Part 1 26:57
Interview: Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
MYSTERY TRAIN
Interview: Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Part 2 28:58
Interview: Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
GEE, BABY, AIN’T I GOOD TO YOU
Interview: Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders Live: Still Havin’ Fun
SUGAREE
Interview: Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders, Fiesta Amazonica
AYAHUASCA ZONE

San Francisco keyboardist Merl Saunders was a musical partner of Jerry Garcia’s starting in 1970. As you’ll hear in this interview, their work together was tremendously enriching to the guitarist. The recorded output of their collaboration is quite impressive, as the discography on deaddisc.com attests.

When Jerry was recovering from his diabetic coma in 1986, it was Merl who went to his bedside every day to help him recover his musical consciousness and retrain his nerve paths.

Merl suffered a stroke in 2002 that put an end to his performing career. Complications from an infection ended his life on October 24, 2008. See Jef Jaisun’s photo of Merl in this earlier post.

A damn fine musician and, in my experience, a gentle and generous man.

Tonight’s Dead to the World honors Merl Saunders, who passed away last week. Jef Jaisun took this picture at the Summer of Love 40th Reunion in Golden Gate Park on September 2, 2007.

Deal – Jerry Garcia, Garcia

“Deal” was dedicated to the memory of longtime Grateful Dead attorney Hal Kant, who passed away last week. LA Times obit here.

Interview with Merl Saunders, January 1998
Mystery Train – Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
Interview
Georgia on My Mind – Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
Interview
Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You? – Merl Saunders and Friends, Keepers
Interview
Sugaree – Merl Saunders Live: Still Having Fun
Interview
Ayahuasca Zone – Merl Saunders, Fiesta Amazonica

The Lindells live in the KPFA performance studio:

Music Mountain
I Was Wrong
Flood
Fly Away
Battle Mountain
Edge of Town
She Doesn’t Need You Anymore
The Blue Glass
Sideways