JamBase ‘Songs Of Their Own’ Video Series Finale ‘Ripple’ Premieres 1 Year Ago
By Andy Kahn Jul 5, 2016 • 2:59 pm PDT
On July 5, 2015 the third Fare Thee Well – Celebrating 50 Years Of Grateful Dead concert featuring the last performance of the core four members of the Grateful Dead was held at Soldier Field in Chicago. In the 50 days leading up to the final concert held by the ensemble featuring Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh along with Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti, JamBase debuted a new daily video of some of our favorite musicians covering songs written by the Grateful Dead. Today, on the anniversary of the premiere of the 50th Songs Of Their Own installment, here’s a look back at the special rendition of “Ripple” that served as the series’ finale.
JamBase partnered with Playing For Change to recruit musicians from around the world to produce the collaborative version of the Dead classic. “Ripple” was recorded by such acclaimed musicians as David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, and several others, including Jerry Garcia’s daughter Keelin Garcia. Shown one year ago during the Fare Thee Well webcast and part of the official DVD/Blu-Ray release, “Ripple” also included a cameo by Dead drummer Billy Kreutzmann. Watch the special, multi-continental finale here:
Other contributions to the Songs Of Their Own series, many of which were filmed at JamBase headquarters in San Francisco, included Luther Dickinson & Anders Osborne, Hot Buttered Rum, Strangefolk, The Brothers Comatose, Con Brio, Reed Mathis & Cochrane McMillan, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks and several others.
Our East Coast partners TELEFUNKEN hosted additional SOTO recording sessions at their studios in South Windsor, Connecticut. TELEFUNKEN facilitated Dead covers laid down by the likes of Max Creek, Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, The Z3, West End Blend, FiKus, Ryan Montbleau & Stephane Wrembel, ShwizZ and Todd Stoops & Hayley Jane.
Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue in San Rafael, California also hosted a number of SOTO performers such as Keller Williams, Leftover Salmon, Incidental Animals and Midnight North. Several Bay Area locations also served as scenes for tapings, like Yonder Mountain String Band at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Jackie Greene at Great American Music Hall, Holly Bowling at the Cadillac Hotel, John Scofield & John Medeski at Stanford’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium and Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers at High Sierra Music Festival.
All 50 videos – each of which had to be original Grateful Dead songs with no repeats – can be watched in the playlist below:
