Saturday, August 1, 2015

Battle of the Bands: Jerry Garcia style with Doc Watson, Taj Mahal

Grateful Dead - Jerry Garcia.jpg

Today is Jerry Garcia's birthday and it is also time for the Battle of the Bands. I'm in the mood to combine things a bit.



Hopefully this is the updated list of participants. I snagged it from STMcC Presents 'Battle of the Bands': 

@ ‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'BOOK LOVER' by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THIS BELLE ROCKS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME' by clicking HERE.
@ 'J.A. SCOTT' by clicking HERE.
@ 'NOVELBREWS' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'QUIET LAUGHTER' by clicking HERE. 


Jerry Garcia is best known for his work with the Grateful Dead and his work with his own band The Jerry Garcia Band. However, Jerry also was into folk music and was a fan of bluegrass music. So my selection today is the title track of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman's album "Shady Grove."


It is a beautiful album and if you enjoy this type of music I highly recommend the album.

Now for the competition..


Contestant Number One

Doc Watson




Contestant Number Two

Taj Mahal




A bluegrass legend in Doc Watson battling it out against a blues legend, known for his love of world music and fusion of musical sounds. The song a beautiful traditional piece dating back to the 1800's maybe longer. I think Jerry would enjoy this battle and I hope you enjoy it as well! Please vote in the comments. I look forward to who you favor in this battle.




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12 comments:

  1. farawayeyesAugust 1, 2015 at 9:20 PM

    Interesting choices. I like Garcia and Grisman best, but they're not in the running. Give my vote to Taj, I like his sound better.

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  2. MikeAugust 1, 2015 at 9:29 PM

    Farawayeyes I agree about the interesting choices. I will certainly have fun with the winner post regardless who wins. Taj does have a great sound!

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  3. Arlee BirdAugust 2, 2015 at 4:54 AM

    I most familiar with Quicksilver's rock version of this song--I like their version quite well.

    In this match, though I thought the Taj Mahal version was a bit long and drawn out for BOTB purposes, I did prefer the unique twist he gave the song.

    Another vote for Taj Mahal.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  4. Shady Del KnightAugust 2, 2015 at 7:27 AM

    Hi, Mike! Now I understand why you waited a day to post your BOTB. I am not a huge fan of folk or bluegrass but I enjoyed all three versions of "Shady Dell"... uh...I mean "Shady Grove." Doc Watson's roots are showing as he performs the tune/song in a more traditional style. I prefer the version by blues man Taj Mahal because there is more energy and ad libbing in his playing and more soul in his vocals.

    Thanks, Mike!

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  5. RobinAugust 2, 2015 at 12:32 PM

    I hate that I'm not helping break the pattern here, but Taj Mahal gets my vote.

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  6. Stephen T. McCarthyAugust 2, 2015 at 4:41 PM

    Well, Doc Watson's recording was repetitious to the point of monotony, so I'll vote TAJ MAHAL, too.

    ~ D-FensDogG

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  7. Debbie D. August 3, 2015 at 6:13 AM

    Interesting battle, particularly since I'm not familiar with the song at all. :)
    Bluegrass isn't really my taste, in general. Doc Watson makes it sound like an Irish jig and I liked it better than Taj Mahal's version. Looks like I'm the only one voting for Doc, so far.

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  8. BirgitAugust 3, 2015 at 8:41 AM

    I enjoyed Doc Watson's version so much. It seemed to appeal to me more even though Taj Mahal was quite involved but maybe that is why I prefer the first one better.

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  9. Jeffrey ScottAugust 3, 2015 at 9:13 AM

    I didn't particularly like Doc's sings so much, but I loved how he played the song. Give my vote for Doc Watson

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  10. Michele at Angels Bark August 3, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    Doc Watson gets my vote. I liked his version much better. Shady Grove is the name of a restaurant and fabulous outdoor music venue here in Austin. I wonder if they took their name from Garcia's album?? Good battle.
    Michele at Angels Bark

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  11. Janie JunebugAugust 3, 2015 at 7:30 PM

    I vote for Doc Watson. I simply like him better. I also have personal reasons for disliking Taj Mahal that are totally unfair to him, but it's something that's stuck in my mind.

    Love,
    Janie

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  12. Guilie CastilloAugust 6, 2015 at 2:57 PM

    Interesting battle, Mike! I'd never heard any of these (not even the original... yikes), and enjoyed them tremendously. I do have issues for justifying my vote; I simply don't know why I like Taj Mahal's version better. But I do. Looks like I'm in the minority, though :D

    Cool battle!
    Guilie @ Quiet Laughter

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