GarciaLive Volume 21 showcases the Jerry Garcia Band’s February 13th, 1976 performance at the legendary Keystone in Berkeley, California. The nearly complete two-set performance was originally captured to 1/4" analog reels by Betty Cantor-Jackson. Following the arrival of Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in early ’76, Garcia delighted in his group’s “harmonious” sound emphatically expressing “This is what I want to hear.” While we’re sadly missing the show-opening “How Sweet It Is,” the selections that followed are sublime testaments affirming Garcia’s sentiments. Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” may encapsulate the dynamic range of the mid-70’s era JGB better than any other with its soulful harmonies and adventurous improvisation taking the song well beyond its form before bringing it all back around. The setlist boasts a few first known JGB performances: a breathtaking cover of the Rolling Stone’s “Moonlight Mile,” a steady grooving “After Midnight,” and a spirited “Talkin’ ’Bout You.” This collection however closes where we started, or rather should have started — borrowing a bouncy performance of “How Sweet It Is” and adding one other first known performance of “My Sisters and Brothers,” both from February 15th, ’76 at Sophie’s, for good measure.

Filler: February 15th, 1976 at Sophie’s, Palo Alto, CA

24-bit/88.2 kHz FLACs.