Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Jerry Garcia |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Products | Live recordings |
The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band (JGAB) was established by Jerry Garcia, known for his work with the Grateful Dead. The group was active during 1987 and 1988, delivering numerous live performances and issuing two live recordings.
Band members
- Jerry Garcia – vocals, guitar
- David Nelson – vocals, guitar
- Sandy Rothman – mandolin, dobro, banjo, vocals
- John Kahn – bass guitar
- Kenny Kosek – fiddle
- David Kemper – drums
History
Before forming the JGAB, Garcia and Rothman had played together in the bluegrass ensemble The Black Mountain Boys. The band's first appearance took place at The Fillmore on March 18, 1987, as part of a benefit event supporting Artist Rights Today.
After a two-week engagement on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, the band appeared at prominent locations such as San Francisco’s The Warfield, Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre, the Electric on the Eel festival, and charity events like Creating a Better Future in Marin County. Their performances also included more intimate settings such as the Cotati Cabaret in Sonoma County and the Frost Amphitheater at Stanford University.
- Almost Acoustic – released in 1988
- Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, October 31, 1987 – a four-CD set featuring two discs by the Jerry Garcia Band and two by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band – issued in 2004
- Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, The Best of the Rest, October 15–30, 1987 – includes two CDs by the Jerry Garcia Band and one CD by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band – released in 2004
- Ragged but Right – came out in 2010
- On Broadway: Act One – October 28th, 1987 – comprises two CDs from the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and one CD from the Jerry Garcia Band – issued in 2015
- Electric on the Eel – a six-CD collection featuring the Jerry Garcia Band with an additional bonus disc by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band – released in 2019
Selection of songs performed
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot
- Diamond Joe
- I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
- Deep Elem Blues
- I'm Troubled
- Oh, The Wind and Rain
- Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie
- Ripple
- I've Been All Around This World
- The Girl At The Crossroads Bar
- The Ballad of Casey Jones (composed by Mississippi John Hurt, not to be confused with the Grateful Dead’s "Casey Jones")
- Gone Home
- Blue Yodel
- Spike Driver Blues
- Trouble In Mind
- I Ain't Never
- Short Life Of Trouble
- Ragged But Right
- 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
- Turtle Dove
- Ashes Of Love
- Poison Love
- Friend Of The Devil
- Little Sadie