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Jerry Garcia Band: Let It Rock

Rhino

The most recent chestnut from the Garcia archive is a spectacular recording from the very first configuration of the Jerry Garcia Band. A spry Garcia is joined by legendary English pianist Nicky Hopkins, former Elvis drummer Ron Tutt and JGB stalwart John Kahn. They performed roughly 40 shows in the fall of 1975 and this release is culled from two brilliant November performances at the Keystone in Berkeley, Calif. Hopkins’ continuously restrained-yet-compelling piano embellishments seem to inspire Garcia to take a jazzier approach then he would with later incarnations of his band. He and Hopkins intermingle elegantly, letting the music waft to a gorgeous whisper during “Sitting in Limbo,” and spurring each other to masterful improvisation at the back end of a soulful reading of “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” We even get to hear Garcia’s input on a Hopkins-penned Quicksilver Messenger Service song called “Edward.” Hopkins leads the band during this and a spirited instrumental called, “Pig’s Boogie”—and performs solo on a mesmerizing, “Lady Sleeps.” Avid Garcia fans will love the fetal arrangements of future staple JGB covers like “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” and “Let It Rock” along with Jerry’s mid-‘70s blues vibe during achingly soulful takes on “It’s Too Late” and “Ain’t No Use.”