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Grateful Jazz
''Grateful Jazz'' is the fourth album by the instrumental Grateful Dead cover band Jazz Is Dead. The original tracks were recorded in 2004 in Hartford, Connecticut, and were then set aside. In anticipation of the fiftieth anniversary of the Grateful Dead, guitarist Jeff Pevar dug up the recordings, added overdubs by a number of guest musicians, and released them on CD in 2015 via his Pet Peev Music. The album features Pevar along with keyboard player T. Lavitz, bassist David Livolsi, and drummer Rod Morgenstein. The album is dedicated to the memory of T. Lavitz. Reception In a review for '' Relix'', Jeff Tamarkin called the album "JID's magnum opus," and wrote: "'Dark Star,' saved for last, is unlike any the Dead ever played: equally experimental and sonically adventurous, but owing as much to classic '70s fusion as to anything that ever came out of Kesey's place. Inspired stuff, this." Writing for ''The Working Musician'', Roger Zee commented: "The band reanimates The Dead with ...
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Jazz Is Dead (band)
Jazz is Dead is an instrumental Grateful Dead cover band that interprets classic Dead songs with jazz influences. The group is notable in featuring veterans of jazz and jazz fusion ensembles. The group's composition has changed over time, and T Lavitz was the band's only constant member until they reformed in 2015 (five years after Lavitz's death). Personnel Members ;Current members *Alphonso Johnson - bass (1998-2001, 2015–2016, 2023) *Steve Kimock - guitar (2023) *Bobby Lee Rodgers - guitar (2023) *Pete Lavezzoli - drums (2023) ;Former members *Billy Cobham - drums (1998-1999) *Jimmy Herring - lead guitar (1998-2001) *T Lavitz - keyboards (1998-2006) *Jeff Sipe - drums (1999-2006) *Kenny Gradney - bass (2001-2002) *Dave Livolsi - bass (2002-2006) *Rod Morgenstein - drums (1999-2006, 2015–2016) *Jeff Pevar - lead guitar (2001-2006, 2015–2016) *Tom Constanten - keyboards (2015–2016) *Chris Smith (keyboardist), Chris Smith - keyboards (2015–2016) Lineups The b ...
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Jack Straw (song)
"Jack Straw" is a rock song written by Bob Weir and Robert Hunter. The track appeared on the album ''Europe '72'' by the Grateful Dead, who frequently performed it live. The song was first performed in concert on October 19, 1971, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at new keyboardist Keith Godchaux's first appearance with the band. In the song's earliest performances (c. 1971–72), Weir sang all of the vocals. On the Europe 72 Tour at The Olympia Theater in Paris on 5-03-72, Weir and Jerry Garcia began switching up the vocals.. The song appeared in both the first and second sets until the band's short hiatus in 1974-1975. After re-forming, the song almost exclusively appeared in the first set. After Brent Mydland joined the band in 1979, the song almost exclusively opened the band's first set. The band also often extended the jam after the second verse after Mydland's joining, often extending the song to over six minutes. Dead and Company have also further extended the song, often adding ...
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Howard Levy
Howard Levy (born July 31, 1951) is an American multi-instrumentalist. A keyboardist and virtuoso harmonica player, Levy "has been realistically presented as one of the most important and radical harmonica innovators of the twentieth century." In 1988, Levy was a founding member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, with whom he won a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the song "The Sinister Minister". He also won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition in 2012 for "Life in Eleven", a song written with Béla Fleck for the Flecktones' album ''Rocket Science'' (2011). He has worked with Arab-fusion musician Rabih Abou-Khalil, Latin jazz saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, Donald Fagen, and Paul Simon. Music career Levy was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied piano and pipe organ. For two years, he went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and participated in the jazz band. He is the Harmon ...
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Bill Holloman
Bill Holloman (born c.1956) is an American jazz and blues tenor saxophonist and trumpet player. Holloman featured in the bands of Nile Rodgers (Chic), Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers and alongside Danny Gatton. He has performed many times at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and has also recorded or performed with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Slash, Elton John, Steven Tyler, Simon Le Bon, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross and Les Paul. Holloman is also noted for his recordings with top American television network shows including HBO, CBS and ESPN, notably NASCAR. He shares an Emmy Award for the HBO Sports documentary ''Legendary Nights''. Holloman is featured on ''Beasties: a Sci-fi Rock Opera'' concept record on vocals, instrumentation, and orchestration. The show and the songs for the show were written by Gary Sohmers Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * ...
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Jerry Goodman
Jerry Goodman (born March 16, 1949) is an American violinist who played electric violin with The Flock and the jazz fusion ensemble Mahavishnu Orchestra. Career Jerry Goodman was born on March 16, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were both members of the string section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and his uncle was the noted composer and jazz pianisMarty Rubenstein Jerry was trained in a conservatory before he began his musical career as The Flock's roadie and subsequently as a violinist. After his 1971 appearance on John McLaughlin's album ''My Goal's Beyond'', he became a member of McLaughlin's original Mahavishnu Orchestra lineup until the band broke up in 1973, and was viewed as a soloist of equal virtuosity to McLaughlin, keyboardist Jan Hammer and drummer Billy Cobham. In 1974, after Mahavishnu, Goodman released the album ''Like Children'' with Mahavishnu keyboard alumnus Jan Hammer. Starting in 1985 he recorded three solo albums for Private Music -- ''On ...
