Recent blog posts about Merl Saunders from music blog aggregator, Elbo.ws http://elbo.ws/artist/merlsaunders/ 2013-05-19T00:07:48+01:00 text/html 2013-01-30T17:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/4750474/watch-rare-footage-of-jerry-garcia-and-merl-saunders-from/
On September 5th, 1973, the Hell's Angels threw a private party aboard a boat named the SS Bay Belle that sailed around the NY Harbor. For entertainment, the infamous motorcycle club brought Bo Diddley, Elephant's Memory and Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders . A clip of Garcia, Saunders, bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Kreutzmann performing a cover of That's Alright Mama at this private party, interspersed with footage of a biker wedding and the party, appears in the 1983 documentary Hells Angels Forever. Today, a pristine rip of Garcia and Saunders' appearance has turned up on [...]]]> text/html 2013-01-08T11:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/4707934/merl-saunders-and-jerry-garcia-keystone-companions/
These recordings from a couple of live gigs at Berkeley's Keystone illustrate the dynamic chemistry between the duo in wide-ranging fashion. The year was 1973 and 30-year-old Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia was at the peak of his powers. But even as much as the Dead was touring in the early '70s, Jerry was a music fanatic who always wanted to keep busy. He played with a variety of side projects, but his partnership with keyboardist Merl Saunders would become one of his longest lasting musical (and personal) friendships. It was Saunders who helped Garcia regain...]]> text/html 2012-12-08T03:02:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/4660551/phish-w-buddy-miles-and-merl-saunders-all-along/
When fans talk about past Phish runs at Madison Square Garden, the one that gets the least attention was a two-night stand in 1996. Unlike every other Phish MSG Run, these shows didn't take place in December. The quartet visited the "World's Most Famous Arena" just a week into a fall tour that wound up taking a while to heat up. After three and a half uneventful sets at the Garden, Phish finally broke through at the end of the second set on October 22nd with an amazing version of Weekapaug Groove that fans dubbed " Freakapaug " [...]]]> text/html 2012-08-01T19:58:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/4424172/intermezzo-stephest-colbchella-012-to-feature-flaming-lips-fun-grizzly/
Comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert is following up last year's StePhest Colbchella by curating a second edition of the mini-fest and this time around it will take place on the retired aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid. Dubbed StePhest Colbchella '012, the multi-band event will take place on Friday, August 10, featuring the Flaming Lips, fun., Grizzly Bear, Santigold and Grandmaster Flash. The resulting performances will air on the following week's episodes of The Colbert Report. Here's six more stories of note on this Hump Day... [...]]]> text/html 2012-03-26T17:06:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/4156944/stormy-mondays-merl-saunders-and-the-rainforest-band/
Although Merl Saunders is certainly best known for his collaborations with Jerry Garcia in the early '70s up through Legion of Mary, two decades later he was a staple of the jam scene across the United States. Merl Saunders and the Rainforest Band were a constant presence in college towns and at small festivals, serving up heaping helping of funky, danceable, MIDI drenched grooves and environmental messages; his affection for the rainforest couldnt be missed. While the band went through some changes and eventually became something [...]]]> text/html 2011-09-02T12:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/3693692/92-jerry-garcia-and-merl-saunders-positively-4th-street/
We've heard Jerry play Dylan quite a few times, but my man Merl adds a little something special to the mix.]]> text/html 2011-08-10T15:29:05+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/3639201/merl-saunders-and-jerry-garcia-positively-4th-street-bob/
I don't know if it's the weather, an act of habit or a touch of both but I often find myself returning to Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia's Live At The Keystone discs this time of year. A truly soulful pairing, I once heard their union described as something akin "to going to church," and [...]]]> text/html 2009-05-03T22:30:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1701222/mystery-train-jerry-garcia-and-merl-saunders111074/
Mystery Train - Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders 11.10.74 - Palace Theater, Albany, NY This is the second post weve shared in the past week from Albanys Palace Theater, this one coming 18 years before Phish played their 92 own November show. Its hard to believe that both of these two greats are no longer with us. Enjoy this wonderful cover of Elvis Presleys Mystery Train.]]> text/html 2009-01-13T18:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1455521/cw-the-night-they-drove-old-dixie-down/
