http://www.jambands.com/features/2010/03/23/melvin-seals-jerry-was-the-seed-and-the-water
Published: 2010/03/23
by Jarrod Dicker
Melvin Seals is keeper of the JGB flame. Joining the Jerry Garcia
Band in 1980, Seals had the pleasure of accompanying Garcia on 15
year journey. After the guitarist's passing in 1995, Seals made the
decision to keep the torch ablaze and he has been doing so ever
since. In the following conversation, Melvin Seals ponders Stu
Allen's upcoming stint with Dark Star Orchestra, separating church
and the Dead, tagging up with Steve Kimock and, of course, Garcia legacy's.
--
In April, JGB Guitarist Stu Allen will be accompanying Dark Star
Orchestra on tour to replace recently departed DSO founder/guitarist
John Kadlecik. How will this affect JGB and have you started to
audition players to replace him?
At first I hadn't thought about it much, but then a bunch of people
starting coming to the table, approaching me about the slot. I hadn't
sent out anything saying that I was looking for a guitar player. I
guess, because of [Dark Star Orchestra's] announcement, people caught
word and immediately began to email me and solicit themselves. We
were not sure at first if Stu was going to be gone for most of the
summer, but then we were told he's only scheduled for April and a
couple days in May. After that, they'll switch it up and go back to
Jeff Mattson. They mentioned that they may perhaps use Allen again at
the end of the summer, but the break in between gave us enough time
to have Stu for all our summer gigs. We have a lot of summer gigs and
it was nice that I didn't have to grab someone real quick to replace
Stu. It gave me time to look for the right person because I'm very
particular when it comes to certain sounds and playing.
You have played alongside both Jerry Garcia and Stu Allen; how would
you compare Stu's playing to Jerry's and what, if anything is
different than Jerry's playing that makes Stu's style unique?
When I first hired Stu, he was not the guy that he has now become. He
has definitely risen to the occasion. At first, he was a little timid
and we ran into some problems back then. Now, he's been with us five
or six years and certainly has come full force into playing a lot
like Jerry. The only other person that plays more like Jerry than Stu
that I've heard, is John Kadlecik. Kadlecik has him down almost note
for note. Even the mistakes Jerry made, Kadlecik will do the same
type of mistakes. Kadlecik has him down note for note, but Stu has
young Jerry's voice and sounds more like Jerry than Kadlecik does.
You know John right?
Of course, he's touring with Furthur at the moment.
Correct. He's the only one that I've heard that made me think, "My
God that's Jerry on Stage." Stu is next. He is definitely the next
guy in line as the closest Jerry.
You spent a total of 18 years making music with Jerry Garcia. How
did a churchgoing, gospel pianist/organist like yourself become
musically involved with the leader of the Grateful Dead?
I did some work with Maria Muldaur, whose boyfriend at the time was
John Kahn [longtime Garcia bassist]. After meeting Kahn and playing
with Muldaur, I was asked by Kahn if I was interested in playing with
another band. He didn't bother to tell me who exactly it was, but it
didn't matter anyhow 'cause I never heard of [the Grateful Dead]
anyway. I was not a Deadhead. I was not into that flower music at
all. Frankly, I didn't know much about it. The only thing I knew
about them came from living in the San Francisco Bay Area, when one
of the band members would have a birthday, Channel 7 would announce it.
Living in the San Francisco area you never saw them performing live
or even heard any of their music on the radio?
Nope. The only other thing was when they used to perform at the
Oakland Auditorium, I would see people camping out and sleeping all
over the place. Besides that, the news was the only thing I knew
about the Grateful Dead. I didn't know their names or faces, anything
about them. That goes to say I didn't know Jerry Garcia either. So
when Kahn casually mentioned playing in another band I said I was
interested, as most musicians would because they always want to be
working. So I get this phone call one day from Kahn saying that they
had a few gigs and if I wanted to come down and rehearse for them I
could. He told me where to go, and I went up there.
I wanted to make a good impression so I arrived early. Then all these
guys came in the door together. I introduce myself to them; Jerry was
there but, like I said, I had no idea who he was. He asked me to play
a couple tunes, so I went in there and played "How Sweet It Is." He
was pleased. After I went back to the lobby and go up to Jerry Garcia
to tell him he plays some nice guitar. Every guy in the rooms just
busts up laughing because they realized I didn't have a clue who he
was and what I was involved with. They loved that because it was
innocent, I really didn't know who he was. So he turned around and
told me I played some pretty nice keyboards and we just laughed it out.
Once you realized that this was the lead guitarist and founder of
the Grateful Dead, how did it impact you?
Well, I went to church, played at the church, all at a young age.
That's where I started my music career. Church is in my heart. That
day I got there early, as I said, and the janitor let me in. I walk
in the door and what's the first thing I seeeverything made out of
skeletons [laughs]. That was really weird to me; skeletons with
violins in their hands, skeletons with hats on. I was like
what…in…the…world! I thought it was some weird cult, I had no clue!
That was really freaky, but of course after a couple rehearsals and
gigs I quickly learned what was going on. And I stayed with Jerryever since.
When you first began with the Jerry Garcia Band, was there anything
specifically you found unique in Jerry's playing compared to prior
guitarists you played with beforehand?
He taught me something and he taught it to me well. I come from the
R&B, rock gospel school where you dot all your i's and cross your
t's. I knew all the accents and the feel that everybody knows and
made sure all my notes were timely and tight. With those guys,
NOTHING was tight. I couldn't understand. There were some nights that
I would be standing there thinking, "This band is way too good to be
so sloppy." But I didn't understand Jamband music. It's not meant to
be the same thing every night, it's meant to breathe and just be as
it is. Play with your heart, play with your mind, play what you feel.
So the more I started playing how I felt, the accents began to cease
lining up on time. Sometimes the bass groove was so high it sounded
like guitar. I was used to the bass rollin' along with the drum. I
had to learn this whole new style of music. It's not necessarily
dotting the i's and crossing the t's, it's actually the opposite. I
had to learn that that was the way it went. He taught it to me quite
well, and I've loved it ever since. To this day I play the same way.
We spoke about Stu Allen, but how did the rest of this current JGB
lineup materialize?
It changed a number of times while I searched for the best possible
musicians. There are some great musicians that I know who play
anything well, but did they have the right drive, spirit and heart?
No. Sometimes when I would be out looking, I would find someone who
could play the hell out of the songs, but they couldn't quite fit the
position in JGB. Before I found Stu Allen, I went through a number of
singers as I did a number of bass players and drummers over time
since Jerry died. It was all for the purpose of trying to hold on to
JGB. I recently, within the last year, have a lineup that everyone
says is THE one. My drummer, Pete Lavezzoli, and bass player, Jimmy
Tebeau, are somewhat new. Add the two girls I have and I feel we have
recreated the Jerry Garcia Band the best that it could possibly be.
JGB is obviously a cover band, but it's interesting to hear your
feelings about that description as you were a member of the original
Jerry Garcia Band. Were the intentions always to focus on the same
material as the Garcia Band?
We are just trying to keep the vibe and spirit alive. I heard an
interview Jerry gave some time ago, and he was asked what he thought
would happen once he was no longer around. Jerry said that he would
like to believe that the music would live on beyond his existence. So
when Jerry died, the first thing that happened was that the Grateful
Dead announced that they weren't going to work anymore, that was it.
Of course I was sitting in a limbo, who was I? I didn't know
anything. But I remembered what Jerry said. So John Kahn formed a
band called the John Kahn Band. Everyone that was playing with Jerry
played with him. We only had two dates, two shows in Santa Cruz. The
first show sold out so fast that they added a second show.
Did the John Kahn Band perform the songs from the Jerry Garcia Band
or did he compose original material?
