Wake of the Flood is the sixth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August 4 and September 1, 1973, and originally released on October 15, 1973. It was the first release under the band's own label, Grateful Dead Records, after fulfilling their nine-disc contract with Warner Bros. Records. It was their first full-length studio album in nearly three years, since 1970's American Beauty. It was also the first studio album without Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, who had recently died. His absence and new piano player Keith Godchaux's tendency towards jazz (rather than McKernan's tendency towards the blues) contributed to the band's musical evolution. Godchaux's wife, Donna Godchaux, also makes an appearance as a backing vocalist on the album.