Grassomoxoa
The fine art of bluegrass and the music of the Grateful Dead have been linked before the Dead even existed. Any fan knows that bluegrass was the foundation of Jerry Garcia’s lifelong commitment to his craft. He would later revisit it in 1973 with the short-lived, yet very influential project, Old and in the Way. It finally came back around in the early 90’s when Garcia-Grisman was formed. Even when bluegrass wasn’t at the forefront for Jerry, it was always a factor just beneath the surface.
Grassomoxoa (a clever nod to the 1969 GD album, Aoxomoxoa) is comprised of four men who are extremely passionate about bluegrass and the Grateful Dead. The idea of merging these two entities is nothing new. However, the way in which they approach it instills the songs with a fresh and vibrant energy. Riley Hill (guitar), Bud Dillard (mandolin), Isaac Cantor (banjo) and Scotty Brown (bass) are old friends who embody the sort of freewheeling spirit that Jerry himself held dear.
You’ve seen them in their other bands, including Grateful Bluegrass Boys, Dusty Green Bones, One Grass Two Grass and Electric Tumbleweed. Here we’ll see them delve deeper than ever before into the far corners of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia songbook. You can count on a magical combination of both traditional string music and progressive jam explorations. It will be just like a late-night picking session around the fire.
Lovin’ DeadWhat does Lovin’ Dead have that other Dead tribute bands don’t? For starters, they have Bobby incarnate with Zach Jones on rhythm guitar and vocals. Were you here when he joined Band Beyond Description in March for the 1984 tribute? It’s downright uncanny how much he captures the sound and the vibe of a young Bobby. There are very few people on the planet who can do that.
This Sonoma band is locked and loaded with a lifelong passion for the Dead which pours out in their incredible musicianship. Guitarist Jay Wilcox has that X-factor; channeling the spirit of Jerry while putting his own stamp on the sound. Jeff Quigley is the perfect counterpoint on keys, bringing forth the essence of all the eras of the Dead into a seamless symphony. These two were seeing the boys together in the late 80s so there’s an extra authenticity in their connection when summoning magic from the ethers.
When Phil was on, the band was on. Ajeet Campbell understands his role in driving the groove on bass and keeping the dance floor aflame. He’s got that bounce and jazzy freelancing flair; The ideal balance between complexity and simplicity. We’re very excited to report that Mr. Band Beyond Description himself, Gary Campus, will be anchoring the rhythms behind the drum kit. There’s no one more enthusiastic than Gary in pouring his heart into this music and preparing to improvise. We can’t wait to see what these cats have cooked up for us this time around!
