Two points here that I particularly appreciate: 1) That Garcia affirms that a player should know what he’s doing theoretically. I’m so sick of interviewees minimizing the importance of this. 2) That Garcia points out that string instruments settle into a tuning. I’ve been saying this for many years, and no one even seems to hear. It’s much easier and faster to tune my cello when I’ve been playing daily. If I’m preparing a drop-D piece I practice it on a different guitar so that I can leave it tuned that way. If I’m playing publicly, I try to avoid switching back and forth on the same guitar however I can manage it. When I was sixteen I experimented with various alternate tunings of my own design on electric guitar, but now I stick to standard tuning and occasionally drop-D on a nylon-string acoustic.
Jerry: "The idea of being remembered, it would be embarrassing to me at this point, I think, really." Interviewer: " That sounds like a very humble attitude." Jerry: " Yeah, if you were me, you wouldn't think so."
Not just self-effacing -- like a lot of addicts, I think Jerry had at least a little bit of self-loathing going on, when he realized how tragically short he'd fallen of his own dreams and ideals. (Probably one of the reasons why he said "Mission In the Rain" spoke so deeply to him.)
It's inspiring how even at this stage in his career (not to mention the challenges with his health) he was still learning and developing. His love and dedication for music is abundantly clear. He also had a very intelligent and intellectual approach to music, without losing the emotional connection.
I heard another interview where he was talking about still usng his old practice books when he was up all night watching tv. The thought of a guy this gifted STILL using his practice books is really inspiring. He never stopped trying to be better.
As a life long musician who was heavily influenced by this guy this is gold. Everything he said has been true in my experience of developing on the instrument and songwriting. What amazes me about him is how effortlessly inspiring and insightful he is without ego. Such a rare and special person and I don’t know if he truly knew it
You just have to be unfailingly honest, unusually intelligent, literate, witty, and sincere-and uniquely you. No one truly knows how he seems to others.
Jerry’s comments about the acoustic guitar are very interesting. They’re a different instrument than the electric. He had so much insight into music and was such a good musician, in every way. His comments are so on point.
It’s so funny to me that I grew up obsessed with the Dead and eventually thanks to advice from a Jerry interview, I started really digging into the whole world of music to a point where I nearly forgot about the Dead and then half a life time later I’m sitting here listening to Jerry gush about so much of the music that I fell in love with over those years away. When he mentioned Pentangle, I just about lost my shit. Thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense that Jerry would love them. He was such a hip guy.
Most striking is Jerry’s humanity. Such a great artist, yet so humble. He is so self deprecating that it is really discordant with his talent. One wonders if his low self esteem was consequent of his problems with addiction. Amazing person and a true genius.
If Garcia suffered from low self-esteem, it isn’t apparent in any interview I’ve seen. It’s merely that, in the first place, he was indefatigably forthright and had no particular desire at all to build himself up for general consumption, and in the second place, as a genuine artist, he was always striving after unreachable achievements. Self-deprecation is just an oratorial style-or even strategy. It pre-emptively disarms your potential critics, and it’s much easier to be amusing that way-which is why so many stand-up comedians strike a self-deprecating pose.
I suppose I am biased by the fact that he was a junkie for much of his adult life and addiction, particulary of a nature that destroys a person and ultimately kills them, tends to wreak havoc on their sense of self. This interview is brutal to listen to, particularly when having read the condition that Garcia was in during it.@@jeffryphillipsburns
I appreciate the fact you added how Jerry maintains his personality after using said substances. People who are not in the know, usually jump to wild conclusions when they hear of someone using substances. The fact is, an intelligent, intellectual person is just that regardless of what substances they have ingested. Of course over indulging in anything is detrimental to one's health and interpersonal life. However, an intelligent person does not suddenly become dumb because they ingest substances most deem taboo. 🖖🙏❤️
I guess it is fine to use drugs then it you are an intelligent intellectual person (sarc). You know the drugs killed him, right? He likely influenced a lot of people to go down the same path.
@@pjjmsn But that is not his responsibility. He said so himself, he is not some worshipable icon. He is another great artist with a horrible addiction. That does not make him a bad person.
I always felt that Garcia was uncomfortable with being in a body, and here we see evidence of that. He chafed at the limitations of the physical world compared to the expanses of the mind. We will all be freed from physical limitations one day. I hope his spirit and energy find peace.
Same here, getting into the Grateful Dead in thesummer of 1972 gave me all the perspective and resolve to break away from a horse sniffing habit on the verge of real addiction, Jerry being a catalyst in particular. So to me it is very sad that my North Star fell for the habit himself.
same here brother..my path in life drastically changed in mid 80’s after Touch of Gray on MTV and later going deeper as I grew older..I ended up become a full time professional musician and Luthier and Jerry and his bands/music were the biggest catalyst
Wow I've read very descriptive details about the events surrounding the time of this interview but didn't know audio existed. Jerry was always a really lucid guy, obviously his lifestyle destroyed him physically and rapidly but he was never an "out there," zonked out guy, despite the stereotype and folklore. He was an intellectual and a brilliant thinker and talker as well as a talented musician. It's a shame smoking, a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and his abuse of chemicals took such a talented person so young.
No doubt... a lot of people think drugs killed him but I really don't think it was the drugs, I think it was the diabetes and the overweightedness and the abuse his heart took, the cigarette smoking the chili dogs etc. A lot of people do heroin and do Coke and live to be 80. Also people will say a lot is a shame he did drugs but the truth is is that the drugs were part and parcel of what energized his mind and his spirit and you just can't throw the dishes out with the dish water or whatever that phrase is lol. He left too young, but maybe not, he burned so bright and the legacy is huge and it was really probably the best thing anyone could have ever hoped for. His brother Bob Weir lives on to this day and when you hear him talk now it's very clear that his biggest thing he cares about is the legacy of the music being handed down and being talked about 300 years later and that will happen
Lol... you can tell when he pauses in the conversation sometimes it's not so much to think about what he wants to say next, instead you can literally hear him think "damn should I pull out this big rock of coke and do lines right in front of this guy? Screw it yeah I'm going to do that"
The Bluegrass convo at the end is the most genuine I've ever heard Jerry. Just himself enjoying a convo about great music with a guy who obviously knows & appreciates that musical world, (at that point SO far outside the mainstream).
Absolutely, so engaged and doesn't feel like a traditional interview. Jas Obrecht really did a fine job, with the dialogue and keeping up. The EVH part was kinda funny too.
a connoisseur of great music,a great critic of music and non music, a great collaborator who shared his knowledge of everything, a humble beautiful soul who sang sweetly and rocked us with his lullabies. miss him so. he deserved 100 years!
I believe this interview took place at 84 Hepburn Heights in the hills above San rafael in which Jerry lived in the downstairs bedroom for most of the first half or so of the 80s. Such a great interview, thank you so much for this!!❤❤🎉🎉
Jerry in Red. Always an interesting time and sharp as a tack. I have this magazine and have read it 50 times. Thank you "Talking Guitar" / "Frets" for putting this up with such care and respect. You have thousands of Grateful Bears out here saluting you. Peace.
As someone who has played music live on many occasions, Jerry is so articulate about what goes through a player’s mind and the thought process during the making of live music
Even in his deepest state of addiction still articulate, engaging & so interesting. Love to hear him speak on any subject that interested him. Thanks for putting this up!
Wonderful interview! What a fascinating look behind the curtain. Jerry’s musical mind a revalation but his humor and humanity sparkle. We miss you man!
Stanley Brothers to me also were the pinnacle of vocal blends. I appreciate his take on bluegrass being more a band sound than an individual players music. Vern Williams’s solo bands understood this, and the vocal blending is the great missing component in modern music in general. The 60’s felt much more vocal blend friendly and the Monterrey Pop Festival film is a great testament to this. Also love Pentangle and so happy to hear him cite them as a great band.
Fantastic! So great to hear him taking about playing and music instead of the "history of the 60s" and "phenomenon of the Grateful Dead" most interviews asked over and over again. I really enjoyed this candid talk as a guitar player. Thank you!
18:18 re EVH, “The notes aren’t saying much.” Says a lot about Jerry’s own intention to be expressive through his lead playing, establishing mood and creating and resolving tension, perhaps even telling a story through music.
Had the original Frets issue when it came out. I bought the first Pentangle record solely based on Garcia's comments in this interview. Had never heard of them until then. Great to actually hear this interview for the first time,
Back in the summer of '85, was given one of the solo Jerry/Kahn bootleg tapes and on it was a piece of this interview which I always loved hearing. Very cool to hear the whole interview here after all these years. Thank you for posting
I’ve read this interview countless times and always thought it was a great exchange. Really wonderful to find the audio for the first time. Thanks Jas!
Jerry could write the book on "musical neuroscience" ... a genius articulating such rich language, insights into creative process, execution and improvisation ..the challenges and nuances.. with humility and humor .. one of my artistic idols
Fantastic interview.. Jerry Garcia was an articulate person... unfortunate that he had to battle the demons he had. The man was a tremendous talent and inspiration.. he was a major influence on my playing and approach... thanks for posting :)
This has never occurred to me before, but now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard jerry talk about guitars or guitarists at all. Looking forward to listening to this. Hopefully they get into the nitty gritty.
He mentions Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt as favorites and influences. If you haven't heard them check em out. It makes perfect sense. You can really hear little pieces of Jerry's style in there.
