Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders - GarciaLive Volume 18: November 2nd, 1974 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (2022) Hi-Res

The Jerry Garcia vault has been opened once again for GarciaLive Volume 18: November 2nd, 1974 Keystone Berkeley, a live archival release featuring the full, two-set Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders concert. GarciaLive Volume 18 is due out via Round Records on June 10 and has been previewed with a scorching rendition of Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave You Hat On” from the show.

Guitarist Jerry Garcia and keyboardist Merl Saunders were joined at Keystone Berkeley on November 2, 1974 by bassist John Kahn, drummer Paul Humphrey and saxophonist Martin Fierro. Renowned sound engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson captured previously uncirculated audio of the concert on 1/4″ analog reels. Located in the Bay Area, the Keystone Berkeley hosted many Garcia/Saunders shows, including performances released on the famed Live At The Keystone compilations and other archival sets.

The first set featured on GarciaLive Volume 18 starts with the heady sequence of Donnie Hathaway’s “Valdez In The Country,” Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” and the aforementioned “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” Second set standouts include long takes on “Freedom Jazz Dance” by Eddie Harris and Saunders-penned original “Wondering Why.” The quintet was running up against the evening’s curfew when they ended the night with Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train.”