We’re pleased to announce the vinyl edition of the acclaimed MERL SAUNDERS/JERRY GARCIA Keystone Companions: The Complete 1973 Fantasy Recordings, out November 25th. Recorded live on July 10th and 11th, 1973 at the Keystone club in Berkeley, California, the 24 tracks on this 180-gram, 6-LP collection beautifully capture the magical musical friendship of keyboardist Merl Saunders and Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. An accompanying booklet includes never-before-seen photos new to this edition, plus updated liner notes by Grateful Dead expert David Gans. A collectible poster will round out the package.
The five-year association of San Francisco-born keyboardist Merl Saunders and guitarist-vocalist Jerry Garcia was fruitful for both musicians, as well as for fans who witnessed their now-legendary performances at clubs in the Bay Area. It made the venerable jazz organist and pianist an icon in the world of rock, and it opened up new avenues of improvisation for the innovative rock guitar player. Saunders had been writing and performing in New York before returning to the West Coast, where he began doing session work with Garcia, already at the helm of one of the world’s most popular rock bands, the Grateful Dead. By December 1970, a weekly jam session featuring Saunders, Garcia, bassist John Kahn, and drummer Bill Vitt had become a weekly gig at San Francisco’s Matrix.