Well, John only did three or four Jerry tunes and the others were
songs that he said Jerry would have done. There were songs that he
could have done with Jerry's style. He was basically trying not to be
the Jerry Garcia Band. All night long, folks would holler the same
type of songs we did with Jerry. Of course, John didn't do it, but
this made me aware that folks still wanted to hear classic JGB stuff.
Even with the emotion of Jerry passing, while a lot of folks couldn't
handle it, they didn't want the music to die. Unfortunately we only
did the two shows with John, because right after, he passed away.
After mourning, I immediately said, "Let's see if we could go out and
continue in the likeness of the Jerry Garcia Band." We're just trying
to keep the spirit and the vibe alive. It's not one fifth of what we
did with Jerry; financially and all. We're just barely making it, but
when I see the smiles on people's faces and they're dancing and
having a great time, it's all worthwhile.
Would you ever consider creating original music in JGB?
I have tried originals and looked into moving on with original
material, but when I throw a few in the set, folks often ask if Jerry
did that song? When I would say no, they would look at me like why
was I doing it then [laughs]. So I learned that these folks who come
to see JGB want the Jerry experience. Whatever we meant to them,
whatever we gave them, that's what they wanted. If I want to do
originals, I do it under another name and another band. That's why I
went on this search to find the best musicians and singers to create
the JGB. I do have other things that I am working on, but JGB is
strictly doing the same thing we did with Garcia.
Tell me a little about your relationship with Steve Kimock. I know a
bit of your history together, and read in recent news that you will
be playing in Kimock's Crazy Engine at some live events…
I played with Kimock all last year for some time. I was barely able
to work on JGB because I gave him first priority. You have to
remember that I played with Jerry for 18 years, and about a year
after his death, I began JGB. So it has been a long time playing
nothing but those songs. As a producer, writer and arranger, I do a
whole lot more than what people hear me do. I'm getting up in age and
decided that I have to begin doing my own stuff and my own material.
That's why I was eager to join up with Kimock. He is such a
phenomenal guitar player.
How did you divvy up your time with Kimock and JGB gigs this year?
JGB has a full calendar until August. Most of my work will be with
JGB this year; about 10 Kimock gigs and two gigs under my own group
which will be called Melvin Seals is Second to None. My first two
dates are next month in Colorado. I'm looking to make a switch and
get stronger on my own thing just after the summer.
The current JGB format allows free live taping distribution just
like the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band did throughout their
tenure. Did you give it much thought in terms of keeping it the way it was?
I don't follow it very much, but I do know that they tape. I just
figure who am I to come in and tell them they can't now when Jerry
always allowed it. If they did it then, I don't want to be any
different. The only time I won't allow taping is like last week, at
the Great American Music Hall, when I'm trying to put out a new live
record, with new material. So I didn't allow taping at that event
hoping that people will buy the recording of the performance.
What other instruments besides the Hammond B3 do you play live?
I have something better than a Hammond that I had custom made, making
it the only one on this earth. It's big so I don't play it a whole
lot because it's just too large to carry through doorways. I made a
mistake there. I call it the Maybelline the Dream Machine and it's
quite an organ. I do take it on tour for larger venues, but it's just
too big for smaller clubs. I'm actually having a second one made now
because I love the instrument so much. B3 is still my main organ, but
the one that I had customized is much more than a Hammond.
The original JGB are part of the founding fathers that created the
Jamband genre we celebrate today. Throughout the years, how have you
seen this movement evolve?
It's funny because what I notice now is that there are so many more
festivals today that it is hard to even keep up with. Back when Jerry
was alive, there were just a few. Now there are festivals blooming
out of nothing, there are so many of them. I personally think that
Jerry was the seed and the water that planted the festivals we have
now. All of them are Jerry's children, from what I see. Even though
there are festivals with all types of bands and genres, many of whom
may not even know Jerry, it still comes from that Garcia/Grateful
Dead syndrome. When I go to some and see Phish and Widespread Panic,
all these bands to me is just a result of the seed the Grateful Dead
and Jerry Garcia planted… All of them.
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