#SHINING STAR JERRY GARCIA BAND SERIES#
Shining Star is made up of a series of key performances from the late 80s and 90s. For many, this period marked the peak of Garcia’s power as a guitarist, songwriter, singer and bandleader. Cale’s “After Midnight” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” Joined by fellow Dead members, Keith and Donna Godchaux, along with bassist John Kahn (who would remain with JGB until 1995) and drummer Ron Tutt, whose regular gig was backing Elvis Presley - Don’t Let Go is just another example of how far Garcia’s musical skills had advanced since the psychedelic 60s. The 2-CD set opens with a pair of classic Dead originals - “Sugaree” and “They Love Each Other” - but the majority of the release is filled with tasteful covers such as J.J. At the time of this performance, the Dead had been on an extended leave of absence from the road, and one can assume that Garcia was eager to stretch out and jam. Clearly, Don’t Let Go and Shining Star demonstrate that Jerry Garcia was about as well-rounded a musician as anyone could ever hope to be.ĭon’t Let Go captures a single night of Garcia and company at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco on May 21, 1976. To fully appreciate the extent of elasticity that the JGB implemented into their performances, Garcia’s estate has unveiled a pair of live releases that accurately depict two distinct and powerful editions of the band. While he explored folk, bluegrass, jazz and blues with several prolific musicians, the Jerry Garcia Band was a pet project that took on a life of its own, becoming a solid extracurricular activity of Garcia’s for two decades. When he wasn’t touring the countryside with the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia stayed busy with a number of different musical excursions.