Jerry Garcia Band (1991) Review | Working and Waiting for the Night to Come

Kronomyth 10.0: Live after the Dead.

The Jerry Garcia Band had been a going concern since the 70s and, with the Dead slowing down, Jerry Garcia began to shift his energies to releasing albums as a cover band par excellence. Jerry Garcia Band is a double-disc live set recorded during a 1990 tour that showcases Garcia’s stellar taste in tunes and plenty of guitar solos. The band trots out songs from Bob Dylan (Simple Twist of Fate, I Shall Be Released, Tangled Up in Blue, Señor), Smokey Robinson (The Way You Do the Things You Do), The Beatles (Dear Prudence), The Band (The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down), Bob Marley (Stop That Train) plus newer acts like Los Lobos (Evangeline) and Bruce Cockburn (Waiting for a Miracle). If those titles don’t kindle your interest, well, you’re missing out. Garcia is, of course, the main attraction here. Melvin Seals is a solid add, the backing singers help, and the rhythm section of David Kemper and John Kahn keep things moving (Kahn’s solo on “Simple Twist of Fate” notwithstanding). As for the state of Garcia’s voice, it’s become a bit of a liability over the years, which is where Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch come in. They smooth over the rough edges during the choruses and all is right as rain again. In the last decade of his life, Garcia only released two albums, both live, both worth owning. Jerry Garcia Band and Almost Acoustic are complementary works, bringing the full spectrum of Garcia’s interests in country/folk and R&B/rock & roll into view. What you won’t find on either is a trace of ego. Garcia was always one more member of the audience, a star who could see the vast universe around him and be amazed and humbled.

The Product

A1. The Way You Do the Things You Do (William Robinson, Jr./Bobby Rogers) (8:08)
A2. Waiting for a Miracle (Bruce Cockburn) (5:54)
A3. Simple Twist of Fate (Bob Dylan) (11:54)
A4. Get Out of My Life (Allen Toussaint) (8:53)
A5. My Sisters and Brothers (Charles Johnson) (4:17)
A6. I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan) (9:26)
A7. Dear Prudence (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) (11:41)
A8. Deal (Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter) (8:38)
B1. Stop That Train (Peter Tosh) (8:51)
B2. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) (Bob Dylan) (7:43)
B3. Evangeline (David Hidalgo/Louie Perez) (4:47)
B4. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Robbie Robertson) (9:36)
B5. Don’t Let Go (Jesse Stone) (17:16)
B6. That Lucky Old Sun (Haven Gillespie/Beasley Smith) (11:32)
B7. Tangled Up in Blue (Bob Dylan) (12:16)

The Players

Jerry Garcia (guitar & vocals), Gloria Jones (background vocals), John Kahn (bass guitar), David Kemper (drums), Jackie LaBranch (background vocals), Melvin Seals (organ & keyboards). Produced by Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, John Cutler. Live recording by John Cutler with additional engineering by David Roberts, Andrew Warwick, Peter Miller, Justin Kreutzmann.

The Pictures

Cover art by John Kahn; photography by Ken Friedman; design by Carolyn Quan; art coordination by Amy Finkle.

The Plastic

Released on 2CD and 2CS on August 27, 1991 in the US (Arista, 18690-2/4). Reached #97 on the US charts. Re-released in 2000 in Japan (BMG, 37148/9).

1. Re-issued on 180g vinyl 5LP box set in 2021 in the US (Jerry Garcia, JGFRR1039).