Garcia: An
American Life
by Blair
Jackson
Book Information
Blair
Jackson's homepage has a section called the Cutting Room
Floor. It has the "outtakes" to this book, which are
the pages removed from the submitted manuscript, to meet the
publisher demands.
Blair
Jackson has written liner notes for many Grateful Dead and Jerry
Garcia Band CD's releases, was on the box-set So Many Roads
team.
Book Description
He was there when Dylan
went electric, when a generation danced naked at Woodstock, and when
Ken Kesey decided to start playing with acid. He was one of the most
gifted musicians of all time. Folk, blues, ragtime, rock 'n' roll,
jazz, calypso, R&B, modern classical--there was no musical genre
that Jerry Garcia couldn't master. He was unique; he was a member of
one of the most worshiped rock 'n' roll bands in history. But much
of Garcia's talent and intelligence has been obscured by the larger
than life image of the Grateful Dead. Now, renowned journalist Blair
Jackson strips away the myth in a portrait of the real Jerry
Garcia--the musical genius, the brilliant songwriter, and
ultimately, the tortured soul plagued by his own addiction.
Garcia: An American Life is
the ultimate look at "a wounded warrior." Jackson, who
covered the Grateful Dead for twenty-five years, has gained unique
access to Garcia's family and intimate friends--from his first wife
Sara to band members and band associates. In a book to be published
on the fourth anniversary of Garcia's death, Jackson explores his
life with sensitivity and insight. This is the ultimate tribute to
the man who, Bob Dylan said, "had no equal."
About the Author
Blair Jackson has written about Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead
for nearly thirty years. His other books include the 2006 release Grateful
Dead Gear, Grateful
Dead: The Music Never Stopped and Goin'
Down the Road: A Grateful Dead Traveling Companion.
Amazon.com
Anyone who ever attended a Grateful Dead show knows all too well how
many "fans" virtually ignored the music in their pursuit
of fun. What's worse, scores of closed-minded music critics
dismissed the music out of hand simply because of the antics of
these so-called fans. Author Blair Jackson sets out on a commendable
mission to bring Jerry Garcia the musician into clear focus. Tapping
his experience as both a devout Deadhead and a veteran journalist,
Jackson's mission is a roaring success. He painstakingly details
every musical turn that the Dead took and discusses every side
project Garcia embarked on--from the endless stream of bluegrass,
old-time, and jug bands of the early 1960s through collaborations
both famous and obscure. (Even dedicated fans may not know of
Garcia's futile attempt at joining Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys.)
Garcia emerges as a talented, versatile, and obsessive musician with
a voracious appetite for all forms of music--as long as it came from
the heart.
In the process of documenting his musical career, Jackson also
presents a picture of Garcia's fascinating offstage life, including
the events and inspiration that translated into songs and solos. The
author conducted scores of interviews with Garcia himself and with
anyone else who could provide insight into Garcia's personality.
While never glossing over the unseemly aspects of Garcia's life,
Jackson doesn't dwell on them either. In fact, he openly offers
connections between Garcia's drug use and his music when they prove
appropriate. Neophytes may be turned off by the constant detailed
references to specific songs and shows--even particular sound
effects--but for the avid follower, Jackson's comprehensive book is
a wonderful celebration of an underrated and misunderstood musician.
--Marc Greilsamer--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
As the front man for the Grateful Dead, the band that epitomized the
'60s hippie counterculture, Jerry Garcia's place in music history is
assured. Yet, Jackson asserts in this detailed biography, Garcia's
genius as a guitarist and songwriter has often been overlooked.
Garcia began as a folk and bluegrass banjo player in such bands as
the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers and the Thunder Mountain Tub Thumpers
before embracing electric blues and rock and roll with the Warlocks,
an early incarnation of the Dead. In the mid-'60s, the Dead became
the house band for Ken Kesey's now legendary drug and music
free-for-alls. During concerts the band could, in Garcia's words,
"visit highly experimental places under the influence of highly
experimental chemicals before a highly experimental audience."
In the Dead's 30-year run barnstorming the nation as one of the
country's most popular touring acts, Garcia always sought to expand
his musical horizons, engaging in side projects from playing pedal
steel guitar in New Riders of the Purple Sage to launching a
low-profile solo career with the Jerry Garcia Band. Dogged by
cocaine and then heroin addiction (brought on at least in part,
according to Jackson, by the pressures of celebrity and of dealing
with the unwieldy bureaucracy of the Grateful Dead's profitable
business ventures), Garcia died of a heart attack in 1995 at the age
of 53. Jackson, former editor of the Dead zine The Golden Road,
narrates this exhaustive biography with the unabashed ardor of a
hard-core Deadhead, but even those readers who have kept a distance
from the band's recordings and epic concerts will appreciate the
generation-defining artistic and personal history of this musical
giant. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to
the Hardcover edition.
