Jerry Garcia on Banjo!

[Bob]

Looking around for some TV clips with banjo for this thread (What's your favorite banjo scene from the movies or cartoons?) when I came across this incredible gem. I had no idea Jerry Garcia was a banjo player and a fantastic one at that!

Old and in the Way
Vassar Clements – fiddle
Jerry Garcia – banjo, vocals
David Grisman – mandolin, vocals
John Kahn – acoustic bass
Peter Rowan – guitar, vocals/

“Pig in a Pen” (Traditional) – 0:00
“Midnight Moonlight” (Peter Rowan) – 2:51
“Old and in the Way” (David Grisman) – 9:03
“Knockin’ on Your Door” (trad.) – 12:08
“The Hobo Song” (Jack Bonus) – 15:46
“Panama Red” (Rowan) – 20:58
“Wild Horses” (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 23:51
“Kissimmee Kid” (Vassar Clements) – 28:11
“Land of the Navajo” (Rowan) – 31:42

[Dave_Long]

Wow that brings back some great old memories…classic album.
The Hobo song is still one of my favorites to sing.

I remember huge a jam back in the late 70’s *like 40+ people standing in the road singing Midnight Moonlight at a festival…that same festival has a “Midnight Moonlight Jam” now every year on Sat night after the stage show is finished…it’s a chance for the regular folks to mix with the pros…last year Edgar Loudermilk played my bass for about three hours there.

[The_Mole]

I think Old and In the Way is still the biggest selling bluegrass album of all time. Before Garcia got hooked up with the crazy cast of characters that became the Grateful Dead he was a banjo teacher and had a bluegrass band. Hope Ben doesn’t let his hair grow out and take a similar path!