He says there's "nobody playing right now" who really impresses him -- I wonder whether he was including someone like John McLaughlin , or maybe Carlos Santana, in that statement? McLaughlin, especially, would strike me as the kind of musician who might really impress Jerry, and with whom he could have a really deep and profound musical conversation.
I was so much inlove with this man that I left him because he couldn’t give up the Heroin for anything ! I couldn’t live like that so I left him ! He came looking for me but went to the wrong island ! Stonington Maine ! Broke my heart + it still does !
“It’s not satisfying too bluff” I have never heard another musician make this statement. I completely,emphatically agree . This is what you get with a lot of cover bands. They are mimes and can imitate but don’t have a fkn clue.
Agree across the board.Just a Fantastic Human.I can't really tell he is gacked up he was special God broke his mold. There's only one Jerry Garcia man.
Thank you for posting this. Was really great hearing Jerry during this interview. Snorting lines and all. The picture is classic as well With the "donut powder" all down his shirt.
Jerry's timing was impeccable in a comedy sense. Just like in music, it's not just what you say, but when you say it and what the inflection is. He could have been a brilliant standup. I am really glad all these great interviews exist. The man had a brilliant way with words, and the rhythm and inflection in his voice was much like a musical performance. I wonder if his gig transcribing Lenny Bruce's words played into that sense of timing and inflection. I'd like to think he soaked up some of that lucid jazz laced wordsmithery from transcribing Bruce. Another brilliant junkie gone too soon. I only hope they both found a profound and eternal peace, finally free of this burden of living in a human form.
Love that news conf in Sweden 1990 when at the end they ask the band what they are going to do tonight in Stockholm. Don’t you want to go see the reindeer sculptures or some such. Jerry: “Are they within two blocks of this building?” 😂
Yeah same, I was just scanning the replies to see if anyone knew whether or not he pursued/recorded/gave a name to what he's describing here. If after 20 years of all the dead weirdness, he's still at a loss to describe this, then it mustve been way far out there
Being in this state made him the most happy- clearly- so it makes sense he’s talkative and articulate. He’s on his cloud 9. One of the best American songwriters, period.
if i had to hazard a guess i’d say it’s the copious amounts of blow that’s making him talkative, although so much time is spent sniffing im surprised he had time to talk!!!
@@pjjmsn Huh..I didn’t take that away from this interview at all. I simply heard a guy that loves music and loves to talk about it. I think you are hearing the stereotype you associate with Jerry. It’s unfortunate that people can’t believe he’s capable of a conversation such as this one without some sort of chemical enhancement. The man was so much more than the drugs he used.
Thanks for posting this. Just to be clear, it wouldn't quite be accurate to say his health continued to decline after the coma in 86', until he died in 95'. He made a big effort and was much healthier in 87' and in 89' his health was at it's peak, since, most likely the 70's. In the fall of 89', it seemed to me and many other hard-core fans that he had overcome everything and was as happy with his playing as he'd ever been. His decline after that is another conversation.
Regardless of his condition, it is well known that they started at Acid parties. The most meaningful thing is the aura of the Grateful Dead. Nowhere ever will you find greater happiness at a show. Or the people you met in the parking lot. This is the way I climb out of depression, or a bad day. I attended many shows. There will never be another band like this. #proudtobe adeadhead. ❤❤❤❤
If I ever met the man I would have tried to perfectly be anything but the average star struck fan being wowed and praising a rock legend. My approach would have been something like... Omg ! Jerry We finally meet, let's party man, can we make that happen today ?
as bad as he was at this time w addiction it's still one of his best interviews as far as just a person talking giving u his incites an opinion on music and the likes..
