Every once in a while, you meet someone who changes the trajectory of your life forever. For Melvin Seals, that person was Jerry Garcia.
Seals was born into a religious and musical family in 1950s San Francisco. His father was a choir director and pianist at All Nations Church. As a youth, Seals revered contemporary organists such as Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott and Johnny “Hammond” Smith, but his true idol was Billy Preston who was raised in the church before gaining fame playing with The Beatles.
“He was the map that I could follow,” says Seals.
After high school, Seals formed garage bands, before getting his first professional break with soul group, Gideon & Power. This opened the door for Seals to tour nationally with Elvin Bishop around the time “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” hit No. 3 on the 1976 Billboard Hot 100. On the road, he had the opportunity to jam with Charlie Daniels, Chuck Berry, Electric Light Orchestra and Marshall Tucker Band. He worked for several years on Jon Hendrick’s “Evolution of the Blues” at Broadway Theater in San Francisco before meeting folk singer Maria Muldaur, who was dating John Kahn, the bassist for Jerry Garcia Band.
“I’m trying to stay true to what we did in the Jerry Garcia Band on the highest level …This has been my life since Jerry. Everything else faded away. I don’t think it will ever die.”
–Melvin Seals
When Kahn invited Seals for a jam session at the Grateful Dead warehouse, he didn’t know what to expect. He had heard of the Dead and their legion of wild fans but didn’t know anything about their songs or band members. He showed up early to make a good impression and found himself perusing tapestries covered with skulls and roses.
“You take a church boy and put in skeletons and it didn’t fit well,” he says. “I’m looking at this like, ‘What in the hell is going on here?’ You have to understand it wasn’t too long before that Jim Jones had led that cult to Guyana. I was a little concerned. Quickly, after doing some gigs, I realized these were some of the nicest guys in the world.”
March 18 | 8 p.m.
Crystal Bay Casino | Crystal Bay, Nev.
Garcia used to tell people that when he met Seals, he found the missing piece of his puzzle. He referred to his friend as “Master of the Universe.”
“You hear the term, ‘this guy is a nicest guy’ — Jerry really, really was that guy,” says Seals. “He would do some wonderful things for the people he cared about. When I got what it was and what I was a part of, I felt on top of the world. I was honored. I was the keyboard player he was looking for. He had a great love for me.”
In contrast to the behemoth Grateful Dead concerts, he eventually grew to despise, the solo band gave Garcia a chance to relax, play smaller crowds and explore the gospel, R&B and Motown music of his roots.
“He loved us,” says Seals. “He was probably at his happiest playing with his band, looking at me, smiling, doing his little dance and kicking his feet up.”
Sometimes Garcia took the fun too far, but his fans loved him anyway.
“There were nights that he wasn’t there,” says Seals. “A lot of those times were when there was too much time in the dressing room. Things happen. Later on that night, what you’ve been doing is all over you. There was times when I thought, ‘This is bad.’ Other times, we were rocking the roof of the place. Unfortunately, I had no input into any of that. It was something that was going on way before me.”
When the music was good, there was nothing like it.
“I never met anyone could play like Garcia,” he says. “He had an unusual style, but he was so good at it. Being on stage with Jerry was the highlight of my career.”
Garcia’s health problems eventually led to his sudden death in 1995 at the age of 53. Since then, Seals has kept the flame alive with JGB. His current lineup features guitarist John Kadlecik, bassist John-Paul McLean and drummer Jeremy Hoenig.
At their Crystal Bay Casino concert on March 18, Seals will play a selection of Jerry Garcia Band favorites, plus a smattering of Grateful Dead and original tunes.
“I’m trying to stay true to what we did in the Jerry Garcia Band on the highest level,” he says.
“I can’t answer why this music is still so strong. I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know what it is. This has been my life since Jerry. Everything else faded away. I don’t think it will ever die.” | melvinsealsandjgb.com
