In eight years with the Grateful Dead, Donna Jean Godchaux laid her vocal imprint on classic albums like “Steal Your Face,” “Terrapin Station” and “Shakedown Street.” Her melodic harmonizing helped form popular Dead songs into the way they will be remembered forever. Godchaux then worked with The Other Ones and The Dead, two bands that gathered the former members of the Grateful Dead after the death of Jerry Garcia.

Godchaux’s current collaboration, Donna Jean and the Tricksters, have been together since 1996. For over a decade, they have won the hearts of the jam community by playing covers of the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Neil Young with their own songs which range in style from jazz to bluegrass.

During the past year, Donna Jean and The Tricksters have teamed up to form a group that brings new life to the jam band scene, while shining light on the Dead legacy. With the recent release of their debut album in January, the band is preparing for a six-week tour on which they will perform new original songs.

The new self-titled album has 12 tracks written by Godchaux and the other band members. Bassist Klyph Black, guitarist Tom Circosta, drummer and percussionist Dave Diamond, vocalist Wendy Lanter, guitarist Jeff Mattson and keyboardist Mookie Siegel help meld the music of the album together. When listening to the album, one gets an eclectic taste of jazz, blues, bluegrass and fun jams. It’s a “very fruitful time,” Donna Jean said about performing with the Tricksters. We are a “perfect fit