Andy Falco and Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters have teamed up to honor one of their biggest musical influences, Jerry Garcia, through a collaborative album Falco and Book Play Jerry Garcia available on August 4th via Americana Vibes. Today, they have released their rendition of the fan favorite “New Speedway Boogie” stripping the sound of the Grateful Dead classic down to its core using just acoustic guitar, upright bass, and vocal harmonies to lean into the nuances.
Originally conceived as a live project, the project garnered so much admiration from fans that Falco and Book felt a duty to capture these duo arrangements in the studio for all the world to hear. For both Falco and Book, the album signifies not only growing up with the music of Jerry Garcia, but commitment to exploring his music through a lens of traditional music styles such as bluegrass, blues, country, and bluegrass. “Musicians don’t exist in a vacuum, songs and style don’t just materialize spontaneously— everyone is a product of the music that they’ve heard, loved and internalized,” says Book, “Doc Watson called his music “Traditional plus, which means traditional music and everything else I’ve ever heard. Traditional music forms, like Jazz, Blues, Country, or Bluegrass are styles all their own.”
Falco continues, “I grew up listening to Jerry Garcia, in all of his different bands and projects, and that’s the music that has had the biggest impact on me and along with other traditional music like Blues and Bluegrass, informs my style and aesthetic. So while someone who grows up around Bluegrass or Country may point to that as their tradition, the Grateful Dead, specifically Jerry Garcia, is my tradition.”
The duo have announced three shows to present the material off of the new record in Red Hook, NY; Berkeley, CA; and Sellersville, PA. Falco and Book will join their bandmates in The Infamous Stringdusters as they continue a robust summer touring schedule with notable festival plays including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Bluegrass Festival, and more. The band’s inaugural festival The Infamous Weekend is set for September featuring 4+ sets of music by the group taking place at Pop's Farm in Martinsville, VA. A full list of dates can be found below:
7/13 - Red Hook, NY - Hardeman Orchards**
7/14 - Durham, NY - Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
7/15 - Charleston, SC - The Refinery
7/21 - Redmond, OR - Fairwell Festival
8/4 - Bellvue, CO - The Mishawaka
8/5 - Dillon, CO - Dillon Amphitheater
8/6 - South Fork, CO - Rhythms on the Rio
8/10 - Ketchum, ID - River Run Lodge
8/11 - Alta, WY - Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival
8/12-13 - Livingston, MT - Pine Creek Lodge
9/1 - Mill Springs, NC - Earl Scruggs Music Festival
9/2 - Brunswick, ME - Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival
9/6 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
9/15-16 - Martinsville, VA - The “Infamous” Weekend
9/17 - East Aurora, NY - Borderland Music Festival
9/18 - Ashland, KY - Paramount Arts Center
9/20 - Memphis, TN - Miglewood Hall
9/21 - Glasgow, KY - The Grove
9/22 - Cape Girardeau, MO - Shipyard Music Festival
9/23 - Winona, MN - Boats and Bluegrass
10/6 - Pelham, TN - Cave Fest
10/7 - Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage **
10/8 - Monterey, CA - Rebels & Renegades Music Festival
10/20 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater **
11/5 - Redding, CA - Cascade Theater
12/6-10 - Puerto Morelos, Q.R. - Strings & Sol
**= Falco & Book Play Jerry Garcia
