Now this is how you're supposed to do a compilation -- especially by someone who isn't making music on this plane anymore. Rhino's double-disc [wimpLink albumId="238738337"]Very Best of Jerry Garcia[/wimpLink] is arguably exactly that. It's true that there's a bunch of stuff missing here: there are no cuts from [wimpLink albumId="117216112"]Hooteroll?[/wimpLink] with [wimpLink artistId="6407604"]Howard Wales[/wimpLink], or the early [wimpLink artistId="7351611"]Merl Saunders[/wimpLink]/[wimpLink artistId="29194901"]Garcia[/wimpLink] Live at Keystone stuff recorded for Fantasy, but it's OK. Fans will quibble about what was left off, but not about what's here. Beginning with tracks from the first [wimpLink artistId="29194901"]Jerry Garcia[/wimpLink] record, of which there are five, there's also a pair from Garcia (Compliments) and three from [wimpLink albumId="238738022"]Reflections[/wimpLink]. The rest of disc one is filled out by three cuts each from the various [wimpLink albumId="238132799"]Cats Under the Stars[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink albumId="238738293"]Run for the Roses[/wimpLink]. This is all good and well as far as it goes, but the rest of the story, the part that really matters, is told on disc two, which is compiled of live recordings. From various editions of the [wimpLink artistId="4564187"]Jerry Garcia Band[/wimpLink] -- thank goodness their version of [wimpLink artistId="80"]Bob Dylan[/wimpLink]'s "Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)" is here, as are live versions of "Positively 4th Street," [wimpLink artistId="486"]Jimmy Cliff[/wimpLink]'s "The Harder They Come," and "Deal" from the Way After Midnight album. There's the [wimpLink artistId="4564187"]JGB[/wimpLink]'s read of "Gomorrah " with [wimpLink artistId="3591267"]Gloria Jones[/wimpLink] (Marc Bolan's surviving widow) on backing vocals . There's also a cut from [wimpLink artistId="6285309"]Old & in the Way[/wimpLink] off their live set, That High Lonesome Sound, and both "Deep Elem Blues" and "Ripple" off the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band's set are here. Which leads up to the grand moment on the live disc: the reunion of the [wimpLink albumId="1282300"]Keystone[/wimpLink] band with [wimpLink artistId="29194901"]Garcia[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="7351611"]Saunders[/wimpLink], as well as [wimpLink artistId="5922088"]John Kahn[/wimpLink] on bass, with newbies [wimpLink artistId="6930409"]Gaylord Birch[/wimpLink] on drums, [wimpLink artistId="4192434"]Ed Neumeister[/wimpLink] on trombone, and saxophonist [wimpLink artistId="14254205"]Ron Stalling[/wimpLink]. They do a stunning rendition of [wimpLink artistId="3634161"]the Beatles[/wimpLink]' "Dear Prudence," which was previously unissued -- officially at least. Clocking in at over eleven-and-a-half minutes, it is the centerpiece of disc two. This cut alone might be worth the purchase price because it is loose, inspired, and utterly beautiful, and completely suited to [wimpLink artistId="29194901"]Garcia[/wimpLink]'s voice. In all, this is a fine comp that rounds out the portrait of [wimpLink artistId="29194901"]Garcia[/wimpLink] both as a studio solo artist and leading various live bands. ~ Thom Jurek