This is one of my fav Jer interviews. I love the fact that he went to see Dire Straits!! How cool is that. And is that all coke smeared on his shirt in that pic?? I love that you can hear him hit the lines! :)
What an awesome interview. Jerry Garcia was the ultimate communicator, verbally and fretboard-wise. For some reason the only time that I feel like my brain is normal is when I listen to this guy talk about music. Jerry had ADHD like a mofo, I can tell. I have a channel of melody in my brain too that runs constantly in the background. I struggled with the guitar for 4 years or so trying to learn to play typical cowboy chord rhythm playing. As soon as I stumbled onto lead playing I felt like a fish in water. Since the day I discovered the minor pentatonic thing and was able to start improvising melodies over a backing track it was like I wash a fish who got thrown back into the water- of a pool on the roof of a bullet train 😂. It’s been such a wild ride, in the last 6 months I went from a clunky rhythm player to memorizing all of the mode shapes etc. i dream of getting to the point Jerry spoke of where all these shapes finally disappear. But man, there’s nothing that feels like being able to put on a backing track and just play a melodic solo for as long as your body holds out. It’s a crazy feeling, sort of like floating in liquid music but realizing that you are the music and the water and everything and nothing all at once and being able to hear your own notes coming out somewhere below you. It’s losing all concept of time and space. If I had known this feeling for my first 35 years they’d have been very different. Idk what I did before this therapy. Once I discovered from listening to garcia’s playing sort of little ways to shuffle back and forth between major and minor tonality it sort of allowed me to add another layer of immersion into the river of improvisation. I find myself now at a point where I’m never going to be able to be part of a traditional “band”. Because I feel like it would be constant torture to be forced to play a song the exact same way every night. Sort of like an eternal bad handjob that never finishes and gets dry and scratchy lol. Since the day I discovered modes and pentatonics I now *only* play lead over backing tracks. Now I will let random backing tracks come on and I just feel immediately like okay this feels Aeolian lets try E Aeolian and it’ll start to mix and meld with Mixolydian into dorian into ionian etc. the shapes haven’t dissapeared quite yet, but I can see a speck of light at the end of a tunnel. When I started playing lead it immediately felt like turning on a channel and just trying to get out of it’s way. I am sad to think that I’ll never be able to play with a traditional band. I’m gonna be forced to be part of a Dead tribute band or something lol
I think you're probably right about the ADHD -- he always admitted that it was really difficult for him to concentrate and stay focused on any one thing for any length of time. I've sometimes wondered if the heroin was an attempt (probably an unconscious attempt) to slow things down and relax a little bit. For what it's worth, I think Elvis probably suffered from ADHD as well (he was probably also bipolar), which could also have been one of the reasons behind his drug use.
I appreciate this recording; thanks! I know it’s a bit weird to tell a rock star what to do, but I have to wonder if there was any attempt before the photo-shoot to suggest he put on a fresh t-shirt that he hadn’t been eating powdered donuts in. The resulting image is somewhat sad, but I guess it’s honest.
Two points here that I particularly appreciate: 1) That Garcia affirms that a player should know what he’s doing theoretically. I’m so sick of interviewees minimizing the importance of this. 2) That Garcia points out that string instruments settle into a tuning. I’ve been saying this for many years, and no one even seems to hear. It’s much easier and faster to tune my cello when I’ve been playing daily. If I’m preparing a drop-D piece I practice it on a different guitar so that I can leave it tuned that way. If I’m playing publicly, I try to avoid switching back and forth on the same guitar however I can manage it. When I was sixteen I experimented with various alternate tunings of my own design on electric guitar, but now I stick to standard tuning and occasionally drop-D on a nylon-string acoustic.
Jerry: "The idea of being remembered, it would be embarrassing to me at this point, I think, really."
Interviewer: " That sounds like a very humble attitude."
Jerry: " Yeah, if you were me, you wouldn't think so."
I love his self-effacing humor. Ego-less. So articulate but so down to earth.
Not just self-effacing -- like a lot of addicts, I think Jerry had at least a little bit of self-loathing going on, when he realized how tragically short he'd fallen of his own dreams and ideals. (Probably one of the reasons why he said "Mission In the Rain" spoke so deeply to him.)
Jerry Garcia was the most fascinating guy in the world.
It's inspiring how even at this stage in his career (not to mention the challenges with his health) he was still learning and developing. His love and dedication for music is abundantly clear.
He also had a very intelligent and intellectual approach to music, without losing the emotional connection.
I heard another interview where he was talking about still usng his old practice books when he was up all night watching tv. The thought of a guy this gifted STILL using his practice books is really inspiring. He never stopped trying to be better.
@@richardsiciliano7117 As should we all.
I love how the picture on the cover of a magazine has jerry Garcia with coke all over his shirt. That’s amazing
i never would have noticed or identified it as cocaine if the interviewer hadnt pointed it out hahaha
Rubin and Cherise is such an amazing tune, to think it took Jer 3 years to compose it! It was worth it.
Wow I love it too
One of my favorites
It’s a perfect song
He disagrees that he is a composer. I disagree with his disagreement!
It was my favorite song for a long period of time
As a life long musician who was heavily influenced by this guy this is gold. Everything he said has been true in my experience of developing on the instrument and songwriting. What amazes me about him is how effortlessly inspiring and insightful he is without ego. Such a rare and special person and I don’t know if he truly knew it
You just have to be unfailingly honest, unusually intelligent, literate, witty, and sincere-and uniquely you. No one truly knows how he seems to others.
Jerry and the Dead were a gateway drug - I mean band. Bluegrass, folk, jazz, country, psychedelic I followed them down every road they travelled.
Same
Yes. They are like a Rosetta Stone of music.
