Blair’s Golden Road Blog - The Keyboardist Question

Features

January 12, 2012
https://www.dead.net/features/blair-jackson/blair%E2%80%99s-golden-road-blog-keyboardist-question

Blair’s Golden Road Blog - The Keyboardist Question

This could verge on the sacrilegious, but I’ve been thinking for some time that Jeff Chimenti may be the best all-around keyboardist to have played with the Grateful Dead or the post-GD bands. This guy can play anything: from raucous rock to convincing jazz to delicate melodic whispers. He is a magnificent pianist and a beast on the B-3. He’s assertive without being a hog. If he’s ever played a bad show, I’m not aware of it.

The first few years I saw him with RatDog, he didn’t really register on my radar much for some reason. I could tell he was a good player and all, but he wasn’t leaping out of the mix at me. All that changed in 2004, when he became the sole keyboardist in The Dead (rather than sharing the job with Rob Barraco as he did on their 2003 tour). All of a sudden I was hearing his parts in a new light and was able to understand the depth of his diverse talents. He always seemed to have the right tone and the right part and he fearlessly went out on the edge with Phil, Bob, Warren and company. That, in turn, made me appreciate his role in RatDog more, and I’ve been a Jeff believer ever since. He’s perfect for Furthur because he knows the material inside and out but also brings his own strong musical personality to the party.

“But wait a second, BJ. Better than Keith? Better than Brent?”

I don’t know, man. It’s so hard to compare players and eras. Maybe I’m just being provocative.

I have been asked many times through the years who my favorite Grateful Dead keyboardist was, and I usually answer “Keith Godchaux.” There was something about Keith’s playing that made it feel completely integral to the band’s sound—particularly from ’71 to ’74—in a way that no other GD keyboardist’s work did for me. Maybe it was the timbre of that grand piano and the way it slotted into the gestalt. There was an effortless quality to his playing, whether it was deep space or rollicking barrelhouse or rippin’ rock ’n’ roll that felt perfect to me for that band at that time.

The downside, if you can call it that, is that piano can start to feel monochromatic after a while, and Keith wasn’t adept at providing other keyboard textures. I liked some of his Fender Rhodes work, but it seemed to limit him texturally rather than expanding his palette. Interestingly, he was very good on multiple keyboards in the studio (see Mars Hotel), but couldn’t translate that diverse attack to the stage. His playing in the Dead after 1976 is less interesting, though he continued to thrive for a while in the more intimate chamber music setting the Jerry Garcia Band provided for him. Don’t let his bland onstage disposition fool you. He had serious chops.

The shift to Brent immediately brought bold new colors to the band’s sound (not to mention a fine harmony singer). Brent was the consummate B-3 player, one of the best I’ve heard. I was less taken with his piano tones, however. After Keith’s beefy grand, some of the rinky-tink piano sounds that came from Brent’s arsenal of electronic keyboards were lacking for me. His first year-plus in the band he played some cool synth parts on a few songs, but for some reason he then more or less dropped them.

I never felt that Brent fully embraced the Dead’s spacier side; perhaps it’s because he was not from the hippie world and didn’t have that acid head. Maybe he just didn’t dig it. But his playing got better and more adventurous as the years went along, and I loved his first forays into MIDI—the “fiddle” he’d lay down on a country number, the cool combinations of instruments he’d conjure to decorate a tune. From ’87 through the spring of ’90, he played his best.

Publicity shot of Brent taken
by the great Herb Greene in 1987.
© 2012

Vince had the thankless job of coming into the band so quickly following Brent’s death and being told he wasn’t going to play either a real piano or a B-3. Instead, he was stuck behind a solitary MIDI electronic keyboard loaded with sounds supplied to him by Bob Bralove, some of which were, in his first tours with the group, frankly cheesy. I am not a Vince detractor. On the contrary, I really liked the light, positive vibe he brought to the band, which was such a welcome contrast to Brent’s occasional dark surliness. But he had not been a soloist or much of an improviser in The Tubes or with Todd Rundgren, and the learning curve when he came into the Dead was steep—not just the parts, but the feel and the flow. He definitely had his struggles early on.

Bringing in Bruce Hornsby to share the keyboard duties with Vince was a bold move. Bruce was already a well-established star on his own and one of the strongest pianists working in rock at the time, so his dynamic and forceful musical personality instantly changed the way the Dead sounded—mostly for the better. I liked hearing acoustic piano again, and Jerry, especially, seemed buoyed by his presence. Vince went into the background more and now found himself looking for ways to stay out of the way of Bruce’s bright piano and to add broader flavors to what had become a very thick stew indeed. I do not mean it as any kind of put-down when I say that Bruce always seemed like Bruce to me when he was in the Grateful Dead—slightly apart from the others, never quite subsumed into the greater whole. After all, we knew from the start that he was—to use a term from the sports world—a “rental”; a temporary fix. That said, many of my favorite shows from the early ’90s are ones that featured both Bruce and Vince together. There’s a certain grandness and drama to that sound that I really loved, particularly from the summer of ’91.

After Bruce’s departure, Vince started to come into his own more. It helped that he finally acquired some better organ tones (though they never matched the richness of a real B-3), and he became more confident as time went on. As with Brent, I appreciated the cover tunes he sang with the band more than his original songs, but I always liked his upbeat presence. Unfortunately, his rise in the band coincided with Jerry’s gradual physical decline, so his tenure with the group will always be tainted by that sad truth. Ironically, after Jerry died and Vince formed Missing Man Formation, we got to see what a nifty player he really was.

No, I haven’t forgotten Pigpen and TC.

Pigpen was not a great keyboardist, but he certainly was an important part of the group’s early sound. I like that wheedle-y Vox that dances across their songs in ’66 and ’67, and you’ll find some solid B-3 work from him here and there later on. His contributions, even when they were rudimentary, were always tasteful. And listen closely to the Europe ’72 box and you might be surprised at how much and how well he played on what turned out to be his last tour. I think we can all agree, however, that his vocals and his personality were his greatest contributions to the group.

As for TC, well, he was obviously a highly accomplished player—a virtuoso—when he joined the band, but he was hampered by usually having to play a Vox organ onstage, with its limited range of sounds. I also sense a certain reluctance to break free in his playing, as if he never felt like he had the green light to really take off (in fact, he’s said as much). Still, the fact remains he was with the band for one of its greatest years—1969—and he was a key component in the sound of that group. Would he have been comfortable as the band increasingly turned toward country and more conventional rock ’n’ roll shadings after he left? We’ll never know. But I’ll always have that TC organ from some ’69 “Dark Star” floating through some part of my brain.

In the post Grateful Dead-era we’ve been treated to a wide range of keyboardists, all of whom I’ve enjoyed on one level or another.

OK, I thought Johnnie Johnson was wasted in RatDog for the most part. Yes, he was a legend, but that was not the best use of talents.

Of the handful of players that have occupied the keyboard chair in Phil & Friends through the years, my favorite was Steve Molitz, who played in the last steady incarnation of the group (with Larry Campbell and Jackie Greene). Steve was extremely versatile (like Jeff C.), had tons of energy, and also used synths so creatively. I also liked Rob Barraco’s work both in the Phil Lesh Quintet (with Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring) and with The Dead. He had lots of good musical ideas, and as a veteran of Dead cover bands, he really understood the material. I also appreciated his always cheery demeanor onstage. I think he’s been underrated by fans.

Billy Payne of Little Feat probably logged the third most shows at keyboards with Phil & Friends. I’ve been a huge fan of his forever and count him among the best keyboardists rock ever produced. However, the couple of times I saw him and his LF bandmate Paul Barrere in the group we affectionately called “Phil & Feat,” I felt that the music wasn’t as free as it needed to be, that it was being reined in somewhat by these great players who were not used to the loose jamming that is such a part of the Grateful Dead (and Phil) tradition. (But I still love Little Feat!)

Then there were a couple of others who moved in and out of the keys slot in Phil’s band for relatively brief stints, including Phish’s Page McConnell and the David Nelson Band’s Mookie Siegel. Both good players, obviously. Neither was there long enough to make a strong impression. Forgive me if I’ve forgotten anyone!

So, that’s my take on keyboards. What do you think?

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Blair’s Golden Road Blog - The Keyboardist Question

This could verge on the sacrilegious, but I’ve been thinking for some time that Jeff Chimenti may be the best all-around keyboardist to have played with the Grateful Dead or the post-GD bands. This guy can play anything: from raucous rock to convincing jazz to delicate melodic whispers. He is a magnificent pianist and a beast on the B-3. He’s assertive without being a hog. If he’s ever played a bad show, I’m not aware of it.

