David Grisman To Release Rare ‘Bare Bones’ Duo Recordings With Jerry Garcia

Legendary mandolinist David Grisman celebrated the 82nd birthday of his late friend and collaborator guitarist Jerry Garcia 82nd birthday by announcing a series of three Bare Bones – The Duo Recordings compilations recorded at Grisman’s Dawg Studios from 1990 – 1993. Most of the tracks on the forthcoming sets are previously unreleased according to Grisman.

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman initially met in 1964 while attending a Bill Monroe concert in West Grove, Pennsylvania. The pair forged a friendship both musical and personal that included their participation in short-lived bluegrass supergroup Old & In The Way and lots of recording and nearly 20 Garcia/Grisman performances between December 17, 1990 and May 5, 1994.

Bare Bones – The Duo Recordings: Volume I – Master Takes will be released digitally this Saturday, August 3 via Grisman’s Acoustic Oasis label. Over 50 tracks will be featured in the three Bare Bones compilations. The next two installments will follow later this month. David Grisman has yet to reveal the tracklists as of press time.

“Jerry has got a sound of his own, which says a lot,” Grisman wrote on his Acoustic Disc website of Garcia and their 40+ sessions together. “I respect anybody who can produce an acoustic tone that sounds like them. He’s got a lot of chops. There are a lot of pyrotechnical rockers who play like machine guns, but he’s not into that. His understanding of music and where it comes from are his real chops. He’s a bonafide acoustic player. I told him he can have a job in my band any day.”

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman were joined for many of the sessions by bassist Jim Kerwin and percussionist/violinist Joe Craven. Kerwin and Craven also backed Garcia and Grisman at their live performances in the ’90s.