This document provides a summary of recent activities of members of the Grateful Dead music scene and community. It discusses performances and projects by Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux, and others. It also announces the formation of a new band called Furthur featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, John Kadlecik, and Joe Russo.

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p u b l i s h e d i n Ma r i n C o u n t y , C a l if o r n i a
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were fortunate to share the experience, put
DeaD WorlD rounDup
By Gary Lambert
the “grateful” back in the equation in no
uncertain terms.
c
Garden and (for And speaking of those various indi-
CHANGE the last time, as it’s vidual endeavors…
If there was one word that charac- scheduled for demo- Their usual spring tour activities supplant-
terized the past year, that was it: Change, lition) Philadelphia’s ed by their leader’s otherwise-engaged sta-
for good or ill, was in the air everywhere; Spectrum; a cou- tus, RatDog more than made up for lost
Political change, societal change, cultur- ple of gigs in New time during the summer. The ’dog took
al change — and, more ominously, global Jersey with old to the road just after the 4th of July (the
climate change and cataclysmic econom- friend Branford band’s first gigs since a sweet Caribbean
ic change (the latter of which had a good Marsalis providing idyll in January at the Grand Lido resort
many folks worrying about spare change). added inspiration; in Negril, Jamaica). Despite the layoff
Change being the dominant constant in our an amazing night at there were few signs of road rust, as the
corner of the Universe for more than four the L.A. Forum that band hit the road full throttle. Tour high-
decades, we here in DeadWorld felt right at Curtain call: Mickey, Bill, Phil, Bob, Warren and Jeff, feelin’ the love did considerable lights featured dates with such friends as
from the audience at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA,
home in the midst of the tumult. damage to the no- moe. and Jackie Greene sharing the bill,
5/10/09. Photo: ©Jay BlakesBerg
c tion that Southern and a performance (joined by special guest
The surviving members of the The band gave New York City a delec- Californians are too mellow – those folks Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay) at one
Grateful Dead and extended family were table taste of things to come with a breath- gave the New York and Philly crowds a run of the perennial favorites among summer
an integral part of the process of effecting less jaunt through the Big Apple on March for their money in the energy and enthusi- music events, the Gathering of the Vibes
change, through their active role in the his- 30th, with an event called “Free The Dead!” asm department! The musical results were in Bridgeport, CT. In the mix-and-match
toric campaign, election and inauguration (aka “The Taxi Tour”): three shows in dif- impressive, to say the least — the group- jamming spirit of the event, Bobby put in a
of Barack Obama as 44th President of the ferent Manhattan venues in one day, all mind was in full effect and The Zone open little extra work of his own as a delightful
United States. That activity in turn gave of them free of charge (with tickets given for business, with Warren and Jeff hav- drop-in with the Levon Helm Band.
impetus to positive change on the musi- away online and through radio stations). ing no trouble at all jumping into the con- c
cal front, as Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill It started out with an acoustic afternoon versation with the Core Four. In fact, Mr. One of the most gratifying elements
Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart (abetted show by Phil, Bob and Warren at the Angel Chimenti, who was a crucial participant of experiencing RatDog on tour in 2009
by Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti) Orensanz Center, a beautiful 19th Century in the nightly sonic safaris with Bill and was the chance to observe the continued
reconvened (as The Dead) to perform to- former synagogue-turned-arts-center on Mickey, was accorded a rare honor indeed — good health and creative revitalization of
gether for the first time in five years. In a the Lower East Side; then it was on to elec- induction, in a backstage ceremony in New Mark Karan, whose recovery from can-
continuation of a sequence of events that tric full-band fun at the Gramercy Theater York, into the ranks of the Rhythm Devils cer and return to peak musical form — as-
began with the “Dead Heads for Obama” (a cozy converted movie house); and final- (complete with presentation of horns, cape sisted immeasurably, he says, by all the
benefit in San Francisco in February 2008, ly the venerable Roseland Ballroom near and pitchfork)! love and good wishes sent his way by fam-
the band played another fundraiser for the Times Square. It was a day those lucky c ily, friends and fans — is as moving and in-
Democratic candidate in October — the enough to attend won’t soon forget. When the tour wrapped up at The spiring as it gets. Mark took advantage of
“Change Rocks” show (with the Allman c Gorge in Quincy, WA on May 16th (with a some of his RatDog downtime to complete
Brothers Band) in the battleground state The big tour (just one show at one marathon show also featuring the Allman his long-awaited solo album Walk Through
of Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter came venue a day, thank you!) started for real on Brothers Band and the Doobie Brothers), The Fire, about which you’ll find more on
the hoped-for announcement that The April 12th in Greensboro, NC, made its way there was a mutual feeling, among band page 5. And for all the latest info on Mark:
Dead would do a full-on tour in the spring to many of the longtime Dead strongholds and audience alike, of a job well done and markkaran.com
of 2009. in the Northeast, then hopped from the then some, and the members of The Dead c
c Midwest to the Rockies to the West Coast, — save for a one-off show in July at the Also on the RatDog extracurricu-
Before the tour began, The Dead had ending up in Washington state in mid-May. Rothbury Festival in Michigan — returned lar front: Jay Lane’s hip-hop/funk outfit
the singular honor of performing for the The net result: 22 dates in all, over 150 to their individual endeavors and collabo- Band of Brotherz issued its first album,
President, Mrs. Obama and supporters at different songs played, countless minds rations. What the future portends for The Deadbeatz, Vol. 1. It’s a startlingly fresh
the Mid-Atlantic States Ball, one of the blown. Among the high points were spec- Dead as a group is unknown, but this much project that incorporates samples of clas-
largest inaugural celebrations, on January tacular shows at some of the most revered can be said: for that fleeting precious pe- sic Grateful Dead songs, transforming
20th, the day Mr. Obama took office. GD venues, including Madison Square riod they spent together this year, they did them into entirely new compositions. The
honor to a great legacy and, for all of us who Brotherz came to the East Coast while The
Dead were on tour and played a series of
continues on page 2
Friends of the devil: Jeff gets his horns, cape and
pitchfork from Mickey and Bill (with Mike Gordon
hovering), Madison Square Garden, NYC,
4/25/09 Photo: ©Jay BlakesBerg
How does the song go?: The Dead running some tunes with
Branford Marsalis in the rehearsal room at Izod Center in East Home field advantage: Playing one for the locals, at Shoreline
Rutherford, NJ, 4/29/09 Photo: © Jay BlakesBerg Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, 5/10/09
Photo: ©roBert Minkin
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DeaD WorlD rounDup For more on the BK3 (or 4) and other ture called FURTHUR, a melding of new
continued from page 1 Kreutzmann news, check out Bill’s spiffy and old friends featuring guitarist John
late-night gigs after the Dead shows, mak- brand-new website: billkreutzmann.com Kadlecik (of the Dark Star Orchestra)
ing lots of new fans along the way. You can c and drummer Joe Russo (Benevento-
join the ranks of those fans by visiting Need we tell you what was happen- Russo Duo), joining the familiar faces of
bandofbrotherz.org ing in the world of Donna Jean Godchaux RatDog’s Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti. The
c MacKay? You got it — change! After a couple combination of players deeply rooted in
Congratulations are due Mickey of happy years with Donna Jean and the the traditions of Grateful Dead music and
Hart, whose Global Drum Project (with Tricksters, Donna went back to basics others relatively new to the scene offered
Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju and with a smaller, leaner, funkier band, now the potential for some very intriguing cre-
Giovanni Hidalgo) took the Grammy called simply the Donna Jean Godchaux ative chemistry indeed. Exciting previews
Like fine wine… Bob Weir joins Taj Mahal at a
Award in the “Best Contemporary World Rex Foundation benefit, 6/11/09 at Silver Oaks Band. Staying on from the DJ/Tricksters of coming attractions turned up in the form
Music” album category. Mickey, Zakir, Cellar, Oakville, CA. More on Rex below in the period is the great guitarist/singer Jeff of online videos from the group’s rehears-
Sikiru and Giovanni were previously part- Community Corner. Photo: © roBert Minkin Mattson, joined by one of Jeff’s old pals als, and the high expectations were fully
nered on the groundbreaking 1991 release guitarist Michael Hinton. For more in- from the Zen Tricksters, drummer Joe satisfied as the new combo made its debut
Planet Drum, which won the very first formation and to purchase the CD, visit Chirco, plus Donna’s husband David with three wildly successful performances
Grammy ever awarded in that category. jimmcpherson.net MacKay on bass and Mark Adler on key- in September at Oakland’s beautifully re-
Mickey, Zakir and Sikiru were part And for all the latest from Mickey’s boards. The resulting sound is a bit closer stored Fox Theatre.
of a celebration of a more somber kind on world: mickeyhart.net to the Southern Soul feel that Donna grew Summing up the shows, our corre-
September 9th, when they joined saxo- c to love as a child in the fabled music com- spondent Blair Jackson wrote (in de-
phonist Paul Winter for a beautiful per- Bill Kreutzmann’s latest musical ad- munity of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but still tailed reviews you can read in full at dead.
formance at a memorial event in tribute venture, the BK3, begun last year in part- leaves lots of room for the jamming that her net): “Whew. This band is for real. Keep an
to the great broadcast journalist Walter nership with guitarist Scott Murawski Dead Head fans crave. Learn more at: don- open mind. And don’t miss ’em if they come
Cronkite, who died on July 17th at the and bassist Oteil Burbridge, continued najeangodchauxband.com to your town!”
age of 92. Mickey, who enjoyed a long to evolve and, yes, change. Oteil, one of the c And will they be coming to your
friendship with the legendary CBS News busiest, most in-demand players anywhere, Appropriately, just as we were begin- town? Well, just as we were going to press,
anchorman, was one of several speakers had to bow out of the project due to a few ning this new print edition of the Almanac, a batch of new dates were announced for
(including President Obama) who eulogized too many musical and personal obligations change manifested itself yet again, with the December in the Northeast. You can get de-
Mr. Cronkite, offering affectionate remem- — hey, a guy has to go home sometime! But announcement that Phil Lesh & Bob Weir tailed info about these, and any fast-break-
brances of their times together (which in- ready to jump in was another terrific bass were making plans for a new musical ven- ing news of more to come, at furthur.net
cluded several Grateful Dead shows. That’s player: James “Hutch” Hutchinson,
right: Walter Cronkite was One Of Us!). probably best known for his long (and still
Mickey also had a major hand in one ongoing) tenure in the band of Bonnie
of the most poignant music releases of Raitt. Hutch has a well-deserved reputa-
2009: A Promise Kept, a posthumous tes- tion as a great “in-the-pocket” blues/R&B/
tament by talented Bay Area singer-song- rock ‘n’ roll player, but he’s also got deep
writer Jim McPherson, who passed away roots in the Bay Area improv-rock scene,
in 1985 at the far-too-young age of 40. The and only too happy to bust out of that pocket
promise referred to in the title was a si- every now and again and stretch out. The
lent pledge to McPherson from his wife BK3 provides a perfect opportunity to do
Evy, to see the album to completion and so, and Hutch rose to the task with ease. The
release. 24 years later, that promise has 3 became a 4 on its successful late-spring
indeed been kept, and the music world is tour, when the multi-talented singer/song-
richer for it. The album was recorded at writer/guitarist/fiddler/etc Tara Nevins, Further adventures: (Above) The
Hart’s barn at his former home in Novato, from the wonderful roots-rock band Donna new group (L-R: Chimenti, Lesh,
Russo, Lane, Weir, Kadlecik) on-
CA, and featured a stellar cast of Northern The Buffalo joined the party. stage during the triumphant debut
California talent, including, in addition to Bill’s also found time to get in weekend at the Oakland Fox;
Mickey on drums, the late Merl Saunders some enjoyable and productive time with
(Right) Feelin’ some
on keyboards, Bobby Vega on bass, sing- the Mississippi-born, Louisiana-raised, love of their own.
er/multi-instrumentalist Vicki Randle, Texas-based guitarist/singer/songwriter Photos: © Jay BlakesBerg
harmonica ace Norton Buffalo and Papa Mali ( papamali.com)
Community Corner
Los Angeles, and is available for showings arts, provide social and economic justice,
at colleges and film festivals. To learn more preserve indigenous cultures, build strong
about the film and future opportunities to communities and educate children and
free food, freak-out counseling, peacekeep- see this indispensable cultural document, adults everywhere.
ing and other assistance to the stranded visit rippleeffectfilms.com Since the Grateful Dead ended its
and hungry hordes at the Woodstock Wavy’s own home in cyberspace: touring life in 1995, Rex has relied on the
festival 40 years ago this past summer; and wavygravy.net generosity and activism of you, the mem-
perhaps most remarkably of all, his tireless And to learn how you can help the Seva bers of the Dead Head community and
work as co-founder/fundraiser/goodwill Foundation continue its ongoing tradition others who have joined the cause as the
Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie is ambassador of the Seva Foundation, an of compassion in action: seva.org Foundation has broadened its focus and
a hugely entertaining, moving and inspir- organization dedicated for more than three its outreach over the years.
ing new documentary by decades to a philosophy To continue your support of Rex, visit
filmmaker Michelle Esrick: of “compassion in action,” rexfoundation.org
a labor of love ten years serving people around the
in the making, tracing
the amazing journey of
world who are struggling
for health, cultural survival
In Memoriam:
Wavy Gravy — the man, and sustainable communi- Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
the clown, the ice cream ties. The film features rare The Rex Foundation was on the road (1922-2009)
flavor — from his days in archival footage of Wavy again this past summer, making friends on Master musician and educator; founder of the
the 1950s/early 60s as a from all phases of his life, the festival circuit, raising consciousness Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA
poet/standup comic (then as well as recently filmed and needed funds for a variety of good (recipient of the Rex Foundation’s 2008 Ralph J.
known as Hugh Romney) sequences of the man at causes. Gleason Award).
in Greenwich Village, work and play, plus first- Since the Grateful Dead's first Rex
opening shows for jazz hand testimony and music Benefit in the spring of 1984, fans have
John “Marmaduke” Dawson
(1945-2009)
icons including Thelonious Monk and John from such friends, colleagues and admirers made it possible for the Rex Foundation to
Singer/songwriter/guitarist; Co-founder of
Coltrane and hanging out with such pals as as Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ramblin’ grant $8.4 million to over 1,000 programs
New Riders of the Purple Sage; co-writer (with
Bob Dylan and Lenny Bruce; to his lifelong Jack Elliot, Buffy Sainte-Marie and the band across the United States and internation-
Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter) of “Friend of
commitment to political and social activism; with whom Wavy was most closely associ- ally. The Rex Foundation grants support
the Devil”
his role as patriarch of the rolling commu- ated over the years, the Grateful Dead. grassroots programs working in bold,
nal family known as the Hog Farm, which Saint Misbehavin’ has enjoyed successful innovative ways to secure a healthy en- “May the four winds blow you safely
attained international renown for providing theatrical engagements in New York and vironment, promote individuality in the home…”
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COMIX
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