June 2010
1970 was the year where two of the Grateful Dead’s best-loved studio albums saw the lights of day: Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. This was also one of the very few years where Grateful Dead shows featured an acoustic set. In the spring of 1970 the acoustic set was often augmented by members of NRPS, since that group had joined the tour as a support act, still featuring Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar.

The two shows on May 15th at Bill Graham's Fillmore East was a high point of the tour, The mainstay of the shows was still the psychedelic and energetic 1969 style of playing, but the band also played several of the ”new” country-tinged songs from the aforementioned – still unreleased – albums.

Now, 40 years later, we are given the opportunity to hear a near-complete compilation of the two shows – when we include the bonus disc – in the shape of Road Trips Vol. 3 No. 3, the first 3-CD set in the ”Road Trips” series. Apart from the supplementary songs from the 15th, the bonus disc gives us the concluding – and ultra-hot – part of the previous night’s show at Meramec College, Kirkwood, Missouri.

The aural quality of these recordings is top notch, a fact which you can confirm by going to the "Listening party" at this address: http://www.dead.net/listeningparty-v3n3

No pre-ordering this time around – the discs will be in stock in a matter of days. And if you want to make sure you get the bonus disc, don’t hesitate too long.

February 2010
After a long wait, Road Trips Vol. 3 No. 2 has finally hit the street (or road). Again, we are treated to a complete show - November 15th 1971 in Austin, Texas. The year 1971 is fairly well represented in the G.D. live catalog and this show, which was recorded during on of the band's rare visits to Texas, upholds the high standard. To verify just how energized and experimental this show was, do yourself a favor and check it out at the "Listening Party" on www.dead.net, and read Blair Jackson's enthusiastic review on the Dancing Bear website (click the cover illustration, as usual). The bonus-CD was recorded the night before in Fort Worth.

There is also a brand-new DVD release on the way: "Crimson, White and Indigo", recorded to 24-track and video on July 7th, 1989 in Philadelphia. The "Truckin' Up To Buffalo" DVD was recorded just 3 days before this one, and there's every reason to believe that "Crimson White and Indigo" comes with the same outstanding visual and aural quality. And of course 1989 is widely considered one of the top vintages of the period following Garcia's illness. The distinguishing factor of this release is the fact, that you also get the entire soundtrack on 3 CDs in the same package. Or, to put it another way: You can't choose just one option! Rhino has elected to do it like this from obvious commercial reasons, and the price reflects this. There's nothing we can do about it except wait and hope it proves to be worth the price. The release date hasn't been announced yet, but we expect it to be early April.

October/November 2009
The Christmas catalogs are upon us already - and even the Dancing Bear homepage is brimming with exciting news! The Road Trips series has reached Vol. 3 No. 1 and, for once, we are getting a complete show: 28 December 1979 at Oakland Auditorium Arena, California. Coming just two days after the show immortalized as Dick's Picks Vol.5, this show needs no further recommendation; a monster show according to those in the know. The customary warning about ordering early is still apt - in the previous Road Trips release the bonus CDs were gone two weeks after the official release date!

Another new release is an early - and shortlived - incarnation of the Jerry Garcia Band, with Nicky Hopkins at the keyboards"Let it Rock - Jerry Garcia Collection Vol. 2" (Volume 1 was, of course, "Legion of Mary", released 2005). Hopkins contributes two songs to the setlist: "Lady Sleeps" and "Edward, the mad shirt grinder", the latter a product of his work with Quicksilver on their "Shady Grove" album.

More exotic fare is found on "Ultraviolet Licorice", by avant-garde guitarist Henry Kaiser, and Bob Bralove, former MIDI-tech for the Grateful Dead. The title hints at its kinship with "Infrared Roses", Bralove's fascinating 1991 remix of selected Grateful Dead "Space" segments. The new CD finds the two musicians improvising over hitherto unreleased (and unused) synthesizer tracks composed by Bralove and recorded as basic tracks to "Space". Everyone who owns "Infrared Roses" (and has listened to it more than once) should readily embrace this release. All others are advised to exercise caution!

The "Grateful Dead Scrapbook" is not just a book, it is also a sprawling collection of souvenirs from the Grateful Dead archives: Backstage passes, hand-written setlists (yes, they do exist!), fold-out posters, photos, and much more. Plus a CD of previously unreleased David Gans interviews with Jerry Garcia. The whole bunch of memorabilia is interspersed with a chronological 64-page essay by Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres, presented in a hard-cover cassette.