The first few years I saw him with RatDog, he didn’t really register on my radar much for some reason. I could tell he was a good player and all, but he wasn’t leaping out of the mix at me. All that changed in 2004, when he became the sole keyboardist in The Dead (rather than sharing the job with Rob Barraco as he did on their 2003 tour). All of a sudden I was hearing his parts in a new light and was able to understand the depth of his diverse talents. He always seemed to have the right tone and the right part and he fearlessly went out on the edge with Phil, Bob, Warren and company. That, in turn, made me appreciate his role in RatDog more, and I’ve been a Jeff believer ever since. He’s perfect for Furthur because he knows the material inside and out but also brings his own strong musical personality to the party.

“But wait a second, BJ. Better than Keith? Better than Brent?”

I don’t know, man. It’s so hard to compare players and eras. Maybe I’m just being provocative.

I have been asked many times through the years who my favorite Grateful Dead keyboardist was, and I usually answer “Keith Godchaux.” There was something about Keith’s playing that made it feel completely integral to the band’s sound—particularly from ’71 to ’74—in a way that no other GD keyboardist’s work did for me. Maybe it was the timbre of that grand piano and the way it slotted into the gestalt. There was an effortless quality to his playing, whether it was deep space or rollicking barrelhouse or rippin’ rock ’n’ roll that felt perfect to me for that band at that time.

The downside, if you can call it that, is that piano can start to feel monochromatic after a while, and Keith wasn’t adept at providing other keyboard textures. I liked some of his Fender Rhodes work, but it seemed to limit him texturally rather than expanding his palette. Interestingly, he was very good on multiple keyboards in the studio (see Mars Hotel), but couldn’t translate that diverse attack to the stage. His playing in the Dead after 1976 is less interesting, though he continued to thrive for a while in the more intimate chamber music setting the Jerry Garcia Band provided for him. Don’t let his bland onstage disposition fool you. He had serious chops.

The shift to Brent immediately brought bold new colors to the band’s sound (not to mention a fine harmony singer). Brent was the consummate B-3 player, one of the best I’ve heard. I was less taken with his piano tones, however. After Keith’s beefy grand, some of the rinky-tink piano sounds that came from Brent’s arsenal of electronic keyboards were lacking for me. His first year-plus in the band he played some cool synth parts on a few songs, but for some reason he then more or less dropped them.

I never felt that Brent fully embraced the Dead’s spacier side; perhaps it’s because he was not from the hippie world and didn’t have that acid head. Maybe he just didn’t dig it. But his playing got better and more adventurous as the years went along, and I loved his first forays into MIDI—the “fiddle” he’d lay down on a country number, the cool combinations of instruments he’d conjure to decorate a tune. From ’87 through the spring of ’90, he played his best.

Publicity shot of Brent taken
by the great Herb Greene in 1987.
© 2012

Vince had the thankless job of coming into the band so quickly following Brent’s death and being told he wasn’t going to play either a real piano or a B-3. Instead, he was stuck behind a solitary MIDI electronic keyboard loaded with sounds supplied to him by Bob Bralove, some of which were, in his first tours with the group, frankly cheesy. I am not a Vince detractor. On the contrary, I really liked the light, positive vibe he brought to the band, which was such a welcome contrast to Brent’s occasional dark surliness. But he had not been a soloist or much of an improviser in The Tubes or with Todd Rundgren, and the learning curve when he came into the Dead was steep—not just the parts, but the feel and the flow. He definitely had his struggles early on.

Bringing in Bruce Hornsby to share the keyboard duties with Vince was a bold move. Bruce was already a well-established star on his own and one of the strongest pianists working in rock at the time, so his dynamic and forceful musical personality instantly changed the way the Dead sounded—mostly for the better. I liked hearing acoustic piano again, and Jerry, especially, seemed buoyed by his presence. Vince went into the background more and now found himself looking for ways to stay out of the way of Bruce’s bright piano and to add broader flavors to what had become a very thick stew indeed. I do not mean it as any kind of put-down when I say that Bruce always seemed like Bruce to me when he was in the Grateful Dead—slightly apart from the others, never quite subsumed into the greater whole. After all, we knew from the start that he was—to use a term from the sports world—a “rental”; a temporary fix. That said, many of my favorite shows from the early ’90s are ones that featured both Bruce and Vince together. There’s a certain grandness and drama to that sound that I really loved, particularly from the summer of ’91.

After Bruce’s departure, Vince started to come into his own more. It helped that he finally acquired some better organ tones (though they never matched the richness of a real B-3), and he became more confident as time went on. As with Brent, I appreciated the cover tunes he sang with the band more than his original songs, but I always liked his upbeat presence. Unfortunately, his rise in the band coincided with Jerry’s gradual physical decline, so his tenure with the group will always be tainted by that sad truth. Ironically, after Jerry died and Vince formed Missing Man Formation, we got to see what a nifty player he really was.

No, I haven’t forgotten Pigpen and TC.

Pigpen was not a great keyboardist, but he certainly was an important part of the group’s early sound. I like that wheedle-y Vox that dances across their songs in ’66 and ’67, and you’ll find some solid B-3 work from him here and there later on. His contributions, even when they were rudimentary, were always tasteful. And listen closely to the Europe ’72 box and you might be surprised at how much and how well he played on what turned out to be his last tour. I think we can all agree, however, that his vocals and his personality were his greatest contributions to the group.

As for TC, well, he was obviously a highly accomplished player—a virtuoso—when he joined the band, but he was hampered by usually having to play a Vox organ onstage, with its limited range of sounds. I also sense a certain reluctance to break free in his playing, as if he never felt like he had the green light to really take off (in fact, he’s said as much). Still, the fact remains he was with the band for one of its greatest years—1969—and he was a key component in the sound of that group. Would he have been comfortable as the band increasingly turned toward country and more conventional rock ’n’ roll shadings after he left? We’ll never know. But I’ll always have that TC organ from some ’69 “Dark Star” floating through some part of my brain.

In the post Grateful Dead-era we’ve been treated to a wide range of keyboardists, all of whom I’ve enjoyed on one level or another.

OK, I thought Johnnie Johnson was wasted in RatDog for the most part. Yes, he was a legend, but that was not the best use of talents.

Of the handful of players that have occupied the keyboard chair in Phil & Friends through the years, my favorite was Steve Molitz, who played in the last steady incarnation of the group (with Larry Campbell and Jackie Greene). Steve was extremely versatile (like Jeff C.), had tons of energy, and also used synths so creatively. I also liked Rob Barraco’s work both in the Phil Lesh Quintet (with Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring) and with The Dead. He had lots of good musical ideas, and as a veteran of Dead cover bands, he really understood the material. I also appreciated his always cheery demeanor onstage. I think he’s been underrated by fans.

Billy Payne of Little Feat probably logged the third most shows at keyboards with Phil & Friends. I’ve been a huge fan of his forever and count him among the best keyboardists rock ever produced. However, the couple of times I saw him and his LF bandmate Paul Barrere in the group we affectionately called “Phil & Feat,” I felt that the music wasn’t as free as it needed to be, that it was being reined in somewhat by these great players who were not used to the loose jamming that is such a part of the Grateful Dead (and Phil) tradition. (But I still love Little Feat!)

Then there were a couple of others who moved in and out of the keys slot in Phil’s band for relatively brief stints, including Phish’s Page McConnell and the David Nelson Band’s Mookie Siegel. Both good players, obviously. Neither was there long enough to make a strong impression. Forgive me if I’ve forgotten anyone!

So, that’s my take on keyboards. What do you think?

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July 4, 2018

Grateful Dead Hour no. 1544

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Last of four featuring the complete unreleased soundboard recording of 6/12/80 in Portland. According to Deadhead legend, My St Helens erupted during "Fire on the…

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April 26, 2007

The Season of “What Now?” (Again!)

Now... Where Were We?

Well, we’ve been pretty much right here — that is, wherever “here” might happen to be at any given moment in this strange, still-pretty-new world…

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The Band

Band

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

Tom Constanten

Brent Mydland

Vince Welnick

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mrdirtybear

12 years 9 months ago

Live vs Studio
Surely there is a natural division here between live and studio? Pigpen's and Brent's biggest contributions were playing live in front of an audience, and because of that they had the biggest infuence that any keyboardists had on the band in their times. That there were so few studio recordings during Brent's time is more than covered by his contributions when they did record. Pigpen was an intuitive performer, whether on vocals or keboards, his intuition came to the fore live. Kieth, I am equally sure, contributed both live and in the studio, but his bigger infuence was in the studio, and he probably made than band apply themselves more in the studio, for all the band to write and develope new material. In Hindsight T.C. and Vince could not really make the mark on the band, fight for their space, in a way that their talent suggested they should have/could have. For different reasons-1969 was a peak year but for the songwriting and live work as much as the keyboards played. During Vince's time so much seemed out of sorts and unsettled that he would have to have been a miracle worker to make the impact, and being deprived of the B3 organ was a handicap he did not need.
hippyjameZ

12 years 9 months ago

Jeff ever sing ?
I totally agree . Jeff fits right in. He does take more charge than the Dead keyboardists did. I agree they may have been held back by Jerry. Read TC's Interview on Dead Essays. Does Jeff ever sing ? Not that he has to, but I'd have to imagine he be good, he has excellent sense of music.
jemusser

12 years 9 months ago

I never saw Keith live
I never saw Keith live (before my time), but I agree with Blair. I think he was the best and smoothest keyboardist with the band. However, I love Brent too, and agree with what 'gratefultrip' that Brent really poured his heart and soul into the music. So much love, happiness, and passion while playing the blues.

