guitars: Garcia & Mishray   Tabla: Samir Dhatterjee   Bass: George Thomas

Composition (all): Sanjay Mishra

Garcia was the major arranger and composer in his bands including the Grateful Dead, having written such as 'The Golden Road' in 1967. Per above, Robert Hunter was Garcia's lyricist with whom he collaborated on numerous titles like 'Uncle John's Band' ('69), 'To Lay Me Down' ('70), 'Deal' ('72), 'Loser' ('72) and 'Sugaree' ('72). Other of the Dead's original members contributed to compositions as well. Lesh collaborated with Garcia and Hunter on 'Cumberland Blues' ('70). McKernan wrote 'Operator' ('70). Weir collaborated with Hunter on 'Sugar Magnolia' ('70) and 'Playing in the Band' ('71). He wrote 'Throwing Stones' ('87) with John Barlow. Kreutzmann assisted Garcia and Hunter on 'Bird Song' ('72) and 'The Wheel' ('72). Barlow was a lyricist associated with the Dead through Bob Weir since high school in Fountain, Colorado.

A documentary is in production as this is written (2021) called 'Jerry Garcia, Artist' directed by Malcolm Leo and Dean Loring Gelfand.