Live at Keystone, Vol. 2 [LIVE]

Merl Saunders, Live At The Keystone (Series), Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, Bill Vitt

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1973
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Fantasy
• ASIN: B000000XD5
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,765 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Music > Rock > Live Albums > Jam Bands
  #22 in	Music > Blues > Live Albums
  #29 in	Music > Jazz > Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

For most of the 1970s, keyboardist Merl Saunders was Jerry Garcia's main musical foil away from his main band, allowing the Grateful Dead icon a chance to really broaden his horizons. Dates from 1973 at San Francisco's Keystone with bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Vitt have yielded three CDs' worth of material--Volume 1 and Keystone Encores augment this particularly strong set. Here the quartet tackles a pair of rollicking rockabilly numbers, a blues staple, a wonderfully touching, soulful ballad, and the standard "My Funny Valentine," the latter delivered in a rather exploratory style. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, December 9, 2004

By	M. Aydin "mahmut4@yahoo" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This CD is the best of all 3 Keystone releases. Period. If you are gonna get one, get this one. "Like a Road" drips with emotion and "Funny Valentine" is very jazzy, loose, and will impress any music fan. Worth the price for just these 2 tracks alone.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Soul Men, September 13, 2007

By	PHILIP S WOLF (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

When this Double LP was released way back in 1973, it had a bit of an impact in:"Jerry-Land". Translation: It was like Moses bringing the Tablets down...We, had 2 Records of Live Jerry, at last!

Vol. 2 of "Live at the Keystone" is the Second Part of that Original Double Record,and it's The best Part. Jerry & Merl are outta the Gate with: "That's All Right Mama" at a Breakness Pace. It sounds like a Boot-Stompin' Show opener, and what comes to Life on this Re-Master, is the Bass Guitar of John Kahn, he has been brought-up in the Mix and is much more in the Fore-Front here....Kahn is Incredible! The Jazz Standard: "My Funny Valentine" at 18 Minutes is Quite an Musical Journey, Jerry's Amazing Solo's come from Sideways and they twist & turn all around the Main Melody BUT, they are focused and Spot-On, To understand Jerry as an "Jazzman", begin here, Also, there is some Deep Space explored herein, and it's all over too soon.

Track No. Three: "Someday Baby", gives Merl The Funk Spotlight, and You KNOW that Jerry's got one of those Big Grins on his Face, during this One, It's an Groovetune...Nice. On the Original Record, "Like a Road", was the Closing Number, and this was my Favorite of the Set. If you like what The Dead does during a Choice live: "Morning Dew", this Cut is gonna knock you flat, It's one of Jerry's Finest moments EVER, the Solos are The Grail....

The Bonus track is; "Mystery Train" and it's Welcome here. The drumming of Bill Vitt, drives this one along, this is 50's Rockabilly Meeting Up with 70's Jamming and it's Good.

"Keystone Vol II, is MUST-OWN, Jerry Garcia. This was a Great Period for Jerry, Some of his best playing anywhere is right here on this CD. This Artist had Music comin' outta his pores, and this CD is the Proof. Rock,Jazz,Blues,Funk,Soul,Space and Taste...This is a Five-Star CD!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Burning up the Keystone, January 30, 2001

By	Evan Dohrmann "evandohrmann" (Vermont) - See all my reviews

Live At Keystone, Vol. 2 highlights two of the most fabulous muscicans of the 20th century. Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders share the pinnacle of their careers on this funky live album. Both products of the San Francisco counter culture, Saunders and Garcia colaborated many times during the 70's and 80's at the famous Keystone Auditorium. The two effortlessly bounce their electric emotions off of eachother throughout the entire album. Saunders and Garcia jam out almost every track on the album, and their raport with the audience can be heared in the background. Live At Keystone, Vol. 2 is an album that cannot be passed up by music lovers of any kind.