Jazz Is Dead, one of the most unique Grateful Dead tribute acts to ever hit the scene, is back in action after a ten year hiatus.
The Dead’s 50th anniversary has brought some amazing music to light throughout 2015, and this long awaited release is no exception. Coming fourteen years after the groups last release, 2001’s Great Sky River, the new album Grateful Jazz is a hard to pin down whirlwind of sounds and styles, hardly containing itself to just jazz, and certainly avoiding the pitfalls of doing straight-forward covers. Rather than playing the “standard” studio versions of tracks, Jazz Is Dead chose to treat the original pieces as a framework to build around, embracing the original tunes heart, while bringing their own soul to the party.
Grateful Jazz sees the return of founding bassist Alphonso Johnson, along with longtime members drummer Rod Morgenstein and guitarist Jeff Pevar. Featuring one-time Grateful Dead pianist Tom Constanten and keyboardist Chris Smith, the new lineup is triumphantly restoring the Jazz is Dead legacy.
On stand out tracks like “Dark Star” and “Jack Straw,” the players really stretch out and live in the song, while staying true to their own musical influences. “Jack Straw” is an especially good example of the musicians bringing their own style to the mix. Rather than the upbeat, punchy tune that Bob Weir usually belts, we’re treated to a much more slinky, jazz fusion sound, reminiscent of some mellower Mahavishnu Orchestra recordings. “Dark Star,” as always, stands apart as an especially unique cut. The band took their lead straight from the best versions The Dead themselves ever played, using the simple framework to follow their own muse, stepping away from hinting back to the source material and getting wonderfully weird.
On other tunes, such as “Cumberland Blues” and “Truckin’”, the band went in a much different direction, sticking closer to the vibe the lyrics would provide. The result is a twangy, quasi-rockabilly take on “Cumberland”, and very Allman-esque renditions of “Truckin’” and “Sugar Magnolia,” complete with full tilt slide guitar playing and a thundering bass line. Pair those up with the awesomely funky “Mr. Charlie>One More Saturday Night,” with its blistering harmonica and bodacious brass section, and this record has some serious guts!
Another stand out is the groups take on “Attics Of My Life”, a song that will forever be tied to the poignant final moments the “Core Four” spent on stage together this summer during Fare Thee Well. This is a gorgeous recording, featuring beautiful acoustic guitar work and a slippery fretless bass line. The electric guitar solo sends shivers down the spine, hitting on all the right notes.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable album, and it certainly rewards repeat listening. It would be foolish to try and simply label this recording as “Jazz.” The musicians here have given the already sweeping and cross-genre music of the Grateful Dead yet another new way to live and breath, and as with all things Dead, there’s just no simple box to fit it all into. This album is a great addition to any collection of Grateful Dead music, and is a loving tribute to the bands legacy.
You can order the album through this link!