Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band-Ragged But Right



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Approximately 66 minutes of music. The digitally edited sound is crisp and clean, yet has a warmth to it which is essential for this type of music. The disc is slipped inside a pocket in the billfold style cardboard holder. Inside the holder is a color photo of the band onstage, personnel listing, song titles, lengths, and composer (s). The booklet tells the history of the band, and has several very small photos of the band members. Curiously, if you purchase the first album "Almost Acoustic", there's notes on each song for both albums.

This is the second album by the JERRY GARCIA ACOUSTIC BAND, that was scheduled to be released a number of years ago, but circumstances delayed that release until now. In a nutshell-if you liked the first album, you'll like this one. The tracks for "Ragged But Right" come from the same series of concerts from 1987, recorded at the Lund-Fontane Theater in New York City, (11 tracks + band introductions),the Wilturn Theater in Los Angeles, and the Warfield Theater in San Fransisco (3 tracks). For those who don't know, the players are-Jerry Garcia-guitar/vocals, David Nelson (who played with the great NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE)-guitar/vocals, Sandy Rothman-mandolin/dobro/banjo/vocals, John Kahn-string bass, Kenny Kosek-fiddle/bass vocals, and David Kemper (Bob Dylan's drummer)-snare drum. Sometimes people new to this music hear the name Jerry Garcia, the "Garcia/psychedelic" factor can overshadow the other musicians, but one listen and you realize you're hearing a band of equals. They play this music simply because they love the sound they make, the straightforward lyrics tell a (sometimes) true story, and that purity of purpose shines all through these tunes.

The songs range from traditional (the title track, "Short Life of Trouble", "Deep Elem Blues", "Roas Lee McFall", "Two Soldiers", "If I Lose", "Bright Morning Star", and "Turtle Dove"), to songs by Mel Tillis ("I Ain't Never"), Richard Jones ("Trouble In Mind"), Reno and Smiley ("Drifting With the Tide") Huddie Ledbetter ("Goodnight Irene"), Don Wayne ("It's a Long, Long Way to the Top"), and Charles Moody ("Drifting Too Far From Shore").

The music on this album forms some of the cornerstones of American music. The players are all steeped in country, western, folk, blues, gospel, and bluegrass music. The band's vocal harmonies are like the title of the album-ragged but right. Garcia has a number of lead vocals, with Nelson and the others stepping up to take a turn occasionally. The music itself is based on any, or a combination of the above genres. Kemper's snare drum is the perfect foundation for the music-never calling attention to the rhythm, but always pushing the music along perfectly. Rothman's multi-instrument playing is one of the highlights of this set. And with both Garcia and Nelson on guitars, the sound is full and at times, swinging. Mention should also go to Kosek's fiddle work, which complements the other players perfectly.

This great band lasted only through a couple of dozen or so shows, opening for Garcia's fully electric band. This is the music that captured Garcia's imagination in the beginning, and made him want to play music for the rest of his life. Influenced by "Folkways Anthology of American Music" (if you haven't heard this collection you need to), Garcia credits that set as his first major influence on his own music. Way back when I was in college in Palo Alto, I frequented Kepler's Books, an old style bookstore with large old tables where you could sit and read-all day if you wanted. Occasionally some "strange" people would be playing this funny sounding music-old timey stuff, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Soon, I too, was drawn into this odd sounding (to someone who was into r&r) but strangely satisfying music. I never forgot the impression that music and those players (one of them Garcia before he had a beard-just sideburns and sometimes a funny looking cap) had on my narrow range of music. Eventually, much later the NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (David Nelson's and Marmaduke's band) became one of my favorite groups, with Garcia playing his peddle steel and singing in his plaintive style, (along with HOT TUNA-playing acoustic country blues during JEFFERSON AIRPLANE shows), before the Dead at concerts. But that aside, this album is chock full of that same good time feeling that these plain, straightforward songs, played by great musicians can only provide. It puts a smile on your face and sets your toe to tapping. It's nice to know this style of music is still alive, still very worthwhile. This music just rolls along with an honesty that's very refreshing. Listen to this and you'll hear why this music is so good, and still has a place in the present.