Archive Review: Well-Matched – The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia (2006)

Lost amidst the mythos that continues to build around the Grateful Dead is a simple, undeniable fact – Jerry Garcia was a hell of a guitarist. Prone towards leading the Dead into extended onstage instrumental free-for-alls that would often redefine the sound of the song being played, Garcia is best remembered as the grandfather of the mid-‘90s “jam band” movement. However, Garcia was also a curious and intelligent guitarist, with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and the ability to assimilate and master any musical style thrown his way, from rock and blues to bluegrass and jazz.

Well-Matched – The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia

Nowhere are Garcia’s talents as a musician and his drive to play on greater display than with Well-Matched - The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia. When not on the road with his day job – pushing the Grateful Dead towards rock mythology with constant touring and live performances so damn enchanting that fans still talk about them today – for several years, Garcia would climb onstage with a smoking club band led by jazz pianist Merl Saunders. Saunders was a veteran of the West Coast jazz and blues circuit, playing with cats like Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis and Taj Mahal. Now you would think that after playing for months at a time on the road with the Dead that Jerry would want to kick back at home and forget the guitar for a while. But Garcia seemed to cherish working in a live environment with challenging musicians, and thus a friendship was forged with the equally talented Saunders.

Well-Matched draws its performances from the lone live album the unnamed Saunders/Garcia band released along with a number of Saunders’ studio albums where he and Garcia and a hand-picked coterie of musicians would recreate the chemistry of those live jams. Constant throughout these sessions were little-known but talented bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Vitt, along with folks like David Grisman, Vassar Clements, Tom Fogerty, and even the Tower of Power horns. Make no mistake, though, ‘cause this is definitely the Merl and Jerry show, the two powerful musicians riffing off one another, creating an exciting fusion of jazz, blues, rock, and R&B that is breath-taking in its ambition and amazing in its execution.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Saunders, Garcia and pals were playing for the fun of it, and it shows in the loose, energetic performances provided tunes like the Doc Pomus chestnut “Lonely Avenue” or on their imaginative reading of Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street.” The Saunders’ original, “Merl’s Tune,” is an impressive instrumental work-out that showcases the player’s abilities while the Motown classic “I Second That Emotion” enjoys a loping groove and Garcia’s lofty vocals. A fine rendition of J.J. Cale’s “After Midnight” with guitarist Tom Fogerty of CCR is matched by an inspired, soulful cover of Jimmy Cliff’s reggae classic “The Harder They Come.” Well-Matched - The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia shows the skills of both of these wonderful musicians in a different light, and should be a “must have” disc for any Grateful Dead fan, if only so they can fully appreciate Jerry Garcia’s range and incredible diversity. (Fantasy Records, released May 23rd, 2006)