Dancing Bear's purpose is to highlight the acoustic/roots side of the Grateful Dead and, insofar as any duo can, tip our hats to the Dead's incredible musical contribution. Dave and I come from folk music backgrounds originally and admire how traditional influences shine through so much of their music. Some of what we do therefore is to present the Dead's covers in an often more original context. For example, I'll flatpick their bluegrass covers on acoustic guitar over Dave's standup bass, or fingerpick their old blues tunes as did the prewar bluesmen who first recorded them.
We also interpret Dead originals in a new light with arrangements that never try to imitate the inimitable Dead, but instead return to the same folk roots that inspired them. -GW

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Dead Originals (so far)-

Casey Jones
Friend of the Devil
Dire Wolf
Operator
Uncle John’s Band
Truckin’
Ripple
It Must Have Been the Roses
Mister Charlie
Deal

Dead Covers by Key-

A-
I Know You Rider Sippy Wallace
Cold Rain and Snow – Traditional Ballad
Rollin’ and Tumblin’ Kokomo Arnold
Little Red Rooster –Howlin’ Wolf
That Same Thing – Willie Dixon
Me and My Bobbie McGhee Cris Kristofferson
New Minglewood Blues – Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers
Good Mornin’ Little Schoolgirl – John Lee Williamson
Mama Tied-Merle Haggard
I Been All Round This World-Rufus CrispViola Lee Blues - Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers
You Win Again - Hank Williams
Kansas City - Lieber & Stoller

C-
Whinin' Boy-Jelly Roll Morton
Rosalie McFall –Monroe Brothers
Hesitation Blues – Rev. Gary Davis
Babe, It Ain’t no Lie -Elizabeth Cotton
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad –Woody Guthrie

D-
Death Don't Have No Mercy - Rev. Gary Davis
Peggy-O -Traditional Ballad
Big Railroad Blues - Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers
Spoonful -Howlin' Wolf
Sittin' On Top Of The World -Mississippi Sheiks
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry - Bob Dylan
How Long Blues - Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell
Little Sadie-Doc Watson
Big Boss Man - John Lee Hooker

E-
It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James
Katie Mae - Lightnin' Hopkins
C. C. Rider - Ma Rainey
King Bee - Slim Harpo
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Stealin' - Memphis Jug Band

G-
Walking Blues - Robert Johnson
Deep Ellum Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Beat It On Down The Line - Jesse Fuller
Monkey and the Engineer - Jesse Fuller
Dark Hollow - Bill Browning
Morning Dew -Bonnie Dobson