America’s 239th / American Original: The Grateful Dead

10 p.m. to Midnight Host: Steve Winters

We’re eschewing the patriotic songs and significant points of American vernacular music for this year’s July 4 holiday celebration. Instead, we’re honing in on folk and acoustic music’s connection to one of America’s renowned musical institutions and, without doubt, the greatest jam band in musical history: The Grateful Dead. Indeed, they are American originals, a delicious slice of vernacular musical life this annual holiday show always celebrates. True to form, the remaining living members of the Dead — Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir — are offering a final “Fare Thee Well” series of three concerts at Chicago’s Soldier Field this weekend as this great nation marks its 239th birthday and the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Dead observe the 50th Anniversary of their founding in 1965. Much of this Profiles show centers appropriately on Jerry Garcia, the guiding light of the Dead until his death in August 1995. Jerry grew strong roots in folk and bluegrass music and brought that knowledge to much of the Dead’s music.

  • Artist, "Title", Album, Label

  • Grateful Dead, “Truckin’”, American Beauty, Warner Brothers

  • David Grisman, “Introduction”, Grateful Dawg Soundtrack, Acoustic Disc

  • David Grisman & Jerry Garcia, “Grateful Dawg”, Grateful Dawg Soundtrack, Acoustic Disc

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  • Wake The Dead, “Boys Of Ballinafad/U.S. Blues/Connaughtman’s Rambles/Where’s The Cat?/The New, ,

  • Fiddle”, Buckdancer’s Choice, Redwing Music,

  • Old & In The Way, “Jerry’s Breakdown”, “Midnight Moonlight”, Breakdown, Acoustic Disc

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  • David Grisman & Jerry Garcia, “Casey Jones”, Shady Grove, Acoustic Disc

  • Grateful Dead, “Casey Jones”, Working Man’s Dead, Warner Brothers

  • Wake The Dead, “Banks Of Lough Gowna/The Reunion/Friend Of The Devil”, Wake The Dead, Grateful Dead

  • Records, , ,

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  • Grateful Dead, “Ripple”, American Beauty, Warner Brothers

  • Grateful Dead, “Brokedown Palace”, Live Dead, Grateful Dead Records

  • Katie Wilson, “Sugaree”, Katie Wilson, Independent

  • Danny Carnahan & Robin Petrie, “Loser”, No Regrets, DNA Records

  • Ramblin’ Jack Elliott & Bob Weir, “Friend Of The Devil”, Friends Of Mine, HighTone Records

  • Sloan Wainwright, “Box Of Rain”, Sloan Wainwright, Waterbug Records

  • Norma Waterson, “Black Muddy River (Water)”, Norma Waterson, Hannibal Records

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  • Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, “Oh The Wind And Rain”, Almost Acoustic, Grateful Dead Records

  • Wake The Dead, “Playin’ In The Band/Paddy Fahey’s/Sean Frank’s/The Tempest”,Buckdancer’s Choice, Redwing Music