Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77)
Grateful Dead, 1977, from Europe '72. Solo by Jerry Garcia.
The peak of the Dead's most famous show.
The Cornell performance of Morning Dew, Bonnie Dobson's apocalyptic folk song, is a study in patience. Jerry Garcia sings the verses gently, and his early lead lines are quiet and searching, full of space. Then the closing solo begins to climb, repeating and developing short motifs as the band swells behind him, until it reaches a huge, cathartic peak. Garcia's tone is clear and singing, with a round, slightly compressed sustain that lets long phrases carry. It has become a benchmark for how a single solo can shape an entire performance. Listen for the final minutes, where he circles one idea and pushes it higher each time.
Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77) by Grateful Dead is ranked #230 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Jerry Garcia and the song was released in 1977. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #10 (Far Out Magazine).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Jam Band Guitar Solos — #4
- The 25 Greatest Psychedelic Guitar Solos — #12
- Greatest Live Solos — #13
- Rolling Stone vs. Everyone — #9
- The Best Grateful Dead Guitar Solos — #2
Sources
- Far Out Magazine: From Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page: The 10 greatest live guitar solos of all time — #10
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #16
Who played the guitar solo on Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77)?
Jerry Garcia played the solo on Grateful Dead's Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77) (1977).
What guitar was used on the Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77) solo?
A travis bean, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Morning Dew (Cornell, 5/8/77) rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#230 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.