This could verge on the sacrilegious, but I’ve been thinking for some time that Jeff Chimenti may be the best all-around keyboardist to have played with the Grateful Dead or the post-GD bands. This guy can play anything: from raucous rock to convincing jazz to delicate melodic whispers. He is a magnificent pianist and a beast on the B-3. He’s assertive without being a hog. If he’s ever played a bad show, I’m not aware of it.

The first few years I saw him with RatDog, he didn’t really register on my radar much for some reason. I could tell he was a good player and all, but he wasn’t leaping out of the mix at me. All that changed in 2004, when he became the sole keyboardist in The Dead (rather than sharing the job with Rob Barraco as he did on their 2003 tour). All of a sudden I was hearing his parts in a new light and was able to understand the depth of his diverse talents. He always seemed to have the right tone and the right part and he fearlessly went out on the edge with Phil, Bob, Warren and company. That, in turn, made me appreciate his role in RatDog more, and I’ve been a Jeff believer ever since. He’s perfect for Furthur because he knows the material inside and out but also brings his own strong musical personality to the party.

“But wait a second, BJ. Better than Keith? Better than Brent?”

I don’t know, man. It’s so hard to compare players and eras. Maybe I’m just being provocative.

I have been asked many times through the years who my favorite Grateful Dead keyboardist was, and I usually answer “Keith Godchaux.” There was something about Keith’s playing that made it feel completely integral to the band’s sound—particularly from ’71 to ’74—in a way that no other GD keyboardist’s work did for me. Maybe it was the timbre of that grand piano and the way it slotted into the gestalt. There was an effortless quality to his playing, whether it was deep space or rollicking barrelhouse or rippin’ rock ’n’ roll that felt perfect to me for that band at that time.

The downside, if you can call it that, is that piano can start to feel monochromatic after a while, and Keith wasn’t adept at providing other keyboard textures. I liked some of his Fender Rhodes work, but it seemed to limit him texturally rather than expanding his palette. Interestingly, he was very good on multiple keyboards in the studio (see Mars Hotel), but couldn’t translate that diverse attack to the stage. His playing in the Dead after 1976 is less interesting, though he continued to thrive for a while in the more intimate chamber music setting the Jerry Garcia Band provided for him. Don’t let his bland onstage disposition fool you. He had serious chops.

The shift to Brent immediately brought bold new colors to the band’s sound (not to mention a fine harmony singer). Brent was the consummate B-3 player, one of the best I’ve heard. I was less taken with his piano tones, however. After Keith’s beefy grand, some of the rinky-tink piano sounds that came from Brent’s arsenal of electronic keyboards were lacking for me. His first year-plus in the band he played some cool synth parts on a few songs, but for some reason he then more or less dropped them.

I never felt that Brent fully embraced the Dead’s spacier side; perhaps it’s because he was not from the hippie world and didn’t have that acid head. Maybe he just didn’t dig it. But his playing got better and more adventurous as the years went along, and I loved his first forays into MIDI—the “fiddle” he’d lay down on a country number, the cool combinations of instruments he’d conjure to decorate a tune. From ’87 through the spring of ’90, he played his best.

Publicity shot of Brent taken
by the great Herb Greene in 1987.
© 2012

Vince had the thankless job of coming into the band so quickly following Brent’s death and being told he wasn’t going to play either a real piano or a B-3. Instead, he was stuck behind a solitary MIDI electronic keyboard loaded with sounds supplied to him by Bob Bralove, some of which were, in his first tours with the group, frankly cheesy. I am not a Vince detractor. On the contrary, I really liked the light, positive vibe he brought to the band, which was such a welcome contrast to Brent’s occasional dark surliness. But he had not been a soloist or much of an improviser in The Tubes or with Todd Rundgren, and the learning curve when he came into the Dead was steep—not just the parts, but the feel and the flow. He definitely had his struggles early on.

Bringing in Bruce Hornsby to share the keyboard duties with Vince was a bold move. Bruce was already a well-established star on his own and one of the strongest pianists working in rock at the time, so his dynamic and forceful musical personality instantly changed the way the Dead sounded—mostly for the better. I liked hearing acoustic piano again, and Jerry, especially, seemed buoyed by his presence. Vince went into the background more and now found himself looking for ways to stay out of the way of Bruce’s bright piano and to add broader flavors to what had become a very thick stew indeed. I do not mean it as any kind of put-down when I say that Bruce always seemed like Bruce to me when he was in the Grateful Dead—slightly apart from the others, never quite subsumed into the greater whole. After all, we knew from the start that he was—to use a term from the sports world—a “rental”; a temporary fix. That said, many of my favorite shows from the early ’90s are ones that featured both Bruce and Vince together. There’s a certain grandness and drama to that sound that I really loved, particularly from the summer of ’91.

After Bruce’s departure, Vince started to come into his own more. It helped that he finally acquired some better organ tones (though they never matched the richness of a real B-3), and he became more confident as time went on. As with Brent, I appreciated the cover tunes he sang with the band more than his original songs, but I always liked his upbeat presence. Unfortunately, his rise in the band coincided with Jerry’s gradual physical decline, so his tenure with the group will always be tainted by that sad truth. Ironically, after Jerry died and Vince formed Missing Man Formation, we got to see what a nifty player he really was.

No, I haven’t forgotten Pigpen and TC.

Pigpen was not a great keyboardist, but he certainly was an important part of the group’s early sound. I like that wheedle-y Vox that dances across their songs in ’66 and ’67, and you’ll find some solid B-3 work from him here and there later on. His contributions, even when they were rudimentary, were always tasteful. And listen closely to the Europe ’72 box and you might be surprised at how much and how well he played on what turned out to be his last tour. I think we can all agree, however, that his vocals and his personality were his greatest contributions to the group.

As for TC, well, he was obviously a highly accomplished player—a virtuoso—when he joined the band, but he was hampered by usually having to play a Vox organ onstage, with its limited range of sounds. I also sense a certain reluctance to break free in his playing, as if he never felt like he had the green light to really take off (in fact, he’s said as much). Still, the fact remains he was with the band for one of its greatest years—1969—and he was a key component in the sound of that group. Would he have been comfortable as the band increasingly turned toward country and more conventional rock ’n’ roll shadings after he left? We’ll never know. But I’ll always have that TC organ from some ’69 “Dark Star” floating through some part of my brain.

In the post Grateful Dead-era we’ve been treated to a wide range of keyboardists, all of whom I’ve enjoyed on one level or another.

OK, I thought Johnnie Johnson was wasted in RatDog for the most part. Yes, he was a legend, but that was not the best use of talents.

Of the handful of players that have occupied the keyboard chair in Phil & Friends through the years, my favorite was Steve Molitz, who played in the last steady incarnation of the group (with Larry Campbell and Jackie Greene). Steve was extremely versatile (like Jeff C.), had tons of energy, and also used synths so creatively. I also liked Rob Barraco’s work both in the Phil Lesh Quintet (with Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring) and with The Dead. He had lots of good musical ideas, and as a veteran of Dead cover bands, he really understood the material. I also appreciated his always cheery demeanor onstage. I think he’s been underrated by fans.

Billy Payne of Little Feat probably logged the third most shows at keyboards with Phil & Friends. I’ve been a huge fan of his forever and count him among the best keyboardists rock ever produced. However, the couple of times I saw him and his LF bandmate Paul Barrere in the group we affectionately called “Phil & Feat,” I felt that the music wasn’t as free as it needed to be, that it was being reined in somewhat by these great players who were not used to the loose jamming that is such a part of the Grateful Dead (and Phil) tradition. (But I still love Little Feat!)

Then there were a couple of others who moved in and out of the keys slot in Phil’s band for relatively brief stints, including Phish’s Page McConnell and the David Nelson Band’s Mookie Siegel. Both good players, obviously. Neither was there long enough to make a strong impression. Forgive me if I’ve forgotten anyone!

So, that’s my take on keyboards. What do you think?

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Early Brent

Fall of 1979 is some of Brent's best stuff.He was more exploratory. When they came out of the gates in the Spring of 1980 it was as if they had reigned him in a notch. Like one of the Taper Compendiums said Brent NEVER backed down from a "jam-challenge" from Jerry, or anyone for that manner. Bruce Hornsby is obviously the most talented one to have played with them, but Brent was best suited for them for the long haul. I've heard the post Jerry line-up's since '96 and long ago concluded my $$$ was better spent purchasing Vault releases, Dicks & Dave Picks, whatever. I heard Further a year or so ago and felt they were a decent cover band at best. So I really can't count the past 16 years. They are the appendix in my catechism of Grateful Dead.

