Days Between: Jerry Garcia Band – Godchaux Era

Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia was born on August 1, 1942 and died on August 9, 1995 at the age of 53. Each year, the “Days Between” Garcia’s birthday and the anniversary of his death mark a period of time to reflect on and celebrate the beloved musician’s life and career. This year, JamBase honors the Days Between by examining the evolution of the Jerry Garcia Band from inception in 1975 through a final performance in 1995.

This installment looks back at the Jerry Garcia Band’s Godchaux Era when the lineup primarily consisted of Garcia, bassist John Kahn, keyboardist Keith Godchaux and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux. The JGB Godchaux era spanned their first performance on January 26, 1976 through a final concert on November 3, 1978.

Godchauxs were members of the Grateful Dead throughout their tenure in the Jerry Garcia Band. Keith joined the Dead as an official member in October 1971 and Donna came on board officially in March 1972. The married couple’s final concert as members of the Grateful Dead came in February 1979.

During their time as members of the Jerry Garcia Band, the Godchauxs performed alongside two main drummers. First was original JGB drummer Ron Tutt and the second was Buzz Buchanan. There was also a pair of gigs with Greg Errico behind the kit filling in for Tutt in July 1977 (which Donna sat out) and at least one in August 1977 with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann.

Tutt’s first run as JGB drummer ended after performances on August 6 and 7, 1977, at the Keystone in Berkeley, California. Vocalist Maria Muldaur joined the band for those concerts and would later fulfill a stint as a member of JGB.

Muldaur, a vocalist who was in a relationship with Kahn in the 1970s, had a hit in 1973 with “Midnight At The Oasis.” She contributed backing vocals on Garcia’s solo albums, 1974’s Compliments, 1978’s Cats Under The Stars and 1982’s Run For The Roses, and performed with Garcia, Kahn and Saunders at various times dating back to 1974.

Buzz Buchanan’s pre-JGB career consisted “mostly of studio stuff in Los Angeles,” he said in a March 1978 interview that namechecked The Smothers Brothers as among those who he recorded with. Buchanan’s first show with JGB occurred on November 15, 1977 at the Keystone.

Muldaur appeared onstage again with JGB soon after, performing a few times in November and December 1977. Muldaur became a consistent member of JGB starting in February 1978 and the lineup of Garcia, Kahn, Godchaux, Godchaux, Buchanan and Muldaur remained intact through a concert at the Keystone on November 3, 1978. While Garcia would go on to replicate the two-background singers approach, Kahn was the only musician in this lineup to play again with the Jerry Garcia Band.

The Jerry Garcia Band held 177 public performances during the Godchaux era, according to JerryBase.com. Many songs were added to the JGB live repertoire during this period, several of which became staples.

The first JGB show with Keith and Donna featured the group’s first known performances of the Donna-sung cover of gospel singer Dorothy Love Coates’ “Strange Man,” the traditional spiritual “Who Was John?” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” Garcia and the Godchaux’s added their interpretations of additional Dylan songs, covering “Simple Twist Of Fate,” and “Tangled Up In Blue.”

Along with “Strange Man” and “Who Was John?,” JGB further explored the spiritual realm during this era by adding covers of “I’ll Be With Thee,” “ Magnificent Sanctuary Band,” “Mighty High” and “My Sisters And Brothers,” and Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter originals “Palm Sunday” and “Gomorrah.”

JGB also debuted Garcia/Hunter compositions “Rubin And Cherise” and “Cats Under The Stars,” as well as “Rhapsody In Red” which was written by Garcia, Hunter and Kahn, and the reggae-tinged “Love In The Afternoon” written by Kahn and Hunter. All of the just-referenced originals appeared on Garcia’s solo album Cats Under The Stars, which was recorded by Garcia, Kahn, Tutt and the Godchauxs, with Muldaur and others.

The Godchaux JGB era saw the inclusion of reggae covers such as Peter Tosh’s “Stop That Train” and Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up.” The band also delved into the soulful “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and at the final Godchaux era gig Miles Davis’ jazz masterpiece “So What?”

Keith and Donna’s final concert as members of the Jerry Garcia Band took place on November 3, 1978, at the Keystone. One week later, on November 11, the Grateful Dead appeared on Saturday Night Live for the first time. The couple remained members of the Grateful Dead through the rest of 1978, playing in the band for the last time on February 17, 1979.

JGB did not play any more shows in 1978. From January to September 1979, Garcia joined his old cohort Merl Saunders in the short-lived band called Reconstruction.

The next time the Jerry Garcia Band took the stage following the Godchaux’s departure was on October 7, 1979, at the Keystone with Garcia backed by Kahn, keyboardist Ozzie Ahlers and drummer Johnny d’Fonseca.

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[Many thanks to JerryGarcia.com, JerryBase.com and Lost Live Dead for statistical data, personnel information, setlists and other resources. ]