Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders

about

Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders was two iconic musicians who collaborated to create a unique and influential sound that blended elements of rock, jazz, blues, and gospel. From December of 1970 to June of 1975, Jerry Garcia and keyboardist Merl Saunders played over two-hundred and fifty shows together, mostly on the west coast. Other band members included John Kahn on bass, Tom Fogerty on guitar and vocals, Sarah Fulcher on vocals, and multiple iterations of drummers that included Bill Vitt, Bill Kreutzmann, Paul Humphrey, and Ron Tutt. Martin Fierro, Armando Peraza, and George Tickner rounded out the line-up from time to time. Saunders recalls that the first gigs were often very loose and free-flowing. Garcia claims that during this time, Merl taught him what it was to play straight music—closer to the standards, and more rooted in tradition. Jerry says he received his music education in a large part from Merl Saunders. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

top songs

albums

GarciaLive Volume Nine: August 11th, 1974 Keystone Berkeley

GarciaLive Volume Six: July 5th, 1973 Lion's Share

GarciaLive Volume 12: January 23rd, 1973 The Boarding House

GarciaLive Volume 15: May 21st, 1971 Keystone Korner

Heads & Tails Vol. 1: 1/19/72, Lion’s Share, San Anselmo, CA

GarciaLive Volume 18: November 2nd, 1974 Keystone Berkeley

Garcia Plays Dylan

Keystone Companions: The Complete 1973 Fantasy Recordings

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Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)

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The Harder They Come

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Well-Matched - The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia

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Lonely Avenue (Live)

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