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“John then and now was and is an elegant Bad Ass of the Blues. He can sound like an oncoming train or he can sound like he is drinking champagne on that train.” — Tom Waits

Presenting the 11th chapter of Bear’s Sonic Journals, John Hammond, You’re Doin’ Fine — Blues at the Boarding House, June 2 & 3, 1973. This 3 CD set showcases John Hammond in his prime in a solo country blues romp through Delta, Chicago, Texas, and Piedmont blues.

"It started out as a small acoustical concert and turned into a mini-Woodstock!" — Wavy Gravy

Presenting the 10th chapter of Bear’s Sonic Journals, Sing Out!, Live at the Berkeley Community Theater, 4/25/1981.
This 3 CD set features the final recording Bear made of any members of the Grateful Dead, alongside a stellar line-up of acoustic performances by Bay Area folk heroes, including Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, Country Joe McDonald, Kate Wolf, Rosalie Sorrels, and a percussion set by the Rhythm Devils.

Celebrating 60 years of The Chieftains!

The Owsley Stanley Foundation’s ninth release of Bear’s Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt features the Chieftains performing live in San Francisco in 1973 (CD & vinyl) and 1976 (CD & digital only).

“I love them both! They contain lovely subtleties that don’t normally happen” — Paddy Moloney, August 2021, after listening to Bear’s tapes.

“A masterpiece. Dad gave what I believe to be one of the most intimate and connected shows I have ever heard.” –John Carter Cash

After a tumultuous 1967 for Johnny Cash, the year 1968 was bookended by what would become his two iconic, highest-grossing albums, At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin. But now, fifty-three years later, a lost chapter has emerged to enrich and complement the story of that very good year.

The Owsley Stanley Foundation’s 8th release of Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cash – At the Carousel Ballroom features Cash playing songs of outsiders, outlaws, and in-laws, exquisitely captured by Bear.

This should set the Buckley-sphere on Fire! When you find a new live Tim Buckley recording, it's like finding a whole new Tim Buckley!

The Owsley Stanley Foundation’s Seventh release of Bear’s Sonic Journals: Merry-Go-Round at the Carousel features Tim Buckley at his jazzy, improvisational best, including the only known recordings of several Buckley originals and a stunning medley showcasing a version of Fred Neil’s, “Merry-Go-Round.”

These tapes are magic.

“These are the most extensive files there are of our music from this time. There are titles here never heard before [on a release] and seldom played. It is historically important. Spirited.” - Commander Cody

The Owsley Stanley Foundation’s fifth release of Bear’s Sonic Journals finds lost treasures in the ozone with the launch of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen!

"Sociologically, you know, this all represents a big switch in the whole rock 'n' roll trip" - Jerry Garcia

Celebrating 50 years of New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Owsley Stanley Foundation’s fourth release takes you back in time to the early days when this band was just getting started.

“A legend recording a legend” – T. Michael Coleman, Bass

The Owsley Stanley Foundation is pleased to present an audiophile release of incendiary performances by the incomparable Doc and Merle Watson, from Bear’s Sonic Journals -Owsley’s storied trove of live concert recordings.

It’s not just the energy of youth that shakes me when I listen to these tracks — it’s the musical dialogue that Jack and I shared in these amazing moments. -Jorma Kaukonen

The Owsley Stanley Foundation presents its third chapter: Bear’s Sonic Journals: Before We Were Them, Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady, Veterans Memorial Building, June 28, 1969, available now on CD. This live concert recording features recently discovered and previously unreleased music from Jefferson Airplane’s fabled guitar and bass players before they became known as Hot Tuna.

“A wicked blend of rock, jazz and R&B that created a dynamic, groundbreaking sound.” – John Lynskey , Hittin’ The Note

The Owsley Stanley Foundation and the Allman Brothers Band are pleased to present the latest chapter in Bear’s Sonic Journals: The Allman Brothers Band, Fillmore East, February 1970, available now on CD and audiophile downloads. The CD includes material from three incredible performances early in the Allman Brothers’ career, and the digital downloads provide access to all of Owsley’s Recordings of these shows.

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Bear’s Sonic Journals Presents:

Masterpieces Unearthed from
Owsley’s Famed Archive

chieftains

John Hammond

Blues at the Boarding House
June 2 & 3, 1973
3 CD set

chieftains

Sing Out!

Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir with Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and John Kahn
Country Joe McDonald
Kate Wolf with Nina Gerber and Ford James
Rosalie Sorrels with Mitch Greenhill
Rhythm Devils (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann)
Berkeley Community Theater, April 25, 1981
chieftains

The Chieftains in San Francisco

The Boarding House, October 1, 1973
The Great American Music Hall, May 5, 1976

Johnny Cash

At the Carousel Ballroom
April 24, 1968

Tim Buckley

Carousel Ballroom
June 15-16, 1968

Ali Akbar Khan, with
Indranil Bhattacharya and
Zakir Hussain

Family Dog at the Great Highway
May 29, 1970
2 CD set

commander cody

Commander Cody &
His Lost Planet Airman

The Family Dog at the Great Highway
March 28, 1970
2 CD set

New Riders of
The Purple Sage

August 1969 – June 1970
Five CD Set

Jorma Kaukonen
& Jack Casady

Veterans Memorial Building
June 28, 1969

Allman Brothers

The Allman Brothers Band

3 CD release with extended material
From all three shows, as played on
February 11, 13, & 14, 1970

Doc and Merle Watson

The Boarding House, May 1 – May 4, 1974
Seven CD Set

The Owsley Stanley Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of “Bear’s Sonic Journals,” Owsley’s archive of more than 1,300 live concert soundboard recordings from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including recordings by Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, and more than 80 other artists across nearly every musical idiom.

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About The Owsley Stanley Foundation

The Owsley Stanley Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of “Bear’s Sonic Journals,” Owsley’s archive of more than 1,300 live concert soundboard recordings from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including recordings by Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, and more than 80 other artists across nearly every musical idiom. These analog reel-to-reel recordings are nearing the end of their expected shelf lives and will deteriorate and be lost forever if they are not preserved. The effort to preserve these historically vital recordings is estimated to cost between $300,000 – $400,000. All donations and proceeds from the development of the recordings flow back into the effort to preserve more of Bear’s Sonic Journals and perpetuate Owsley’s legacy, including patronage of the arts in all of its forms. Our staff is entirely comprised of volunteers, and many of the support services necessary to run the organization have been donated by generous contributors that believe in the mission to save this music before it is lost forever.

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The "Save The Music!" campaign seeks to raise money to enable the digitization, preservation, and release of Bear's Sonic Journals, a trove of over a thousand live concert recordings from the heart of the psychedelic era. Donations are much appreciated, and are in fact essential to our ability to preserve and release future recordings!

You can donate via our secure form, or send checks made out to the Owsley Stanley Foundation to: Owsley Stanley Foundation PO Box 625 Occidental, Ca 95465. We were officially granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status by the IRS in December 2012. All donations to the Owsley Stanley Foundation are fully tax deductible.

Project Sponsorship:
For a donation of $500 or more, you can sponsor the production of a release of Bear's Sonic Journals, we usually have about 10 projects or so in the works, and your contribution goes toward the mastering of the music, original cover art, liner notes and related research, booklet design, and manufacturing costs. You will receive a liner notes credit in the OSF release of the project you sponsored.

Contact

Reach out if you have questions, or to see how you can support the Owsley Stanley Foundation.

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