Jerry Garcia, computer geek? Phish's Mike Gordon, band curator? And Bill Kreutzmann, psychedelic artist?

It's all true. Grateful Dead drummer Kreutzmann is on the road with his new power trio, featuring guitarist Scott Murawski and bassist Oteil Burbridge. They're on the road for a few dates before the Dead reunion tour, and Kreutzmann has an exhibit of his computer-generated artwork on the road as well. His art is on display at the Walnut Street Gallery in Fort Collins through the end of February. He spoke from his house on Maui about the state of himself and the Dead.

Tell me about your artwork.

I got started about '93. Garcia was on the road and I'd just gotten a new laptop. It had Photoshop 3 on it, and I didn't know how to use it. He came down to my room and showed me. That was the takeoff. I just started doing it. I've never been to any art school, just the school of psychedelica. I never had any formal training. I just found I really love color a lot and can get it to work pretty good.

Two concepts I don't associate are Jerry Garcia and computers.

Oh no, he was big-time into art on his computer. He did a lot of stuff on his computer. A lot of hand drawings. He was a really good artist. He was into computer art, visual art. I definitely wouldn't call him a nerd (laughs). I get where you're going with that one. But he knew his stuff. We've all become experts at computers. It really helps us out.

How do you create on your computer?

Sometimes I'll upload a picture, then play with the picture, really mess with it, make it something completely different. Sometimes I'll start with a blank screen, drawing lines on it and filling in colors, using these filters. ... It comes from my inner emotions. It's the way I'm feeling that day that comes across. ... It's like the music I like to play. It's free, it's improvised.

That kind of reminds me of the Dead's music. Sometimes it builds on established songs, sometimes it's improvised from scratch.

The analogy is really good. Sometimes we have songs - that's the picture you loaded. And sometimes we just jam. Yesterday I did a benefit here for the community radio station, KKCR on Maui. We've been rehearsing at my house. Yesterday we just started out with a jam. Guitar player says, "You wanna just jam?" and we just start playing. Then we'll go into songs. I like that. The trio's that way, totally. We can do anything - we do a lot of Grateful Dead. Not a lot - I shouldn't say that. We do like five or six Grateful Dead tunes, a lot differently than the Grateful Dead did.

How did the trio come together?

The shortest version is, over a year ago Mike Gordon from Phish, a good friend and wonderful bass player, invited me down to Costa Rica. His dad has a house down there. And he invited Scott Murawski, who's a guitar player. We played as a trio for a benefit for the school system down there. They have very little money. The hardest-hit thing in Third World countries is education. So we did a benefit for that. I'm playing with Scott and about two, three songs into it I'm going, "Man, this guy's free like Jerry was." We really had a connection. That night I asked Mike if he'd go play this year. He said, "I can't go." I said, "Mike, who do you think can play bass with Scott and I?" He did his work and got Oteil. He was the curator, you might call him.

What was the musical common ground?

We all liked free music. We liked to jam out. Stretch out. I use the words free music as opposed to jazz because jazz has a lot of form to it. Our music is as out there and as loose as jazz. ... We ad-lib changes, ad-lib keys, right there onstage.

What are you playing besides the Dead songs?

We do some wonderful covers. Scott's got original tunes, Oteil's got original tunes. I really encourage everybody getting their music in. Nobody's music is any less important than the other. We're doing an Al Green cover, Rhymes, which is really a cool tune.

The Dead is touring in the spring for the first time in years. Why now?

Bobby (Weir) called me and said, "We've got a chance to do a gig for Obama." ... I said: "Well, gee, Bobby, I'll agree to it and if we're getting together why don't we stay together and get out on the road? If we're going to put it together for Obama, why not put it together for everybody?"

Did you have any hesitation getting involved with the campaign?

We were all unanimous even though we hadn't sat down. I read The Audacity of Hope a few years ago. I said, "This is too good to be true - if only we could have a president like this." ... The Grateful Dead was apolitical forever, but there's a time and place where you can't just cover your eyes and ears and pretend there isn't this horrible thing going on. The last administration left us with a horrible legacy.

Mark Brown is the popular music critic. Brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674

Bill Kreutzmann

* When and where: 9 p.m. today, Bluebird Theatre; 9 p.m. Saturday, Fox Theatre, Boulder

* Cost: $25

* Information: ticketmaster.com or foxtheatre.com

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