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Bill Evans (saxophonist)
William D. Evans (born February 8, 1958) is an American jazz saxophonist, who was a member of the Miles Davis group in the 1980s and has since led several of his own bands, including Push and Soulgrass. Evans plays tenor and soprano saxophones. He has recorded over 17 solo albums and received two Grammy Award nominations. He recorded an award-winning album called ''Bill Evans – Vans Joint'' with the WDR Big Band in 2009. He has played a variety of music with his solo projects, including bluegrass, jazz, and funk. His style is influenced by Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Steve Grossman, and Dave Liebman. Biography Evans was born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, United States. His father was a classical piano prodigy and until junior high school Evans studied classical clarinet. He attended Hinsdale Central High School and studied with tenor saxophonist Vince Micko. Early in his studies he was able to hear such artists ...
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Luis Conte
Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began his music career as a studio musician for Latin Jazz acts like Caldera. Conte's live performance and touring career took off when he joined Madonna's touring band in the 1980s. Neil Strauss of The New York Times describes Conte's playing as "grazing Latin-style percussion". Conte immigrated to Los Angeles in 1967, where he attended Los Angeles City College studying music, and entrenched himself in the music community. Conte's career includes composing and playing in ABC TV's Dancing with the Stars band, along with many TV and film projects. Early years Conte was born in Santiago de Cuba. As a child, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his primary instrument e ...
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Alphonso Johnson
Alphonso Johnson (born February 2, 1951) is an American jazz bassist active since the early 1970s. Johnson was a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1973 to 1975, and has performed and recorded with numerous high-profile rock and jazz acts including Santana, Phil Collins, members of the Grateful Dead, Steve Kimock, and Chet Baker. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Johnson started off as an upright bass player, but switched to the electric bass in his late teens. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, Johnson showed innovation and fluidity on the electric bass. He sessioned with a few jazz musicians before landing a job with Weather Report, taking over for co-founding member Miroslav Vitous. Johnson debuted with Weather Report on the album ''Mysterious Traveller''. He appeared on two more Weather Report albums: ''Tale Spinnin''' (1975) and ''Black Market'' (1976) before he left the band to work with drummer Billy Cobham. During 1976-7 ...
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Dark Star (song)
"Dark Star" is a song released as a single by the Grateful Dead on Warner Bros. records in 1968. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia; however, compositional credit is sometimes extended to include Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir. "Dark Star" was an early Grateful Dead classic which the group often used as a vehicle for extended jamming sessions during live performances. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list and was ranked at number 57 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. Composition and release In May 1967, Garcia composed the preliminary chords of the song, but it was at the time without lyrics. A handful of months later, Robert Hunter, who would become a longtime collaborator with the Grateful Dead, arrived back in California and overheard the band playing around with the track. While in Rio Nido, a sm ...
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Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
Ronald Charles McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), known as Pigpen, was an American musician. He was a founding member of the San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. McKernan grew up heavily influenced by African-American music, particularly the blues, and enjoyed listening to his father's collection of records and taught himself how to play harmonica and piano. He began socializing around the San Francisco Bay Area, becoming friends with Jerry Garcia. After the pair had played in various folk and jug bands, McKernan suggested they form an electric group, which became the Grateful Dead. He was the band's original frontman as well as playing harmonica and electric organ, but Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh's influences on the band became increasingly stronger as they embraced psychedelic rock. McKernan struggled to keep up with the changing music, causing the group to hire keyboardist Tom Constanten, with McKernan's contribut ...
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One More Saturday Night (song)
"One More Saturday Night" is a song written by Bob Weir and performed by the Grateful Dead, of which he was a member. The song had been performed in concert by the Grateful Dead starting in 1971, but it first appeared on record on Weir's debut solo album ''Ace'' in 1972. It subsequently appeared on several Grateful Dead live albums. Composition Weir is credited with writing "One More Saturday Night", although there is evidence that the song was originally written with Robert Hunter, with different lyrics. Weir wanted to call his version "US Blues", but Hunter did not agree and disavowed himself of the song. Hunter later wrote a song with that title for the Dead's 1974 album '' From the Mars Hotel''. Although the studio version of "One More Saturday Night" featured on ''Ace'' is credited as a Bob Weir solo recording, the song – like the entire album – featured the other members of the Dead acting as Weir's backing group. Performances The song was first performed on Octobe ...
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Uncle John's Band
"Uncle John's Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album ''Workingman's Dead''. Written by guitarist Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter (lyricist), Robert Hunter, "Uncle John's Band" presents the Dead in an acoustic and musically concise mode, with close harmony singing. The song is one of the band's best known, and is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame#The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2001 it was named 321st (of 365) in the Songs of the Century project list. Music and lyrics "Uncle John's Band" has one of the Dead's most immediately accessible and memorable melodies, set against a bluegrass music, bluegrass-inspired folk arrangement with Steel-string guitar, acoustic guitars. Specific lyrics ("It's a buck dancer's choice my friend; better take my advice", "the fire from the ice", "don't tread on ...
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