Joe Gallant/Illuminating Terrapin
There's no doubt about it; Deadheads can come in some very strange packages. How else does one explain bassist Joe Gallant? As a sound designer Gallant has worked on the daytime soap opera "Guiding Light" for the last twelve years. He's been heavily involved in the downtown NY jazz scene and has participated in repertory tributes to icons like John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. Joe has also led his own jazz-infused, modern classical ensemble, Illuminati, since 1982. While Illuminati began as an experimental trio designed to interpret Gallant's own compositions and string arrangements; the group has blossomed into a seventeen-piece band boasting an impressive repertoire of Grateful Dead music. Gallant's reputation as a true Dead aficionado only began when Illuminati recorded "Unbroken Chain" on their "Code Of The West" CD in 1994.
Speaking to me from his apartment in mid-town Manhattan, Gallant explained what happened next. "My arrangement of the Dead's 'Unbroken Chain' was a chamber version and from what I understand members of the Dead enjoyed it. I was focusing on my own stuff, which is more like recital pieces. Gary Lambert, who was working with Phil Lesh on his radio show, asked me to write arrangements for the 25th anniversary of 'Blues For Allah' I arranged the music and we did a few shows in California, then I brought the material back to New York and recorded it with Illuminati." All of which invariably bring us to Gallant's latest Dead adaptation, "Terrapin." While Illuminati's "Blues For Allah" disc was recorded live and followed the classic Dead album cut for cut, this new collection is a complete studio reconstruction of the original "Terrapin" template.
"There's something very haunting and joyous and American about the Terrapin suite," Gallant observes. "It became apparent that I was rebuilding the original house of Terrapin and making my own version based on my experiences as an urban dweller at the end of the century." From Bill Walton's Tom Waits-like narration on "Passenger" to Ike "Thingfish" Willis' sublime vocal contribution on "Estimated Prophet," this eclectic "Terrapin" hurtles forward like runaway train with just a few choice signposts along the way to remind us of the original journey. Employing trip-hop rhythms, singers Maggie Roche and Patricia Barber, the inimitable voice of Pat Boone and his own string interludes, Gallant has created an inspired homage to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.
"The Dead were the first band I was exposed to that worked with multiple genres and blended them seamlessly. If you're a musician at the end of the 20th century, you're pretty much open to anything. Nowadays we take it for granted but back then, you were either radio-friendly or you were a freak. The Dead were among the first to bring everything from early electronica and bluegrass to a concert and have it all work." While Illuminati's overall sound may be an unorthodox juxtaposition of several distinct styles, Joe Gallant's grasp of the Dead goes back to the most basic type of inspiration, hard work. "What turned me on to the Dead's aesthetic was the booklet that came with "Europe '72," he concludes. "There was a picture of Phil Lesh shot from the back and you could see he had his wallet in his pocket. I realized that these guys were just incredibly joyous craftsmen working at what they do best. They were there to serve their muse and to work."
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.