Garcialive Volume 15: May 21st 1971 Keystone Korner

GarciaLive Volume 15: May 21st, 1971 Keystone Korner finds Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders in the middle of their first multi-night run at the vaulted San Francisco club. The previously uncirculated two-set performance was mixed and mastered from 4-track analog reels. With John Kahn thought to be on another gig in Southern California, Garcia, Saunders, and drummer Bill Vitt shift to an organ trio configuration with Merl’s left hand ably rounding out the rhythm section. Saxophonist and future Garcia/Saunders & Legion of Mary bandmate Martin Fierro joins the fold, his first known performance with Garcia/Saunders, on 5 songs pushing the group to dizzying heights. Saunders noted the early performances with Garcia were often loose, free-spirited affairs, and that’s clearly the case here. The show opening “Man-Child” sets the tone with a 17-minute heavily improvised, funky jazz-fusion romp, while the self-described “Keystone Korner Jam” is (as best we can tell) a completely improvised adventure that takes the group into uncharted territory.