Vinyl Vault — Diga Rhythm Band

It seems like every other week another Grateful Dead tribute band is playing around Denver. Then, there’s the current month-long residency by the remnants of the original band, now going by the name Dead & Co., at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Not being an institution that misses out on trends like this, it’s time for the Vinyl Vault to get in on the act. Therefore, we’ll hear several tracks from the Diga Rhythm Band on the next edition of the Vinyl Vault.

The Diga Rhythm Band released its one and only album in 1976 on the Grateful Dead’s record label, Round Records. Mainly the brainchild of Dead drummer Mickey Hart, the band featured no less than 11 drummers and percussionists. It was a precursor to Hart’s later rhythmic forays known as Planet Drum.

The Diga Rhythm Band was a world-beat album with instruments from all over the globe and musicians to match. Several tabla players were on the album, most notably Zakir Hussain who is still active in many different world-music pursuits. Diga dedicated the album to Hussain’s father Ustad Alla Rahka, a long-time associate of Ravi Shankar and the man credited with bringing the tabla to Western ears.

Check out the Diga Rhythm Band (preferably while you’re wearing a tie-dyed shirt) on the next Vinyl Vault with Geoff Anderson, on Tuesday, August 6 at 8:30 p.m. on KUVO JAZZ.

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