''Grateful Jazz'' is the fourth album by the instrumental

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

cover band

Jazz Is Dead Jazz Is Dead may refer to * Jazz Is Dead (band): a Grateful Dead instrumental cover band * Jazz Is Dead (record label): a Los Angeles record label and recording series {{Disambiguation ...

. 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 Jeff Pevar is an American musician who has recorded and toured with numerous renowned artists as well as having a solo career. Pevar recorded a debut record on his label Pet Peev Music™, called ''From The Core'', which was released in Decembe ...

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 Terry "T" Lavitz (April 16, 1956 – October 7, 2010) was an American keyboardist, composer and producer. He is best known for his work with the Dixie Dregs and Jazz Is Dead. Biography Born on April 16, 1956, Lavitz grew up in New Jersey. He s ...

, 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 a broad palette of colors and styles... The pedigrees of the players shine through... These superlative musicians put new skin on the bones of The Dead and elevate it to a 'Higher Love!'" Bob Girouard, writing for '' Modern Drummer'', praised Morgenstein's playing on the album, calling it a "showcase for isversatility," and stating that it finds him "alternately playing with sensitivity and ferocity, maximizing his capabilities rhythmically and melodically, and always walking the delicate line of respecting tradition and exploring boldly."

Track listing

# "Cumberland Blues" (

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

, Robert Hunter,

Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of ...

) – 3:38 # "

Sugar Magnolia "Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead. Written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as "Truckin'", "Casey Jones", "Uncle John's Band", "Touch of Grey", and fellow sugar-a ...

" (Robert Hunter,

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

) – 5:56 # " Jack Straw" (Robert Hunter, Bob Weir) – 9:12 # " Truckin'" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir) – 8:13 # "Attics of my Life" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 9:21 # "

Friend of the Devil "Friend of the Devil" is a song recorded by the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. It is the second track of the Dead's 1970 album '' American Beauty''. The song is lar ...

" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, John Dawson) – 2:26 # "

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 (lyrici ...

" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 7:02 # "Mr. Charlie/ One More Saturday Night" (Robert Hunter, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan/Bob Weir) – 5:55 # " Dark Star" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 13:24

Personnel

– electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo *

– piano, organ, synthesizer * David Livolsi – bass * Rod Morgenstein – drums, washboard

Special guests

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 ...

– 5 string double bass * Luis Conte – percussion *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

– soprano saxophone * Jerry Goodman – violin, electric violin * Bill Holloman – trumpet, saxophone * Howard Levy – harmonica

References

{{Reflist 2015 albums Jazz Is Dead albums