I thought this would be an interesting and potentially informative topic for discussion. I enjoy all eras of Jerry's playing with the GD - from the beginning thru the death of Brent - beyond the summer of 1990, I haven't found much that really pulls me in. In addition, I also enjoy most all of the incarnations of JGB and find much of his playing herein post-1990 to be magical.
Here's what got me thinking about this thread though: I've been listening to a ton of Europe '72 era playing in recent days and weeks and while I love it for a number of reasons, I think that when you listen closely and compare what many consider a real height or golden year ('72) with later years such as '89-'90 you see a real maturation in his playing. He's still unmistakenly Jerry Garcia, but I find his playing to be more subtle, jazzier, sophisticated perhaps, at times more inspired and evidence an artist who has clearly learned a great deal and honed his craft.
Much of the '72 era playing to me sounds like a young player with tons of passion, energy. exuberance, and bounce, but also begins to sound a bit repetitive and unsophisticated. Especially when compared with say a '91 Simple Twist of Fate or a '77 Peggy-O, etc.
Anyway, my purpose here isn't to bash or downplay any particular era, configuration or year at all, but rather to discuss and opine on Jerry's changes and growth as a player. There seems to always be massive interest and attention given to Jerry's gear and technology and its correlation to his tone development over the years, and less to how he actually grew as a player. So, please share your thoughts and opinions about how his playing and approach changed and grew over the years with both GD and JGB. Hope this is of interest to some folks!
Here's what got me thinking about this thread though: I've been listening to a ton of Europe '72 era playing in recent days and weeks and while I love it for a number of reasons, I think that when you listen closely and compare what many consider a real height or golden year ('72) with later years such as '89-'90 you see a real maturation in his playing. He's still unmistakenly Jerry Garcia, but I find his playing to be more subtle, jazzier, sophisticated perhaps, at times more inspired and evidence an artist who has clearly learned a great deal and honed his craft.
Much of the '72 era playing to me sounds like a young player with tons of passion, energy. exuberance, and bounce, but also begins to sound a bit repetitive and unsophisticated. Especially when compared with say a '91 Simple Twist of Fate or a '77 Peggy-O, etc.
Anyway, my purpose here isn't to bash or downplay any particular era, configuration or year at all, but rather to discuss and opine on Jerry's changes and growth as a player. There seems to always be massive interest and attention given to Jerry's gear and technology and its correlation to his tone development over the years, and less to how he actually grew as a player. So, please share your thoughts and opinions about how his playing and approach changed and grew over the years with both GD and JGB. Hope this is of interest to some folks!
