R.I.P Tony Rice

 Tony Rice the great Bluegrass guitarist has passed away.  Eight years ago I was able to catch Tony Rice with Peter Rowan and the McCourys' my thoughts on the show are available here. 

Here performs "Church Street Blues"

"Blue Railroad Train"

A guitarist who played with Peter Rowan, Jerry Garcia,  David Grisman,  Ricky Skaggs,  Bela Fleck, and Jerry Douglas. Playing with the likes of those musicians it is no wonder he was inducted into  the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

"Guitar Space Summertime" jamming with Jerry Garcia

"The Soul of a Man Never Dies" with Ricky Skaggs

The legend will be missed!

75 Years of Jerry Garcia

Today is Jerry Garcia's birthday. It marks 75 years since he was born.  He passed away at 53 and something beautiful has been missing ever since.

I'm going to share songs from throughout his career. Music talks better.

If you want more, I suggest going t o the movies today. They are bringing a vintage concert to the big screen. You can catch Jerry and the Grateful Dead one more time. Information here.


Jerry Garcia with Merl Saunders "Road Runner"..

Yes he was a road runner touring solo and with the Grateful Dead.

A happy Jerry does his take on a Beatles classic..

Here is early Jerry Garcia from 1962 performing some bluegrass. Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers is the group "Run Mountain" the song..

Here is Jerry Garcia performing with The Grateful Dead at the last show..

The Dead unplugged..Jerry Garcia with Bob Weir and Phil Lesh..

I could go on. Of course I will. I hope you enjoyed and come back soon!

Battle of the Bands Winner: The New Riders of the Purple Sage

Before I get to the results. I have to say I am enjoying visiting the other Battle of the Bands participants battles lately. Some really cool artists have been highlighted.


The New Riders of the Purple Sage won my Battle of the Bands over "Panama Red" coasting to a 10-5 victory over Old and in the Way. The voting was close early.

Before I dive in to highlight more music from the winners. I thought I would respond to some comments since I didn't respond to them before.

Birgit asked if that was a banjo? In Old and in the Way. The answer is yes and it is played by Jerry Garcia who is mainly associated with the guitar.

Stephen T. McCarthy made me laugh with his comment: "I had no idea that you wear a Stetson and drink bottled water!" 

Back to the normally scheduled music..

The winners with "Gypsy Cowboy"...

"Glendale Train" with special guest Jerry Garcia..

I am going to wrap it up with "All I Really Wanted"..

There are the results! Thanks for voting and thanks for visiting! Stay tuned for a new Battle of the Bands battle coming September 1, 2015.

Battle of the Bands: Panama Red

The list of Battle of the Bands 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.
@ '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. 


Bluegrass legend and the songwriter of "Panama Red" with yours truly.. 




I was going to go jazz with a good guitar showdown but I through it out the window at the last minute. I decided to continue where I left off on my last Battle of the Band. The picture may indicate bluegrass. However, I think this selection more fits in psychedelic, country rock of the early 70's. I haven't heard the song in years so I am dusting it off for the Battle of the Bands.

Lyrics from nrpsmusic,com:

PANAMA RED

(PETER ROWAN)

CHORUS
PANAMA RED, PANAMA RED
HE'LL STEAL YOUR WOMAN, THEN HE'LL ROB YOUR HEAD
PANAMA RED, PANAMA RED

ON HIS WHITE HORSE, MESCALITO
HE COME BREEZIN' THROUGH TOWN
I'LL BET YOUR WOMAN'S UP IN BED WITH
PANAMA RED

THE JUDGE DON'T KNOW WHEN RED'S IN TOWN
HE KEEPS WELL HIDDEN UNDERGROUND
BUT EVERYBODY'S ACTING LAZY
FALLING OUT AND HANGIN' 'ROUND

MY WOMAN SAID, "HEY PEDRO
YOU'RE ACTIN' CRAZY LIKE A CLOWN"
NOBODY FEELS LIKE WORKING
PANAMA RED IS BACK IN TOWN

CHORUS

EVERYBODY'S LOOKING OUT FOR HIM
'CAUSE THEY KNOW RED'S SATISFIES
LITTLE GIRLS LOVE TO LISTEN TO HIM
SING AND TELL SWEET LIES

BUT WHEN THINGS GET TOO CONFUSING, HONEY
YOU'RE BETTER OFF IN BED
AND I'LL BE SEARCHING ALL THE JOINTS IN TOWN FOR
PANAMA RED

CHORUS

Warning labels: Adding lyrics kind of like warning labels. Some videos may also have drug references. I did say psychedelic early 70s music and Panama Red was a strain of marijuana as well. 

Contestant One: The Original version (kind of) The New Riders of the Purple Sage

Contestant Two: Old and In The Way

This song was recorded about the same time but released two years later in 1975. Yes I am bringing back Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. Joining them is Peter Rowan, John Kahn, and Vassar Clements.

Changing it up slightly and narrowing it down to just two versions this go away. Vote for the version you like best. There are some great live version out there as well.

I will be back on the 22nd with the winner! Thanks for visiting and remember to vote in the comments!

Remembering Jerry Garcia

It was 20 years ago today when Jerry Garcia passed away. I remember I was in my car driving home from a college course when I heard the news on a classic rock radio station.

This is a taste of my very first Grateful Dead concert...

