A few times each year I rediscover the Grateful Dead.  


Whether its listening in the yard (while raking leaves, like today) on the 1980s tape deck I bought at Bradlees (precursor to Target in New City, NY) in my backyard shed that happens to have two ’87 bootlegs in the dual cassette deck…


Or catching a particularly good Help Slipknot cruising the Palisades on a sunny afternoon (like during the recent Indian Summer)…

The sun rises above the Hudson coming down 6th Ave in Nyack.

And sometimes when picking up my guitar while waiting for the rigatoni water to boil and noodling the opening ringing chords to Wharf Rat…


I never know when I will get hit by the Grateful Dead bug, which always (100 % of the time) invokes good vibes.


A few weeks ago (10-18-16 to be exact) I caught spring fever and pulled the top off my Jeep. Just as I hit the peak of Sixth Avenue in Nyack and the unobstructed view of the Hudson River with the morning sun rising over the water, an amazing Dark Star > Morning Dew > Deal from 44 years ago to the date (10-18-72 in St. Louis) echoed through my car stereo via Sirius Radio. I must admit, the music was quite loud at this point. The few people I passed walking their dogs each did a double take. I just waved.

The band was smoking hot that night.  As other Heads know so well, that quick burst of music was all it took me to be on the brighter side of life for the rest of the day.


It just so happens, the next day (10-19-16) the Grateful Dead Channel played the show from the next night… which was also particularly unique and potent.


Soon after, I caught a bit on the new release of the complete Keystone Tapes that featured the jazz band Jerry Garcia put together with piano man Merl Saunders, bassest John Kahn and drummer Bill Vitt. That original CD has been a staple in my collection for 25 years since hearing it for the first time in my friend John Shanley’s older brother’s (Mike) room. Now hearing the broader set of previously unreleased music from that session in July 1973 is a gas.


Here is an interview from 2012 with Vitt on those recordings.


In his more recent interview with David Gans I enjoyed hearing him talk about the days when he and John Kahn (who lived a few blocks away in Marin County at the time) would constantly be playing in the studio together in support of other front men. They progressed to a heavy organ trio group in the 60s when they met Garcia.


Garcia was fascinated with the jazz style of play and flourished with this group of musicians.

One of the memorable quotes from the Vitt interview I heard was  that “John Kahn would NEVER loose the “pocket” when they played.  He was very reliable on stage. That man knew how to hold “The Head” of a jam.”


Here is a link to Someday Baby from that set of shows with Vitt.