--------------------------(-----@

pro·voc·a·tive adj \prə-ˈvä-kə-tiv\ Definition of PROVOCATIVE : serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate I enjoyed your article, here; as it made me think of ALL of them at once and I have not done that very thing in sometime. Nice job, reading this was like a flight into San Fran and smiling at the Pilot as I exit the plane. Now--- the One Thing We Need Is A LeftHanded-MonkeyWrench! BRB, I gotta go get a 90's Issue of KEYBOARD. -----------------------------(----@

Keith, hands down!

Dang, I spent all day at work thinking of what to post here, but now see Hal and badger already said everything I wanted to say better than I could have. It's Keith all the way for me. His last few years weren't his best, but it's still Keith and I still love it. At least he never tried to fake inspiration. I liked the early years of Brent. His playing on Reckoning is probably my favorite. I never understood the 85-90 "Brent era". I think, maybe like Hal, it just doesn't suit me "aesthetically" somehow. Not knocking it though.[I second the honorable mention of Nicky Hopkins. The "Let it Rock" release is a real treat!]

BRUCE!!!

BRUCE!!! Pushed Jerry at a time when Jerry could use a push, and that alone made him the absolute best keyboardist. His playing added so much color & fill, and his leads were inspired. Bruce added as much to the mix as anyone... and that's a tough crowd! I fantasized about Hornsby taking over at keyboards before Brent's tragic death. I think Hornsby was much better with the Dead than with The Range... much better being part of something that doesn't focus him! Jeff is awesome... but never played with the Grateful Dead. If we put him in the mix, how 'bout Melvin's B-3! I came on board in '73 and for me he IS the keyboard player for the Grateful Dead. I never really dug Brent's contribution, though I liked to root for Vinny. I thought Brent would have fit in better with the Doobie Bros.

Found it!

The Issue Is:VOL. 17 NO. 3 (ISSUE #179) MARCH 1991 PAGE #80 The KEYBOARD mag is titled: Playin' in the GRATEFUL DEAD The article delivered such a gathering of sound, in print. Maybe you have read it but if not it will scratch an itch for you on this topic, if nothing else, it's a great read. I think you have to have the need to be educated by it so I can send you a copy but the educational law limits it to 3 copies. (If I can even apply that, I will check first if your interested.) Okay, can I compare these keyboardist, um no. Have each on rocked my world yes, 100X's over. The Grateful Dead never had a member named, Jeff Chimenti. So, as a Grateful Dead cover band player, I can sing praises for him all day. We rocked a Sugaree in Long Island or maybe New Jersery that was I think 16:00 something minutes long, in the last couple of years. I was so impressed with his feel for the song I about flipped but I can't flip so I just danced my ass off. The security guard had to excuse himself for a quick trip to the men's room. Just don't tell them...is all I sang. Jeff and the Guys absolutely had me in a sweet groove. And isn't that the point of Grateful Dead music to get ya rocking and groovin'? Yes, slow songs are beautiful and necessary however; If I can't swing my hips to it ----it's set break. Slow or fast, they move. But, I digress. I hope I have not said the wrong thing. On another note...the Keyboard issues covers a good deal. The cover is awesome - cool with a skeleton with a headdress of red roses. Red roses are all over the keyboard the skeleton is playing on the cover. Mar'91 Keyboards In the Grateful Dead by: Robert L. Doerschuk Everyone is represented and the pages are decorated with Stealies. I'm going to jump around it a bit so to start. There is this diagram of Vince's MIDI Roland RD-300 with foot pedals and Leslie Effects and Lexicon MRC. A great discussion with Bralove and Welnick. A picture of Keith riffing on the Rhodes in '75. A great piece about Merl Saunders and his involvement with Europe '72 even though his wasn't in Europe he was involved with a recording of it. Jerry and Merl played around the Bay area through the years. A younger pic of Barlove with all his groovey sound making equipment. A good pic of PigPen playin' on his Hammond B 3 with a skinny Jerry at his side. A beautiful feature on Tom C. and a pic with him with a spider-web tie-dye. The article discussed contributions and styles at points. There is a great picture of Bruce and Brent playing along side each other at the awesome rainsforest show we went to in '88 here in NY. A quote by Vince, "Deadheads love the band but they're critical and truthful. They call them as they see 'em." . The Taper's Section is represented in picture and importance. New Year's Eve 1981 with Brent at the Keyboard helm is presented. It ends with Bralove saying, "Well, if you go into working with this band with the idea of changing the idenity of the Grateful Dead, you must be nuts." Nice trip BJ, it was a good flight. The window seat and 7 little bottles of Jack Daniels have made me very comfortable. The old mag was like dust on the bottle and friend to greet ya on the concourse. I love them all, xo! ------------------------------------------(------@ Thanks everyone your posts have been very cool. I love you, All, xo!

keys

Great story.....thanks...it really gets to the heart of each of these amazing guys

Ned Lagin

Ned Lagin sat in 2/18/71. Howard Wales and Garcia made some interesting music together. Saw them at Academy of Music Jan(?)1972. Unreal and out there but fun. Always loved Merl. Pigpen was fantastic on the Europe 72 tour.

Jeff

Brent was good - much better than Keith. After Brent, the Dead never really got it together on keyboards except when Hornsby was playing with them for awhile. I never could get into Vince. But Jeff is probably about like Brent when Brent was at his best, if not better. I love the big grand piano in these small halls. I can't wait for Boston on April 5. I dropped out of the scene for the most part after Jerry died. But Furthur has me hooked again. And Jeff is one of the main reasons Furthur sounds so good. Bobby needs to step back a little, turn up Jeff and John, and let John sing more.

Keith vs Brent

I hate using a word like best when talking about art. And the Dead of 73-74, (my favorite years), and 85(my first show), are so completely different that it seems like comparing apples and mangoes. Who knows how much of my love for pre-retirement Dead is directly related to how much happier and healthier Jerry and other members of the band were at that time. Listening to an Eyes from 73-74 transports me to a trippy utopian head place that just can't be achieved in later years. And I am glad Keith and not Brent was playin in the band at this time. Brent on the other hand was so raw, open, and emotional (Don't Need Love, Blow Away, We Can Run), that I feel so much more personally attached and close to him ( Should probably mention that I did meet and talk to Brent once). His voice and "blend" was a so fantastic that I had no problem getting past those occasional synth sounds that were not my cup of tea(think Touch of Grey studio version). I will go so far as to say that I believe Garcia's RAPID decline was directly related to Brent's death. Which brings me to Vince. I am not sure who to blame(Bralove?) but whoever forced Vince to reguritate Brent's synth sounds instead of being able to establish his own "voice" within the band did him a BIG dis-service. It just magnified the GIANT hole vocally that was missing from Brent departure. I'd go into Pig or Bruce but i've probably said too much. I love feedback. Eric

JEFF you ROCK!

One thing for sure, is that each keyboardist brought their own element to the band, and that is why we love or dislike each. I always liked Keith career with the GD more than Brent. I REALLY LOVE Brent's work for the first half of him playing with The GD, but then he add too much cheese to his sound, and it dates that era of the band being really 80's. But that also could be just what music at the time was, and the GD were part of that. I never really payed much attention to any of the Post GD bands, just The Dead, until Furthur came along. I thought Jeff was really good in The Dead, but now, and I have said it at every Furthur show... "Jeff is amazing!" I think he has really come into his own with Furthur and blows me away each time. I have lost myself many times when they do a smokin' Eyes of the World, and Jeff just takes command and that song explodes. I am definitely a Jeff fan, and yes, that's me waring my homemade Jeff shirt.

Keyboards

While I have experienced every era of the "Real" Grateful Dead (with Jerry, NOT The Dead, The Other Ones, Furthur, etc. to me those bands do NOT count as Grateful Dead, they are glorified "cover" bands!) Granted I only saw one Grateful Dead show with Pigpen (free concert in Palo Alto summer of 1967) for me Keith's years from 1973-1977 were really good and he went way downhill from 1978 on (thank you Heroin...) As an all around keyboard player I did like and even love Brent a lot, although his inferiority complex got the best of him a lot of the time. After a Shoreline show when he played Good Golly Miss Molly, etc. I told him that I loved it and said that Springsteen used to close his shows with it to which Brent sneared at me, "Thanks for telling me that, I'll never play it again!" And he didn't... After Brent died, Jerry came over to the Ticket Office for our annual Jerry's Birthday BBQ on August 1st and said, "I dread going on stage and not having Brent there..." Vince and Bruce, to me, were a great combination for playing, but I preferred Bruce's vocals to Vince's. I did not then, and still don't understand why the band would NOT let Vince play the B-3 or actual piano. I was not a fan of Vince's harmonies with GD, but I liked his lead vocals with Missing Man, etc. And I really liked Vince himself. At one point early on I Vince and I were discussing B-3 players and I said that one of my most favorite all around B-3 players was Garth Hudson to which Vince said that Bob Bralove sampled Hudson and that was the organ sound that Vince played on the synth... Concerning my harsh statement about The Other One's, The Dead, Furthur, etc. being glorified cover bands, Bob Weir said it first when they announced the end of the Grateful Dead. He said that they would just be a Grateful Dead cover band without Jerry, and that there were other bands that did it better...like Dark Star Orchestra...

