Features
Conversation with Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay
by Doug Collette
March 1, 2008
Conversation with Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay
by Doug Collette
March 1, 2008
page 4 of 4
DJ: Well, personally, I haven't. I can't speak for the rest of the band. Usually it's something that is here and then it's gone. And so, personally, I have not had that experience.
DC: Do you guys have any plans to put out a live CD or offer downloads?
DJ: Sure, of course. Yeah, we will definitely have that up our sleeve in days to come.
Selected DiscographyGrateful Dead: Europe '72 (Warner Bros/Rhino, 1972)
Robert Hunter may rue the decision to populate this contract-fulfilling triple-LP set with songs that could've succeeded American Beauty on its own terms. Yet "Tennessee Jed," "Brown-Eyed Women" and "Ramble On Rose" benefited from the presence of Donna Jean as she not only filled out the group harmonies splendidly but also added a genuine gospel flavor that reaffirmed the roots of the compositions themselves.
Robert Hunter may rue the decision to populate this contract-fulfilling triple-LP set with songs that could've succeeded American Beauty on its own terms. Yet "Tennessee Jed," "Brown-Eyed Women" and "Ramble On Rose" benefited from the presence of Donna Jean as she not only filled out the group harmonies splendidly but also added a genuine gospel flavor that reaffirmed the roots of the compositions themselves.
Grateful Dead: "Sunrise" from Terrapin Station (Arista/Warner Bros/Rhino,1977)
Donna Jean's sole songwriting contribution to the Grateful Dead discography, this comparatively abbreviated track is of a piece with the ambitious track from which the album takes its name. In a mellifluous restrained vocal, Donna Jean traverses a floating melody married to mystical lyrics rife with vivid imagery that adds to the overall atmosphere of the Garcia/Hunter epic.
Donna Jean's sole songwriting contribution to the Grateful Dead discography, this comparatively abbreviated track is of a piece with the ambitious track from which the album takes its name. In a mellifluous restrained vocal, Donna Jean traverses a floating melody married to mystical lyrics rife with vivid imagery that adds to the overall atmosphere of the Garcia/Hunter epic.
Grateful Dead: "Looks Like Rain" from Live at the Cow Palace 1976 (Rhino, 2006)
Criticized on occasion for her lack of restraint in the later years of her tenure with the Dead, Donna Jean acquits herself beautifully here as she accompanies Bob Weir on one of his most famous songs. As much a spontaneous act as any improvisation at which this band excelled, the interplay between the two exquisitely elevates the sense of melancholy at the heart of the song.
Criticized on occasion for her lack of restraint in the later years of her tenure with the Dead, Donna Jean acquits herself beautifully here as she accompanies Bob Weir on one of his most famous songs. As much a spontaneous act as any improvisation at which this band excelled, the interplay between the two exquisitely elevates the sense of melancholy at the heart of the song.
Donna Jean & The Tricksters: Donna Jean & The Tricksters (HGH/Ryko/Dig Music, 2007)
A logical extension of Donna Jean's main influences and the band's natural inclination to improvise, the recorded sound of this album is deep, clear and full, and the sequencing serves both the material and the artists well. Mookie Siegel's keyboards highlight the sound of the band and accent the presentation of the material that becomes more conventional, though never quite formulaic, as the album progresses. For her part, Donna Jean contributes four original songs, evinces a natural vocal chemistry with Tricksterette Wendy Lanter and, most conspicuously, is the catalyst for a partnership far more than the mere sum of its parts.
A logical extension of Donna Jean's main influences and the band's natural inclination to improvise, the recorded sound of this album is deep, clear and full, and the sequencing serves both the material and the artists well. Mookie Siegel's keyboards highlight the sound of the band and accent the presentation of the material that becomes more conventional, though never quite formulaic, as the album progresses. For her part, Donna Jean contributes four original songs, evinces a natural vocal chemistry with Tricksterette Wendy Lanter and, most conspicuously, is the catalyst for a partnership far more than the mere sum of its parts.
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More on: Donna Jean and the Tricksters, Grateful Dead, Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay, The Zen Tricksters
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