Billy Iuso

Iko Allstars    New Orleans Musicians Play The Grateful Dead 

IKO ALLSTARS 

Grateful Dead songs Played By New Orleans Musicians

"Busted down on Bourbon St. Set up, like a bowling pin" (Truckin'- Grateful Dead; 1970) New Orleans has always been a sore topic when referring to the Grateful Dead, mostly attributed to the band's famous hotel room arrest after performing a show at The Warehouse in January 1970. As a direct result, listening to the music of the Grateful Dead in a live setting is hard to come by in the Big Easy.

The Iko Allstars, comprised entirely of New Orleans musicians, have set out to pay tribute to the Dead in their own unique way. The Iko lineup mirrors the Grateful Dead's setup: two guitarists (Billy Iuso and Sam Hotchkiss), bass (Reggie Scanlan of the Radiators fame), keys (CR Gruver), and a double drumming madness (Mike Fouquier and Willie Green of Neville Bros. fame). Effortlessly, the group places a New Orleans spin on the Dead's jam oriented repertoire. Each of the Allstars bleeds purple, green, and gold. This, combined with their love for the Grateful Dead, comprises the foundation of the Iko Allstars. They ride a wave that was set in motion in 1965; perpetually jamming on songs we've heard many times, and in many different ways. Iko Allstars truly give us their own interpretation of the music of the Dead.