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

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

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 Jeffrey Pevar is an American producer, band leader, composer, touring and session musician. Pevar was the co-founder of CPR, (with David Crosby and James Raymond), The Gilmour Project (with Scott Guberman, Mark Karan, Kasim Sulton and Prairie ...

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 Rod Morgenstein (born April 19, 1953) is an American drummer with rock bands Winger and Dixie Dregs. He also played with Fiona, Platypus, the Steve Morse Band, and Jelly Jam. He has also done session work with Jordan Rudess including h ...

, and is dedicated to the memory of T. Lavitz.

Reception

In a review for ''

Relix ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concer ...

'',

Jeff Tamarkin Jeff Tamarkin is an American editor, author and historian specializing in music and popular culture. Career For 15 years Tamarkin was editor of '' Goldmine'', a magazine for record and CD collectors. Prior to that, he served as the first editor o ...

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 ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, columns offering advice on technique, and information for the general public. ''Modern Dru ...

'', 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 who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...

, Robert Hunter,

Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (March 15, 1940 – October 25, 2024) was an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he developed a unique style of improvised six-string bass guitar. He was their bassist throughout their 30 ...

) – 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 su ...

" (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 John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretar ...

" (Robert Hunter, Bob Weir) – 9:12 # "

Truckin' "Truckin" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album '' American Beauty''. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure.''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' . Jake W ...

" (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''. Like most of ''Amer ...

" (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, "Unc ...

" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 7:02 # "Mr. Charlie/ One More Saturday Night" (Robert Hunter,

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 Sound, San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. ...

/Bob Weir) – 5:55 # " Dark Star" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 13:24

Personnel

– electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo * T. Lavitz – piano, organ, synthesizer * David Livolsi – bass *

– 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 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 ...

– percussion *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

– soprano saxophone *

Jerry Goodman Jerry Goodman (born March 16, 1949) is an American violinist known for playing electric violin with The Flock (band), The Flock and the jazz fusion ensemble Mahavishnu Orchestra. Career Jerry Goodman was born on March 16, 1949, in Chicago, Ill ...

– violin, electric violin *

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 a ...

– trumpet, saxophone *

Howard Levy Howard Levy (born July 31, 1951) is an American musician. A keyboardist and virtuoso harmonica player, he "has been realistically presented as one of the most important and radical harmonica innovators of the twentieth century." In 1988, Le ...

– harmonica

References

{{Authority control 2015 albums Jazz Is Dead albums