I never saw Keith live

I never saw Keith live (before my time), but I agree with Blair. I think he was the best and smoothest keyboardist with the band. However, I love Brent too, and agree with what 'gratefultrip' that Brent really poured his heart and soul into the music. So much love, happiness, and passion while playing the blues.

Jeff ever sing ?

I totally agree . Jeff fits right in. He does take more charge than the Dead keyboardists did. I agree they may have been held back by Jerry. Read TC's Interview on Dead Essays. Does Jeff ever sing ? Not that he has to, but I'd have to imagine he be good, he has excellent sense of music.

Live vs Studio

Surely there is a natural division here between live and studio? Pigpen's and Brent's biggest contributions were playing live in front of an audience, and because of that they had the biggest infuence that any keyboardists had on the band in their times. That there were so few studio recordings during Brent's time is more than covered by his contributions when they did record. Pigpen was an intuitive performer, whether on vocals or keboards, his intuition came to the fore live. Kieth, I am equally sure, contributed both live and in the studio, but his bigger infuence was in the studio, and he probably made than band apply themselves more in the studio, for all the band to write and develope new material. In Hindsight T.C. and Vince could not really make the mark on the band, fight for their space, in a way that their talent suggested they should have/could have. For different reasons-1969 was a peak year but for the songwriting and live work as much as the keyboards played. During Vince's time so much seemed out of sorts and unsettled that he would have to have been a miracle worker to make the impact, and being deprived of the B3 organ was a handicap he did not need.

very hot topic

I got to give you credit Blair, you aren't afraid to tackle any and all topics or opinions about this band, and this one is one of the biggest... the keyboard question, great headline. I really liked them all, especially Keith in the early years, if only Donna had just stayed a back up singer and didn't scream like that, it goes thru me like a knife. I remember back in the 70's a bumper sticker I saw at a show "Donna has ruined some of my best tapes" or something like that. I was glad to see a new keyboard player come along in 79, Keith and Donna had gotten old and stale and it was time for a replacement and Brent was a good substitute and really came into his own at the end, but I agree, sometimes he was just too dark. For years he was called the "new kid" and had a lot to live up to, which was a heavy burden for him to carry. My personal favorite was the duo of Bruce and Vince, making the band a seven piece juggernaut. The sound they made was quite a change from the Brent years and a welcome change for me. Bruce can sing like a bird, knows the material inside and out and really challenged Jerry at a time he needed to be pushed. Vince loved Jerry and the whole trip. I remember him saying the first time he met Jerry it was like meeting Santa. He was a very gifted keyboardist but was not given any room to move and as stated above, his playing was very limted by the instruments he had to play. Look, it took Brent years to get into that grove, Vince never really had the time to bloom as the deads keyboardists. He was also ripped on by his bandmates, new guy, Brent's replacement, etc.. I heard Bobby was real hard on him. It's a sad story what became of him. Pig was a blues man and the dead was a blues band with him, more a singer and harp player than a keyboardist. I always felt that TC wasn't ever really part of the band, just kinda sitting in. JC with Furthur is like all of them rolled into one, I remember when he played with Mickey and Billy in the 09 Dead tour, he bacame a member of the Rhythm Devils during that tour and he was outstanding, best pick to fill keyboard shoes yet. Gotta mention Rob B., he is great, makes the DSO sound like the dead and is an all around great guy, love his energy and attitude, plus, he knows the dead inside and out. Back in the day, we used to call the keyboard seat "random factor", cause it was really all about Jerry. :)

Sorry...

In my trying to delete some of the repeated postings (not sure why that's happening so much all of a sudden) I think i might have deleted a unique one, possibly posted Sunday morning/afternoon. So if you posted recently and don't see yours there, my apologies... it wasn't because of whatever it was you said. Just a screw-up on my part! And SteveM... for you to quote Weir about the "cover band" notion shortly after Jerry died... a LOT of things got said back then in the rush of emotions everyone felt... time moves forward relentlessly... All the surviving members have tried a million things... what you see as Grateful Dead cover bands I see as musicians looking for different ways to interpret songs that are legitimately part of their lives and which they have every right to perform however they want. I think it's sad you've missed out on so much great music because of your prejudice against the notion of Grateful Dead players playing their songs or sounding (sometimes) like the Dead. I have nothing against DSO or their ilk, but to compare them to Furthur is ridiculous, in my view. Totally not doing the same thing...

The Hot Seat

Thank you for forcing us to think about that which we love so much. I don't comment too often but perhaps it is that I too think that Jeff may be it. At least at this point in time and with this band I agree that he is the lead melodic musician. Bobby and Phil of course more than hold down (muscularly and more energetically ever since the Dead shows with Warren...but Jeff was the man that tour as well). This is in no way meant to diminish the contributions of any of the others. I loved them all. It's sort of hard to compare really. I will add one personal perspective and that is simply that through out the Brent era it seemed that the quality of Jerry's night of music was more dependent on how in synch he and Brent were. If Brent had an "on" night, Jerry would usually get the whip out and drive everyone to the outer limits of the spacetimeart continuum. Jeff doesn't have that foil to test his mettle against. Could be why he is so impressive though, he seems comfortable in his art. It isn't really a hot seat any longer. Just a platform for great music that I love.

kumquat excursion

another day, another dig at Donna."Donna has ruined some of my best Dead tapes"; yep, like Jerry did sometimes. liked your post smarcus; always glad to hear mention of Garth Hudson. what a keyboard player HE is. and totally agree about the Vince issue; only the band know why they put a stranglehold on him. strange things happen through grief i suppose. would anyone have worked after Brent? regardless of the huge amount of talent out there, i think the writing was on the cards. i think the loss of Brent left such a void (that Jerry felt partly responsible for if i'm not mistaken) that although there were some high times in the nineties, the stone was cast. me, i enjoyed them all.

blair

i noticed re: the duplicate postings, that even if the page times out after hitting save; if you open another window and check, the comments are there! if it looks like it's failed to post, it hasn't!those pesky gremlins. why i oughta..... (oh, and thanks for mentioning the hideous mess of the archives! someone out there, pleeeeeese, for the love of God......).

furthur's essence

In response to some of the comments that have come out in this thread, regarding every incarnation of any band post Jerry as being some kind of 'cover band.' I am not sure where those comments come from - I imagine in some cases folks have not had the chance to hear these bands play, or have only limited exposure to what Ratdog, Phil and Friends, the Other Ones, the Dead, and Furthur have done over the last 15 plus years. In other cases, there are just some people who have made the decision that everything and anything after Jerry is just not worth while, and they won't even allow themselves to be open to it, regardless of quality. To suggest, as one post did, that DSO is a better experience than Furthur is in my mind patently ridiculous. I saw DSO last month, a sold out show at the Ram's Head Live in Baltimore. They were great, good music, great fun, people were having fun, dancing, and the music was tight. But as good as they are, they are not even close, on any level, to what Furthur is doing these days - not in musicianship, vocals, total band quality, anything. Having seen every post Jerry incarnation multiple times, I can say that great music and great magic have been created by all of these bands. I have enjoyed some bands better than others, but on any given night that Grateful Dead spirit that we all love can come to life. I've seen it with Ratdog, I've seen it with Phil and Friends, with the Other Ones, all the way down the line. That being said, Furthur has taken it all to another level. We don't like to say it, and many Heads don't like to hear it, but Furthur has been playing the best live Grateful Dead music that has been played on stage in a long time, to include the last couple of years that Jerry was playing with the Dead. Don't get me wrong - the last years with Jerry there were still some great moments, still some great shows even, but the overall quality had diminished dramatically, and you could sure see some awful shows on a bad night. And forget about the fact that the first sets had become perfunctory 45-50 minute extended warm ups, and even the second sets were only about an hour or so long when you take out the drums and space. Furthur, with the quality of their playing, with the imagination put into their setlists, with the length of the shows - well, suffice it to say that I feel extremely lucky to have the chance to see them playing at this level, and if you set aside the whole Jerry issue, and just listen to the music, you'll hear some of the finest Grateful Dead music played anywhere by anyone in many a long year.

