Live
at the Keystone Vol. 1 review
This
line up took up where Side Trips left off. That is, this is
the same back up band for the featured keyboardist, this time with
Merl Saunders in place of Howard Wales.
Saunders and Garcia would later form several derivates of
this group. Some line-ups like Legion of Mary sound similar to this
performance while other billings like Reconstruction sound totally
different.
The
track list includes a wide diversity of styles with two Bob Dylan
songs, a Reggae number, several originals, and more.
This release has plenty of soulful vocals and outstanding
instrumentals.
Garcia
sings the first of two Bob Dylan songs “Positively 4th Street”
so exceptionally that you will not even care if he plays a guitar
solo. During the 1980’s and beyond Garcia sung a handful of Dylan
songs with the Grateful Dead, but with an aged voice they didn’t
sound this fine. Too, “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train
to Cry” is great. If your a fan of this song be sure to check out
the Grateful Dead’s 6/10/73 version with the Allman Brothers -- it
is available on their CD Postcards
of the Hanging.
There
is plenty of inspired playing on this first edition of Live at the
Keystone. Of the three editions this has the most diverse track list
so it is probably the best starting point. by Barry
Small
Grade
A
-
