Photo © Jay Blakesberg / Retro Photo Archive
Jerry Garcia’s musical career has long been a feature of celebration, separated by illustrious jams, an esteemed catalog of borrowed classic and original masterpieces, and an expansive collection of live recordings that capture the artist at his prime and in a variety of settings, impacting the totality of the listening experience. Serving as the latest sonic deliverable is GarciaLive Volume 21, a two-disc offering showcasing the Jerry’s Garcia Band’s Feb. 13, 1976 performance at the Keystone in Berkley, Calif., and due on June 14, 2024.
GarciaLive Volume 21 presents a near-full capture of JGB’s winter ‘76 performance, originally seized on 1/4″ analog reels by Betty Cantor-Jackson shortly after Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux’s arrival, which stemmed from their 1971-established membership with the Grateful Dead. Adding layers to the live show, the husband and wife duo unleash harmony over a plethora of career-spanning standouts.
Missing the night’s opening number, “How Sweet It Is,” the set aims to pack the Feb. 13, 1976 gaps with a pair of fills from JGB’s February 15th, 1976, at Sophie’s, Palo Alto, CalifMarvin Gaye-penned classic and gospel-tinged and first-time performance of “Brothers and Sisters.” Outside of the extras, the main set permeates with favorites like “Catfish John,” “After Midnight,” “Mission in the Rain,” “The Harder They Come,” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” a testimony to the prized material which made up JGB’s live shows in the mid-70s.
In addition to commonly played songs, the set also offers rarities, including a stunning take on The Rolling Stones’ “Midnight Mile.” Building venue history, the Keystone was a regular performance pad for the Jerry Garcia Band, serving as the location of previously released live sets, like the esteemed 1987 compilation Live at Keystone, featuring Merl Sauders, John Kahn, and Bill Vitt, ultimately honing in on the value and favor of the venue located in proximity to Garcia’s Bay Area residence.
Pre-order GarciaLive Volume 21 now. Download the set on June 14.
Scroll down to view the complete tracking list.
Tracklist, Disc One:
1. Catfish John
2. After Midnight
3. Mission In The Rain
4. Who Was John?
5. They Love Each Other
6. Moonlight Mile
Disc Two:
1. The Harder They Come
2. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
3. Talkin’ ‘Bout You
Filler: February 15th, 1976 at Sophie’s, Palo Alto, CA
4. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
5. My Sisters and Brothers