Jerry Garcia was a banjo-pickin' bluegrass man and formed Old & In the Way in 1973 to feature those roots. With David Grisman, whose original composition gave up the name of the band, on mandolin; Vassar Clements on fiddle; bassist John Kahn and Pete Rowan on vocals and guitar, the band set out to bring pure, joyful backcountry bluegrass to the people, mainly at The Boarding House in San Francisco, who welcomed the soaring, complex harmonies and virtuoso string play with open arms. The quintet released its sole, self-named live album in October, 1973, and Grisman and Rowan remained not infrequent Garcia influences. After Jerry's death, the band twice released compilations featuring songs from that too-brief, 30-gig year of bluegrass, 1973.