Garcia Live Volume 12 offers some of, if not the most spirited, edgy performances yet released in this archival series. And while it’s not quite accurate to assign all the credit to vocalist Sarah Fulcher as the catalyst for this combustible content, it is no coincidence she is featured prominently in photos within the twelve-page booklet (including one full-page stage shot). Those graphics mirror her almost continuous presence during the performances on this three-CD set.
In fact, this document of the Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders-led ensemble includes two original tunes from the Texas-born vocalist and songwriter taken from two nights at San Francisco’s Boarding House venue. Exalting in spirit as they are, the similarly-themed “Find A Rainbow” “Go Climb A Mountain,” are delineations of the self-assured instincts Fulcher brings to her contribution(s) here: rightfully proud on her forceful, straightforward rendition of Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind,” she is likewise not reticent in her fulsome harmonizing with the titular leader of the Grateful Dead on Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).”
More impressive still is Sarah Fulcher’s participation in the more open-ended exercises of camaraderie here. Hardly intimidated by the maelstrom of rhythm drummer Bill Vitt and bassist John Kahn generate on “Expressway to Your Heart,” she jumps in almost immediately to improvise with her voice in a way that complements what the major instrumentalists are doing. Intimations of her savvy instincts so apparent there also become manifest elsewhere in a setlist where only five of the nineteen selections time in at less than double-figure minute duration: during the twenty-minutes plus of “The System,” for instance, the woman proves she intuitively knows when to step back and out of the action. And she never over-sings.
It’s self-restraint all the more admirable, not to mention valuable when all her bandmates have plenty to say. More often than not during the course of Garcia Live Volume 12, on numbers like “Money Honey” and “Honey Chile,” Merl Saunders defers to Jerry Garcia, the former’s Hammond organ and electric piano coloring in, out and around the latter’s guitar to vivid effect. There’s never a sense of any but the most healthy competition in that regard as both men maintain a tone of mutual inspiration: Garcia seems to enjoy comping behind Saunders as much as soloing. And, as is readily apparent on “That’s All Right, Mama,” this group can also sing and play just for the fun of it, a theme at the heart of author Jesse Jarnow’s informative essay here.
That said, it’s Jerry who offers the most striking emotional moments on these sixteen-track recordings of Betty Cantor and Rex Jackson. “Lonely Avenue” is an even more stark depiction of despair than “It’s Too Late,” the electric guitar during both biting and corrosive. Meanwhile, on “I Know It’s A Sin,” the musical instrument that is Garcia’s voice communicates an affecting mix of vulnerability and self-awareness. And his vocals on “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry” aren’t much less moving within the tighter structures and arrangements of those songs.
Covers of The Band and Bob Dylan here function as familiar touchpoints comparable to the Motown covers. For Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “I Second That Emotion,” there’s an equitable balance with the relative novelty of Fulcher’s presence combined with the free-wheeling jamming that otherwise pervades these intimate shows. As it was evolving here, roughly three years into their ongoing collaborations, Jerry Garcia’s relationship with Merl Saunders was becoming one of the most fulfilling of his life and career.
Garcia Live Volume 12 importantly depicts the generosity of spirit at the heart of that bond, an abiding tenet that allowed Sarah Fulcher to just about steal these show(s).
2 Responses
Nice review Doug. This is Exhibit A as to why I love these archival Dead releases; how many fans even knew this formation existed with Sarah singing? While not my favorite overall, it is a unique release definitely worth hearing.
I appreciate the compliment Shawn!…The curators definitely took a chance on this one, but methinks they made the right move: this title will always stand out within the their archiving efforts. And I know at least one non-Deadhead eager to hear it, so there’s gotta be more and that’s a good thing!?