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I've always enjoyed the Grateful Dead, but I'm not what you would call a "deadhead". The closest I came was when I dated a serious Grateful Dead fan during college. She dragged me to go to an Atlanta show and I will be forever grateful. I had enjoyed the Dead before this show, but once I saw them live my opinion turned much more positive. It was not an epiphany that made me want to sell all of my material possessions and live a simple life selling hemp bracelets at Rainbow gatherings, but it did open my eyes to the very special musical bond between members of the band. Jerry Garcia's guitar style is so recognizable all you need to hear is a single note to know it's him, and although the individual vocal parts of each member are nothing too exciting, when they're put together it all fits perfectly. Even though there's superb musicianship to be found in the Grateful Dead, I have always felt that their key contribution was their powerful dynamics. This is a band that was deeply connected with the music -- not just on an individual level, but collectively. When you get a group of talented musicians all feeling the same thing and expressing it through their instruments in synch, the results can be truly electrifying for the audience. This is what made the Dead great. It's what made people give up their lives in order to follow the band full time.

There have been many musicians who've been members of the Grateful Dead over the decades. Many of them, as you know, are no longer with us. This playlist examines the Grateful Dead family tree with songs released by members as solo artists and through other projects. I think you'll find a connected vibe running throughout.

   1. St. Stephen - The Grateful Dead   

   2. Shady Grove - Jerry Garcia   

   3. Dances With Wood - Mickey Hart   

   4. Greatest Story Ever Told - Bob Weir   

   5. Liberty - Phil Lesh   

   6. Mandolin Rain - Bruce Hornsby   

   7. Panama Red - New Riders of the Purple Sage   

   8. Trenches - The Rhythm Devils   

   9. Midnight Moonlight - Old & In The Way   

   10. Swing 51 - David Grisman   

   11. Talk To Ya Later - The Tubes   

   12. Take Me To The River - Ratdog With Charlie Musselwhite   

   13. Let It Be - Tom Constanten 

   14. Sweet Baby - Keith & Donna Godchaux

   15. C.C. Rider -Pigpen

   16. Haze - Bobby & The Midnites

   17. Slow Train - Dylan & The Dead

   18. Pig In A Pen- Old & In The Way

   19. Tough Mama - Legion Of Mary

   20. Merl Saunders - Soul Roach

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