GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST – "T.C." (Tom Constanten)

Episode Date: April 13, 2023
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow

Episode Overview

This in-depth episode explores the uniquely storied life and career of Tom Constanten (“T.C.”), the Grateful Dead’s keyboardist from late 1968 through early 1970. Famed for his avant-garde influences and improvisational prowess, T.C. was a musical innovator who helped shape the band’s most psychedelic, experimental period. The hosts, joined by T.C. himself, bandmates, and musical peers, trace his journey from classical composition to Dead collaborations, and his continuing inventive projects into the present day.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life & Musical Roots

• Jersey to Vegas Childhood: Born on the Jersey Shore, T.C. moved to Las Vegas at 10, performing original work with the Las Vegas Pops Orchestra by 17 (07:08).
• Early Scene: Surrounded by musicians on the Las Vegas Strip, he developed versatility, even gigging on bass (07:48).
• Avant-Garde Connections: As a teen, T.C. connected by letter with new music luminaries: Robert Sheff (a.k.a. Blue Gene Tyranny), La Monte Young, Dick Higgins, Ray Johnson, and Terry Riley (09:08), underlining how tight-knit and experimental the 1950s-60s music worlds were.

2. The Berkeley/San Francisco Era

• Science Scholar & Musical Maverick: He moved to the Bay Area for a science scholarship at UC Berkeley, but quickly gravitated towards avant-garde composition (09:55).
• Meeting Phil Lesh: Lesh recalls their first meeting—bonding instantly over serial music, becoming roommates, and diving deeply into composition (10:31).

  “We were like two sides of a coin. He was into Bach and more constructionist stuff. I was more expressive.” – Phil Lesh (10:57)

• Proto-Dead Scene: Introduced to Jerry Garcia and others in Palo Alto, T.C. was quickly swept into the formative Grateful Dead circles (11:46) and the legendary Chateau house (12:06).
• New Music Hotbed: Studied with Luciano Berio at Mills College, alongside Steve Reich and John Chowning, absorbing cutting-edge classical innovation (13:39).
• Tape Music & Aleatoric Experimentation: Worked on prepared piano and tape pieces; played in concerts featuring early minimalism and avant-garde works (22:20, 23:39).

3. Psychedelics, Scientology, and Scene Crossovers

• Psychedelics in Vegas: T.C. imported LSD to Vegas in 1964 before Owsley Stanley’s era; recounts early use of peyote, LSD, and morning glory seeds (25:12, 18:19).
• Scientology Interlude: Experimented with Scientology, describing some experiences as “comparable to psychedelic experiences... It dusts the shelves of your mind” (26:36).

4. Air Force Years, Warlocks, & the First Dead Connections

• Drafted: T.C. entered the Air Force, missing the Acid Tests but seeing the Dead (then Warlocks) at the “In Room” in Redwood City (27:22, 27:54).

5. Joining the Grateful Dead

• Avant-Garde Influence: Used a pass from the Air Force to join Anthem of the Sun sessions, bringing experimental tape music backgrounds (28:42, 29:08).
• Technical Experimentation: Detailed how he and the band manipulated tapes, created backwards/forward echoes, and integrated electronic sounds before synthesizers (30:06).
• Visual Collaborations: Introduced Bill Walker, who designed the Anthem of the Sun cover, capturing trippy “mandala-style flames” (32:15, 32:25).

6. On Stage with the Dead (1968–1970)

• Keyboard Evolution: Transitioned from piano to Hammond B3 organ without prior experience, discussing differences in technique and touch (35:27).
• Band Dynamics: Talks about tensions as Pigpen and Weir’s places in the band were debated, and how his arrival as a second keyboardist stabilized the group (37:02, 37:17).
• Learning by Doing: Lacked a practice instrument at home; honed improvisational skills “on the spot” (34:26).
• Studio as Playground: Describes creative chaos during Aoxomoxoa—“It was like a toy box... We just had to fill all the tracks.” (42:12).
• Prepared Piano & Harpsichord: Played on “Mountains of the Moon,” had to adapt to out-of-tune harpsichord (43:58).
• Playboy After Dark: Only time playing harpsichord live with the Dead; amused by set details, not dosed, and debunks coffee-LSD myth (44:45, 46:47).

7. Peak Psychedelia: Recording & Performing Live/Dead

• Suite Development: TC was integral to the Live/Dead album (1969)—shaping the “Dark Star → St Stephen → The Eleven” suite (47:54, 48:47).
  • Notable Quote: “Things would change. Owsley had a Norelco cassette... we’d get back to the hotel and listen to them, critique, chart future courses... it was iterative” – TC (48:47)
• Ballroom Culture: Describes unique communal feel of 1960s ballrooms: bands sharing sets and sitting in with each other (58:13, 58:50).
• Challenges: Struggled with keyboard amplification drowned out by guitars; his “dynamic range was from forte to double forte” (64:01, 69:07).

