Jerry Garcia - Run For The Roses (LP Vinyl)

Learn more about this release in our Jerry Garcia's Run For The Roses announcement from March 2018 on jambands.com.

Run For The Roses (1982), pressed on vinyl, captures Jerry Garcia's solo work during the early 1980s when he was balancing Grateful Dead commitments with Jerry Garcia Band touring and occasional solo projects. Produced by Garcia and John Kahn at Club Front studio in San Rafael, California, the album features the core JGB rhythm section (Kahn on bass, Ron Tutt or Billy Cobham on drums) alongside Merl Saunders on keyboards and guest vocalists. The title track became a minor radio hit, introducing Garcia to audiences beyond the Deadhead faithful.

The album balances originals like the title track "Run For The Roses" with covers that reveal Garcia's eclectic taste: Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting in Limbo," "I Saw Her Standing There" (transformed into something barely recognizable from the Beatles original), and traditional material reworked through Garcia's filter. His guitar work throughout is clean and melodic, emphasizing sustain and phrasing over distortion and effects. The production is polished and radio-friendly, representing Garcia's most accessible solo work to that point—a contrast to the Dead's jammy looseness.

What makes Run For The Roses significant is how it captures Garcia attempting to create commercially viable music without abandoning his musical identity. The album didn't achieve major commercial success, but it introduced Garcia's solo work to audiences who might never attend a Grateful Dead show. This vinyl pressing preserves the warmth of the original analog recordings, revealing the care put into the arrangements and production.

Single LP vinyl. Released 1982. Produced by Jerry Garcia and John Kahn. Club Front studio sessions. Title track radio single.