Moby Grape was a key a part of the ’60s San Francisco revolution, melding psychedelia with the earliest vestiges of country-rock. Even Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin had been avid Grape followers. Regardless of the pioneering music, the quintet grew to become extra well-known for its spectacular downfall than precise profession.

On lead guitar, Jerry Miller – who died on July 20 at age 81 – proved a notch above many Bay Space gamers, his blues licks sounding extra akin to British hotshots than oft-noodly locals. Miller’s pre-Grape adventures discovered him working with singer Bobby Fuller (reducing an early model of “I Fought the Legislation”), The Frantics, and jamming in jazz-organ trios along with his trademark Gibson L-5 archtop, which he dubbed Beulah. Younger Jerry additionally befriended fellow Washington-state guitarists, Jimi Hendrix and Larry Coryell.

After relocating to San Francisco, Miller appeared on the Grape’s acclaimed self-titled debut album and performed the Monterey Pop Competition in June of ’67. Album tracks “Omaha,” the rockin’ “Hey Grandma,” and “8:05” stay classics, the latter rife with spectacular acoustic fingerpicking. For rock and roll fury, “Fall on You” is lit by Miller’s smokin’ solo. Moby Grape additionally had a uncommon three-guitar lineup influenced by the Byrds. Jerry later advised puremusic.com, “The Byrds had been the primary band that I heard that made me say, ‘Hey, I might play with different guitar gamers.’”

A sufferer of its personal unhealthy choices, mismanagement, and medicines, Moby Grape fractured and reunited a number of occasions; later, Miller performed with the Rhythm Dukes and Jerry Miller Band. Describing his guitar work, Grape drummer Don Stevenson advised Christopher Sandford of The Seattle Instances, “Moby Grape was actually larger than the sum of its components. Everybody was fantastically proficient, perhaps Jerry Miller most of all. There was one thing magnificent about each him and his music. If John Wayne had performed the guitar, he would have gave the impression of Jerry did.”

This text initially appeared in VG’s October 2024 problem. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.