The Goodbye Girls; .

Dave , I like that as well . Thanks

Beverly Guitar Watkins.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=QgfAvOR6tAQ
 
70 years old And as an added bonus, looks like the bassist is playing an Orion.

Kathryn Tickell - 'Lads of Alnwick'  
 

.  I was, of course, a fan of his dad's, but had never heard of him until yesterday when I discovered a regular customer in my cab is his mother-in-law.
 
Peter

Fun, Jerry's Tribute
http://societyofrock.com/grateful-dead-iko-iko-live

8-29-80 @ The Spectrum in Philadelphia on Sirius/XM Channel 23.
 
Bill, tgo

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, .

Steve Martin is a real decent banjo player. And a serious art collector. Go figure.

Saw Martin guest-host for Carson once; it was the first I knew he played, and I thought he was pretty fair.  But one of his guests was his teacher (that would be ) and he kind of blew me away.  Then, while they were at the couch talking, John lays his banjo on the floor, takes off his shoes & socks (to reveal another pair of socks with the toes cut out) and proceeds to blow away most players I've heard with his feet!
 
Peter (who's starting to think he couldn't sound worse playing that way....)

Having grown up in the house of a banjo player, I can tell you firsthand - banjo players are a breed all to their own. =)  
 
I absolutely *love* Steve Martin's frailed-style of playing, but not as much the three-finger Scruggs-style. I could never figure out why one style was so immaculately in time and the other seemed... forced. But then I (somehow) never knew McEuen had been his mentor, which makes it totally make sense!
 
My favorite cut from Rare Bird Alert with the Steep Canyon Rangers backing -
 

Interestingly, the Steep Canyon Rangers are from right down the road from here in Brevard, North Carolina.

I just listened to the Bonnie Dobson version of Morning Dew. I have to admit that I had never heard of her before. MD is my favorite Dead song and I always thought they had written it. Got me thinking how many other songs of theirs that I like actually are covers. Does anyone know if there is a simple list anywhere that shows the songs the Dead have played and who the original artist was?

This probably isn't exactly what you were looking for, but it does give some of the composers and it's in list form.

Thanks Dave. Like you suggested, though, still a lot of holes. The information I'm looking for is probably unnecessary for most people who listen to the Dead.