Jazz Is Dead Reforms After Ten Year Hiatus

Jazz Is Dead, the inventive Grateful Dead tribute act which was created by impresario Michael Gaiman, will return this summer after a ten-year hiatus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead.

The band was formed in 1998 and toured with a handful of different lineups until 2005. Jazz Is Dead ’15 will feature Alphonso Johnson on bass, Jeff Pevar on guitar, drummer Rod Morgenstein, keyboardist Chris Smith and one-time Grateful Dead pianist Tom Constanten.

Jazz Is Dead ’15 will hit the road starting on Jerry Garcia’s birthday (August 1) and is expected to tour through Labor Day. While a handful of dates have yet to be announced, the band’s schedule has started to come together with shows in California, Colorado, Illinois, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey and New Hampshire.

The band is known for their jazzy renditions of classics from the Grateful Dead repertoire. Watch video from the group’s first tour which featured Johnson joined by the late T. Lavitz on keys, Jimmy Herring on guitar and Billy Cobham on drums:

Jazz Is Dead Tour Dates

8/1 -TBA
8/2 -San Juan Capistrano, CA @ The Coach House
8/3 -Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
8/4 -TBA
8/5 -TBA
8/6 -Denver, CO @ The 1Up
8/7 -Denver, CO @ The 1Up
8/9 -St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theater
8/11 -TBA
8/12 -TBA
8/13 -Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
8/14 -Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theater
8/15 -Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House
8/16 -New York, NY @ BB Kings
8/18 -Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head
8/19 -Washington, DC @ The Howard Theater
8/20 -South Orange, NJ @ SOPAC
8/21 -Tarrytown, NY @ The Music Hall
8/22 -Londonderry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
9/5 -Sausalito, CA @ Sausalito Arts Festival

Watch a YouTube playlist for our video series celebrating 50 years of Grateful Dead – Songs Of Their Own -featuring Anders Osborne, Luther Dickinson, Yonder Mountain String Band, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Leftover Salmon and others: