Formed in Athens, GA in 2012, JGBCB has been filling a hole in the Grateful Dead scene by offering up spirited covers of classic songs pulled exclusively from the repertoire of the Jerry Garcia Band, Garcia’s long-running side-project. JGBCB has played shows from Key West to Colorado, exciting audiences with performances of beloved Garcia tunes not found within the traditional Grateful Dead catalog.
The Jerry Garcia Band (famously known to Dead Heads as “JGB”) was as much a songwriting outlet for Garcia as it was a chance for him to cover the music he loved. With Jerry and bassist John Kahn as the band’s staples (playing together as far back as 1970), a varied set of keyboardists, drummers, and backup singers filled out the lineup over the years, each bringing their own unique character to the band. Over the course of it’s existence, JGB played a number of diverse musical styles, covering artists such as The Beatles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, The Band, Jimmy Cliff, Smoky Robinson, The Rolling Stones, the Wailers, J.J. Cale, and Ray Charles. The list goes on and on, recalling the names of rock, soul, and folk royalty.It is with a deep love of Jerry Garcia’s music and the music that he loved that the members of JGBCB approach this project. The band came together for a single show in December 2012, which led to a local weekly residency in Athens. The positive response they received ultimately led JGBCB to tour around the country, giving fans all over a taste of the music of the Jerry Garcia Band. Count on hearing different material from night to night, consisting of JGB staples and deep cuts. How sweet it is!
