Jerry Garcia Band

Jerry Garcia Band
Origin	San Francisco, California, USA
Genres	Rock
Years active	1975–1995
Labels	Arista, Grateful Dead
Associated acts	Grateful Dead Legion of Mary Reconstruction Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band JGB
Website	www.dead.net
Past members
Jerry Garcia John Kahn Ron Tutt Nicky Hopkins James Booker Keith Godchaux Donna Godchaux Maria Muldaur Buzz Buchanan Ozzie Allers Johnny de Foncesca Greg Errico Melvin Seals Jimmy Warren Daoud Shaw Essra Mohawk Liz Stires Bill Kreutzmann Jaclyn LaBranch DeeDee Dickerson David Kemper Gloria Jones Gaylord Birch Donny Baldwin

The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995. The band toured and recorded sporadically throughout its twenty-year existence, generally, but not always during breaks in the Grateful Dead's schedule.^[1][2]

History

Over the years, the lineup of the Jerry Garcia Band changed a number of times. The one constant member besides Garcia himself was bassist John Kahn. Melvin Seals had the next longest tenure, serving as keyboardist from 1980 onward. Seals became band leader following Garcia's death and changed the band's name to JGB.

Jerry Garcia's musical interests were famously varied, and this was reflected in the diverse music played by his band. Like the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band played rock music that was influenced by blues, folk, country, and jazz. The band also played rhythm and blues and reggae songs, and rock versions of American roots music. Jerry Garcia notably covered many songs by Bob Dylan with the Jerry Garcia Band. Like the Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band emphasized musical improvisation, and helped create what is now known as jam band music.

During Garcia's lifetime, the Jerry Garcia Band released one studio album, Cats Under the Stars, and one live album, Jerry Garcia Band. Several more live albums were released posthumously.

Discography

Albums

• Cats Under the Stars – 1978
• Jerry Garcia Band – 1991
• How Sweet It Is – 1997
• Don't Let Go – 2001
• Shining Star – 2001
• After Midnight: Kean College, 2/28/80 – 2004
• Let It Rock: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 2 – 2009

Pure Jerry releases by the Jerry Garcia Band

• Theatre 1839, July 29 & 30, 1977 – 2004
• Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, October 31, 1987 – 2004
• Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, The Best of the Rest, October 15–30, 1987 – 2004
• Merriweather Post Pavilion, September 1 & 2, 1989 – 2005
• Warner Theatre, March 18, 1978 – 2005
• Coliseum, Hampton, VA, November 9, 1991 (with Bruce Hornsby) – 2006
• Bay Area, 1978 – 2009

Personnel

Following are the lineups for the Jerry Garcia Band's live performances.^[3][4]

August 5, 1975 – December 31, 1975	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Nicky Hopkins – piano, vocals Ron Tutt – drums
January 9, 1976 – January 10, 1976	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass James Booker – piano, vocals Ron Tutt – drums
January 26, 1976 – August 12, 1977	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Keith Godchaux – piano Donna Godchaux – vocals Ron Tutt – drums
November 15, 1977 – November 3, 1978	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Keith Godchaux – piano Donna Godchaux – vocals Maria Muldaur – vocals Buzz Buchanan – drums
October 7, 1979 – March 27, 1980	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Ozzie Allers – keyboards, vocals Johnny de Foncesca – drums
July 18, 1980 – November 16, 1980	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Ozzie Ahlers – keyboards, vocals Greg Errico – drums
December 20, 1980 – June 1, 1981	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Jimmy Warren – electric piano, clavinet Daoud Shaw – drums
June 25, 1981 – November 19, 1981	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Jimmy Warren – electric piano, clavinet Daoud Shaw – drums Essra Mohawk – vocals Liz Stires – vocals
December 17, 1981 – September 7, 1982	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Jimmy Warren – electric piano, clavinet Bill Kreutzmann – drums Essra Mohawk – vocals Liz Stires – vocals
October 13, 1982 – October 24, 1982	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Greg Errico – drums
October 28, 1982 – June 5, 1983	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Greg Errico – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals DeeDee Dickerson – vocals
July 20, 1983 – August 28, 1984	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ David Kemper – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals DeeDee Dickerson – vocals
September 15, 1984 – September 28, 1985	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ David Kemper – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals Gloria Jones – vocals
October 7, 1985 – February 2, 1986	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Gaylord Birch – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals Gloria Jones – vocals
February 21, 1986 – November 19, 1993	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ David Kemper – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals Gloria Jones – vocals
April 4, 1994 – April 23, 1995	Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals John Kahn – bass Melvin Seals – organ Donny Baldwin – drums Jaclyn LaBranch – vocals Gloria Jones – vocals

References

1. ^ Jackson, Blair (1999). Garcia: An American Life. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0140291997. http://books.google.com/books?id=JouSOka9hFEC&pg=PA269&dq=%22jerry+garcia+band%27. 
2. ^ Trager, Oliver (1997). The American Book of the Dead: The Definitive Grateful Dead Encyclopedia. Fireside. ISBN 0684814021. http://books.google.com/books?id=TbRsHp57CqwC&pg=RA2-PT78&dq=%22jerry+garcia+band%27. 
3. ^ DeadBase XI: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists, by John W. Scott, Mike Dolgushkin, and Stu Nixon, 1999, DeadBase, ISBN 1-877657-22-0
4. ^ The Jerry Site - Band Members

External links

Grateful Dead portal

• Jerry Garcia official website
• Grateful Dead official website
• JGB official website