Like its predecessor,
Live at Keystone (1973), and the subsequent release, Keystone Encores, Vol. 2 (1988), this vinyl and cassette release contains music compiled from July 10 and 11, 1973 at the Keystone in Berkeley, CA. Each of the aforementioned titles features
Merl Saunders (keyboards) and
Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals) co-leading a rhythm section of
John Kahn (bass) and
Bill Vitt (percussion). The duo of
Garcia and
Saunders began gigging in and around San Francisco when the
Grateful Dead weren't otherwise keeping
Garcia busy. By mid-1973 the band was virtually a fixture at the Keystone and as the six sides on the platter reveal, their languid and unhurried style was the perfect blend of spontaneous improvisation and skilled musicianship. In particular,
Garcia and
Saunders carved out a fresh extension for
Garcia to feed his insatiable love for jazz-flavored R&B. The combination of
Saunders' sweet and soulful organ leads and
Garcia's crystalline intonations are flawlessly supported by
Kahn's assertive, yet elegant interjections. One prime example is the cover of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" as
Kahn steps up to punctuate the established melody with a harmonic line that seems to come second-nature.
Garcia's familiarity with "High Heel Sneakers," "I Second That Emotion," and the decidedly Chicago-style influence of
Blind Lemon Jefferson's "One Kind Favor" should come as no surprise as the
Grateful Dead included them as part of their incipient repertoire prior to the band penning most of their own songs. Enthusiasts of this platter should check out the remaining
Live at Keystone,
Keystone Encores, and especially the triple-CD Pure Jerry: Keystone Berkeley, September 1, 1974 (2004) -- containing an entire concert by a slightly reconfigured lineup with
Martin Fierro (saxophone/flute/percussion) and
Paul Humphrey (drums). ~ Lindsay Planer