Jazz Is Dead


Blue Light Rain - 1998 1. Crazy Fingers 2. Unbroken Chain 3. Scarlet Begonias 4. Dark Star 5. Red Baron* 6. King Solomons Marbles 7. Blues For Allah Medley a. Help On The Way b. Slipknot! c. Franklin's Tower d. Spiral Staircase* * non Dead tunes	Laughing Water - 1999 (Wake Of The Flood Revisited) 1. a. vocal intro b. Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodleoo 2. Let Me Sing Your Blues Away 3. Row Jimmy 4. Stella Blue 5. a. vocal intro b. Here Comes Sunshine c. Sunshine Jam 6. a. Eyes Of The World b. Two Sisters* 7. Weather Report Suite Part 1 8. Weather Report Suite Part 2 : Let It Grow
Jimmy Herring - guitar Alphonso Johnson - bass T Lavitz - keyboards Billy Cobham - drums	Jimmy Herring - guitar Alphonso Johnson - bass T Lavitz - keyboards Rod Morgenstein - drums Jeff Sipe - drums Plus Guests: Vassar Clements - violin Donna Jean Godchaux - vocal intros Steve Kimock - guitar Derek Trucks - slide guitar

Jazz Is Dead is the name of a project comprising a group of jam and jazz rock stalwarts performing instrumental versions of Grateful Dead tunes from the 'Wake Of The Flood', 'Mars Hotel' and 'Blues For Allah' albums with a version of 'Dark Star' and a couple of originals thrown in for good measure. This is one of my personal favourite Dead periods, the other being that which immediately precedes it from around '69 to '72.

If you are a dyed in the tie Deadhead then the thought of jazz musicians getting their hands on such treasure may appall you but I can assure there is some good stuff in here. It's not the Dead (well how could it be?), it is jazz rock but at times it is truly joyous. It even manages to sound a bit like Phish in places (a good thing in my book). This is after all one of the Dead's jazziest periods and tracks such as the 'Blues For Allah' medley of 'Help..' Slipknot' and 'Franklin' work extremely well in this context.

Of the two albums 'Laughing Water' goes furthest towards demonstrating how truly great at songwriting the Dead were during this period and contains some of the most soulful moments, particularly on tracks such as 'Row Jimmy' and 'Stella Blue'. 'Blue Light Rain' is a little less emotional and more jazzy but fun all the same.

For me the star of the show is Jimmy Herring on lead guitar who according to the sleevenotes lists the Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Allman Brothers Band and pretty much everyone who played on the H.O.R.D.E. tour (Blues Traveller, Bruce Hornsby, Widespread Panic) on his CV. Somewhere between Jerry, Trey and Larry Carlton.

If you have never 'got' the Dead then these albums could just change your mind as to how great they were.

If you do like the Dead and also have space in your ears for a bit of jazz rock occasionally I think you will like these.