"There's a lot of notes in there, but the notes aren't saying much"......preach it, Jerry....!! 😄
This was Jerry's era of legendary BO...you'd smell him before you saw him. Whatever he's still a fucking wizard
Jerry’s comments about the acoustic guitar are very interesting. They’re a different instrument than the electric. He had so much insight into music and was such a good musician, in every way. His comments are so on point.
It’s so funny to me that I grew up obsessed with the Dead and eventually thanks to advice from a Jerry interview, I started really digging into the whole world of music to a point where I nearly forgot about the Dead and then half a life time later I’m sitting here listening to Jerry gush about so much of the music that I fell in love with over those years away. When he mentioned Pentangle, I just about lost my shit. Thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense that Jerry would love them. He was such a hip guy.
Most striking is Jerry’s humanity. Such a great artist, yet so humble. He is so self deprecating that it is really discordant with his talent. One wonders if his low self esteem was consequent of his problems with addiction. Amazing person and a true genius.
If Garcia suffered from low self-esteem, it isn’t apparent in any interview I’ve seen. It’s merely that, in the first place, he was indefatigably forthright and had no particular desire at all to build himself up for general consumption, and in the second place, as a genuine artist, he was always striving after unreachable achievements. Self-deprecation is just an oratorial style-or even strategy. It pre-emptively disarms your potential critics, and it’s much easier to be amusing that way-which is why so many stand-up comedians strike a self-deprecating pose.
I suppose I am biased by the fact that he was a junkie for much of his adult life and addiction, particulary of a nature that destroys a person and ultimately kills them, tends to wreak havoc on their sense of self. This interview is brutal to listen to, particularly when having read the condition that Garcia was in during it.@@jeffryphillipsburns
I appreciate the fact you added how Jerry maintains his personality after using said substances. People who are not in the know, usually jump to wild conclusions when they hear of someone using substances. The fact is, an intelligent, intellectual person is just that regardless of what substances they have ingested. Of course over indulging in anything is detrimental to one's health and interpersonal life. However, an intelligent person does not suddenly become dumb because they ingest substances most deem taboo. 🖖🙏❤️
Indeed!
I guess it is fine to use drugs then it you are an intelligent intellectual person (sarc). You know the drugs killed him, right? He likely influenced a lot of people to go down the same path.
@@pjjmsn But that is not his responsibility. He said so himself, he is not some worshipable icon. He is another great artist with a horrible addiction. That does not make him a bad person.
@@pjjmsnvictim mentality vs self accountability 👍
I always felt that Garcia was uncomfortable with being in a body, and here we see evidence of that. He chafed at the limitations of the physical world compared to the expanses of the mind. We will all be freed from physical limitations one day. I hope his spirit and energy find peace.
This music literally saved my life, and completely changed the way that I see the world.
Same here. I just danced my ass off for a few hours at a Jerry cover band show. Still having fun all these years later.
Same here, getting into the Grateful Dead in thesummer of 1972 gave me all the perspective and resolve to break away from a horse sniffing habit on the verge of real addiction, Jerry being a catalyst in particular.
So to me it is very sad that my North Star fell for the habit himself.
Cheers Brother. Much Love!!
Same here
same here brother..my path in life drastically changed in mid 80’s after Touch of Gray on MTV and later going deeper as I grew older..I ended up become a full time professional musician and Luthier and Jerry and his bands/music were the biggest catalyst
Wow I've read very descriptive details about the events surrounding the time of this interview but didn't know audio existed. Jerry was always a really lucid guy, obviously his lifestyle destroyed him physically and rapidly but he was never an "out there," zonked out guy, despite the stereotype and folklore. He was an intellectual and a brilliant thinker and talker as well as a talented musician. It's a shame smoking, a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and his abuse of chemicals took such a talented person so young.
His honesty and earnestness is something that most people including myself lack. So sad the devastation of drugs
No doubt... a lot of people think drugs killed him but I really don't think it was the drugs, I think it was the diabetes and the overweightedness and the abuse his heart took, the cigarette smoking the chili dogs etc. A lot of people do heroin and do Coke and live to be 80. Also people will say a lot is a shame he did drugs but the truth is is that the drugs were part and parcel of what energized his mind and his spirit and you just can't throw the dishes out with the dish water or whatever that phrase is lol. He left too young, but maybe not, he burned so bright and the legacy is huge and it was really probably the best thing anyone could have ever hoped for. His brother Bob Weir lives on to this day and when you hear him talk now it's very clear that his biggest thing he cares about is the legacy of the music being handed down and being talked about 300 years later and that will happen
Lol... you can tell when he pauses in the conversation sometimes it's not so much to think about what he wants to say next, instead you can literally hear him think "damn should I pull out this big rock of coke and do lines right in front of this guy? Screw it yeah I'm going to do that"
@@matthewmaurysmith2486 Weir was quoted as saying, 'heroin didn't kill Jerry. Chili dogs killed Jerry.'
Coke doesnt make you "zonked" if anything booze and pills do that. Coke makes you razor sharp, for a little while.
I remember this magazine interview. It’s cool to hear this. I sure do miss Garcia.
The Bluegrass convo at the end is the most genuine I've ever heard Jerry. Just himself enjoying a convo about great music with a guy who obviously knows & appreciates that musical world, (at that point SO far outside the mainstream).
agree. it's my favorite part
Yea that’s the highlight of the interview for sure, he really comes to life there
I really love Jerry's humor. This is a beautiful gem. Thank you so much for posting this! : )
That was easily the best interview with Garcia I have heard. Classic!
Absolutely, so engaged and doesn't feel like a traditional interview. Jas Obrecht really did a fine job, with the dialogue and keeping up. The EVH part was kinda funny too.
a connoisseur of great music,a great critic of music and non music, a great collaborator who shared his knowledge of everything, a humble beautiful soul who sang sweetly and rocked us with his lullabies. miss him so. he deserved 100 years!
I believe this interview took place at 84 Hepburn Heights in the hills above San rafael in which Jerry lived in the downstairs bedroom for most of the first half or so of the 80s. Such a great interview, thank you so much for this!!❤❤🎉🎉
Jerry in Red. Always an interesting time and sharp as a tack. I have this magazine and have read it 50 times. Thank you "Talking Guitar" / "Frets" for putting this up with such care and respect. You have thousands of Grateful Bears out here saluting you. Peace.
Trouble ahead Jerrys in red.
@@daveyboy8907glad I checked first, I was just about to post that :)
"For me it's the next note, not the last one."
"for me, its about the next note, not the last one" right on jerr!
As someone who has played music live on many occasions, Jerry is so articulate about what goes through a player’s mind and the thought process during the making of live music
Jerry was such a beautiful dude. I could listen to Jerry talk music all day.
Even in his deepest state of addiction still articulate, engaging & so interesting. Love to hear him speak on any subject that interested him. Thanks for putting this up!
This was released on my 20th birthday over 38 years have passed by since that day.
what a great interview. what a treat. the interviewer was FANTASTIC.
Jas keeps knocking it out of the park!
Amazing vid! Thank you!
Old and in the Way is still one of my favorite records.
Did anyone ever ask him how he's doing?
Wonderful interview! What a fascinating look behind the curtain. Jerry’s musical mind a revalation but his humor and humanity sparkle. We miss you man!
This is outstanding thank you !
Stanley Brothers to me also were the pinnacle of vocal blends. I appreciate his take on bluegrass being more a band sound than an individual players music. Vern Williams’s solo bands understood this, and the vocal blending is the great missing component in modern music in general. The 60’s felt much more vocal blend friendly and the Monterrey Pop Festival film is a great testament to this.
Also love Pentangle and so happy to hear him cite them as a great band.
Fantastic! So great to hear him taking about playing and music instead of the "history of the 60s" and "phenomenon of the Grateful Dead" most interviews asked over and over again. I really enjoyed this candid talk as a guitar player. Thank you!
Definitely off that beaten path. Nice!
Awesome, thanks!
Lovely interview. Thanks for posting.
What a wonderful interview. Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you. This was absolutely inspiring.
18:18 re EVH, “The notes aren’t saying much.” Says a lot about Jerry’s own intention to be expressive through his lead playing, establishing mood and creating and resolving tension, perhaps even telling a story through music.
I'm guessing Jer didn't listen to a whole lot of EVH's music. Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
shredders notes are merely saying 'hey look at me, i can shred!'
Wonder what he thought of Jeff Beck …
Thanks for this .
This is a great listen! Thanks for sharing.
Thank U 4 posting!! Quite informative in several aspects
Thanks for this, might be one of the best interviews ive heard!
Great interview ..Thanks for the upload ..we miss you jerry 💜✌️
I am so glad I found your channel! These interviews are so historically important to any guitar player. Thanks!!
This is my favorite Jerry interview. Very awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Had the original Frets issue when it came out. I bought the first Pentangle record solely based on Garcia's comments in this interview. Had never heard of them until then. Great to actually hear this interview for the first time,
“Jerry is the most alive dead person of all time.”
Wow, certainly a well-known interview in Jerry land, and amazing to hear the audio. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so much for posting this , Good to Hear Jerry talking Music .
Such a great interview.
He was asked questions I was always curious about.
This is a real gem, thanks for posting
great interview -- great questions/responses.
Nice to hear kind words about the late, great Clarence White.
Back in the summer of '85, was given one of the solo Jerry/Kahn bootleg tapes and on it was a piece of this interview which I always loved hearing. Very cool to hear the whole interview here after all these years. Thank you for posting
I’ve read this interview countless times and always thought it was a great exchange. Really wonderful to find the audio for the first time. Thanks Jas!
