Jerry Garcia Band - Let It Rock: The Jerry Garcia Collection Vol. 2 [2CD] (2009)

The latest release to come from the Garcia vault is Let It Rock: Jerry Garcia Band 1975 a 2-CD set recorded November 17 and 18, 1975 at the Keystone Berkeley, featuring the very first version of the Jerry Garcia Band, with the magnificent British pianist Nicky Hopkins, drummer Ron Tutt and ol’ reliable—bassist John Kahn. This marks the first-ever full release of material from the brief but fruitful Garcia-Hopkins union (August through December ’75), and it shows the group at its best, rolling though a broad range of styles, from the churning opener, “Let It Rock,” to Dead favorites like “Sugaree,” “They Love Each Other” and a lively “Friend of the Devil,” to boppin’ R&B—“Tore Up Over You,” “Roadrunner”—a 19-minute workout (!) on the Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and Nicky’s exceptional instrumental track “Edward.”

The sound on these discs is impeccable: They were mixed from 16-track master tapes by Jeffrey Norman, who has mixed and mastered countless Dead-related projects through the years. The clarity of the vocals and instruments is absolutely stunning—it’s practically like being at the legendary Keystone Berkeley, except without that distinctive smell of beer and popcorn, and the clacking of the foosball table in the back room. The icing on this particular slice of psychedelic cake is a fine essay by David Gans which probes the Jerry-Nicky dynamic and offers some needed historical context. In short, this one is a must for Jerry freaks (and doesn’t that include all of us?)!