I must give respect to that counter-cultural icon of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, on his day of birth. I was never a big fan of the Dead, although they certainly have their fine moments and I have a lot of respect for what they built and accomplished.
But one of the best aspects of the band had always been Jerry's presence and his beautiful psychedelic guitar style. He could play also pedal steel and banjo, had a distinct singing voice, and his love for music allowed him to dip into many different styles, from folk-rock to garage punk, free jazz to blues & soul, country & old-timey to funk rock.
He worked as a musician or producer with several bands such as Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash &Young, It's A Beautiful Day, Howard Wales, New Riders of the Purple Sage, David Grisman, Merl Saunders, Ornette Coleman and his own Jerry Garcia Band. Much respect.