Jerry could write the book on "musical neuroscience" ... a genius articulating such rich language, insights into creative process, execution and improvisation ..the challenges and nuances.. with humility and humor .. one of my artistic idols
Jerry was incredibly knowledgeable about music -- he could have taught a college-level musicology course.
Fantastic!
Thank you!!!
Fantastic interview.. Jerry Garcia was an articulate person... unfortunate that he had to battle the demons he had. The man was a tremendous talent and inspiration.. he was a major influence on my playing and approach... thanks for posting :)
I’m I’m p
Jas is a great interviewer. Great questions and very knowledgeable
Awesome! I actually have a copy of that mag in super shape. Going to frame it. Thanks for this
Wow... 10/10.. Thank you.
Very cool! I bought this mag on the news stand. Still have it in my collection. Thanks for this!!!!
Any chance you could share the 13 banjo rolls?
This was a fun listen !
This has never occurred to me before, but now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard jerry talk about guitars or guitarists at all. Looking forward to listening to this. Hopefully they get into the nitty gritty.
Thank you sooo much for this
Just amazing.
Cool interview.
He mentions Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt as favorites and influences. If you haven't heard them check em out. It makes perfect sense. You can really hear little pieces of Jerry's style in there.
Totally, same with Reverend Gary Davis too
Django is the first Jerry Garcia = a god of the stringed instruments
He says there's "nobody playing right now" who really impresses him -- I wonder whether he was including someone like John McLaughlin , or maybe Carlos Santana, in that statement? McLaughlin, especially, would strike me as the kind of musician who might really impress Jerry, and with whom he could have a really deep and profound musical conversation.
I was so much inlove with this man that I left him because he couldn’t give up the Heroin for anything ! I couldn’t live like that so I left him ! He came looking for me but went to the wrong island ! Stonington Maine ! Broke my heart + it still does !
“It’s not satisfying too bluff”
I have never heard another musician make this statement.
I completely,emphatically agree .
This is what you get with a lot of cover bands.
They are mimes and can imitate but don’t have a fkn clue.
This is just the coolest thing!!!
Agree across the board.Just a Fantastic Human.I can't really tell he is gacked up he was special God broke his mold. There's only one Jerry Garcia man.
Fantastic
I saw Jerry and John Khan maybe a year before this. Funny how his Golden years of acoustic recording were yet to happen with Grisman
Thank you for posting this. Was really great hearing Jerry during this interview. Snorting lines and all. The picture is classic as well With the "donut powder" all down his shirt.
Incredible
18:50 He is so humble! Just listen how he talks about Django Reinhardt! I talk like this about Jerry haha!
Always blindingly brilliant - felt like a lucky fly on a wall of sound
Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul.
Jerry's timing was impeccable in a comedy sense. Just like in music, it's not just what you say, but when you say it and what the inflection is. He could have been a brilliant standup.
I am really glad all these great interviews exist. The man had a brilliant way with words, and the rhythm and inflection in his voice was much like a musical performance.
I wonder if his gig transcribing Lenny Bruce's words played into that sense of timing and inflection. I'd like to think he soaked up some of that lucid jazz laced wordsmithery from transcribing Bruce. Another brilliant junkie gone too soon. I only hope they both found a profound and eternal peace, finally free of this burden of living in a human form.
He’s such a beautiful person. Really dynamic
GREAT way to put it Bro with a complicated and brilliant man!
Love that news conf in Sweden 1990 when at the end they ask the band what they are going to do tonight in Stockholm. Don’t you want to go see the reindeer sculptures or some such. Jerry: “Are they within two blocks of this building?” 😂
@@Twotontessie I've never seen that one, I need to find that
Sure would've liked to have heard Jerry playing when he was all alone, doin his "personal" type playing. The way he decrbed it seems very interesting.
Space
Yeah same, I was just scanning the replies to see if anyone knew whether or not he pursued/recorded/gave a name to what he's describing here. If after 20 years of all the dead weirdness, he's still at a loss to describe this, then it mustve been way far out there
Being in this state made him the most happy- clearly- so it makes sense he’s talkative and articulate. He’s on his cloud 9. One of the best American songwriters, period.
so true...
That is not what I heard. He didn't sound happy to me. Sounded like he was tweaking.
if i had to hazard a guess i’d say it’s the copious amounts of blow that’s making him talkative, although so much time is spent sniffing im surprised he had time to talk!!!
@@pjjmsn Huh..I didn’t take that away from this interview at all. I simply heard a guy that loves music and loves to talk about it. I think you are hearing the stereotype you associate with Jerry. It’s unfortunate that people can’t believe he’s capable of a conversation such as this one without some sort of chemical enhancement. The man was so much more than the drugs he used.
