Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders - GarciaLive Volume 22: September 25th, 1971 Lion’s Share (2026)

GarciaLive Volume 22: September 25th, 1971 captures almost every note played across the early and late shows at San Anselmo’s intimate Lion’s Share, a tiny Quonset hut on the edge of town. The performances were originally recorded to 1/4" analog reels by Betty Cantor-Jackson and Bob Matthews.

Jerry Garcia’s partnership with Merl Saunders carved out a parallel musical life in small Bay Area clubs. Joined by rhythmic anchor John Kahn, Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, and Tom Fogerty on rhythm guitar, who recently departed from Creedence Clearwater Revival. This quintet specialized in power pockets and strong grooves, giving Garcia space to elaborate and extend his musical knowledge, free from the expectations that followed him elsewhere. The key ingredient was fun.

The setlist brims with rarities born from the spirit of that exploration: an ethereal instrumental reading of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” ‘50s R&B burners “Annie Had a Baby” and “W-P-L-J,” and the rare Jesse Winchester gem “Biloxi” (which is carefully restored here despite the wear of time). While the set closer, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” does not survive on the original tape, what remains is a rare slice of transcendent two-guitar Garcia/Saunders alchemy, now preserved in full color.