I guess this is why we loved Jerry ... Not a single rendition of what's listed here would break my top 5 of even what I saw live. Different perspectives but still respected. I didn't start seeing him live until "72" and was west coast, never traveling further east than Red Rocks but I saw a lot of Jerry & the Dead for over 20 years. Of course I've indulged in countless hours of tapes & video as well. I think you've undertaken an impossible task here but thanks for your effort.

I was at the Hampton 11/19/93 show. Great Shining Star and the whole show was magical.

None of these are my top 10. And that’s what makes Jerry so special. ALL BANGERS! 🔥

as someone who accepted w/ joy being a hippy since 1967 , jerry's passing was so sad..... from afar he seemed to have everything a good hippy would ever want..... and then he died early...... it makes me cry sometimes :).

Number 6 is my all timer. I get goosebumps every time I listen to it without fail. They didn’t even play the best part in this clip. So damn good.

No judgement on the BEST, but all of them are spectacular! I can guarantee that I am going to dive into each of these shows based upon these curated clips!

I'm a bass player from the Bay Area and I love Jerry's tone, style, and approach. I have guitar player friends who hate his playing and I just don't get it. Jerry has one of the most recognizable sounds, like all great musicians all you need to hear is 5 seconds and you know it's Jerry.

Jerry's playing is like freedom's road map. He'll take you places.

Doing a list like this is almost impossible, you did good. I feel honored and privileged to have been there for #2, on a bad night Jerry was good, on a good night he was magical, on an inspired night, well decades later it still brings tears to my eyes.

Nothing got me more than an epic Stella Blue and/or Morning Dew to draw down an hour long rock session. China Doll occasionally too but not on the level of Stella or Dew.

I'm a guitar player and I really appreciate you posting this. I love seeing Jerry put it all together and I can see him implementing a lot of the inversions and shapes I'm trying to incorporate, of course not as masterfully as him. Still, it's a journey and it's s encouraging, feels like I might be seeing a little more of the map, thanks Jerry!

I'm on board with that version of Peggy O, studied it many times. However my all time fave is the JGB version of Senor

Happy birthday Jerry. RIP!!!

Cool selection! I would add Morning Dew Lyceum 72, Fire On The Mountain 10/14/83, Looks Like Rain 12/29/77

I can shut my eyes and be back there! Thanks you so much

AS a life long fan I was kinda amazed there is not one Stella Blue on this otherwise grate list. :)

Thanks for sharing your list - I enjoyed checking it out. I don't have videos to link, but you might want to also listen to: "Beautiful Jam" 12/19/71; Peggy-O 3/18/77; Jerry's first solos on Sugaree 5/21 & 5/22/77; and Uncle John's Band 12/26/79. The lists could go on and on . . .

Can't believe the Morning Dew from Europe '72 wasn't chosen!

Gold addition of solo work, nice…thanks!

Good lord I need to make one of these. 77 is full of his best solos

My best impression of jerry is major 7 over stuff that minor pentatonic would do fine for.. then switching to mixolydian at the right time for a minute And yet there is so much chromatic stuff going on! Gerry was super intuitive, relly played directly from his heart, impossible to copy.

I Shall Be Released from the official JGB live double album release is the best.

Prayers answered. Thanks for this list.

Never knew the man but he wears a good friend of mine. Miss you Jerry I miss you

Beaitiful solos!

The most emotional jerry solo has to be comes a time buffalo 77

Some of the Looks Like Rain solos are 🔥 as well.

Yo recuerdo que escuche una version del tema I'll Take A Melody (lp Reflections) de la gira europea del 81. Las sensaciones que me llegaron fueron indescriptibles, siguiendo la melodia referida, improviso un solo final que me deslumbro, de tal manera que me es imposible recordar un solo de otro guitarrista con tanta intensidad y carga emociinal. Jerry era unico

Great list. I would like to see more of these done. Most of these versions I’m very familiar with. I would’ve picked a different July 89 Morning dew with the 7/4 version. But 7/19 is also very good. Jerry was just incredible.

He was an encyclopedia of guitar knowledge... and he had it all seamlessly connected, heart, mind and soul in those solos. My favorite is Days Between, those solos make you tear and cry, like the soul sighing and crying is what those solos sound like

So many roads to ease are souls jerry had the kindest soul of us all and then we became kind searching for are souls thru his music . There music and such wisdom Robert hunter Bob Barlow. the weir Wolf Phil Bill Micky and all are keyboard players standing ovation standing on the moon rather be with you dance.like nobody's watching spinning spinning free? Soul brother Ronnie Ron peace love ❤and light ❤

I once read that the two songs that Jerry most connected with emotionally were Wharf Rat and Stella Blue.

Almost any version of 'Loser' has Jerry squeezing the last bit of crying emotion from the storyline.

