I've spent a good amount of time in Portland, OR this last year working with Danner, and whenever I'm in town, it's impossible not to have a few this and thats from Deschutes Brewery. I got an email from those kind beer-makin' folks yesterday with a link to their latest and greatest, the Deschutes River Recordings video series. First up is Eric D. Johnson of the Fruit Bats singing The Byrds' "Ballad of Easy Rider." If you have a few minutes, which I know you do, watch it. It's a real humdinger.Learn more about the project here.
Plantasia
Thanks to the ladies of San Francisco's Gravel and Gold for hipping me to this album. Recorded in the mid 70s by weirdo electronic musician Mort Garson (who also did the backing music to Richard Burton's interpretation of The Little Prince), this was given out with the purchase of a Simmon’s mattress at Sears in 1976, and as a bonus, came with extensive instructions on plant care. Track names include "Symphony For A Spider Plant," "Ode to An African Violet," and "Mellow Mood For Maidenhair." Perfect.MP3: Mort Garson - Plantasia
Tent Read
Not a bad choice for a night under the stars. That is, if you're into this type of thing. It's the first biography written after Jerry's death. From Bob Weir's intro:
Jerry was only fifty-three when he died. I am older than that now, but he looked a lot older then. Was it the drugs that killed him? I think it was the burgers and pizza. The drugs enabled him, but it was the whole lifestyle. The drugs didn't stop his heart. It was the fat. And the sleep apnea.