Jerry Garcia: The Complete 1985 "Frets" Interview (HD Audio)

[jasobr]

Something special for Grateful Dead fans and lovers of acoustic guitar! This is the complete audio of my wide-ranging January 1985 interview with Jerry Garcia. During our 75-minute conversation, Garcia revealed a wealth of insight into his creative process, guitar playing in general, his favorite musicians, methods for overcoming "ruts," the Grateful Dead, his side projects, and many other subjects. The first part of our conversation focuses on the acoustic guitar. I hope you enjoy it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV7QOrTyKW8&t=285s

For more guitar-intensive podcasts, I invite you to check out my Talking Guitar online magazine at https://jasobrecht.substack.com/

[reeve21]

Thanks for this! I'm subscribing before listening so I don't forget about it in the holiday hubub!!

[raysachs]

Thanks man. I've heard a LOT of Jerry's interviews but never heard that one. The intro about what bad shape he was in (in terms of both drugs and general health) and yet how incredibly articulate and curious and interesting he still managed to be really rang true and was evident within the first few minutes of the interview. But what a fascinating, personable, and funny guy. My favorite line was when he was talking about how he's just trying to get good and you said something to the effect of 'that's a really humble attitude' and his response: "you wouldn't think so if you were me". Man, I was laughing as hard as everyone in the room was. I'd have loved to have talked to that guy at some point, but I was lucky just to see and hear him play a number of times.

Thanks for sharing this,

-Ray

[aK_bAsh7]

Originally Posted by jasobr

Something special for Grateful Dead fans and lovers of acoustic guitar! This is the complete audio of my wide-ranging January 1985 interview with Jerry Garcia. During our 75-minute conversation, Garcia revealed a wealth of insight into his creative process, guitar playing in general, his favorite musicians, methods for overcoming "ruts," the Grateful Dead, his side projects, and many other subjects. The first part of our conversation focuses on the acoustic guitar. I hope you enjoy it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV7QOrTyKW8&t=285s

For more guitar-intensive podcasts, I invite you to check out my Talking Guitar online magazine at https://jasobrecht.substack.com/

Very enjoyable, not only in terms of guitar per se but also Garcia's intellect, esthetic perspectives and sense of humor. Thanks!

[RussellHawaii]

Thanks for this, I had not heard it or seen the interview. I learned the basics of acoustic guitar from others, but I learned most of what I know about guitar playing from Jerry. Long before YouTube, my learning came from friends teaching me, and watching Jerry play up close.
As always, his intelligence and humor shine through.
I wrote a song in tribute to Jerry, I hope it’s ok to link it here.
https://youtu.be/-P4NN3a9mgE

[started with 1]

Thanks for this. I had not heard it either. Consistent with his great sense of humor and big intellect. In addition to his really unique playing, I think Jerry Garcia will be remembered equally if not more for his songwriting cannon.

[Synrel]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of history.

And thank you Jerry...

[marciero]

Yes thanks. Thought I'd heard/read everything but this was great. Jerry was a major influence on my playing. Really interesting perspectives on guitar and music generally.

[aK_bAsh7]

"I think Jerry Garcia will be remembered equally if not more for his songwriting cannon"

I hope this will come to pass, in time. At this point in history, it would appear that the media's myopic focus upon the external, counter-cultural aspects of the band and their associated scene still tends to impede widespread appreciation for the quality of the music.

Personally, I rate the Hunter/Garcia songwriting partnership as equal to any in American history. As a listener, their maddening inconsistency drives me nuts but that doesn't interfere with my appreciation for the songs, many of which I enjoy playing.

[SpruceTop]

Jas, This Is Gold! Thank You Very Much!

[started with 1]

Originally Posted by aK_bAsh7

"I think Jerry Garcia will be remembered equally if not more for his songwriting cannon"



I hope this will come to pass, in time. At this point in history, it would appear that the media's myopic focus upon the external, counter-cultural aspects of the band and their associated scene still tends to impede widespread appreciation for the quality of the music.



Personally, I rate the Hunter/Garcia songwriting partnership as equal to any in American history. As a listener, their maddening inconsistency drives me nuts but that doesn't interfere with my appreciation for the songs, many of which I enjoy playing.

Learning guitar later in life, way past my peak fan obsession, and being able, after a few years of cowboy chording, to play most of the melodic Hunter/Garcia songs, I’m convinced that it’s the songs that make the scene. Like you, my appreciation for the songwriting craft is enormous. One of the best American songwriting pair ever. Bob Weir predicts the music will last for the next 2-300 years. I agree. It’s the songs.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by started with 1

Learning guitar later in life, way past my peak fan obsession, and being able, after a few years of cowboy chording, to play most of the melodic Hunter/Garcia songs, I’m convinced that it’s the songs that make the scene. Like you, my appreciation for the songwriting craft is enormous. One of the best American songwriting pair ever. Bob Weir predicts the music will last for the next 2-300 years. I agree. It’s the songs.

As much fun as i've had at a number of Phish shows over the years, the thing that makes me a hard-core Deadhead and more of a casual Phish fan is the songs. Most Phish songs are good jumping off points for their jams, but don't really hold up very well as SONGS that really get into your song-loving heart. The Dead wrote SONGS that hold up on every level, that get under your skin and stay there. That can be played by jam-band virtuosos and also by casual hacks like me. I've never even tried playing any Phish songs and can't imagine I ever will, but I play Dead stuff almost every day, certainly no less than weekly. Mostly Garcia-Hunter, but also quite a few Weir-Barlowe. The stuff is timeless. Of American songwriters from my era, I put them right up there with Dylan, Joni, Petty, and Springsteen. And I tend to put the Dead at the top. I'd have trouble rating any of those folks any higher than the others, but the Dead songs are as great (and prolific) as any...

-Ray

[nuchdig]

Thanks fort posting! Summer '85 was our first "all in" tour. Hit quite a bit of Spring '86 and his health had clearly declined. By summer '86 it was concerning. I mean, I'm just some dude in the crowd. We all noticed. So it was clearly bad. Your description of him brought back those memories. Great interview

[champ0608]

Thank you very much for posting this. I haven't had a chance to really dig into it yet, but I'm excited to do so, just after yoga with my wife tonight.

When I was 17, in 2004, I had just gotten a 1993 Jeep, still with casette player. I didn't own a single tape, and my cousin, an avid Dead Head, gave my the Pizza Tapes, on tape, for Christmas that year. It was my introduction to all three ; Garcia, Rice, and Dawg. And they've been my musical "holy trinity" since.

It wasn't long after that, I got my first Martin, started learning the old time tunes on the Pizza Tapes, and began seeking people to play them with. In college, at NAU in Flagstaff, I met a couple bluegrass devotees, and we've been jammin on Jerry's acoustic works one Friday a month ever since.

It is a shame to hear he was far enough down the rabbit hole that he was openly doing hard drugs in mixed company at the time. Probably his biggest weakness. Nonetheless, I love him and his music, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say. I'll report back later.

[SGFletch]

This is great. As a 'head and a guitarist, this is great archival material.

I also subscribed to your substack.

Wonderful stuff. Thank you!