David Grisman, an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist who was born March 23, 1945 in Hackensack (New Jersey), is a composer of acoustic songs. He started Acoustic Disc in the 1990s to promote acoustic music and instrumental music. Grisman was raised in Hackensack in New Jersey in a Conservative Jewish family. In 1963, he was a member the Even Dozen Jug Band and began his musical career. Jerry Garcia, his close friend, affectionately gave him the nickname “Dawg”. They met at a Bill Monroe concert at Sunset Park in West Grove in 1964. His “Dawg Music”, which he refers to his mix of bluegrass and Django Reinhardt/Stephane Gruppelli-influenced jazz, is featured on Hot Dawg, his 1978 album. It was released in 1979. Stephane Grappelli was a guest on Hot Dawg, as well as on the 1981 recording Stephane Grappelli u0026 David Grisman live. It was Grisman’s mix of Reinhardt-era Jazz and bluegrass, folk, Old World Mediterranean stringband music, as well modern Jazz fusion, that made “Dawg music” possible. Grisman’s father was a professional trombonist and his son David began piano lessons when he was seven years old. Grisman was influenced by all music he heard and the beginnings rock ‘n roll in the 1950s. David, then 10, lost interest in the piano after his father died. When he was 13-14, he picked it up again and soon discovered folk music through The Kingston Trio. This group became very popular during the American folk revival. David met three of his classmates at school and was soon influenced greatly by Ralph Rinzler, a folklorist and musician from Passaic, New Jersey. Greenwich Village, New York City, was bustling with folk musicians at that time. David began to realize what he wanted from his life. Grisman was a member of the Even Dozen Jug Band in 1963. They recorded an album on Elektra Records that year. Grisman performed in a Frank Wakefield and Red Allen session for Folkways Records 1963, but he didn’t appear with Red Allen or the Kentuckians until 1966. In 1966, Grisman recorded Early Dawg. This live recording was taken from a New York show and featured Del McCoury’s vocals and Jerry McCoury’s bass. The album was not released before 1980. Grisman was then the mandocello for Tom Paxton’s 1967 album Morning Again (Elektra). Grisman, Peter Rowan and Vassar Clements were part of a psychedelic rock band called Earth Opera in 1967. In 1973, Grisman, Vassar, Jerry Garcia, and John Kahn formed the bluegrass band Old and in the Way. Garcia gave Garcia his nickname while he was with the group, after a dog he noticed behind Grisman as they drove in Stinson Beach. In 1974, Rowan, Kahn and Grisman joined Clarence White and John Guerin to form the Muleskinner group. In 1974, Grisman also joined The Great American Music Band. In 1975, Grisman started his own band, The David Grisman Quartet (DGQ), and released its first album in 1977. Grisman was also a mandocello player on Bonnie Raitt’s Sweet Forgiveness (1977). David Grisman Bluegrass Experience at DelFest May 30, 2010. Grisman performs with the Quintet and also with his bluegrass band, the DGBX (David Grisman Bluegrass Experience). The DGBX also includes Keith Little on banjo and Chad Manning playing fiddle, Jim Nunally playing guitar, Samson Grisman on upright basse, and Jim Nunally playing guitar. He also recorded an album with John Sebastian and toured as a member of the DGBX. Wikipedia