You want more, you say? OK, here's more: The Deluxe Edition is delivered in it's own red velvet-lined box. Books are individually numbered and contain, on top of all the stuff mentioned above, an ORIGINAL concert ticked (elapsed, alas!), and a DVD with rare live recordings, even one from our own back yard: "It Hurts Me Too" from the Tivoli, 17 April 1972. I guess we have to mention the price too? It's about three times as much as the Standard Edition. Sorry, but that's the way it is. And you are advised to order soon, as numbers are limited.

Finally, it's that time of the year where the Grateful Dead Wall Calendar hits the catalog, packed with photos and lots of relevant dates, such as Grateful Dead record releases and many, many musicians' birthdays. Merry Christmas shopping!

August 2009
Of course, Jerry Garcia's birthday, August 1st, called for a celebration. And celebrated it was, with a vengeance! The pre-announcement of two new archival releases marked the day:

Road Trips Volume 2 No. 4 serves up the best and the most of two shows at Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, 26 and 27 May 1993. These are actually the most recent shows ever to be released in the combined Dick’s Picks and Road Trips series, and for deadheads with a taste for the band’s late period (yes, there are quite a few out there!) this should be great news. And everybody should welcome this rare opportunity to hear the recent additions to the canon, some of which have never been released officially until now: Corinna, Liberty og Broken Arrow.
Many deadheads have been asking for complete show releases, and this set does in fact contain the complete show from 26 May – provided you order in time to get the bonus CD – you just have to work a bit to hear the songs in the correct sequence!

The ninth release in the "Pure Jerry" series is a compilation of 4 Jerry Garcia Band shows performed around the San Francisco Bay Area in 1978. This is the incarnation of the JGB that had Keith and Donna Godchaux in the lineup, and with Maria Muldaur as the second female voice it can hardly get any better or more soulful. The lineup is identical to the earlier PJ release from the Warner Theatre.

Both releases can be pre-ordered now; the official release date is at the end of August.

The current incarnation of the New Riders of the Purple Sage has released an brand-new studio CD, "Where I Come From". Only David Nelson og pedal steel player Buddy Cage are left from the original NRPS - John "Marmaduke" Dawson sadly passed away on 21 July in his Mexico home after prolonged illness. Seven of the twelve new songs were written by David Nelson in collaboration with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. You can read much more about the CD and the band i Blair Jackson’s interview with David Nelson on www.dead.net.

June 2009
The Road Trips series continues at undiminished speed, that is, a new release roughly every 3 months. We have now reached Volume 2 no. 3, a compilation of two shows from the ever-dependable 1974 vintage: 16 June in Des Moines, Iowa, and 18 June in Louisville, Kentucky.
As always the package includes a bonus CD, provided you don’t hesitate too long before ordering. The bonus CD offers more tidbits from the same shows, some of which can be heard for a limited period of time as ”Listening Party” on www.dead.net.
Previous visits to 1974 include Dick’s Picks Volumes 7, 12, 24, and 31, plus – last but not least – The Grateful Dead Movie.

The dokumentary movie ”Fillmore – the last days” is out on DVD for the first time ever, after a thorough cleanup – or makeover - of both picture and sound.
The movie, previously releases to theatres, follows the preparations and production of the 5 farewell concerts marking the 1971 closing of the original Fillmore auditorium, destined to rise from the ashes a few months later (in another location) as Fillmore West. The proprietor was, of course, Bill Graham, who is also the focal point of the movie. The musical offerings include the entire Premier League of the San Francisco sound, more or less.

March 2009
It’s springtime and everything is growing here in Dead-land, where we’re still counting down to the release of ”To Terrapin” on the 7. April. And suddenly, out of the blue, come two hot new items, due out in a few days:

Road Trips Vol. 2. No. 2 will be the first Road Trips release to feature a complete concert – plus bonus tracks. We are back in 1968, a semi-legendary show from the Carousel Ballroom, later re-named Fillmore West. This is the very show that Garcia was talking about in his mini-interview in The Grateful Dead Movie, the one where he threw Phil Lesh down a flight of stairs in frustration, but later found the tapes ”crackling with energy” and good enough to be included in the live segments of ”That’s It For The Other One” on the ”Anthem of the Sun” album. In short: ”Primal Dead” of the finest vintage.

Following a break of almost 3 years comes a new installment in the ”Pure Jerry” series: an all-acoustic show, pairing Jerry Garcia with his long-time musical sidekick John Kahn in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, 2/28/86. The setlist features the customary mixture of folk, gospel, Motown, and Grateful Dead standards.

