During the 20-month hiatus that the
Grateful Dead took from the road, lead guitarist
Jerry Garcia began fronting and touring with one of the premier cover bands of the time.
Don't Let Go captures this powerhouse rhythm section in the intimate confines of San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre only a few weeks prior to the
Dead's resuscitation. This all-star incarnation of
the Jerry Garcia Band includes
Dead members
Keith Godchaux on piano and
Donna Jean Godchaux on vocals. Since the late '50s, Bay area bassist
John Kahn had been performing with the likes of blues legends
John Lee Hooker,
Michael Bloomfield, and
Nick Gravenites.
Kahn remained with the band until they disbanded following
Garcia's death in August of 1995.
Ron Tutt, while perhaps best remembered as
Elvis Presley's favorite drummer, has also performed on more Top 40 singles and albums than almost any other drummer -- the notable exception being
Hal Blaine. This band is about infectious rhythms and soul.
Garcia plays with an energy and freedom of spirit which he rarely achieved during his final two decades with the Grateful Dead. This was likely due, at least in part, to the encyclopedic catalog of material -- drawing from such disparate sources as
Allen Toussaint's "I'll Take a Melody,"
J.J. Cale's "After Midnight," and
Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door." The band uses the structure of each song as a platform for their unique brand of instinctual aural acrobatics. The interplay amongst the instrumental quartet is best described as inspired telepathy. For instance, between the verses of
Hank Ballard's "Tore Up Over You" the rhythmic pockets left by
Garcia's incendiary guitar leads are filled in with a swing time precision and grace that harkens back to
Benny Goodman or
Duke Ellington's orchestra.
Don't Let Go is highly recommended for the curious enthusiast as well as the insatiable Deadhead.