Almost 17 years ago, back in 2003, I played my first show with Melvin Seals in Albuquerque, NM and had an absolute blast.

Omnivore Recordings today announced its titles for Record Store Day/Black Friday, observed by brick and mortal music retail establishments (and their rabid fans) during Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, November 23.

When it comes to photographing The Grateful Dead and its extended family, and in particular the late Jerry Garcia, Bob Minkin has, to coin a lyrical phrase, “Been here so long he’s got to callin’ it home.” And in “Just Jerry” (https://justjerry.net), a newly released glossy, coffee-table book, Minkin presents a definitive, through-the-lens compendium of Jerry Garcia images from 1977 till 1995.

With the sorrowful passing of Robert Hunter, I sense the cool winds of fall sifting through the leaves of the Grateful Dead tree. As the leaves change colors and begin to drift back into the cosmos from which they came, it is ever so easy to become submersed within reflection.

“So swift and bright, strange figures in light, float in air.”

Thirty years before the devastating Amazon rainforest fire and decades before the global climate crisis was one of the crucial issues facing the survival of life on earth, keyboardist Merl Saunders forecasted the future after witnessing the destruction occurring in the Amazon.

With Labor Day 2019 just behind us, famed rock photographer Jay Blakesberg announces the release of his latest photographic endeavor, JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams – a fine art, hardcover photography book of Jerry Garcia, beginning from the middle of his career with the Grateful Dead and covering the last third of his life. It’s of no coincidence, as experiencing the Grateful Dead over Labor Day weekends of past that have played a monumental role in the path of Blakesberg’s life and photography.

This year, to honor Jerry Garcia on his Aug. 1 birthday, the Jerry Garcia Foundation is happy to announce that it has partnered with Seven Seas Music to produce its first musical release, “Annapurna’s Song, Music of the Himalayas,” a compilation of music from the Himalayan region consisting of 12 recorded tracks. “Annapurna’s Song, Music of the Himalayas” is planned for release on Sept. 28, 2019 and will be available through regular digital platforms. 

By 1987, the Grateful Dead had lived many of their nine lives but were about to embark on one not a soul had seen coming. In The Dark , their first studio album in seven years, had spawned a hit (A TOP 10 SINGLE FOR THE GRATEFUL DEAD?!) and "Touch Of Grey" begat a new generation with their fanny packs and their MTV and their undeniable quest to join the party already in progress. And boy, did the Dead let them in! But not without fine-tuning their sonic vibes to meet the new demand.