On Thursday, May 23, GRAMMY®-winning vocalist/guitarist Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule) will chat with fans regarding his upcoming eight-city symphonic tour celebrating American musical icon Jerry Garcia. The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Featuring Warren Haynes is a groundbreaking orchestral adventure – curated by the Garcia family – that will feature his storied original compositions as well as classic interpretations of timeless standards that were hallmarks of Garcia and the Grateful Dead’s shows.  The chat will take place at 4:00 pm ET on the Jerry Garcia Facebook page.

“I’m very excited about doing these shows. We’ve chosen a very diverse list of songs from the extensive Jerry Garcia related catalog and in the true spirit of the original music will be leaving room for improvisation and approaching the symphonic arrangements from a non-traditional direction. We are also going to vary the setlists to some extent for fans that want to attend multiple shows,” says Haynes, who brings an intimate knowledge of the material, having performed extensively with The Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends.

The premiere performance of the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Featuring Warren Haynes will take place on June 18 at Heinz Symphony Hall in Pittsburgh, PA. The outing will pair Haynes with some of the country’s most respected symphonies, including The Boston Pops, the Colorado Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. A band assembled especially for the tour will accompany Haynes at all eight concerts.

“The rhythm section will consist of Jeff Sipe on drums, who – aside from being an old friend – has worked a lot with Phil Lesh and Friends and was an original member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and bassist Lincoln Schleifer, who was in the Warren Haynes Band in the early 90’s and who has worked with such artists as Donald Fagen and, most recently, Levon Helm,” notes Haynes. “Alecia Chakour (Warren Haynes Band) and Jasmine Muhammad (Pittsburgh Opera) will be providing soulful background vocals reminiscent of the Jerry Garcia Band. This is a beautiful challenge for me and I’m honored to have been chosen as the first guest artist in what will hopefully become a continuing series.”

The tour will include two performances at Davies Symphony Hall in Garcia’s hometown of San Francisco – August 1 (Garcia’s birthday) and August 2. It will conclude on August 4 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. See below for a full itinerary. Additional information and tickets are available at:

http://JerryGarcia.com/Events

About Jerry Garcia:

Jerry Garcia (1942-1995) created an unparalleled legacy across the American landscape, most notably in his role as a founding member, singer, songwriter and lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead. Garcia’s unmistakable guitar tone enchanted multitudes of “Deadheads” throughout the band’s 30-year career and beyond. His work with the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, Legion of Mary, Garcia/Grisman and projects with Merl Saunders only scratch at the surface of his musical influences as he set out to master the Great American Songbook. Unequivocally devoted to the craft of music, Garcia continues to inspire future generations through the body of work he has left behind and his creative spirit.

About Warren Haynes:

Grammy® Award-winning artist Warren Haynes is a member of three of the greatest live groups in rock history: The Allman Brothers Band, The Dead and his own Gov’t Mule, which has sold more than two million song downloads from their own MuleTracks web site. Haynes, named as one of  “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” by Rolling Stone, has also released three solo albums and performed or recorded with such artists as Phil Lesh & Friends, James Hetfield, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews, Kid Rock and B.B. King.
Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Featuring Warren Haynes – Itinerary

Unless otherwise noted, all dates are on sale now.

6/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Symphony Hall w/Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Fawzi Haimor.

6/20 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheatre w/North Carolina Symphony.

6/22 – Lenox, MA @ Tanglewood Music Center w/The Boston Pops. Conductor: Keith Lockhart.

6/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Music Center w/Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Fawzi Haimor.

6/26 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts w/the National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Emil de Cou.

7/30 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/Colorado Symphony. Conductor: Scott O’Neill.

8/1 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony Hall (Jerry’s 71^st Birthday Celebration) w/San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Sarah Hicks.

8/2 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony Hall w/San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Sarah Hicks.

8/4 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre. Conductor: Sean O’Laughlin