I only got one Shinning Star. But it was the show I bought my parents to.

Oh man that Mission is so unbelievably good. One of the all time best for sure. I totally disagree with all the rest but that’s part of what makes the dead so incredible.

I was going to rip on your list and say "you must be tripping. Emotional....really?" And then you got number one right. His best solo ever. The other nine could be anything else

Impossible task here dude but great job. Didnt know there was Cornell footage available

Might I add Dozin at the Knick. Stella Blue If that doesn’t pull your heart strings I don’t know what to tell you.

Capt. Trips was IN PEAK FORM IN ALL OF THESE!! ACK ACK ACK!

I was at the Hampton 93 show for that Shining Star. Too bad the operator of the camera was having seizures during this solo? He is definitely not getting the videographer position. Sheesh! Anyway…that Shining Star was like 25 minutes long and so beautiful indeed. Gotta love jgb solos. Also check out 9/18/94 So Many Roads for one of the best latter day solos.

The first one was where im from just a month after i was born, and here i am 29 years later enjoying it

Nice list. That folks is how you get a like and subscribe.

ありがとう！from japan yozo

Actually, Number One is on the 'Death Don't Have No Mercy' from Live/Dead.

9/18/94 So Many Roads

I don’t think these are his best solos, not even for these tunes. But it doesn’t matter what I think.

Personally, I think some his best work was with JGB

rap is a acronym,rhythm and poetry..people who play instruments makes beautiful nuance of sounds singers or rappers contribute their own vocal or rap sound,so when you combine instruments vocals or rap,you create a song that becomes,MUSIC

The Dead's success would not have been but for the collaboration between him Robert Hunter. Regardless, being a master guitarist, Jerry was destined to be a success playing solo or with a band.

Row Jimmy should not be ignored...

Morning Dew 9/18/87...but I guess it doesn't matter anyway

Love that version of BEW

Standings on the Moon 12-6-89 2ioth Clarence Clemons is a great solo. You also seem biased towards the end of his career some brilliant solos from the early days also. the MLB jam from 11-11-73 is my personal favorite. I can hear the smile on his face when i hear that jam, coming out a Dark Star.

Those who know don’t say, those who say don’t know 25:58 26:01 lo

Who’s the Black guy on the keyboard during “ I shall be released”? Thanks

I've never seen live footage from Cornell. Anyone have a link to the full concert?

Visions of Johanna? Come one it’s the most haunting solo ever recorded by Garcia

Brokedown Palace...

Give me a break

Such an overrated group. It sincerely sounds like amateur playing. Like all joking aside, he sounds like your average guitarist you'd see in a bar band. I've time and time again have given it a chance to see what all the hype is about but it's honestly just uninspired, undynamic crap. Literally sounds like someone who has no passion or variety. I've seen them live. I have family who worships anything the dead did. Can't say I haven't given it an honest chance. I I really listen to a huge variety of music. Few bands are as tediously senseless to me as the dead. Even bands I don't particularly like have something I can atleast understand despite not being into them. The dead really have nothing and sound like basic, generic musicians.

There are some god awful versions in here, particularly the FOTD.

A list of emotion? FUTILE. We have no clue what Jerry was thinking at any point in his 53 short years on this mud ball. Studying Jerry Garcia's art is all fine and well but when you start claiming to quantify his emotional investment in solos your way off in the weeds. Jerry might have said something like "I was thinking about how pissed I was about stubbing my toe earlier that day when I was playing that Solo ". Or "Man I had the worst heartburn that night I ate crap in my hotel all day". Or probably "Women are sent by the devil to torture me!" We don't have a clue what Jerry was thinking while playing for us. As a guitar player I heard a lot of "Nailed that" and "Oops, I'll get that next time" going on but wouldn't claim my concept of what he was thinking held any validity whatsoever. Thank you, God, for letting me be alive in the age of the Grateful Dead and letting me experience it.

Good stoner noodle Roni and a beloved fuzzy bear Jerry kept the the myth of Dionysus alive in his gatherings. I think that was one of his most important contributions to rock, his cult will live on in the psychedelic counterculture mythology that began in the'60s when the tribes began forming Jerry was a psychedelic Papa Bear. When he died, President Clinton lowered the White House flag to half mast in his honor!

Blues for Allah

He appears to play like someone who is tone deaf and somehow makes it out well and has followers.

John mayer does a far better job at lead guitar than jerry

Worst guitar player ever!

He's awful

OK, he's good but he's not THAT good. For me he lacks intensity. Contrast Jerry with Randy Rhoads, who upped everybody's game in the 80s.

Those solos are weak. He's just playing in a block pattern

Such an over rated musician.

John Mayer is the only reason I know about the dead! Props to JM for a new generation of dead heads