David Grisman

David Grisman

David Grisman (born March 23, 1945 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label to help spread acoustic and instrumental music.

 

David Grisman is a major figure in American music. His pioneering work, merging jazz, bluegrass and other traditional musics into a new form (now known affectionately as Dawg music) and his promotion of acoustic music have had a widespread influence. He is also a noted producer, composer and co-founder of the Acoustic Discs record label.

 

David Grisman has recorded extensively, initially in jug and bluegrass bands, then as a studio musician in the early 1970s and from the mid 1970s onwards as a band leader, co-leader, guest and more.

 

Though Grisman contributed to the Grateful Dead's American Beauty LP his major connection with the Dead has been his collaborations with Jerry Garcia. They were both members of Old & In The Way in 1973 and the Great American String Band in 1974. In the 1990's they recorded many sessions at Grisman's Dawg Studios. The first recording resulting from these sessions was the Garcia / Grisman CD released in 1991. More followed. David Grisman announced in 2004 that Been All Around This World, released that year, would be the final Garcia / Grisman release.