Hey, Sceezo...

I agree with every word in your post! I guess we should be happy that Furthur can still play good places, instead of having to go the arena route everywhere, so maybe it's better if the nay-sayers and non-believers stay home!

nay-sayers

Staying home doesn't preclude nay-sayers from posting on the internet, but rather provides them with more time to chime in on what they don't like and why they don't like it, ad nauseum. Staying home is not the solution, Blair; getting a life would be my suggestion.

keys

It is like comparing apples and oranges. The band was so different in each era, some differences brought about by the keyboardist in the chair at the time. I found the GD during the Brent era and really liked the soulful sound he had. I love the B-3 sound and find that missing when I listen to Keith era Dead. However, the piano is much richer with Keith than with Brent. I also liked the blues that Brent brought back to the band, which was largely missing since Pigpen. Personally, for me it is Pigpen, Brent and Keith in that order, but not necessarily for their keyboard/piano playing. Pigpen seems like he was such a big presence (oh, to see more video of him someday, including a full on rave-up like Lovelight) and as someone mentioned, don't discount his harmonica. His B-3 flourishes on the Europe tour really round out the music. Once Brent died, I think the GD had trouble recovering the sound. Interesting about the instrument limitations they put on Vince, makes me wonder what he could have done with his instruments of choice. Jeff Chimenti is a very good player-- I felt that when I saw him with Ratdog, the Dead in 02, 03 and 09 and now with Furthur. He does some really good things. I am staying out of the cover band argument, though. I may write on one of Blair's other Furthur or 11 wrapup blogs with my thoughts on that.

Chairmen of the Boards

As a long time follower of the Dead, and one who likes to take the music way too seriously, I have some thoughts on the matter. First, you left Ned Lagin off the list, even though he never really had an official chair at the boards. I got into the band in '89-'90, so I had the most direct relationship with Brent, and as such, he is my man. Nonetheless, with his dark side, I sometimes have mixed feelings. I liked the way he engaged the band, and although Jerry would be soloing, Brent would riff off that solo like noboy's business. He chose very colorful lines, and his synth tones of his final few years really accentuated that quality. Further, his B-3 playing could be downright volcanic. Such a talented guy! When Brent passed, I think the wisest move would have been for the band to take some kind of break. Outside of a few notable performances of ”He's Gone” on 9.16.90 and 12.28.90, there wasn't any real public memorial for Brent, and the value of his life was far too great to be denied. With the lack of good communication behind the scenes, it was difficult to choose a new guy qualified for the part, and, as a fan, I was definitely unfair in my criticisms of Vince and his steep learning curve, of which I had no understanding. I, of course, wish Mickey or someone would have mentored Vince in the polyrhythmic roots behind the music, the nuances of the groove, or maybe even helped him relax into the feel. He did play some grand piano on a few versions of I Need a Miracle in '91, perhaps to less-than-impressive results, and sitting in the shadow of Bruce may have even been a thorn in his development. In that first week when he joined the band, his attack was much different than after Bruce's exit. I do agree that Vince was truly finding his voice as Jerry's abilities waned. I question the songs that he wrote (Samba) and the band's willingness to place them in the second set show stopping position. But try listening to the bulk of 7.23.94 and tell me that Vince didn't have chops! Sure, he didn't know that Jerry was cuing up Comes a Time on 3.31.94 out of Dark Star, but he didn't really have much relationship to the music before joining the band. And back in those days, we thought of the Dead's music as more than music, and didn't know how to categorize it or choose the best man for the job. The one time I met Vince, I encouraged him to study jazz, which was a pretty asshole thing to say. He looked a bit offended, and I wish to this day that I'd actualy thanked and encouraged him instead. I, of course, went on to study jazz, and I still don't know a damn thing! But I digress. Nonetheless, I think the band got it right by not trying to replace Jerry or anyone versed in that language up until Furthur took the stage. It would have been a profound and inconspicuous disrespect to the person attempting to fill his shoes, as well as to the band. Jeff Chimenti is incredible. I am very very happy he is in the band. I first heard his work on an album called The Counts Jam Band Reunion with Steve Marcus and my teacher, Larry Coryell. Jeff is a monster on that album, and sounds completely at reader on Tomorrow Never Knows while Larry slashes him away with twisted augmented voicings. JK simply hasn't been able to relax and solo in his own way on Eyes of the World since Chimenti came on board and turned that song inside out. Mind you, I have not heard the previous two tours, so I can't comment on the most recent developments. Pigpen. While the band searched for their sound, Ron adapted beautifully. He wasn't a virtuoso, but he could hang. His contributions lack for nothing. He might not have the massive chops, but he had the feel and the sound. TC remains confusing to me. Never really heard him let loose, so it's hard to say. I recall him being criticized for not being able to swing, and I did own a recording of his with a Dark Star that contained that limitation. You couldn't dance to it, bit he was interesting to listen to. His basic chops are undeniable, of course. Keith. He had a number of different flavors through the years, depending on the e equipment at play. From the bar room boogie-woogie of '71 to the colorful and delicate fills and splashes of color in '72, and the bold runs of '73 and even moreso the following year, Keith held his own, keeping character and pace. He brought forth much larger chords and sounds from '77 on, creating that huge bounce off the big drums effect when the band slammed into the highest crescendos! Keith was low key on stage, but his presence is still felt today. As a quiet man on stage, known for singing only one song, it's hard to know what he was about. But he certainly meshed with the band during the glory days, and he sure knew the art of taking the music way way out there. Nobody else had that ease when diving into the twists and turns of a 30+ minute journey. During the age of free, unstructured jazz exploration, Keith was the main man. Back to Brent. Man, that man knew how to suffer! One thing that attracted me to his music during my high school years '88 to '92, was that he understood the shit going on in my heart at that time. I could feel was he was tryng to say because those were hard times for me as well. It will always be sad and tragic that he went out the way he did (Pig, Keith and Vince as well), but I pray with my life that poison turns to medicine, and their lives in the universe, where ever they may be, may be filled with happiness and peace, and the confidence to win over their problems and never more defeated by them. I hope the inner workings of the Grateful Dead experience is directed towards lasting happiness and human advance. It's an incredible part of our American culture, and I pray that the music be guided by wisdom towards the service of the greater good for the purpose of introducing new audiences and bringing people together. Herbie Hancock stated this as his determination, and I think there is nothing wrong with adopting such a purpose. The keyboard seat of the Grateful Dead is part of the story of American music. May it be transformed into a treasure.

GD Keyboardists

I am a keyboardist in a Dead cover band Bear's Choice in PA. I agree with 100% of your thoughts. Keith was perhaps the most technically gifted keyboard player the Dead ever used. I've only seen Jeff once at the Mann in Philly and was totally impressed w/ his chops. His sound is huge and he compliments the band so well. I loved Brent and Pigpen for what their talents but being a trained pianist have to cast my votes for Keith and Jeff.

Agreed, jonapi

Though this is not the topic, since it was mentioned and replied to, I just want to add my love of Donna to the mix along with jonapi. Particularly since Donna's still out there and still catching shit. Want her to know that there are those of us out here who recognize her contribution along with Keith's. For many of us, like Jerry or Bob or any other singer in the band who were often less than vocally channelling perfection, it was her heart and soul that was clearly embedded in her singing and it shone through any imperfections that may have occurred. Just like Jerry's cracked voice was still full of his heart long after his lungs had ceased to impress. I, personally, think the Grateful Dead benefitted greatly from the inclusion of a female vocalist. When she and Keith left the band, I missed Donna's presence immensely. Brent, as good a voice as he had, could never fill that gap for me (MUSIC NEVER STOPPED was never the same) as his style of singing was, as someone else here mentioned regarding Brent's over all style, more reminiscent of the Doobie Brothers than the Grateful Dead. Though Brent's vocals were surely impassioned. I think Donna has for many years gotten a bad, undeserved rap. If the band were not inspired by her contribution, she would not have remained as long as she did. And the music we love may never have grown in the direction it did. Credit where credit is due. I thought she was terrific. My favorite era.

