Grassroots Productions Presents Melvin Seals and Terrapin Flyer at the Loading Dock in downtown Traverse City. Doors @ 9 pm Show Time 10pm. Tickets $15 at the door.

Melvin Seals
Melvin Seals has established a reputation as a recording artist, producer and record company executive in the field of gospel music. He first took up piano at the age of 8 and his first public performances were playing gospel music in church; his first band, "Gideon & Power," was a local San Fransicso group. He has gone on to perform/record with Elvin Bishop, Charlie Daniels, Chuck Berry-and for 15 years with Jerry Garcia. He was the featured organist in such Broadway hits as "Evolution of the Blues" with John Hendricks, ACT's production of "American More Or Less," the Joyce Carroll Thomas play "A Song In the Sky," and the hit "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope". Melvin formed JGB one year after Jerry Garcia's death on August 8, 1995 and was originally joined by Gloria Jones and Jackie Labranch, who had been Garcia's background singers. He toured steadily from late 1996 through 1997 and then released a live CD with JGB, "Welcome To Our World," in February of 1998. Continuing a tradition of great song writing, Melvin Seals Melting Pot thrusts Melvin Seals into the next millennium with his first solo CD.

Terrapin Flyer
Terrapin Flyer is more than a band, it is a musician's cooperative that performs with legendary icons of the music world. The band features prominent members of Chicago's vibrant local music scene such as current and former members of Cornmeal, The Dark Star Orchestra, Jack Straw and others. Often it pairs local musicians with such notable musicians as Vince Welnick (RIP), Melvin Seals and Tom Constanten for regional tours. The band has also performed with Sugar Blue, Fareed Haque and David Gans among many others.

The nature of the band is improvisational and involves deep uncharted exploration in the medium of Grateful Dead and related music. No two Terrapin Flyer shows are ever the same and you never know who might show up to jam at a show, but you can always count on a great time with some of the most recognized artists in the music community! The premise around the music is to take songs by the Grateful Dead and related artists and to bring them to some place new. Keeping the magic that was the Grateful Dead alive is central to the band's philosophy.