February 2009
If anyone sought to compile a list of the greatest live concerts of all time, the Grateful Dead's East coast tour in May 1977 would surely be represented. Three shows from May ’77 were picked for the "Dick's Picks" series (released as Vol. 3 and 29), and if the tapes from Barton Hall 5/8/77 hadn’t suffered from unsolvable technical glitches, that show, without a doubt, would have been released as well.
With the announcement of "Grateful Dead: To Terrapin", due to be released on April 7, we have reached the final concert of the tour, Hartford Civic Center, 5/28/77. Most of us will know, more or less, what’s in store for us. 1977 was a year lacking in surprising setlist combinations – the May concerts are actually quite similar on paper – but the energy, inventiveness, and the pure joy of playing together, was beyond compare.

The financial crisis hasn’t gone unnoticed by Rhino Records and Grateful Dead Productions, so, in lieu of the customary limited-time bonus CD, they have set a very low retail price. "Grateful Dead: To Terrapin" is a complete show on 3 CDs; still, the listed price is identical to the 2-CD albums in the low-priced ”Road Trips" series. On top of that there is a pre-order discount: For all Dancing Bear orders recieved on or before April 7th, the price is further reduced to DKK 193.
AND, as if that weren’t enough, a further reduction of DKK 19 is possible, since there is a special low postage and handling charge in the Dancing Bear shop for orders below DKK 200. So don’t hesitate to pre-order – the shop is open at all hours.

In our last newsletter we reported that Mickey Hart's "Global Drum Project" had been nominated for a Grammy award. Since then, the CD has actually won the award, in a repeat performance of "Planet Drum" 16 years previously. Our heartfelt congratulations to mr. Hart!

December 2008
A new series of Grateful Dead Road Trips has been launched: For Vol.2. No.1 the experts have once again pointed the spotlight at Madison Square Garden in September 1990, just before the band, with rookie Vince Welnick behind the keyboards, embarked on their final European tour. ”Once again”, because the first show of the 6-night run was released as Dick’s Picks no. 9.
But now, David Lemieux and cohorts – no doubt spurred on by several deadheads – have realized that the last 3 shows of the run also offered a a great number of highlights.
R.T 2.1 is available for ordering now. U.S. customers may be fast enought to get theirs before Christmas, but we Euro-heads must wait a bit longer. Even so, we suggest you don’t postpone your order for too long, since the bonus CD usually vanishes after a few months. And why should one refuse 33% extra playing time?

The latest release from Mickey Hart, ”Global Drum Project” with Zakir Hussain and others, has just been nominated for a Grammy in the ”Contemporary world music” category. Hussain was also featured on ”Planet Drum”, the 1993 Grammy winner. If you should wish to take this opportunity to delve into mr. Hart’s oeuvre, we have ordered extra copies of ”GDP” just in case.

September 2008
Dear customer! In September 1978 the Grateful Dead went to Cairo, Egypt, with upwards of 150 family and friends in tow, to play three shows beneath the pyramids at Gizah, the last show co-inciding with a total lunar eclipse! In all accounts of the trip, it was a major – yes – trip for all involved on, behind, and in front of the stage. And, lucky for us, high-quality sound and video equipment was in place. A local percussion ensemble, led by the Nubian (but California-based) percussionist Hamza El-Din introduced one of the sets at all three shows, which led to some very interesting jams.

The planned album (LPs, remember?), that was supposed to cover the rather large expenses, had to be shelved for several reasons, such as technical difficulties with some of the recordings. But now, almost exactly 30 years later, the recordings have been restored and transformed into the CD/DVD package "Rocking the Cradle", due out by the end of September. The packaging is as exotic as the venue; please check out the illustrations. There's a full-length bonus CD with still more music and the DVD has some of the music from the CD set, but also a few songs not on the CDs The produceres even found room for a cavalcade of home movies from the trip. We're not sure, but there may be a chance of seeing Jerry Garcia on a camel (or is it a dromedary?)

The "Rocking the Cradle" set is ready for pre-ordering right now, separately or as part of several attractive packages with handsome savings. There is more Egypt stuff in the catalog: A stylish, double-side printed T-shirt, a cap, and a sticker depicting the tour poster from a 1978 European tour that never came to be.

Back home again, the Grateful Dead celebrated the Egyptian adventure with a series of five shows at Winterland. A compilation of these shows will be released as Road Trips Vol. 1. No. 4 at the same time as the abovementioned offerings. Yes, there is a bonus CD if you don't wait too long (after 4 Road Trips, we still don't know how long that is!), and, yes, you can pre-order now.

