Rob is joined by longtime Grateful Dead crew member Steve Parish. Big Steve regales us with stories from his time on the road and his close relationship with Jerry Garcia. Listening to Steve talk really sheds a different light on just how special and unique the Grateful Dead were, Steve shares his feelings about the close-knit road crew, the mutual respect between the band and the crew and some pretty crazy stories, as well. Support the show (https://www.themusicplaystheband.net) Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themusicplays) https://paypal.me/themusicplays Grateful Swea ..read more

In a tribute to the late luthier and designer of the Grateful Dead's iconic Wall of Sound, Rob goes back into the archive to bring you his conversation with Rick Turner. Originally aired in edited segments during episodes 16-19, you can now hear the unedited version where Rick speaks about his time as musician, starting in the NYC coffee houses and including playing with Ian and Sylvia, how he gets into guitar building, the founding of both Alembic and Modulus guitars and much more. Rick also goes into detail about how the Wall of Sound came to be and specifics on its design. Turner was cuttin ..read more

Rob gets together with singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jackie Greene. Jackie explains how he had to learn the Grateful Dead catalogue in a trial by fire situation, as a member of Phil Lesh's band. He goes deep in explaining how life-changing this music was for him and shares many stories about his time touring with other bands, including The Black Crowes, Los Lobos, Derek Trucks others. Rob and Jackie really connected in this conversation, and Jackie is very candid in talking about the influence of not only the Grateful Dead but also the power of songwriters Robert Hunter and John Barl ..read more

Rob is joined by 2 time Grammy winning harmonica virtuoso, Howard Levy. They take a deep dive into his love for the Dead and his time recording with Jerry Garcia. Howard is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who has toured with Bela Fleck, John Prine and Kenny Loggins, just to name a few. He has appeared on over 400 albums with legends across all genres. Today, he shares his journey with us in a soulful and sometimes emotional conversation. Also joining us is Patrick Higgins of Last Fair deal from Hampton VA and in the Black Music Moment, we spotlight Smokey Robinson. Support the sho ..read more

In this all Texas episode, Rob is joined by 10 time Grammy winner, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. Ray shares his musical upbringing, his early exposure to the Grateful Dead, and how his path crossed with the band on numerous occasions. Ray talks about the differences AND similarities, between Texas Swing music and jambands, in regards to both the music and the fan base. Hear him talk about the important contributions Jerry Garcia made to the world of music, his songwriting inspirations and much much more. We also talk with Joe Faulhaber of the Austin cover band Deadeye and we feature Texas ..read more

Rob brings along his bandmate and drumming partner, Dino English for a casual conversation talking about all things Dead and drumming. Hear them discuss the nuances of double drumming and soling and more. Dino shares his musical journey including his time as a guitar player plus his songwriting talents. Hear about some of the many projects he has done over the years. ROb also takes a new approach. For the first time, he fielded questions from listeners, that both he and Dino anwer. Also on the program is Andy Tichenor of Sisters and Brothers. In the Black Music moment we honor one of Bill Kre ..read more

Rob goes in depth with the legendary Peter Rowan. In this lengthy discussion, Peter shares how he got started in music and how a kid from Massachusetts ends up playing with Bluegrass pioneer, Bill Monroe. Peter's evolution is a music history lesson, sprinkled with great stories. He shares with us his journey and how it landed him in California, playing in the seminal bluegrass band Old and in the Way with Jerry Garcia. Peter shares stories about the band, the music and what he felt was the essence of Garcia, both as a person and performer. While most of this episode is dedicated to the convers ..read more

Rob comes to you from DSO's Jamaican Jam in the Sand featuring a deep dive with Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz. You might think that a every musician growing up in San Francisco would be familiar with the Grateful Dead but that is not always the case. In this conversation find out how Dan got into the Dead, was totally enamored and came to start playing with Phil while he was still learning the music. Lebo and Rob discuss the spiritual side of music and how the heart is just as important as the hands and feet when it comes to musical expression. They also touch on subjects ranging from the art of collabo ..read more

This week Rob talks with multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby. Jason takes time out while on the road with Jackson Browne to talk about his musical upbringing and the amazing opportunities that he had. Coming from a classical background, Jason's indoctrination into the world of improvisation was literally learning while on stage. His exposure to the Dead came at a relatively late age but soon he was learning about the music while onstage with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. Jason shares great stories about playing with them and many of the other legendary performers he has worked with. Also on this epis ..read more

In this episode Rob talks with his old friend Stu Allen about how he got turned on to the Dead and his musical education. Stu shares his insight into how he approaches the music according to whether he is fronting a band or playing with Phil. We also discuss the wonder of playing with Melvin Seals and the difference in playing the Dead vs JGB repertoire. Stu is one of the lucky ones who has been able to play the Garcia guitars and we touch on that, as well. Also on the program is Josh Talley of inDEADnation out of Baltimore MD and in the Black Music Moment we honor the one ..read more