Garcia

He was there when Dylan went electric when a generation danced naked at Woodstock and when Ken Kesey started experimenting with acid. Jerry Garcia was one of the most gifted musicians of all time and he was a member of one of the most worshiped rock ''n'' roll bands in history. Now Blair Jackson who covered the Grateful Dead for twenty-five years gives us an unparalleled portrait of Garcia--the musical genius the brilliant songwriter and ultimately the tortured soul plagued by his own addiction. With more than forty photographs many of them previously unpublished Garcia: An American Life is the ultimate tribute to the man who Bob Dylan said had no equal. A definitive portrait of the psychedelic bandleader.--San Francisco ChronicleA heartfelt biography . . . What remains constant throughout the book . . . is Jackson''s ability to elucidate Garcia and the Dead''s already overanalyzed musical style with an extraordinary freshness.--The Boston Globe A wonderfully balanced insightful life story of one of rock''s most enigmatic heroes.--Robert Santelli The Cleveland Plain Dealer