Personnel: Jerry Garcia (vocals, guitar); Jerry Garcia; John Kahn (bass guitar); Ron Tutt, Ronnie Tutt (drums); Merl Saunders (vocals, keyboards); Martin Fierro (flute, saxophone).
Liner Note Author: Blair Jackson.
Recording information: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (12/14/1974-07/05/1975); Keystone, Berkeley, CA (12/14/1974-07/05/1975); Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR (12/14/1974-07/05/1975).
Photographer: Roberto Rabanne.
In 1975, when the Grateful Dead were taking a bit of a break from the road, their tireless leader, Jerry Garcia, strode the planks with a new solo project dubbed the Legion of Mary. Over the years, Jerry would jam with organist Merle Saunders in various contexts, while bassist John Kahn and drummer Ron Tutt would become the stalwart rhythm section of the official Jerry Garcia Band. Saxophonist Martin Fierro was the wild card; he and Saunders injected strong jazz/blues/R&B elements into Garcia's music.
This two-disc compilation of the group's live work from late '74 to mid-'75 includes material from commonplace sources for both the Dead and solo Garcia (Bob Dylan, Motown, Chuck Berry), but the extra groove quotient added by the Legion of Mary, and the jazzy edge to the improvisations, marks it as distinct from either. Live recordings of the Dead from this era find the group straying far from the Legion of Mary's journey through the continuum of American roots music, and later Garcia Band concerts were often more circumscribed affairs, but the Legion of Mary stands as a golden moment in Garcia's extracurricular legacy. minimize