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 feet ably rounding out the rhythm section. 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. 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. Set Two offers more of the same with an incendiary take on Saunders’s original “Save Mother Earth” that tips the 25-minute mark to open the set. The highlight of the night, however, may be the only known Garcia-led performance of David Crosby’s “The Wall Song.” While Saunders is credited with teaching Garcia “regular, straight” music, there’s certainly no evidence of anything mundane here.
TracklistHide Credits
1-1 Man-Child
Written-By – Ed Lewis*, Merl Saunders
17:36
1-2 One Kind Favor
Written-By – Blind Lemon Jefferson
9:34
1-3 I Know It's A Sin
Written-By – Jimmy Reed, Mary Reed (2)
6:53
1-4 I Was Made To Love Her
Written-By – Henry Cosby, Lula Mae Hardaway*, Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy
9:58
1-5 Keystone Korner Jam
Written-By – Bill Vitt, Jerry Garcia, Martin Fierro, Merl Saunders
16:38
1-6 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Written-By – Robbie Robertson
5:04
2-1 Save Mother Earth
Written-By – Ed Lewis*, Merl Saunders
25:19
2-2 That's All Right
Written-By – Jimmy Rogers
8:28
2-3 The Wall Song
Written-By – David Van Cortlandt Crosby*
12:45
2-4 Mystery Train
Written-By – Herman Parker Jr.*, Sam Phillips (2)
6:44
TracklistHide Credits
1-1 Man-Child
Written-By – Ed Lewis*, Merl Saunders
17:36
1-2 One Kind Favor
Written-By – Blind Lemon Jefferson
9:34
1-3 I Know It's A Sin
Written-By – Jimmy Reed, Mary Reed (2)
6:53
1-4 I Was Made To Love Her
Written-By – Henry Cosby, Lula Mae Hardaway*, Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy
9:58
1-5 Keystone Korner Jam
Written-By – Bill Vitt, Jerry Garcia, Martin Fierro, Merl Saunders
16:38
1-6 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Written-By – Robbie Robertson
5:04
2-1 Save Mother Earth
Written-By – Ed Lewis*, Merl Saunders
25:19
2-2 That's All Right
Written-By – Jimmy Rogers
8:28
2-3 The Wall Song
Written-By – David Van Cortlandt Crosby*
12:45
2-4 Mystery Train
Written-By – Herman Parker Jr.*, Sam Phillips (2)
6:44