A sure sign that Summer is finally over is the release of the The Grateful Dead Calendar. The 2009 edition is ready to remind you of all Grateful Dead-related and other musical dates worth remembering – with the usual glaring exception!

June 2008
The "Road Trips” series of live Grateful Dead music is still going strong, ”Road Trips Volume One, Number 3" having just been released. This time, the 2CD+1 focuses on the summer tour of 1971, a somewhat underrepresented vintage. Now, by a stroke of luck akin to the discovery of ”The Houseboat Tapes” (”Dick’s Picks Vol. 35”), we are treated to another 3 CD’s worth of music, some of which (on the bonus CD) has only ever been heard by a small and very select group, having been recorded in the Terminal island correctional facility, San Pedro, CA. For once, security was really, really tight, so that not a single tape recorder was sneaked inside! The concert, by the way, was a benefit for Owsley ”Bear” Stanley, G.D. benefactor, soundman and LSD purveyor to the stars, who was required to spend some time in the aforementioned state institution. You can read much more about this release – as well as the previous ”Road Trips” releases - on www.dancingbear.dk.

Singer/guitarist Bill Cutler must surely hold the world record for protracted record production. The basic tapes of his recently released CD "Crossing the Line" were recorded in 1975 and ’76 with significant contributions from Jerry Garcia. The collaboration was terminated when the Grateful Dead resumed touring, and the tapes were literally hidden away in a closet for many years. In 2001 they were dusted off and polished to perfection, with the aid of numerous friends such as Jorma Kaukonen, Mark Karan, David Nelson, Bob Weir, Matthew Kelly, Dave Torbert, Michael Falzarano, amongst others. Now followed several years of legal haggling over intellectual rights vs. the guest musicians’ record companies, but finally the CD was released in March of this year. ”Crossing the Line” features many very listenable songs, thanks to Bill Cutler’s compository skills and great singing voice. And, oh yes, he really is the brother of GD producer John Cutler. You can read the entire fantastic tale in Blair Jackson's interview on www.dead.net.

Donna Jean Godchaux McKay continues working with the New York based jamband ”Zen Tricksters”, that we heard initially on the CD set from the benefit concert "Black Tie-Dye Ball" in 2006. Their new CD is called simply "Donna Jean & the Tricksters". There are no GD-covers on the tracklist this time around – solely original material with and by the Tricksters.
Dancing Bear wishes you a great summer!

March 2008
It’s coming at last - the Winterland 1973 box set. Three complete concerts (well, almost...), 72 tracks from the Grateful Dead in their strongest lineup and in top form. 9 CDs in all, mastered with all sorts of clever tricks promised to set new limits to what can be squeezed out of a 2-track master tape. All pre-orders received by the end of April will also get a bonus-CD featuring a sizeable chunk of the 4 December 1973 Cincinnati show.

But there is more in the box: A 28-page booklet with an essay by Dennis McNally, most likely packed with timely photos. Plus a couple of surprise items that we can’t divulge now, for the excellent reason that we know nothing about them. The cover illustration brings the famous "Sgt. Pepper" cover to mind. The Winterland floor is inscribed in a gigantic eye with the band in the foreground and a crowd of spectators that include numerous recognizable figures: In addition to several skeletons and aliens we get Jimi Hendrix, Bill Graham, and Janis Joplin, not to mention Jesus Christ, Mona Lisa, William Shakespeare, and the King of Spades! Once we get to see it it full resolution, more celebrities will probably be identified.

The release date is May 1, but we have already started taking pre-orders. And if the waiting time gets too long, we heartily recommend the first two installments in the "Road Trips" series as a warm-up.

February 2008
The latest installment in the Road Trips series, Vol. 1.2, has hit the street. It will be a few weeks before it will surface on our shelves, but don’t hesitate to order. For the fast movers, the set will once again include a full-length bonus CD.
The year is 1977 and David Lemieux and cohorts have with their usual competence picked and mixed a selection of highlights from four mid-western October shows. Not exactly the boys’ home ground, but little things like that never prevented them from playing their collective butts off.
On the whole, it’s hard to find faults with the Dead’s 1977 performances, but of course the deadnet forums abound with complaints that they ought to have released a complete show instead of another compilation. The complete shows will come, not to worry.

Actually, the distant drums are already talking about a May release of the Winterland ’73 box set that was very close to seeing the light of day about two years ago. It will be a whopper: 3 complete shows on 9 CDs.

For those who like their drums up close and personal, we offer Global Drum Project, the latest offering from Mickey Hart and his international cast. Additional details will follow as soon as we have the actual album in our hands.

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