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  • Brion
    August 19, 2022
    It is an amazing early Jerry recording. A great add to my Jerry and Dead collection.
  • Dan Breslin
    February 22, 2022
    It was just okay . Disc 4 was by far the best .
  • Terri
    February 22, 2022
    We had an unusual spring like day in PA..We decided to sit outside and listen to the CD’s…What an extraordinary set of Jerry’s music before the Dead…We had a magical afternoon! What a treat! A must buy for all Jerry fans!
  • Mark
    February 15, 2022
    Was looking forward to this release and it was worth the wait! Jerry has a quality that was with him from start to finish! Great music for a look back at how it all got started! A must own for all the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia fans. Thanks for another classic
  • Superbob
    January 26, 2022
    after seeing the dead at a love-in in Griffith Park in '67 I've been groovin' to the many iterations of the band and their music ever since. this Jerry before the dead harkens back to the days when there were the ubiquitous coffee houses in every city. enjoyed this album immensely.
  • Steve
    January 21, 2022
    Have been a Deadhead since I was 12 yo, And this is amazing hearing early Jerry and a different perspective on Jerry. And the quality is superb
  • robert kendall
    July 1, 2020
    amazing to ear the banjo riffs that became jerry's signature guitar ideas. these are really amazing sounds
  • Carol Scholtz
    May 29, 2020
    We listened to the whole set all the way to the beach and had a grand old time.
  • Dupree207
    May 22, 2020
    This purchase has given me a more earthly perpective on Jerry as he runs through early bluegrass and folk tunes, each complimenting that certain tone that Jerry always seems to emulate-- regardless of what year it may be. That classic understanding of struggle and happiness; the wholesomeness that drove sound throughout his whole career. The bucolic rawness makes the music all the more insightful as each song sheds a little more light on Jerry's roots as a gifted bluegrass and folk artist. The roots that were able to grow deep enough to mount the foundation for what has now become a legacy with intangible worth. Needless to say, it was well worth the purchase. Thank you for the release!! NFA
  • Dits
    May 15, 2020
    Beautiful, thank you so much, we’ll done
  • Michael VanDeusen
    April 20, 2020
    Just listened to this set from start to finish,and even though I already had some of this on tapes,it sounds so much better cleaned up,and digital. Quite the history of early Jerry music,I’m glad I finally added this to my collection!
  • Billy D
    January 20, 2020
    This set of CDs is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Disk 2 is as strong of a bluegrass collection as any of the rest of my favorite disks. Even without the Dead, Jerry would have been a beloved and highly regarded acoustic Americana curator just on the strengths of what he had demonstrated in 1961-1962. I LOVE this collection! And I completely agree with the other comments here... Jerry did become a "mind-blowing banjo virtuoso" through the course of these recordings. Getting to listen to such an extensive documentation of this man's journey through American music to the point where he began writing a new Legacy himself is both a treat and a privilege.
  • Brett
    April 6, 2019
    This set of discs is fascinating from a sociological point of view as well as from the point of view of a major Jerry fan. You hear voices and sounds from ordinary, everyday events like a birthday party or a coffeehouse from the early 1960s, before so much of what people think of as the 1960s had happened. You hear Jerry go from being decent beginning picker in 1961 to being a mind-blowing banjo virtuoso by 1964. He is playing with other great musicians, too, some of whom you will recognize like David Nelson and Robert Hunter. You may also know Sandy Rothman from the late 1980s "Almost Acoustic" album and tour. Lots of American musical history and heritage. When I heard Jerry's skill as a bluegrass musician by 1964, it occurred to me that one probable reason for his improvisational playing style was to keep the much simpler rock 'n roll interesting for him after picking so much fast and complex melodies on the banjo. Not something that I listen to every day, but it's an interesting look at "old-timey" music as Jerry and his compatriots called it in several recordings as well as how an artist that we all know and love developed into one of the greatest musicians of the late 20th century.
  • Denver Man
    April 1, 2019
    Excellent! Already had most of these shows but I'll take high quality sound that this release provides any day of the week!
  • Susan
    August 23, 2018
    I purchased the CD for my husband as he has been a die-hard fan since youth. He said it was fascinating, but would rather stick to his beloved Greatful Dead tunes. I must add that hearing Garcia jam that banjo was truly impressive. The sound quality is excellent and makes nice cruising music. I would listen to it again, but only once in awhile when I need that special dose of "brilliant!"
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