Grateful Dawg [2002]

Amazon.co.uk Review

At its best, Grateful Dawg celebrates the easy friendship and truly inspired musicianship of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman through grainy home-movie footage with surprisingly crisp sound. Garcia was famous as the visionary behind the Grateful Dead, but his musical tastes were broad and he found a rewarding partnership with mandolinist Grisman, whose distinctive "Dawg" style fused jazz with bluegrass. As one of the film's commentators says, Grisman made Garcia tighter as a musician, while Garcia made Grisman looser, and where they met they created an infectious, rootsy style they called Grateful Dawg. The film's many highlights include instrumental versions of "Dawg Waltz", "Shady Grove" and "Arabia", as well as splendid footage from Garcia and Grisman's days in Old & In The Way. The talking heads inserted ham-fistedly between and over performances become repetitious and finally downright annoying. But Garcia and Grisman fans will still enjoy the glimpse of a rare musical alchemy. --Anne Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Garcia's Swansong........2004-08-20

This is an essential acquisition for any Deadhead or indeed any lover of good country and bluegrass music.Filmed during the years preceding his death in Aug 1995 following years of illness and a losing battle with the Persian pipe,Jerry goes back to his roots with Dave 'Dawg'Grisman, whose pristine mandoline playing on "American Beauty" added to the sheer joy of that album.After again collaborating with Grisman,and with the addition of Peter Rowan,Vassar Clements and John Kahn on the excellent "Old and in the Way" in 1975,Jerry spent many productive hours of the early Nineties at Dave Grisman's house,jamming and spending time with his family,and this DVD lovingly documents that period.Features a special "pop video" by Justin Kreutzmann,son of Bill Kreutzmann,Grateful Deads'drumming backbone.
It is fitting that Jerry should return to his roots in traditional American music,which really means the folk music of the whole world!

Average customer rating:

Garcia's Swansong.

Grateful Dawg [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring: David Grisman , Ricky Jay , Jerry Garcia , Joe Craven , and Jim Kerwin
Director: Gillian Grisman
Manufacturer: Columbia TriStar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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