Blues for Allah at 50: Grateful Dead's Improvisational Ethos Reignites
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Blues for Allah at 50: Grateful Dead's Improvisational Ethos Reignites
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About this listen
Grateful Dead mania is enjoying another vibrant week rooted in both their legacy and the ongoing celebration of their influence. The biggest headline comes from Parade, where Blues for Allah, the Dead's groundbreakingly experimental 1975 studio album, has crashed back onto the Billboard 200 at number 81 it originally peaked at number 12 half a century ago, and its resurgence now is tied to a much-hyped 50th anniversary expansion featuring remastered tracks and unearthed live cuts. Rock and Roll Globe also dove into the expanded edition, spotlighting just how the LP’s improvisational ethos and “band makes the main contribution” spirit still resonate, thanks to Jerry Garcia’s approach that no material would be brought in pre-made. Music insiders like Nicholas Meriwether of the Grateful Dead Studies Association are penning liner notes calling Blues for Allah deeply humane and one of the band’s are still most musically successful ventures.
In academia, Grateful Dead scholarship enters a fresh chapter this fall as David Gans, historian and radio host, launches his fourth course on the group through Stanford’s Continuing Studies program. His six-week online series, “Dead Reckoning The Grateful Dead in History Art and Commerce,” will pull in heavyweights like Dennis McNally and Barry Barnes as guest speakers, and is pitched as a big-tent exploration of their blueprint for innovation in music, business, and community.
The week also saw live tributes and events sweeping the land Jerry’s heirs in spirit and sound. Up in Marquette, Michigan, Deadheads gathered on September 22 for a fundraising concert spotlighting classic Grateful Dead compositions to benefit the historic Kaufman Auditorium as reported by Sunny FM. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of tribute acts remains on fire, with Dark Star Orchestra and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead selling out shows and maintaining the fever of the original live experience. Dark Star Orchestra’s critical acclaim and their ability to routinely bring out original band members and Phish collaborators continue to be a pull for new and seasoned fans alike, according to Penn’s Peak. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead has upcoming shows too, packing houses on the east coast and reinforcing the intergenerational pull of Dead music.
On the cultural front, the Laser Grateful Dead show offered a dazzling psychedelic tribute to the Dead’s catalog at Ocean County College on September 20, fusing classic tracks from Touch of Grey to Ripple with a full laser light experience. Social media has buzzed with nostalgia especially around the anniversary of seminal Madison Square Garden performances and the return of Blues for Allah—October looms large in fan circles. No unconfirmed rumors of a Grateful Dead reunion or major business deals have surfaced in the last few days, but clearly the Dead’s musical and social aura is burning more brightly than ever.
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