Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders

GarciaLive Volume 12: January 23rd, 1973 The Boarding House presents Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders’ complete and previously uncirculated performance at the storied downtown San Francisco venue. Mixed by Jonathan Wilson and Dave Cerminara from the original 16-track recordings captured by Betty Cantor and Rex Jackson.

Captured nearly two years after debuting their amorphous combo, GarciaLive Volume 12 finds Garcia and Saunders continuing to stretch the bounds of R&B standards and foundational rock & roll on the front-end of a three-night midweek run. The core of Garcia, Saunders, bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Vitt are joined here by vocalist Sarah Fulcher whose tenure with the group was brief but revolutionary. Cut from the same cloth as her bandmates, Fulcher is a fearless improviser who could make up words and lead lines in the moment. On a rollicking version of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Honey Chile”, Fulcher showcases her abilities as a self-described “jam singer” leading, as Jesse Jarnow notes in the liner note essay, an "ebullient jam that turns the Motown bounce inside out and lands in a lithe descending pattern not dissimilar to what Dead tapers labeled the “Mind Left Body” theme.” Other highlights include a pair of Ray Charles staples “Lonely Avenue” and “Georgia On My Mind” which showcase the band’s ability to play it “straight.” Straight of course is relative with Garcia/Saunders & co extending these soul-soaked performances well beyond the 10 minute mark as only they can.