When he wasn’t touring extensively with the Grateful Dead, guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia sunk himself into his solo projects. Paying tribute to Jerry’s non-Grateful Dead work, ATO Records began the GarciaLive series earlier this year. Now, GarciaLive: Volume 3 brings the music from two legendary concerts from December of 1974, by one of Jerry’s solo projects: The Legion of Mary. This 3-CD set is a must have recording for any fan of Jerry and/or the Grateful Dead.
Influenced by folk, blues, contemporary rock, and experimental jazz, The Legion of Mary is an eclectically exceptional band, and the latest GarciaLive recording casts Jerry in a different light. By 1974, Garcia had played with keyboardist Merl Saunders and bassist John Kahn for three years, on the side. After the Dead went on hiatus in October of 1974, Garcia added drummer Ron Tutt and saxophonist/flautist/percussionist Martin Fierro to the lineup, and played about 60 shows as The Legion of Mary between 1974-1975.
The album starts with a cover “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” released by Stevie Wonder only one month prior to the performance. While Wonder’s version is uptempo and funky, The Legion of Mary takes a slowed-down, folky approach to the song, and it works… all eighteen jam-infused minutes of it.
True to The Legion of Mary style, GarciaLive: Volume 3 is a collage of wondrous covers and free-jazz improvisation. After “Boogie On,” the album features a rendition of The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” followed by a track entitled “Freedom Jazz Dance.” As one might expect, “Freedom Jazz Dance” is a loosely-constructed jazz instrumental that freely wanders through chord progressions and atonal scales. Somehow this song never feels aimless; perhaps that is due to incredible, intriguing musicianship that always keeps the listener wanting.
This compilation succeeds in highlighting the sporadic repertoire of Legion of Mary. GarciaLive: Volume 3 features covers from all sorts of genres, including Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train,” Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” and Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion.”
With prolonged, psychedelic jams, GarciaLive: Volume 3 captures the essence of Legion of Mary. The recording is very high quality, and the music is phenomenal! With the holiday season just around the corner, this newly-released 3-CD set would make the perfect gift for any Deadhead… just sayin’… Enjoy it!
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)