CD Review

The latest Pure Jerry release from the estate of the late Jerry Garcia strikes gold with the Jerry Garcia &Merl Saunders Band recorded on September 1, 1974 at the Keystone Berkeley. The 3 CD set is a wonderful representation of the band that played with Jerry and Merl at the time: John Kahn on bass, Martin Fierro on sax and flute, and Paul Humphrey on drums. An unidentified trumpet player also appears on the disc.

Lots of Saunders/Garcia live staples here, a mixture of Dylan tunes, Motown standards and originals by Garcia and Saunders, a similar show formula that Jerry followed for many years to come. It sounds like the band was having a ball and the sound quality is top notch. Liner notes claim some material is from remastered 2 track work tapes from the late summer of 74. Apparently these recordings, originally done by Betty Cantor-Jackson, have been restored in all their glory.

Disc one highlights include the funky groove of "Keepers," the beautiful reggae of "Sitting Here in Limbo," as well as Bob Dylan's "Tough Mama." Disc two mixes it up with a long version of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder they Come" and the Motown classics "Second that Emotion" and "Roadrunner." The third CD offers Merl's super bad "Soul Roach," the oft covered "Mystery Train" and the haunting Robbie Robertson's "Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Most of the tracks all run into the 10 minute plus range with lots of improvisation and jamming. The clever packaging, when fully opened, looks like a cocktail table and comes complete with a paper Keystone Berkeley cocktail napkin.

Martin Fierro's tasteful contributions on sax and flute are clear and true, and combined with the playing of the unnamed trumpet player add so much texture to the songs. Jerry's voice sounds fresh and youthful, his playing inspired and energetic, while Merl really delivers the soul with his organ and singing, and Kahn's bass and Humphrey's drums are steady. It is evident that Jerry loved playing in his side projects as much as he loved to play with the Grateful Dead. The mood is so relaxed and one can almost hear the glasses clinking at the bar, but the music delivers the Pure Jerry fix that Deadheads and other fans can really appreciate. If you liked the official Live From the Keystone albums, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.