Dead & Company the subject of new coffee-table photo book

Rock Out Books/Retro Photo Archive

A new book dedicated to Dead & Company is out just in time for the holidays.

Dead & Company: Rainbow Full of Sound is a coffee-table book by famed rock photographer Jay Blakesberg, who also happens to be a lifelong Deadhead.

The book features hundreds of Blakesberg’s photos, chronicling the band – Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bobby Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane – and their touring years from 2015 to 2023.

“To be honest, I always thought the Grateful Dead was forever and I realize now that in many ways, it will be,” Hart writes in the forward to the book. “Through the dance of light within Jay’s lens, we are given the ability to return to those special and often highly meaningful moments. We are given the gift of preservation and the gift of connecting with ourselves and others through those memories.” 

He adds, “While a good photographer captures the moment, a great photographer captures the ethos.”

According to a press release, the book “is more than a tribute to the music; it’s a visual celebration of the connection between the band and their loyal fanbase.” It adds, “Each page captures the spirit of the Dead’s legendary improvisational style, evoking the raw emotion, joy, and spontaneity that made each concert a one-of-a-kind experience.”

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