Grateful Dead Collaborator Merl Saunders, R.I.P.

Grateful Dead Collaborator Merl Saunders, R.I.P.

Photo by Jef Jaisun

Genre-hopping keyboardist Merl Saunders passed away Friday (October 24) in San Francisco at the age of 74. According to a BBC report citing Saunders' son, the musician's death was the result of complications following a stroke.

In addition to his sizable solo catalog, Saunders' musical career included collaborations with Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, and Harry Belafonte. His most fruitful and longest lasting collaboration, however, was with Jerry Garcia, both in the Grateful Dead and various other side pursuits. One of those side pursuits was the Saunders-Garcia Band, which made two albums in the 1970s and played live until Garcia died in 1995, according to the BBC.

"Aunt Monk" [from the Merl Saunders LP]:

"My Train":

Posted by Dave Maher on Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 4:00pm