Well, you're at least partially right. It's worth noting that he WAS in rehab when he died, so it's not unreasonable to blame three-packs-a-day of cigarettes, and a hot dog and milkshake diet as more direct causes of the heart attack that actually killed him.
In reading the many tributes and reminisces today I read that Jerry played on Ornette Coleman's Virgin Beauty. When Jazz Legend Ornette Coleman Joined the Grateful Dead Onstage for Some Epic Improvisational Jams: Hear a 1993 Recording | Open Culture
Yea, those matrix shows are pretty wild. It was quite a revelation when they first turned up all those years ago.
10-15-77 SMU. I really genuinely like Sunrise. This show has some raw energy and some raw Wolf guitar tones.
Gotta add Ratdog’s Evening Moods to this list. It’s a fine, fine album. I prefer it to many of the GD’s studio efforts. I rate it as high as Ace and Blue Mountain. Disappointing they never made another.
Trip #3: October 20, 1968. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Turn On Your Lovelight Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) > Feedback A short set, since the Dead was not the only band playing that day: Very strong "Schoolgirl" to start, a very interesting "Dark Star" which feels like a proto-'69 version (it was October, 1968, so it makes sense), and a splendid "Eleven>Caution>Feedback" to wrap things up. The MC expresses fascination with the closing sonic mayhem. Oddly, the recording duties are credited to "The Grateful Dead", so we can't tell who was behind the board.
Quarter of a century today... Twangy guitar and good vocals. Nice piano from Brent. This is old school timeless Dead. Jerry just turned 40 before this show. 1982 was the last year when he sounded young and somewhat healthy.
More 10-15-77. It's a real shame Garcia tired of St. Stephen. Even in its entirely inferior late 70s incarnation, it's still pretty great.
I think Jerry sounds pretty healthy on 1987-1990 (generally speaking). Older, but healthy. And I'm always surprised at how well he sings on The Pizza Tapes.
I believe the last 3 were Fall 1983. These may have been the only Brent era Stephens, but I'm not sure, would have to consult DeadBase.
Summer Tours in the early 80's were great, lots of one nighters and many miles between shows but the tour heads were fewer and pretty tight in those days.
Just got done watching/listening to “Jerry Wept” compilation on jambase. Interview snippets and song performances from 1990 up to Soldier Field. Damn!
David Crosby Remembers Jerry Garcia: ‘He Did Not Play for Money — He Was Chasing the Notes’ david-crosby-remembers-jerry-garcia-202921372.html
