[BuddhaG]

Perhaps the "one of the best known blues players around the Bay Area" statement was an exaggeration. I was reading an interview with Jerry that asked him how he and Pig got together and he described himself as something of a "kingpin picker" around the area in the early 60s. I guess thats probably more in reference to his banjo playing but still, a guy who is rocking hard on folk songs can probably play basic blues forms on a 6 string guitar pretty well.

Garcia was not an established, household name at the time but around young people and in the folk revival I think he was pretty popular.

He mentions in the interview that he would often accompany Pigpen when he would sing and play his guitar/harmonica at parties. This leads me to suppose that he was pretty damn good considering Pig wanted/let him play with him quite often.

I am not denying that without Pig, Jerry would not have been propelled into the electric blues band world quite so fast and maybe not at all though I'm sure he would have been a proficient blues and rock guitarist without being at Pig's side.

It would have taken some time for him to find his place in the music world and he would have been probably been doing a lot more folky stuff.

[nicolasalk]

we'll never know that, what is the point in thinking what could have happened, because it didnt happen.

[bobbybobbob]

i think its pretty intresting. i mean-- imagine-- what if?

even phil wonders about stuff-- like when Jerry's mom got him an accordian but he traded it in for a guitar. what if jerry had been an accordian player?

WHOA

[dpmphoto]

I thought it was bill and jerry who where together first

[Shaggy]

HISTORY:

Jerry had been playing gigs since the spring of 1961, he had the most experience of playing in front of people.
There were a number of reasons why Jerry started playing the electric guitar in 1964. The main reason was he couldn't find many other serious bluegrass musicians in the bay area to get a proper tight band together. Another reason was he caught the bug started by the Brit invasion bands - Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds etc... He saw a Hard Days Night and and liked the look of being a rock star. And the other was his friend Pigpen who wanted to started a blues band.

Jerry and Bob met in late 1963. Jerry already knew Pig and Lesh at this point.

Spring 1964 Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions was formed. Jerry, Bob, Pig, Dave Parker, Tom Stone and Mike Garbett.

Late 1964 Jerry, Pig and Bob form The Warlocks. Dana Morgan(the guy Jerry worked with at the music store as a teacher) on bass and Billy on drums. They played their first gig in MAY 1965. Phil replaced Morgan after about a month and a few gigs.

They changed their name to The Grateful Dead in NOVEMBER 1965. First GD show was an acid test in San Jose.


PERSONAL OPINION (quoted from a post I made months ago):

Jerry was the glue that held them together.

When Billy said he knew he had to follow this man for the rest of his life soon after meeting him, he was talking about Jerry not Bob or Phil or Pig or anyone else.

Thats the Jerry that Duane Allman called a prince who can walk on water and do anything.

Was Jerry the most intelligent member of the band? Probably, a large number of people that met Jerry said he was the most intelligent person they ever met. They said that about Jerry, not anyone else in the band.

Was Jerry the most gifted musician in the band? Yes. The prolific and natural songwriter, most eclectic performer. Weir was younger and didn't mature into the great guitarist and songwriter till the early-mid 70's. It eased the load on Jerry when Bobby started writing more.

He wrote most of the songs, and led them head first through all their major musical changes and styles.

Was Jerry THE Grateful Dead? A big fat NO!! They were a wonderful whole with each member interlocking and bringing in his part to form that great whole.

But no one can deny that if one person stood out for his talent, personality and overall contribution it was Jerry.

[tigerstrat]

HISTORY:

Jerry had been playing gigs since the spring of 1961, he had the most experience of playing in front of people.
There were a number of reasons why Jerry started playing the electric guitar in 1964. The main reason was he couldn't find many other serious bluegrass musicians in the bay area to get a proper tight band together. Another reason was he caught the bug started by the Brit invasion bands - Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds etc... He saw a Hard Days Night and and liked the look of being a rock star. And the other was his friend Pigpen who wanted to started a blues band.

Jerry and Bob met in late 1963. Jerry already knew Pig and Lesh at this point.

Spring 1964 Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions was formed. Jerry, Bob, Pig, Dave Parker, Tom Stone and Mike Garbett.

Late 1964 Jerry, Pig and Bob form The Warlocks. Dana Morgan(the guy Jerry worked with at the music store as a teacher) on bass and Billy on drums. They played their first gig in MAY 1965. Phil replaced Morgan after about a month and a few gigs.

They changed their name to The Grateful Dead in NOVEMBER 1965. First GD show was an acid test in San Jose.


PERSONAL OPINION (quoted from a post I made months ago):

Jerry was the glue that held them together.

When Billy said he knew he had to follow this man for the rest of his life soon after meeting him, he was talking about Jerry not Bob or Phil or Pig or anyone else.

Thats the Jerry that Duane Allman called a prince who can walk on water and do anything.

Was Jerry the most intelligent member of the band? Probably, a large number of people that met Jerry said he was the most intelligent person they ever met. They said that about Jerry, not anyone else in the band.

Was Jerry the most gifted musician in the band? Yes. The prolific and natural songwriter, most eclectic performer. Weir was younger and didn't mature into the great guitarist and songwriter till the early-mid 70's. It eased the load on Jerry when Bobby started writing more.

He wrote most of the songs, and led them head first through all their major musical changes and styles.

Was Jerry THE Grateful Dead? A big fat NO!! They were a wonderful whole with each member interlocking and bringing in his part to form that great whole.

But no one can deny that if one person stood out for his talent, personality and overall contribution it was Jerry.

Agreed on Jerry as the catalyst for greatness.

I would add only that Pigpen and Jerry met Billy in the summer of '63 while gigging (Jerry on BASS!) with an East Bay R&B/Rock party band called The Zodiacs. No recordings exist.

[willmusic]

I'm still waiting on that informational pamphlet!

[High Peaks]

IMHO i think the Acid tests we're the single most important thing to happen to them back in the day. It defined them going forward. They even said that it became lame later on when there was no interaction between the band and the audience. They became an extension of the Pranksters to a degree. There was no doubt that acid fueled all those ealry exploratory jams.

[krzykat]

as long as we are on what ifs . . imagine if david nelson and jerry continued thier collaberation after the wild wood boys what kind of music would they have made?

[BuddhaG]

That would have been some badass country rock, krzykat. Nelson has some badass chops. His playing is so twangy yet psychedelic. I zone out thinking about funny could be situations like these.

Some more history: Jerry met Phil while living at the Chateau. Phil was working for a radio station at the time and got Jerry a spot on the air "An Evening with Jerry Garcia". They recorded a demo in the kitchen of the Chateau and Phil brought the tape to the station and they brought Jerry in.

Lesh said he was amazed how well Garcia could make those folksongs come alive, he knew there was something special.

Also acid was probably a pretty important part of the chemistry of the group and their whole approach to music. Also, you can really hear Phil's "orchestral" influence in his bass playing. So freakin royally triumphant.

[groovemongrel]

HISTORY:
He saw a Hard Days Night and and liked the look of being a rock star.

Good info, bro. It's strange of Jerry thinking of wanting the "look" of a rock star, though. I watched Hard Days Night last week and hated it. Incredibly corny.

[hotasaPistol]

You have to put A Hard Day's Night in perspective of the times
the Beatles were it and even though it comes across corny now at the time it was like nothing nobody had ever done before.....I was like in 6th grade and the movie theatre was full of kids going nuts when it originally going nuts........I loved the grandpa dude or uncle....

[tigerstrat]

as long as we are on what ifs . . imagine if david nelson and jerry continued thier collaberation after the wild wood boys what kind of music would they have made?

They did, in 87-88. Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band.