Europe 72

One of the things I really noticed when going through the Europe shows was how prominent Pigpen was during the tour and it was not just his vocals, which were far more a part of the shows than I remembered with many songs per show and always a "showstopper" tune like Good Lovin' or Lovelight. The period featured dual keyboards with Keith on his grand and Pig on the B3--a nice mix and one that was pretty much limited to the late '71 shows when Pig rejoined the band in December through the Europe tour followed by a few shows in the summer of '72. There is too much variation as the band evolved through their career to call a 'best' keyboardist--they all made contributions which were integral to the sound of the group in a particular period, imho.

sake heat when the night awakes

yes, i too agree about the "cover band" nonsense.this is their music and they can do what they like with it. what would we rather have them do? not play? still be vexed at each other? on non-speaking terms? no thanks... all of the post-Dead projects have brought some wonderful music to our hearts and ears. true, they're not exactly revolutionary, but damn, once in a lifetime could be seen as greedy. any more than that and it would be plain wrong! i would like to say again, that Jeff Chimenti is indeed a great player (wonder if he'll bust out some En Vogue melodies during those jams!!); all this talk of "technical ability" and "chops" means not a jot, my dears. he's consistently inventive, tasteful, happy to go out on a limb (don't forget everyone to check out his playing with Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade - Live Frogs Sets 1 & 2 albums are great). he also seems to be a real nice person. we mustn't forget that trying to find a player who can encompass all the styles that Grateful Dead music requires is one tall order. most bands would need four or five different keyboardists to accommodate such breadth. (or maybe one David Lindley!! he can play everything!). by the way, did Kaleidoscope ever jam with the Dead? all this silly talk about "it's just not the Dead without Jerry" is nauseating. i second and third everyone's replies about the futility of comparison. a complete non-starter. to dismiss outright borders on a childish strop, best reserved for when mummy left your teddy in the car or she forgot to put ketchup on your fries again. some sweet music emanates from Phil & Friends, Ratdog, Scaring The Children, Rhythm Devils, 7 Walkers (my personal favourite), Furthur et al. personally Furthur has yet to really enter my bloodstream but i'm not able to see them live so i'm growing up and reserving opinion until i can (come on fellas, you know you want to visit Japan....i'll enlighten you to the Highest resonant spiritual temples and introduce you to the ramen that'll make you see GOD!). until then, keep on keeping on everyone. the world needs light not dark (unless it's those recesses of the mind that need opening to make us all better beings). Jeff, we love you.

matter condensed

meant to mention that that was a really great post Dan R., especially the last paragraph. absolutely spot on.i too connected with Brent's emotions. Pig's, Keith's and Vince's too (every time that image of how Vince passed comes into my mind a part of me dies also; shockingly sad). (but a shame Herbie Hancock chose to be a silly boy and involve himself with that Soka Gakkai evil. don't be fooled everyone, i beg you). and here's to you Hal_M! i raise a wee golden dram in your mighty fine direction!

Nice to see....

My dear old friend and tour-mate raindep enter the fray! I got nothing to add to what he has to say....and he is far more polite than me! : )

Jeff rocks! ...perfect for now

I'm really happy to see Blair bring Jeff Chimenti into the limelight. I have heard Furthur a handful of times, and each time I am more impressed with him. It is especially notable when they're passing the jam around and it's his turn, man he totally kicks things up a few gears. He has some Nicky Hopkins going on. The boy can boogie! As for the Grateful Dead's preferred keyboardist, gotta say I'm a Keith man. All of those discussed are good or they wouldn't be playing in the band, but I just thought there was a lightness and rightness about his piano. And among a group of people who were good at sensing each other and complementing the improvisation, I thought Keith's togetherness with Jerry was absolutely telepathic. I have some Jerry Garcia Band shows he was in and the interplay in the jams is breathtaking. Listening to them, I've thought that if I was given one more chance to hear Jerry play, I would like Keith as his sideman.

agree completely

Nice appraisal BJ, thanks! Brent ruled on the B-3 in the early 80s, and Keith ruled on the piano in the early 70s, but Jeff is the definitely the best all-around keyboardist. The outside playing in some of his solos is particularly crucial because it restores a bit of the hard bop edge lost without Jerry. And while I'm being sacrilegious, I'll cast a vote for Joe as my favorite GD-related drummer.

--------------------------------(----@

Hey Blair---Wanted to thank you for my new perspective of keyboardists and Grateful Dead music... I've re-read your article and added some of my own-- oh yeah! I think I'm on (to) something, gonna have to rock that thought out a few more times to hammer it down, got any nails? It's a different circle and one that only wraps around the outside of the orginials... So many players playing so sweetly a style their own though borrowing a little from the former. Impossible to deny that of course or it would not be Grateful Dead music now would it. Kinda like a bullseye with a choice of centers; you can win even if you don't quite hit it... that's how it becomes orginal. But when someone hits that bullseye! Wow, right on! Thus...Jeff, he hits the bullseye for you. 100 points for the center. Winner! And I'm thinking of others things now too just had to get this off my mind and let you have a bullseye thought of your own. Thanks for your work, as always, xo! Lovingkindness and Light and Good Love To You Both---Never Stop.

silly boy?

I know about all you read of the Soka Gakkai online, but most of it is very false. Most points of the fear campaign never actually materialized, and, as I know Herbie well through Soka Gakkai, I can tell you that your misconceptions of that group are very misguided. I recall in the 1990's when out wasn't cool to be a musician who respected the Grateful Dead. The music world had extraordinary things to say about the Dead. Here is my experience. My conversations with Herbie, among others, rehumanized music for me. Through the Grateful Dead, I became a music worshiper. Part of my Buddhist practice has been about putting music back in its place for me. I know that I absolutely enjoy practicing Buddhism with Soka Gakkai, but I can recall many years of practice living in fear of whether or not I was correctly living the teaching, when in fact I just needed to focus on having confidence in myself. Look at Herbie's career and ask yourself if he has failed to benefit and grow through his Buddhist practice. It was Buddhism that enabled Herbie to seek and find the sound that became the Head Hunters album, it its Buddhism that has caused Herbie to constantly work outside his own comfort zone to create music that serves people. Further, people tell me that he used to be very 'holier than thou, I'm a great artist' in attitude, and yet he now is very down to earth, approachable, converses on any subject under the sun while remaining true to his convictions, and dedicates an immeasurable amount of effort to raising the next generation of jazz stars. All these developments return to his Soka Gakkai experience. I think his music has changed from that of a show off of huge chops to somebody who creates based on a definite vision and purpose, a music that expresses the totality of the unfolding life-moment informed by wisdom generated from within. I see him as the example of somebody doing the healthy version of what the Grateful Dead were attempting. Rather than getting addicted to his music like a drug, you have to keep seeking Herbie's work. People can talk all the shit they want, but there is a definite reason that he created the only jazz record nominated for grammy of the year since the early 1960's. There is a reason he won that grammy. And although you may call him evil for speaking for George W. Bush at the White House, he reported back to his fellow SGI members that he spoke of the importance of peace building, and that he chose to speak there based on the realization that 'you cannot win if you do not play the game.' There is much more to say on the matter, but I will stop here. Thank you for your honest opinion. I just think that you have attached to a very biased view based on a foreign defamation and propaganda campaign that you do not understand. You have chosen the safe, easy to follow view. You don't have to work hard to develop your life one bit by embracing that view. But that can hardly be called setting an example of becoming strong or standing alone in the world. All the best.

the keys

Although the end of his tenure was marred by some sloppy shows due to the bad habits he developed with drugs and alcohol, even a cursory listen provides a lot of evdence that Keith was the best player for the band bar none. He was spot on from show #1, hit the ground running in 1971 and never looked back. His playing was never busy, always thoughful and very suggestive. You could always hear the notes he left out,the mark of a truly great player. He was able to adapt to the stylistic changes in the bands' music over the time of his residence which was something no one else had to encompass. He went from the psychedelic period through the jazz period and came through the disco phase close to the end of his career. But the real proof is in the listening. For my ears, he's absolutely the best blend with the rest of the members of the band. And that makes Keith truly one of the Grateful Dead. His ego never got in the way of the music.

Chimenti the best, REALLY?

C'mon Blair, I've seen Dead shows with Keith, Brent, Vince, Bruce. Didn't see Pigpen but dug his organ, very psychedelic. It's hard for me to pick between Keith, Brent, & Bruce (when he was on the piano). After beiong on the 2002 Other Ones tour, my final vote has to be Bruce Hornsby as best pianist to play with a post Dead band. I've seen Chimenti get Phil & Bob going on several occasions with Furthur, especially one of those nights at the Cuthbert in Eugene. He is good but he doesn't have the psychedelic flourishes. My vote for best Pianist with the gogd would have to Keith Godchaux. Anybody who could be doing that much smack and still not only keep up with Jerry but even be brilliant on a particular night gets my vote every time.

Keyboard debate

Interesting how peoples perceptions differ about music. People have opinions about who was the best but in the end they are just what your likes and dislikes are. I would have to say Brent hands down as the best keyboardist but the other guys all contributed to timeless music which fit in with what the band was playing at that time. TC was the right guy for Live Dead and Dark Star with his airy organ but probably would not have fit in down the road. It seemed to me like Keith was more a honky tonk type of player but was pretty one dimensional but this was before the Dead were getting into more electronic effects. I have to disagree with Blair about Brent not embracing the spacier side. Check out Ticket to New Years. Jerry is totally locked into Brent's playing and there is some great improv jazz stuff on Terrapin and the Other One. Also check his playing on the Other One from 87-90 with some really wild synth/electric piano. Don't think any of the other guys including Jeff could have come up with anything close to this. Also throw in the added bonus of his harmonies (sorry Donna). I would bet if Jerry was still picking he would vote for Brent. This is based on the way they interacted during the shows. I think Brent was always coming up with new stuff which Jerry dug. Still the keyboardist for the Dead is always going to be in the background and not doing lead but was always an integral part of the music.

