Dawg’s Back: David Grisman Makes Rare Live Appearance at Seattle’s Tractor Tavern with Sam Grisman Project

Jerry Garcia’s trusted bluegrass partner, David Grisman, does not make many public appearances these days. Before Friday night’s arrival in Seattle, the artist hadn’t played in front of a live audience in nearly a year. Yet, the Dawg has been making a habit of annual sit-ins with his son, Sam Grisman, and the bassist’s self-titled project, which pays homage to his father and Garcia’s interconnected and independent songbooks. 

Like clockwork, Sam Grisman Project’s annual fall/winter visit to the Pacific Northwest began Thursday night in Bellingham, Wash., before heading West for an ensuing evening at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood on Friday. Before the arrival of the concert’s special guest, each ensemble member: Sam Grisman (bass), Chris E. English (percussion), Logan Ledger (guitar), Max Flansberg (guitar), Victor Furtado (banjo), and John Mainander (fiddle), found their footing in the night’s blend of thoughtfully assembled acoustic music. 

The six-piece offered full-bodied interpretations of various classics, nodding toward the Dead’s Reckoning LP on “Jackaroo” and “Rosalee McFall.” The former also appeared on the Grisman-Garcia co-released Shady Grove, an easy catalyst for pick up and nod at what was to come. Before the Dawg’s arrival on stage, rumors swirled online about the possibility of the bluegrass legend’s return. Sure enough, Sam welcomed his dad on stage, and the accentuated lineup delivered a series of classics that stretched the tail end of the first set and start of the second. 

Dawg stepped out and initially led the next generation of bluegrass torchbearers through a pair of classics from 1991’s Jerry Garcia/David Grisman, offering “Two Soldiers,” before a fast-paced instrumental conversation ensued during the aptly-picked “Grateful Dawg.” Because of their guest, the mandolin weaved through two guitars, stand-up bass, percussion, fiddle, and banjo, which enriched English’s original, “Alone.” 

The sit-in continued with a throwback to Mississippi John Hurt’s murder ballad, “Louis Collins,” before a highlight off Not For Kids Only, the crowd-pleaser known for its tongue-twister lyrics, “Jenny Jenkins.” Touching on his roots with the Grateful Dead, Dawg assisted during the night’s initiation of “Ripple.” Grisman played mandolin on the final studio version of the Grateful Dead, making for a thoughtful touchpoint at the end of the set.

Sam welcomed his dad back for some music. The collective tapped back into the energy they had forged before the break with a selection that once again touched on Dawg’s past, this time his close friendship with collaborator of Garcia, deciding on “Blue Yodel #9,” which preluded a stunning sequence that opened with “Opus 38,” and went on to produce “Shady Grove.” For Sam Grisman Project’s final song with Dawg [this round], they allowed the virtuoso to introduce their audience to a new song in his canon, “Blue Samba.”  

Dawg’s return served as a reminder of why the next generation of artists is one to watch. Sam Grisman Project’s commitment to the craft remains unparalleled, given its unwavering loyalty to the music and ability to use its live shows as an occasion to reflect and pay tribute via a wide range of classics and their original compositions.

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