They exposed hundreds of thousands of people, knowingly or not-so-much, to ancient British ballads, old blues, jug band material, bluegrass, hardcore country, southern old-time music and lots more from the folk and "roots music" traditions. Truly remarkable for a rock and roll band.

I've recently put a presentation together with my band to explore these very connections. It's been super gratifying to see some Deadheads become interested in the source material, and equally so when non-Deadhead folk audiences get drawn into the stories behind the music.

Here's a recent video describing the project: Folk and Blues Roots of the Grateful Dead