Filzar Unamar Productions along with Chrome Records LLC will release a musical tribute to Jerry Garcia on January 7, 2000. According to Grateful Dead Productions this is the first CD produced to honour the late Jerry Garcia.

Spearheaded by Ventura, California, area musician Phil Salazar,the project prominently features the fiddle work of Salazar along with guitarist/vocalist Jonathan McEuen. The CD is, according to McEuen, “an acoustic pickin’ feast inspired by some of Jerry’s finest work, spanning his entire music career.” The collection of Garcia songs is performed as American Acoustic Roots music (bluegrass).

Salazar assembled in an Ojai studio in the summer of 1998 some of the best of Southern California’s acoustic pickers to bring together music that celebrates the musical life of Jerry and pay homage to his own favourite music.

The featured artists include: John McEuen (banjo), Daphne Jones & Bill Flores (dobro), Rick Borella (bass), Jesse Siebenberg, Jody Eulitz, Knuckles & the Alligator (percussion). Recorded live in the studio, this CD has a fresh live jam feel to it.

Scott Zimmerman (Tokyo) writes “I have just discovered the firstand only source of Jerry Garcia banjo tabs!! The book is called Lessons Taken to Heart by Mary Gibbons. She took banjo and guitar lessons from Jerry in the mid 60’s. This book is about 70 pages or so and is based on the 30 pages of hand-written tabshe kept from these lessons (both instruments). It contains Jerry’s hand written tab! Write to Scott
The cost is $19.95.

1st Jan 2000