Band Beyond Description Ft. Reed Mathis

If the Grateful Dead is your religion, then the Crazy Horse is your church when Third Thursday rolls around. Every month Jonny Mojo (Achilles Wheel) and Gary Campus (Deadbeats) host a cast of the finest musicians from around the region to conjure lightning in a bottle. BBD is a gathering point for everyone who wants to plug into the feeling of what it was like soaking in the otherworldly sounds at a Dead show while sharing the dance muse with the tribe. The music that bubbles forth from these nights captures the spontaneous, primal, orgasmic spirit that so many of us crave.

Jonny is a proverbial pied piper who guides the flock to the promised land with his incredibly versatile guitar playing and passion for the music coursing through his veins. He is one of the brightest lights among Nor Cal GD guitar specialists. He lives and breathes this music like a fish swimming in the sea. Gary emanates bliss in every beat and gracefully molds his style to elevate the strengths of his collaborators. He’s been a rhythmic instigator in the region for 45 years now and is more fired up than ever. Normally we rely on Tim High for the heavy vocal lifting, but he’s out of town on this occasion. We will be bringing in one of our favorite vocal powerhouses in his place, Athena Karlin. Athena is bursting with soul, gospel flair and has a penchant for guiding songs into unique arrangements.

Reed Mathis would be more at home in 1959 playing with Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk, but he happens to exist in this era at the present time, which is to all of our benefit. Anything is possible when Reed steps on stage; a reality which is perfectly aligned with the ethos of the Grateful Dead. Originally known for his groundbreaking approach on the bass with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Steve Kimock and Friends, Golden Gate Wingmen, Billy & the Kids and many others, these days most of his focus is on the guitar. Gorgeous phrasings, breathtaking tone and freewheeling improvisational spirit are a few of his calling cards. Reed has also developed into a beautiful singer and we plan on taking full advantage of his once-a-year appearance with BBD.

Naturally we’ll be pairing Reed with a longtime friend and collaborator, Murph Murphy. There are many reasons Murph has been one of the most frequent guests for Band Beyond Description. His depth of knowledge and remarkable feel for the whole scope of the Grateful Dead catalog is matched by very few. An extremely cerebral player who tunes into the sonic galaxy on a frequency all his own, it’s easy to wonder if he is actually of this earth. You can be sure this lineup will mine some hidden gems that rarely see the light of day.