Needless to say I was hooked after my first show. He was one of the first musicians who passed away that I felt something about. I knew things would change, but I did not know how much until I went to shows of various splinter groups of the band.

Here the Jerry Garcia Band covers The Beatles with "Dear Prudence"..

I recently featured a bluegrass cover Jerry Garcia had done on my recent Battle of the Bands. I will pick another song from that album to spotlight here..."Stealin'" with David Grisman...

I guess in a year that marks 50 years of the Grateful Dead and 20 years of Jerry Garcia being gone. That no matter how you found the music it certainly has been...a long, strange trip..

Thanks for visiting and I will see you soon!

Battle of the Bands Results: Taj Mahal wins

On my last battle of the bands contest I wanted to pay tribute to Jerry Garcia since it was his birthday. It kind of went on it's own long, strange trip. Certainly I could have picked a Grateful Dead classic or a cover the Grateful Dead or the Jerry Garcia Band performed. I picked out of the box! I knew Jerry Garcia enjoyed bluegrass and I knew I would find something worthwhile on "Shady Grove" like the title track.

Doc Watson made since in my mind. Well known in bluegrass circles and a traditional take on the song. I wanted contrast. So, I went with a blues musician called Taj Mahal who has a love for world music.

The voting was down for this contest. Perhaps bluegrass scared some off. I thought for sure this was going to be a tie. I was thinking I might have to break the tie. Luckily for me Guilie Castillo voted on the last day casting her vote for Taj Mahal and deciding the winner.

Your vote counts on the Battle of the Bands and you can vote anytime until the closing date.  I wasn't expecting Taj to win this one. It was a longer version of the song and vocals didn't even play apart of the tune until about 2:30 minutes. However, his version was different and apparently that difference was enough.

Here is the winner with "Fishing Blues"...

Here he is on banjo with a tune called "Slow Drag"...

Thanks for voting! A new Battle of the Bands is brewing for August 15 so stay tuned!

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

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.

Happy Birthday Graham Nash!

Today is Graham Nash's 73rd birthday! Best known for his work with Crosby Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young). He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work woth The Hollies.


Here is as solo song "Innocent Eyes"

Celebrating his birthday with lots of music on the blog since that is how we roll.

Below is Crosby, Stills and Nash with "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"

From The Hollies "On a Carousel"

Below here is Graham with Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead

Happy Birthday Graham Nash!

Battle of the Bands #3: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia Jimmy Buffett Vs Warren Haynes

I'm back for another Battle of Bands, this will be my third one. This time around I will be honoring Jerry Garcia who was born in August and died in August.



Anyway here is how it works:

Listen to the song clips in the blog post. In the comment section vote for the one you like the best. Feel free to explain why you voted the way you did. The battles take place on the first and 15th and winners will be announced on the 7th and 21st. I will normally post the winner in the comments. Of course have fun and enjoy!

If you are still looking for more musical fun after you vote, you can check out these sites for more battles:

         Faraway Series   
         Your Daily Dose         
         DiscConnected   
           Tossing It Out
           STMcC Presents "Battle of the Bands"
           A Writer's Life In Progress
           Curious as a Cathy

Weekend #photo contributions

The Creative Outlet of StratPlayer

Battle of the Bands: "Higher Ground"

The list of blogs participating is growing! Which is a great thing, a lot of diverse music. 

If you have one and I missed it let me know in the comments. If you just started your battle let me know in the comments.

The Grateful Dead had legions of fans called Deadheads and Jimmy Buffett has legions of fans called Parrot Heads. Fact is Jimmy Buffett liked the Grateful Dead as well. Here he covers "Scarlet Begonias."

Warren Haynes and his version of "Scarlet Begonias" with some symphonic help. I apologize I couldn't find a pro shot video.

Please vote in the comments and enjoy! 

The End of a Long Strange Trip: Jerry Garcia

I was in my car when I heard the news the Jerry Garcia had died. Harder still to believe it has been 19 years ago. The last two years I have blogged about him on his birthday.



I didn't think to do so this time. I remembered after I blogged about my battle of the band. I've written often about how I miss him. It is sobering to realize he died being 10 years older than I am now at the age of 53 from a heart attack.

I've got a "Touch of Grey"

Here is how Dan Rather and CBS News reported it..

Like Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant introduced me to "new music" at least to me. The bluegrass, the Americana music, the old time, the folk, or whatever you want to call it. Sure I had heard some before but he presented it in away that I got it.

"Whiskey in the Jar"

"Shinning Star"

Thank you for the songs, the improvisations, the solos, the memories and the songs that still fill the air. Something beautiful died with you that unfortunately can never can be replaced, Thank you though for letting me experience it if just for a little while.

Happy Birthday Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia would have been 71 years old today. The ever changing music world misses him. Jerry being gone is more than just one must see concert erased from the calender. Yes their is Furthur, The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends but they all miss one person and they are not the same without Jerry Garcia.

Here is Jerry Garcia playing "Tangled Up in Blue" with the Jerry Garcia Band

Here he plays bluegrass...Jerry Garcia was a very talented musician

Here he plays with "Ripple" with The Dead

I really enjoyed Warren Hayne's tribute to Jerry Garcia earlier this summer. Below is a clip from that show...

Jerry Garcia may be gone but he left us with plenty of songs..

"I'll Take A Melody"

Enjoy and I will be back soon with a new post...