David Grisman
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:BLP sources Template:Infobox musical artist
David Jay Grisman<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic musicians. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Biography
Grisman grew up in a Conservative Jewish household<ref>Berkofsky, Joseph (June 16, 1995). "Mandolin-Playing Duo Plucks Tunes from Jewish Past" Template:Webarchive, J. The Jewish News of Northern California; retrieved March 31, 2012.</ref> in Passaic, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His father was a professional trombonist who gave him piano lessons when he was seven years old. As a teenager, he played piano, mandolin, and saxophone.<ref name="Ginell">Template:Cite web</ref>
In the early 1960s, he attended New York University. He belonged to the Even Dozen Jug Band with Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian. He played in the bluegrass band the Kentuckians led by Red Allen, then in the psychedelic rock band Earth Opera with Peter Rowan. He moved to San Francisco, met Jerry Garcia, and appeared on the Grateful Dead album American Beauty.<ref name="Ginell" /> He played in Garcia's bluegrass band Old & In the Way with Peter Rowan and Vassar Clements.<ref name="Ginell" /><ref name="Erlewine">Template:Cite web</ref> When Grisman was 17 years old, he was invited on stage by Doc Watson to join him on mandolin for a rendition of “In the Pines”.<ref name="Hatfield">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Garcia named him "Dawg" after a dog that was following him while they were driving in Stinson Beach, California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Dawg Music" is what Grisman calls his mixture of bluegrass and Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli-influenced jazz<ref>Template:YouTube, with special guest star David Grisman and his band (1982).</ref> as highlighted on his album Hot Dawg (recorded Oct. 1978, released 1979).<ref name="name">Horizon SP-731 LP Jacket</ref> It was Grisman's combination of Reinhardt-era jazz, bluegrass, folk, Old World Mediterranean string band music, as well as modern jazz fusion that came to embody "Dawg" music.<ref>Quill, Greg, "Beyond the Pale, Creaking Trees build on common ground", Toronto Daily Star, February 10, 2005.</ref>
In the 1970s, he started the David Grisman Quintet with Darol Anger, Joe Carroll, Todd Phillips, and Tony Rice. They released their eponymous first album in 1977 for Kaleidoscope Records and their second, Hot Dawg, two years later for Horizon Records, the jazz division of A&M Records. When the quintet recorded for Warner Bros. Records, the membership changed to include Mike Marshall, Mark O'Connor, and Rob Wasserman, with occasional guest appearances by jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli.<ref name="Ginell" />
In the 1980s, Grisman formed the record label Acoustic Disc, which issued his recordings and those by other acoustic musicians.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The folk and bluegrass part of his personality emerged when he recorded with Mark O'Connor, Tony Rice, and Andy Statman.<ref name="Ginell" />
Family
Grisman is married to Tracy Bigelow and was married twice before.<ref name=":0" /> He has three grown children: Samson, Gillian, and Monroe. Samson, a bassist and recording session musician living in Portland, often performs with his father.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /> Gillian, a filmmaker living in Novato, California, directed Grateful Dawg and the music documentary, Village Music: Last of the Great Record Stores.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Monroe Grisman, named for bluegrass music pioneer Bill Monroe, lives in Fairfax, California, and plays in the Tom Petty tribute band Petty Theft.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
In media
Grisman's song "Dawggy Mountain Breakdown" was the opening theme song for Car Talk on NPR.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Grisman sued YouTube in May 2007, asserting in federal court that YouTube should be required to prevent individuals from illegally uploading recordings of his music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Grisman's attorneys requested voluntary dismissal of the suit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The documentary Grateful Dawg (October 14, 2001) chronicles the friendship between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Grisman was a judge for the 6th and 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He wrote much of the bluegrass music for the 1974 film Big Bad Mama directed by Roger Corman. It was played by the Great American Music Band, and they were recorded and mixed by Bill Wolf.<ref>Big Bad Mama entry in The Compleat Grateful Dead Discography Template:Webarchive</ref>
Discography
Acoustic Disc
Template:Anchor Template:Infobox record label Acoustic Disc is an independent record label founded by Grisman in 1990.<ref name=":1" /> The label is based in San Rafael, California, and specializes in bluegrass, folk, jazz, and Dawg music.
References
External links
- Template:Official, Dave Grisman/Acoustic Disc official website
- Template:Vimeo
- David Grisman at The Music Box Collection of reviews
- David Grisman discography at the Grateful Dead Family Discography
Template:David Grisman Template:David Grisman Quintet Template:Old and in the Way Template:International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1945 births
- Living people
- Jewish American musicians
- Jewish American singers
- Musicians from Hackensack, New Jersey
- Singers from New Jersey
- American jazz musicians
- American bluegrass musicians
- American session musicians
- Jerry Garcia
- American bluegrass mandolinists
- Even Dozen Jug Band members
- David Grisman Quintet members
- Earth Opera members
- Muleskinner (band) members
- Old & In the Way members