After a brief hiatus, Cover Wars is back. What can I say? I went on vacation for a week to Chicago over New Year's and I left you guys without a playlist of covers of the same song to listen to at work. How you got by, I will never know. If you can remember, our last edition looked at covers of Hey Bulldog and Toad The Wet Sprocket has emerged victorious. Color me surprised, though they did do a great job with the song. This [...]]]> text/html 2009-01-01T20:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1435183/bloggy-goodness-welcome-to-09/
We hope that you rang in 2009 with style last night. I spent mine with My Morning Jacket as they ripped the roof off the Garden with a monster three and half hour show that included some fantastic covers. So, as you manage to shake off your first hangover of the year I figured wed cut right to the chase and unload a batch of links to get you through the day List Time : Best Album Cover Art Of '08 The Boss to release a [...]]]> text/html 2008-12-06T00:18:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1391560/bootleg-friday-merl-saunders-and-jerry-garcia-1972/
This is inexcusably late of me, but losing Merl Saunders, organist extraordinaire, at the end of October was a loss I felt keenly. Saunders played with Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, B.B. King, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Bonnie Raitt, Miles Davis and many more. His playing was warm, fluid and soulful with an obvious debt to Jimmy Smith, with whom he studied. But more importantly, Saunders had a spirit that lit up a room his playing was immensely joyful, and if you were lucky enough to be in a room in which he was playing, it [...]]]> text/html 2008-10-28T16:08:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1322440/merl-saunders-joining-the-great-jam-band-in-the-sky/
Last Friday one of the Bay Areas legendary musicians, Merl Saunders, passed away at the ripe old age of 74. Merl was probably best known as the organist for the Grateful Dead, though his collaborations with members of the Dead, most notable his work with Jerry Garcia, reached across the last three decades. But really thats just the tip of the iceberg. Merl was a legend in the world of jazz, busting out grooves on the organ and electric piano with wild abandon and breathtaking acumen. A true genius on the Hammond [...]]]> text/html 2008-10-27T12:39:10+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1319814/monday-morning-newsletter-10-27-08/
CMJ Wrap up 2008: Rusty, Dany and Jos have returned to the bosom of the Strandedinstereo offices. All are alive and in possession of their original number of fingers and toes. The hang-overs have worn off, bruises are fading and everything should be at least limping in the right direction this morning. Jos has the energy to slander, and that makes it all ok. [...]]]> text/html 2008-10-25T20:38:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1318093/a-message-from-merl-saunders-family/
Yesterday, the world lost a gentle and loving soul, who also happened to be an amazing keyboard player: Merl Saunders . His family asked us to pass along this message... Merl Saunders stood for music and love his smile alone told you that. We loved him very much and we know that you, his fans, did too. Sad as we are to lose him, were very aware of being comforted by the affection coming from all those touched by that smile [...]]]> text/html 2008-10-24T20:00:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1317232/hippie-hero-and-jazz-great-merl-saunders-passes-away/
Filed under: News , R.I.P. Spinner.com : Hippie-jazz icon and legendary keyboardist Merl Saunders passed away at San Francisco's Kaiser Hospital Friday morning from complications relating to his 2002 stroke.Saunders rose to national prominence in the 1970s after recording and performing... Read more]]> text/html 2008-10-24T17:47:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1316585/rip-merl-saunders/
From his work with Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead to his wonderful solo recordings Merl Saunders won the hearts of many. His warm smile and big hugs helped Jerry after his stroke and brought love to the legions of jam band kids that he always had time for after the show. He was also a friend and client of mine and I will miss him. Here's Merl on 2000 with his Funky Friends.]]> text/html 2008-10-24T17:28:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1316587/in-memorium-merl-saunders-1934-2008/
We're extremely saddened to report that Merl Saunders passed away this morning at the age of 74 in San Francisco. Saunders' B-3 playing broke new ground and has influenced many of the Hammond performers that have followed him. He's best known for his work with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, but he has also performed with with Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Paul Butterfield. In more recent [...]]]> text/html 2008-10-24T15:20:00+01:00 http://elbo.ws/post/1317060/merl-saunders-5-2-2000-honest-tunes/
UPDATE: Rest In Peace, Merl Saunders, the legendary keyboard player and wonderful spirit. 2-14-1934 to 10-24-2008. We interviewed Merl Saunders on 5-2-2000. This was one of the first 4 or 5 in-person-interviews for Honest Tunes radio, in our first season on the air. We caught up with Merl in the upstairs office of Chester's Place in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Merl talked about his years of jamming on keys with Jerry Garcia, JGB, Legion Of Mary, Reconstruction, and The Rainforest Band. Plus his friends and sit-ins with Phish, Widespread Panic and other musical friends. Here [...]]]>