Jerry Garcia’s Other Drummer: The Inimitable Ronnie Tutt

[I wrote this in response to a question on reddit. Someone who liked the Don’t Let Go live album release asked for other Jerry Garcia Band recommendations. Since I am such a Tutt evangelist - yes, yes - I figured I’d repost here. Why not!]

All Jerry is good Jerry but I am a rabid fan of the period captured in that album you like, Don’t Let Go. You should go deeper there.

Every couple of months I get sucked into a deep rabbit hole listening to Garcia Band shows from this time - am fully in one now - and I tell you, the music they created then brings limitless pleasure. It’s sublime.

Jerry always played with his pal John Kahn on bass. Regardless of what anyone else thought, they were super tight (Garcia described him as “my dear friend”) and had a long career together. The rest of the lineup changed periodically, and from January 1976 to August 1977 consisted of Garcia, Kahn, Keith and Donna Godchaux and Ron Tutt on drums.

One key to the band’s excellent output during this time: Ron Tutt. He was Elvis Presley’s drummer at the time, lived in Mill Valley, and became a card-carrying member of JGB actually earlier, with Legion of Mary. (I read somewhere that the name LoM came to the band when Tutt first sat in and he was so good, when they stopped playing someone exclaimed: “Legion of Mary!” - and it stuck.)

The man is Garcia’s other great drummer. Unsung for his excellence. People who know him love him, but I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. In my view, no one (outside of Billy K’s occasional appearances) of Tutt’s caliber ever played with Jerry in his side projects. And if you listen to JGB through the years you can tell.

In December 1975 Nicky Hopkins played his last gigs with JGB - great pianist but, thanks to booze and drugs, erratic and unpredictable on stage. You can hear it in some of the late ‘75 shows. So for whatever reason (probably the path of least resistance) Keith and Donna came on board. They needed a new piano player, and this one came with a singer. Whatever the reason (and there’s a great JGMF essay on this, worth a read in full) at this point the only thing that matters is that the line-up came into being. And, to my ear, we’re lucky for it. Blessed.



I think JGB 75-76 gave Donna a chance to actually hear herself on stage, and sing the way Jerry loved. If you watch some of the videos of this period (there are a few on YouTube; for example the entire 4-2-76 show embedded above), look at how Jerry smiles at Donna. He loved her. [Look also at how Garcia and Kahn locked while playing, staring and smiling at each other. It borders on lovemaking, so effing intense.]

Anyway, whatever was going on that lead to this line-up, from Jan 76 to August 77 the band had a fairly stripped down repertoire and created very mellow, soulful and I think absolutely gorgeous music. In the mix, a bunch of great gospel tunes: My Sisters & Brothers, Who Was John - among others.

Some songs are almost like meditations, really. I once put a playlist together from this period, trying to capture the slowest of his slow songs. Who Was John. Moonlight Mile. Sitting in Limbo. If you root around you’ll read essays by folks who have spent their lives studying Garcia who don’t have much patience for the slowness of this period (including the JGMF essay I linked above), but yeah - everyone has their own tastes - I love it so much it almost makes me weep. Beautiful, beautiful music.

Garcia and Kahn would spend night after night on the road exploring the pared back, bare essence of a particular tune - again, like a meditation - held together by none other than Ron Tutt … who did the thing that sets good drummers apart from GREAT drummers: he played slowly and with spareness. A spare but perfect beat.

If you listen, for example, to a Catfish John from the November 23 show from 1977 (with new drummer), compared to same song earlier in the same year, or in 1976 (pick any show with Tutt), you can hear one example of the difference.

In the 11.23.77 version, the lesser drummer keeps double time on his hi-hat while holding up the beat for the other players. He does that for himself as much as for the band IMO, because that is how he sets the time and the tempo. Externally. He does it because he has to .. but in so doing he takes a perfectly spare song, loping, meditative, and introduces a tap-tap-tap urgency to it.

Better than nothing – I’ll take that today if my only choice. But after Tutt…

Tutt throughout his time with the band internalized the music and just accented, with great room to breathe, what needed accenting. He was masterful. If you listen to any of the slow, soulful tunes from this period (and some go on and on and on – I am now listening to a 31 minute Don’t Let Go from 76) with an ear to what Tutt is doing (or not doing) to add to the song, it’s … yeah… just beautiful.

Also, Tutt sang back-up vocals (along with Keith, whom you can hear in some of the better recordings). A treat.

This is a longwinded way of saying I think you should go deep on shows - both AUD and SBD - from Jan 76 to Aug 77 if you like Don’t Let Go. That release is from 5.21.76, a perfect time for the band. I recommend getting on etree or elsewhere and seeing what you can find, or asking around to see if anyone can share some great shows. There are too many to choose from, but for starters:

4.3.76 - Lisner, DC. It’s an AUD, but the energy is unbelievable and the Catfish John is one of the best. Donna sounds amazing.

2.21.76 - Encinitas, CA.

3.3.76 - All about Who Was John. And Moonlight Mile.



4.1.76 - see post here about My Sisters & Brothers from that show.

77-1-29 - Keystone. SBD.

77-7-9 - with loooong Not Fade Away (the only time they played it?) to close the show.



77-7-23 - Keystone again. This last recording in no small way because of the sound quality. It deserves to be an official release. Pristine.



Just the tip of the iceberg. Too much to choose from.

I’d buy any release from this period put out by the Garcia family. This music is as I said limitless in pleasure and joy. I know other Heads like different JGB periods, but I tell ya: this. To my ear. Just. Perfect.

BTW Tutt left JGB (he was a full fledged member, not just sitting in) in August of 1977 - right when Presley died. I’ve always thought there was a connection. Would love to know more. He went on to be Neil Diamond’s drummer for years and is still at it after all these years…

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Also see: Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia, and Moonlight Mile.