Their Story

Together for only a handful of shows between April 20th and June 13th, 1974, Great American String Band was an eclectic acoustic group whose members included variations of Jerry on banjo and guitar, David Grisman, Richard Greene, Taj Mahal on bass and vocals, Sandy Rothman on guitar and vocals, guitarist/singer David Nichtern, and bassist Buell Neidlinger. Although the band consisted of three Old and in the Way members, bluegrass was not a strong influence on their sound. They were more of a blues/swing jazz ensemble. One of the last gigs they played together was opening for the Grateful Dead at UC Santa Barbara.

Musicians

  • Jerry Garcia

    guitar, vocals

    1974 - 1974

  • David Grisman

    mandolin, vocals

    1974 - 1974

  • Richard Greene

    fiddle

    1974 - 1974

  • David Nichtern

    guitar, vocals

    1974 - 1974

  • Buell Neidlinger

    bass

    1974 - 1974

  • Taj Mahal

    bass

    1974 - 1974