Features

Reflections: Jerry Garcia’s Life and Legacy (Umphrey’s McGee, The Decemberists, The Meters, Megafaun…)

BRAD COOK (MEGAFAUN)

Jerry and Dead are inherently part of our DNA. They made it possible to define a band by public growth and exploration as much as refinement. We learned a lot from his humility as much as his virtuosity. Long live Jerry and the example he set.

SAM COHEN (YELLOWBIRDS)

I was 13 or 14 when I first discovered the Dead. I used to ride my bike to this pawn shop in Houston that always had a few guitars, and they had some used cassette tapes. I bought The Grateful Dead and Anthem of the Sun because I liked the covers, and I became totally obsessed with both albums. I ripped off “Beat It on Down the Line” for a song about my school janitor and spent days (well, really years, I guess) trying to match the sound of Jerry Garcia’s guitar on “Alligator” (not totally realizing how much the kazoo had to do with that sound). I’m still trying to make that sound at the beginning of “Golden Road” which ranks up there with “Sweet Jane” among the most wonderful and elusive intros. His sensitivity, honesty, melodies, phrasing, touch, and tones are still an immense education for me, but he was so much more than a musician. He was a national treasure.

REID GENAUER (ASSEMBLY OF DUST/STRANGEFOLK)

Jerry Garcia’s music was and is beautiful and badass at the same time. I have tried to model my own songwriting, performing and recording to capture some of that delicate mix of bone chilling lyricism, emotional transparency and tasteful musicianship. First and foremost those are not easy qualities to replicate and more to the point to do so in a way that feels fresh and not just like Jerry lite. There is only one Jerry Garcia but his influence is expressed implicitly and explicitly a thousand times over by a whole lot of us.

Authenticity: The thing that has always captured me most about Garcia is the earnest and honest nature of his music. I have other favored musicians and while some of them outshine Garcia in execution technical proficiency, in production value, charisma, intonation, etc – none hold up against the measure of authenticity. Maybe Bob Marley?

Songwriting and Delivery: He and Robert Hunter wrote some of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written. Garcia’s delivery was musical, soulful and elegant. Jerry appreciated song structure, lyricism as well as ass kicking guitar solos and rambling exploration. He had eclectic taste that he wove into a cohesive thread in his music. It’s hard to do and not have it feel like Frankenstein.

Emotional Range: Listening to Garcia works for me at any time of day in any emotional state and has for 25 years. I think it’s because he spoke to such a broad range of emotions from elation to desperation. He delivered his music in a way that was unveiled and in so doing made the listener feel less alone in the arc of his/her own life. Powerful stuff for us mere mortals.

PS I liked the fact that he was so unkempt and yet so beloved.