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The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
Almost Acoustic

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The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
Ragged But Right

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Something Old, Something New from the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band

The much-loved Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band had a relatively brief life—fewer than 30 shows from the summer of ’87 to the summer of ’88—but in that time they made an indelible impression on every person who encountered their warm and inviting blend of folk, old-time country, blues and bluegrass music. The roots of the group went back to the early ’60s, when Garcia, David Nelson and Sandy Rothman were all part of the Bay Area folk scene; indeed, the three of them played together in a group called the Black Mountain Boys in 1964. When Garcia slipped into a coma and nearly died in 1986, Nelson and Rothman were among the old friends who helped Jerry get his chops back in the weeks following his release from the hospital. They reconnected on many levels—including musically—and that led to the decision in 1987 to put together a small group (they added John Kahn on standup bass) and play some gigs. Beginning in mid-October ’87 the newly dubbed Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band played 18 shows at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, sharing the bill with the (electric) Jerry Garcia Band. David Kemper from the JGB added some percussion to the mix, and a few shows into the Broadway run, fiddler Kenny Kosek was added to the line-up. A month after the Broadway triumph, the full JGAB played three shows each at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco and the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

It was a selection of highlights from those California shows, chosen by Sandy Rothman and approved by Garcia, that became the JGAB’s acclaimed album, Almost Acoustic, which was released in 1988, but has long been out of print… that is, until NOW! That’s right, by popular demand, a newly re-mastered version of the JGAB’s classic album is available once again! As most of you know, the album offers an exceptional mixture of tunes popularized by the likes of Jimmie Rodgers, the Stanley Brothers, Tex Logan, the Blue Sky Boys, Mississippi John Hurt and others. Among the many faves: “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Deep Elem Blues,” “Oh, the Wind and Rain,” “Spike Driver Blues,” “Gone Home,” “Standin’ on the Corner (Blue Yodel #9),” “I’m Troubled,” “Ripple,” and six others.

That’s great news, of course, but are you aware of the fact that many years ago, with Garcia’s blessing, Sandy Rothman assembled a second disc of 14 other tunes plucked from the group’s Broadway run and subsequent shows at the Wiltern? Why it never came out is mysterious, but now, with some additional recent tweaking by Sandy, comes Ragged But Right a warm and wonderful companion disc that will slide comfortably in your CD rack next to Almost Acoustic. Songs include: “Ragged But Right,” “Short Life of Trouble,” “I Ain’t Never,” “Trouble in Mind,” “Drifting With the Tide,” “Rosa Lee McFall,” “Two Soldiers,” “If I Lose,” “Bright Morning Star,” “Goodnight Irene,” “It’s A Long, Long Way to the Top of the World,” “Drifting Too Far From the Shore” and “Turtle Dove.” The harmonies soar, the playing is impeccable—man, that was a good band!

These two fine Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band releases — Almost Acoustic and Ragged But Right - can be purchased individually or together in an exclusive Dead.net bundle - JGAB: Complete Repertoire - that includes a fascinating 3,000 word historical essay about Garcia’s love of string band music and the JGAB written by Steve Silberman. For more information, you know the drill: click here!