Thanks for posting this. Just to be clear, it wouldn't quite be accurate to say his health continued to decline after the coma in 86', until he died in 95'.
He made a big effort and was much healthier in 87' and in 89' his health was at it's peak, since, most likely the 70's.
In the fall of 89', it seemed to me and many other hard-core fans that he had overcome everything and was as happy with his playing as he'd ever been. His decline after that is another conversation.
I remember reading this when it first came out.
Regardless of his condition, it is well known that they started at Acid parties.
The most meaningful thing is the aura of the Grateful Dead. Nowhere ever will you find greater happiness at a show. Or the people you met in the parking lot.
This is the way I climb out of depression, or a bad day.
I attended many shows. There will never be another band like this. #proudtobe adeadhead. ❤❤❤❤
Blind Blake is a God to me and certainly a genius! Thanks Jer for putting his name out there
This interview was just a few days shy of my 16th birthday. My 1st show was only a few months later. 51:33
I cannot get enough of your archives! I'm both a huge EVH and Garcia fan! Who'da thunk?
1000% the same, guessing you were born around 68-71?
@@hackdog69 77
If I ever met the man I would have tried to perfectly be anything but the average star struck fan being wowed and praising a rock legend. My approach would have been something like...
Omg !
Jerry
We finally meet, let's party man, can we make that happen today ?
as bad as he was at this time w addiction it's still one of his best interviews as far as just a person talking giving u his incites an opinion on music and the likes..
This is one of my fav Jer interviews. I love the fact that he went to see Dire Straits!! How cool is that. And is that all coke smeared on his shirt in that pic?? I love that you can hear him hit the lines! :)
What an awesome interview.
Jerry Garcia was the ultimate communicator, verbally and fretboard-wise. For some reason the only time that I feel like my brain is normal is when I listen to this guy talk about music. Jerry had ADHD like a mofo, I can tell. I have a channel of melody in my brain too that runs constantly in the background. I struggled with the guitar for 4 years or so trying to learn to play typical cowboy chord rhythm playing. As soon as I stumbled onto lead playing I felt like a fish in water. Since the day I discovered the minor pentatonic thing and was able to start improvising melodies over a backing track it was like I wash a fish who got thrown back into the water- of a pool on the roof of a bullet train 😂. It’s been such a wild ride, in the last 6 months I went from a clunky rhythm player to memorizing all of the mode shapes etc. i dream of getting to the point Jerry spoke of where all these shapes finally disappear. But man, there’s nothing that feels like being able to put on a backing track and just play a melodic solo for as long as your body holds out. It’s a crazy feeling, sort of like floating in liquid music but realizing that you are the music and the water and everything and nothing all at once and being able to hear your own notes coming out somewhere below you. It’s losing all concept of time and space. If I had known this feeling for my first 35 years they’d have been very different. Idk what I did before this therapy. Once I discovered from listening to garcia’s playing sort of little ways to shuffle back and forth between major and minor tonality it sort of allowed me to add another layer of immersion into the river of improvisation. I find myself now at a point where I’m never going to be able to be part of a traditional “band”. Because I feel like it would be constant torture to be forced to play a song the exact same way every night. Sort of like an eternal bad handjob that never finishes and gets dry and scratchy lol. Since the day I discovered modes and pentatonics I now *only* play lead over backing tracks. Now I will let random backing tracks come on and I just feel immediately like okay this feels Aeolian lets try E Aeolian and it’ll start to mix and meld with Mixolydian into dorian into ionian etc. the shapes haven’t dissapeared quite yet, but I can see a speck of light at the end of a tunnel. When I started playing lead it immediately felt like turning on a channel and just trying to get out of it’s way. I am sad to think that I’ll never be able to play with a traditional band. I’m gonna be forced to be part of a Dead tribute band or something lol
I think you're probably right about the ADHD -- he always admitted that it was really difficult for him to concentrate and stay focused on any one thing for any length of time. I've sometimes wondered if the heroin was an attempt (probably an unconscious attempt) to slow things down and relax a little bit. For what it's worth, I think Elvis probably suffered from ADHD as well (he was probably also bipolar), which could also have been one of the reasons behind his drug use.
I need a playlist based on all his references/influences in this, maybe I’ll put one together
The bluegrass album with Scotty Stoneman & Clarence White is The Kentucky Colonels - Livin' in the Past
I have the actual print of Frets jul 1985! Just re-read it a few days ago!
Love that tray on the table. 😉
I appreciate this recording; thanks! I know it’s a bit weird to tell a rock star what to do, but I have to wonder if there was any attempt before the photo-shoot to suggest he put on a fresh t-shirt that he hadn’t been eating powdered donuts in. The resulting image is somewhat sad, but I guess it’s honest.