Brent

God Bless you Blair for having the courage to post your personal feelings on Brent. Often times no criticism of any members of the Dead are allowed or you are deemed a hater and negative. I never liked the dinky sounds Brent would come up with specially the bell chimes. I didn't mind his piano sound that much and felt he was best playing it. His organ I found too compressed. I never felt it breathed enough like Melvin Seals organ tone. As for his sonic palette, I remember saying when he died that "Thank god I will never have to hear his cheesy sounds again." I understand this is not a nice thing to say but it was really how I felt at the time. No one beat Keith in my opinion.

Keith

Clearly Keith. No question.I want to like Brent, but he never impresses me; just seems to be doodling around. If someone can suggest some inspired Brent recordings that might change my mind, please do. Brent was, however, the Dead's best-ever vocalist.

P.S. - Pig

While not exactly technically proficient, I still do love Pig's keyboard work, especially his fills in 68/69-era Dark Stars. They just evoke a certain spacy 2 a.m. late 60s vibe that I love.

Brent

One thing you can say about him was he was the glue that held the band together in the 80s and the band was never the same after he was gone. I will most certainly give him that.

Dan R.

just a quick reply to Dan R. regarding the SG matter;i'm truly happy for you and Herbie if you benefit from belonging to this group. we're all on our own path and must follow what we feel is right. however, i must make a few corrections; Sokka Gakai has NOTHING to do with Buddhism. i am half Japanese and my wife is Japanese. this has nothing to do with "foreign propaganda", i'm afraid. i can send you many links, news reports, journals, documents and facts, but they are in Japanese; obviously these texts are quite big but if i can find the time i will translate some points or articles for you so you can investigate further should you wish to do so. please note that i am not trying to change your mind on the matter; i am not dismissing any worth you may find from this group. and i am certainly not into a conspiracy theories or the like. but in only being able to speak English (unless you speak Japanese of course), you are only getting a fraction of the information and understanding. it is important to have as much information about certain organisations as you can before one aligns oneself wholeheartedly. they are involved in many businesses, companies and politics that you probably don't realise; the substantial effects on a local level, i dare say you aren't even aware of. some of these, SG themselves are quite open about. this isn't supposition and gossip; buying shares in businesses and being involved in the police and officialdom and then providing a outlet to entice Westerners who buy into Eastern exoticism and mysticism without full understanding, can be dangerous. what involvement in companies like Uniqlo and Doutour amongst many, many others, and influence in local councils on a whole host of subjects from planning permission to prosecutions has got to with spirituality is beyond me and any moral thinking individual. as i'm sure you can appreciate, a person themselves can view something in a certain way that benefits them greatly on an individual level without realising the greater picture and the damage done by the group as a whole. it's well known that some people who joined the Aum Shrinrikyo sect benefited greatly in all manner of ways on a personal basis, but the end results were devastating (not a comparison necessarily, just making a point). but as i said, i'm not criticising you personally, just want to inform on a serious level. PM me if you'd like to chat further. sorry to drift from the keyboard point.

ridiculous

I am blown away that you would fall into the age old argument about the Soka Gakkai being comparable to a group that attacked the Japanese subway system with toxic chemicals. The founders of Soka Gakkai went to prison for opposing a militarist government that forced a religious movement on a tiny island country leading to the country's destruction in WW2. Your criticisms are profoundly misguided. Second, the Buddhism Soka Gakkai follows is absolutely true to Buddhism. Nichiren's greatness is that no matter how many enemies he had, nobody could defray him in debate on the matters pertaining to Buddhism. He was a true master of the teaching, and he clarified where all other forms of Japanese Buddhism had lost the spirit of the founder, or just straight-up contradicted the Buddha. Nichiren clarified that if you place an inferior teaching above a superior teaching, then people will suffer as a matter of course. In this case, people followed teachings based on the discriminations of a society from 500 bce, rather than the Buddha's conclusion of the university of enlightenment. Third, religion had been involved in Japanese politics since the beginning of modern Japanese society. To criticize Soka Gakkai for getting involved in modern Japanese democracy shows how little you know about your own culture. And finally, the concerns about Soka Gakkai members being involved in big business enterprises is a matter that you should consider deeply. The Buddhism Soka Gakkai is based upon the principle that 'faith equals daily life.' I first learned of this principle, incidentally and intuitively, through listening to the music of the Grateful Dead. What this means is that we don't have professional religionists who go off to monasteries to attain enlightenment by separating themselves from society. Instead, Soka Gakkai members live in the real world, have real world problems, do real world work, and they carry out their Buddhist practice in society. I beg you to consider the superficiality of your concerns. There are millions of Soka Gakkai members in Japan. We are real people in the real world just trying to become happy, and have found that the community of Soka Gakkai members is one of the finest diverse gatherings of people in the world. We are not perfect Buddhas who claim to be above you. Instead, we are a bunch of people who have found that the practice greatly contributes to the improvement of our quality of life. Now, can we please get back to the keyboard discussion?

to each his own

Interesting discussions folks! I'll throw in my support into the fray for Keith Godchaux and his tingling of the ivory keys on that Steinway. The fall of 1971 really shines.Bruce Hornsby is right there too, except he preferred a Baldwin back in 1990-1992. His vocals and stage skills are still outstanding. Pigpen is legendary with his stage antics and soulful singing. Wish I could have seen him perform before 1972. Brent 's piano and organ skills were very good. Wish he would've lightened up and had more fun. Vince? His tenure was short, yet he caught on quick and had many good performances and a good vocals, however, I wasn't a big fan of his songs. Maybe I'll go listen to Samba in the Rain and reconsider...

never mind

Thanks for your reply.I would kindly like to remind you that my message did not rubbish or make light of the positive effect that Soka Gakkai had/has on you and many others. I made that quite clear. I also made no comparison between SG and Aum; i merely used that as an example, highlighting that while these organisations can have a positive influence on individuals, the group as a whole can be fare less beneficial. I could have used Christianity, Islam, Scientology etc. Scientology being a pretty good comparison actually. I could also have used as an analogy, the way huge corporations have influence over government and local decision making, sometimes to damning detrimental effect. You might believe it is all harmless but it leeds to wealth, greed, power and manipulation. The quickest of glances at history will prove that when religions or "spiritual" movements get involved in politics or huge corporations it will only lead to negativity; thats to say nothing of intimidation, corruption and extortion. Secondly, you wrote - "To criticize Soka Gakkai for getting involved in modern Japanese democracy shows how little you know about your own culture." That is a really silly, embarrassing thing to say my friend; an attempt at being patronising or the age-old defense mechanisms of those who can't stand their "religion" being discussed? I would advise learning Japanese, exploring it's culture you're so quick to mention and looking further into a subject (since when did you become an authority on the country, it's customs and it's history? don't be stupid, man). If you decide to jump into something or be vocal about belonging to something, you have to accept certain responsibilities. You don't live there, you don't see, sometimes on a minor, sometimes on a major level, the unhealthy influence SG has on local areas. That is not to say that some involved aren't doing wonderful things for their community or their own self-esteem, and i never suggested that they did not; but it's important to have all the facts and as much information as possible. Whether you choose to agree or disagree with what you find is of course up to you. But not taking the time to check isn't wise. It's important to proceed in these matters with caution. Buy hey, if you consider SG to be spiritual in some way or truly connected to Buddhism, then go for it. One thing i would suggest though, is it is better to discuss things with an open mind, rather than stick rigidly to one's beliefs. You don't know who i am, how old i am, what i'm involved in or what i do for a living. To immediately label someone "profoundly misguided" or "knowing little about their own culture" just because they brought up some points on an important subject is rather sad. Sadly laughable even. You also don't have to give me a potted history of SG; i know. It's that "Japanese language" thing i mentioned earlier. But one thing i am in agreement with is yes, let's get back to the keyboard discussion!

Uhhhm, Jonapi, Dan R?

Could you please move this to the religion thread?

Discussion string theory

> let's get back to the keyboard discussion! With all those SGs flying around, I was thinking we might have shifted to guitars...

All are great

And all had their place.Just as every decade and every sound change. Every member was Important It was a Band not a bunch of Individuals. If you can do better, when is the show?

Gibson Gaiety

ha ha!! and that's a beauty of a guitar!!! ol' Derek Trucks wields a mighty fine one!! makes it sing oh so sweetly. apologies for the interruption in topic Anna rRxia!! but can't move to the religion thread as it doesn't qualify for that either........!!!!!! Anna rRxia, Stop Whining Please....some good names right there!

JG SG!