The Holy Grail of Master Tapes?

[Bruce B]

Short Version..
I am Honored and extremely humbled to have been chosen by the Jerry Garcia Family to transfer/master Jerry's Tape Library!

Long Version.
About 4 months ago, dminches asked me if I could transfer some master tapes for someone. I said sure, of course. A few weeks go by and a fellow by the name of Joe , said he has some friends that have about 30 Master Tapes they wanted digitized for archival. We agreed on a price and logistics and I didn't hear from him for about a month. Then I get a call and follow-up email saying "Mountain Girl" and "Sunshine" agree to have you transfer their tapes. Me, never being a "Dead Head" or really getting into the Grateful Dead, still didn't catch on. Then I got to searching.... who is "Mountain Girl" and "Sunshine".... the plot thickens!

I then get an email from Sunshine that she wanted to hand deliver the tapes in a couple of weeks and would I be available. Of course I would. We made arrangements last Monday to meet for the delivery and spend the afternoon together. We started unloading the SUV and 30 turned into 130 Master Tapes!! WOW... (and they're not done)! The wife and I took her to lunch and just listened to her stories. Fascinating....

This project will take me a few months to complete and Sunshine asked me to start creating a buzz.... So this is the first I've said anything. I've already completed a few tapes and they are spectacular. Very well preserved. Most are Scotch 207, so no SSS. Many thanks to dminches and to Ki Choi for helping make sure I had everything covered on the tape side. This is a journey folks and probably the highlight of my musical career...!

 

[fbhifi]

Very Cool. These kinds of stories are what makes this hobby so rewarding. Have fun with the project.

 

[jazdoc]

Fantastic Bruce. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

wow Bruce, very exciting. that is quite a project and you will really enjoy it. like you, not a Dead Head myself, but look forward the feedback from you.

see you tomorrow.

 

[marty]

Well I am an original Dead Head and all I can say is...there's gotta be some great music in that vault! The NRPS tapes already caught my eye.

 

[Kingrex]

Very cool Bruce. I was never a deadhead. When they were more popular, I thought them to be pot heads. By the time I discovered weed, The Dead were winding down Touch Of Grey.
A couple years ago I bought a 45rpm reissue of I think American Graffiti. It was that album where I realized how great a musician they were. Especially the drummer.

Have fun and enjoy the project.

 

[dminches]

Bruce, I knew you were the man for the job and conveniently located within driving distance to Sunshine's and MG's home near Eugene. I am looking forward to listening to these when the time comes.

 

[fbhifi]

Very cool Bruce. I was never a deadhead. When they were more popular, I thought them to be pot heads. By the time I discovered weed, The Dead were winding down Touch Of Grey.
A couple years ago I bought a 45rpm reissue of I think American Graffiti. It was that album where I realized how great a musician they were. Especially the drummer.

Have fun and enjoy the project.

American “Graffiti”?

 

[dminches]

Joe is Joe Jupille, a Jerry Garcia scholar who is in the process of writing a book called "Fate Music." Joe has a close relationship with the Garcia ladies including Sunshine, MG, and Trixie.

 

[dminches]

Very cool Bruce. I was never a deadhead. When they were more popular, I thought them to be pot heads. By the time I discovered weed, The Dead were winding down Touch Of Grey.
A couple years ago I bought a 45rpm reissue of I think American Graffiti. It was that album where I realized how great a musician they were. Especially the drummer.

Have fun and enjoy the project.

I think you mean "American Beauty" which is a wonderful studio album.

 

[Kingrex]

Maybe it is Beauty. Not being a Dead fan, I can't read the writing.

 

[dcathro]

Congratulation Bruce on this exciting project!!

Please share more stories and info as you go along.

 

[marty]

Bruce, if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, these aren't GD tapes since I assume that catalog is owned by the Dead's publishing company. In other words, no Dick Latvala pick's here or material from the UC Santa Cruz GD Archive Museum, but rather, these are Jerry tapes and will likely include his numerous bluegrass collaborations, New Riders material (where Jerry famously plays a bastardized version of the pedal steel), and other stuff that is outside the GD catalog. Is that a reasonable assessment?

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce, if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, these aren't GD tapes since I assume that catalog is owned by the Dead's publishing company. In other words, no Dick Latvala pick's here or material from the UC Santa Cruz GD Archive Museum, but rather, these are Jerry tapes and will likely include his numerous bluegrass collaborations, New Riders material (where Jerry famously plays a bastardized version of the pedal steel), and other stuff that is outside the GD catalog. Is that a reasonable assessment?

Yes you are correct. There are a few GD tapes, but this is mostly his collaborations with other artists and his own projects.

 

[treitz3]

Hello, Bruce. After hearing your work, they choose wisely. Congratulations! This is awesome news. Don't forget to have fun, brother.

Tom

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Bruce,

i assume the transfers are to digital for the client, to enable ease of listening, or other reasons. not transfers to modern tape formulations. or is it a mixture of both?

 

[dminches]

Bruce, if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, these aren't GD tapes since I assume that catalog is owned by the Dead's publishing company. In other words, no Dick Latvala pick's here or material from the UC Santa Cruz GD Archive Museum, but rather, these are Jerry tapes and will likely include his numerous bluegrass collaborations, New Riders material (where Jerry famously plays a bastardized version of the pedal steel), and other stuff that is outside the GD catalog. Is that a reasonable assessment?

Marty, these tapes are "Garcia on the side," meaning non-GD. Garcia wouldn't have the rights to the New Riders material and some of the other collaborations are owned by others. David Grisman owns the rights to Old & In The Way. Linda Kahn owns the rights to Reconstruction. All this copyright stuff is complicated.

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce,

i assume the transfers are to digital for the client, to enable ease of listening, or other reasons. not transfers to modern tape formulations. or is it a mixture of both?

Right now I'm doing DSD256 transfers and doing a tape copy. Sunshine did say they would be released later this year, first of next year. Would love to convince the family to put out vinyl & tape!

 

[Kingrex]

Is it structured songs or jam session. Would be cool if you could talk them into tapes that are a collection of stand out songs.

 

[Bruce B]

Is it structured songs or jam session. Would be cool if you could talk them into tapes that are a collection of stand out songs.

Most are live sessions with other artists.