8. Parting Ways & Aftermath

• Band Transition: As the Dead moved to more concise, country-influenced Workingman’s Dead material, T.C.’s style and the group’s directions diverged (67:34).

  “If any band was really into extended jams, it would have been us... but the record company wanted 3-minute singles...” – TC (66:27)

• Friendly Split: Left the band January 1970, relationships intact (69:27). Nearly busted with the Dead in New Orleans afterwards (69:39).
• Pigpen & Post-Dead: Remained tight with Pigpen and involved in new projects: arranging for The Incredible String Band and forming Touchstone (71:02), and the Rubber Duck Company (72:02).

  “I was once visiting Bill Kreutzman at this place... and we turned on KPFA, a John Cage piece... it totally blew the sound space.” (60:11)

9. Later Career and Collaborations

• Leaving Scientology: Departed church early ‘70s, realizing “the bohemian crowd was achieving more—and more interesting things” (75:55).
• Hunter Collaborations: Worked with Robert Hunter—Duino Elegies (79:48); supported poems with classical pieces for a seamless, evocative result (80:09).
• Ragtime Phase: Recounted a memorable concert where Scott Joplin’s niece attended—“that was the last time I ever had stage fright” (79:03).
• Henry Kaiser Band and Beyond: Played with Kaiser, expanding on Dead repertoire and improvisational techniques with better-balanced and mixed instruments (81:17, 83:09).

10. Dos Hermanos: Modern Improvisation

• Collaboration with Bob Bralove: Met “Dead’s MIDI guru” in the 80s, but post-’95 (Garcia’s death) cemented a deep creative partnership as Dos Hermanos (85:49).

  “He leaned over and said, ‘You play through this.’ …so we just kept playing and playing” – Bob Bralove (85:56)

• Performance Style: “We’d deliberately create avalanches which we then surf.” (91:09)
• Psychedelic Return: Bralove shared, “For the first five years, we were psychedelicized every single show.” (88:00)
• Technique Insights: T.C. advised playing “from higher up the arm,” facilitating “broad gestures that transcend the individual notes” (94:33).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Differing Musical Approaches:

  “He was into Bach and more of the constructionist kind of thing. I was more into the expressive area.” – Phil Lesh (10:57)

• On Band’s Musical Process:

  “Jerry would just start playing and expect you to join in. There was no detailed charts, which frankly I would glad to see because he has some detailed chord changes.” – T.C. (37:55)

• On 'Live/Dead' Critiques:

  “We’d listen to the show afterwards… Every night something someone objected to—until finally, one show, total silence. That’s the one. Let’s send it before we change our minds.” (57:18-57:48)

• On Band Departure:

  “There was always the problem of amplifying the organ sufficiently to compete with the guitar sounds… my dynamic range consisted of forte to double forte and anything below that was inaudible.” (69:07)

• On Dos Hermanos:

  “We combine the freedom of improvisation of my time with the Band with the electronic wizardry from his time with the band. And we sort of cherry picked the best of both worlds…” (87:45)

• On Stage Fright:

  “That was the last time I ever had stage fright.” (79:03)

Key Timestamps

• Early Life, Jersey/Vegas: 07:08
• Composing, Connections to Avant-Garde: 09:08
• Meeting Phil Lesh/Berkeley Era: 10:31
• Early Bay Scene & Chateau: 12:06
• Joining Grateful Dead: 28:42
• Anthem of the Sun Sessions: 29:08
• Learning the Hammond B3: 35:27
• Dark Star Suite Discussion: 47:54
• Feedback/Amp Problems: 64:01
• Departure from the Band: 69:07
• Incredible String Band Arrangement: 71:02
• Muon Collaboration & Ragtime: 79:03
• Dos Hermanos Formation: 85:49, 87:45

Tone & Final Reflections

The episode blends deep musical knowledge with playful asides and a warmly nostalgic tone, weaving stories both historic and personal. T.C.'s wisdom, quirks, and humor shine throughout—he emerges as a key yet overlooked figure in Grateful Dead lore and a continual seeker in the worlds of music, mind, and improvisation.

“We’re all in our orbits. We disappear for a while, then we come back. Then we disappear again.” – Tom Constanten (96:29)

For committed Deadheads and curious listeners alike, this episode is an essential listen for anyone intrigued by the Dead’s experimental edge and the musicians who fueled their most cosmic journeys.