_Woodstock _

While the songbook of the Grateful Dead has been well-mined, from the Indigo Girls to Steel Pulse, there’s always room for another heartfelt reading of the music. Enter bluegrass icon Jesse McReynolds, whose group Jim & Jesse and The Virginia Boys happened to have been one of Jerry Garcia’s early influences. With a little help from JGB guitarist Stu Allen, New Riders co-founder David Nelson and a talented host of bluegrass and country backers, McReynolds plucks a handful of gems from the Garcia/Hunter catalog – as well as one of Jerry’s favorite traditional covers, “Deep Elem Blues” – and makes them sparkle like they were his own. From shimmering, mandolin-infused readings of “Black Muddy River,” “Ripple,” “Bird Song” and “The Wheel,” to rocking takes of “Deal” and “Alabama Getaway,” McReynolds applies his warm bluegrass vocals and legendary picking with pleasant results. The album’s closing track, a thoughtful new collaboration with Robert Hunter called “Day by Day,” brings the circle of influences full circle.