Captured in the period between the release of the Grateful Dead's From the Mars Hotel LP and their touring hiatus that began in late 1974, this lively set from Jerry Garcia and longtime collaborator Merl Saunders has a comfortable, spontaneous ease to it. Recorded on August 11, 1974 and released as part of the archival GarciaLive series, this release essentially features the Legion of Mary band which would form just a few months later and was the subject of 2013's GarciaLive, Vol. 3 collection. For this set, however, the ...
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Captured in the period between the release of the Grateful Dead's From the Mars Hotel LP and their touring hiatus that began in late 1974, this lively set from Jerry Garcia and longtime collaborator Merl Saunders has a comfortable, spontaneous ease to it. Recorded on August 11, 1974 and released as part of the archival GarciaLive series, this release essentially features the Legion of Mary band which would form just a few months later and was the subject of 2013's GarciaLive, Vol. 3 collection. For this set, however, the Dead's own Bill Kreutzmann is behind the drum kit instead of Ron Tutt. By this point, the Saunders-Garcia partnership was already well established and their preferred venue, Keystone Berkeley, provided a relaxed space to try out the various facets of their funk, rock, and R&B repertoire. The set list consists largely of standards, including the Four Tops' "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," Junior Walker & the Allstars' "(I'm A) Roadrunner," and a nice closing rendition of the Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Still young and adventurous, Garcia's solos range far and wide and he nimbly duels with Saunders' B-3 and Martin Fierro's saxophone. As far as the rhythm battery is concerned, it's nice to hear Kreutzmann lock in with a pocket bass player like John Kahn and together, for the most part, they maintain a solid groove as the conversation unfolds among the five players. Fierro brandishes his flute on a few numbers, including the bossa nova-flavored original "La La," expanding the band's tonal palette a bit. The highlights, though, are in the extended jams, particularly the 19-minute "The Harder They Come," which feels like a dynamic zenith of this set. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
